the choir's immediate past patron was the hon. dame silvia cartwright. the choir's archives, which are at the hocken library, say that, mr h.s. chapman, supreme court judge, was patron in 1878 and governor, the earl of ranfurly, was patron in 1898. they also say that sir hercules robinson, governor from 1879 to 1880, attended several concerts during his time as governor, but he was not a patron.