The first Tuesday in November is known, even internationally, as Melbourne Cup Day and the public holiday is widely acknowledged even outside Victoria. Melbourne Uni routinely held (and may still hold) exams on that day
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egads! as a person totally uninterested in this race (I used to take over a phone shift for colleagues who wanted to watch the race with the rest of the office) I am amazed at the way an organisation can ignore this important day. And the others, too. Did the uni pay it's working staff Holiday penalty rates? Did their deeply-held principles cost them money?

seriously, 150 years is a long time to hold a grudge. How do they keep it going? It's not like a family that can indoctrinate their youngsters to hold a belief that their great-great-great (etc) granddad held.

sandra