'The University of Sydney', established in
Sydney in 1850, is the
oldest university in
Australia. It is a member of Australia's "
Group of Eight" Australian universities that are highly ranked in terms of their research performance. In 2005, the University of Sydney had 45,966 students and 2,300 (full-time equivalent) academic staff making it the second largest in Australia.
[3]
The University of Sydney has been ranked amongst the top 40 universities in the world by various sources. The UK’s ''
Times Higher Education Supplement '' World University Rankings published in October 2006 ranked the
University fifth best in the world for the
Arts and Humanities, nineteenth for the
social sciences and twentieth for
biomedicine.
[4] [5] The University as a whole was ranked 35th in the world in that same publication's league table, ranking third among Australian universities.
[6] In the ''
Newsweek'' global 100 for 2006, the University of Sydney (together with the
Australian National University) was one of two Australian universities placed in the top 50 in the world.
[7]
Centred on the
Oxbridge-inspired grounds
[8] of the University's Main Campus on the south-western outskirts of Sydney's
CBD, the University has a number of campuses as a result of mergers over the past 20 years. The University of Sydney is a member of the Group of Eight, Academic Consortium 21, the
Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) and the
Worldwide Universities Network.
History
The Main Quadrangle
During 1848,
William Wentworth proposed a plan to expand the existing
Sydney College into a university in the
Legislative Council. Wentworth argued that a state university was imperative for the growth of a society aspiring towards self-government, and that it would provide the opportunity for 'the child of every class, to become great and useful in the destinies of his country'. It would take two attempts on Wentworth's behalf however, before the plan was finally adopted.
The University was established via the passage of the ''
University of Sydney Act,'' which was signed on
1 October 1850. Two years later, the University was inaugurated on
11 October 1852 in the Big Schoolroom of what is now
Sydney Grammar School. The first principal was
John Woolley. On
27 February 1858 the University received its
Royal Charter from
Queen Victoria, giving degrees conferred by the University equal rank and recognition as those given by universities in the
UK [9]. By 1859, the university had moved to its current site in the Sydney suburb of
Camperdown.
In 1858, the passage of the ''
Electoral Act'' provided for the university to become a constituency for the
Legislative Assembly as soon as there were 100 graduates with higher degrees. This seat in Parliament was first filled in 1876, but was abolished in 1880 one year after its second Member,
Edmund Barton, was elected to the Legislative Assembly.
Most of the estate of
John Henry Challis was bequeathed to the university, which received a sum of £200,000 in 1889. This was thanks in part due to
William Montagu Manning (chancellor 1878–1895) who argued against the claims by British Tax Commissioners. The following year seven professorships were created; anatomy, zoology, engineering, history, law, logic & mental philosophy, and modern literature. The academic structure of the university was based partly on that of
Cornell University in the US.
[10]
Eastern Avenue on main campus
Campuses
The University has a number of campuses and has continued to expand over the years. Until recently, the University also operated the
Museum of Contemporary Art.
As of 2007, the campuses are:
Camperdown/Darlington (main) campus
Clock Tower on the eastern side of the main quadrangle
Originally housed in what is now
Sydney Grammar School, in 1855, the government granted the university land in
Grose Farm, three kilometres from the city, which is now the main
Camperdown campus. The architect
Edmund Blacket designed the original
Neogothic sandstone Quadrangle and Great Tower buildings, which were completed in 1862. The rapid expansion of the university in the mid-20th century resulted in the acquisition of land in Darlington across
City Road. The Camperdown/Darlington campus houses the headquarters of the University, and the Faculties of Arts, Science, Education and Social Work, Pharmacy, Veterinary Science, Economics and Business, Architecture, and Engineering. It is also the home base of the large Faculty of Medicine, which has numerous affiliated teaching hospitals across the State.
The main campus is also the focus of student life at campus, with the student-run
University of Sydney Union (often known simply as the Union) in possession of three buildings on-site - Wentworth, Manning and Holme Buildings. These buildings house a large proportion of the university's catering outlets, and provide space for gaming rooms, bars and function centres. One of the largest activities organised by the Union is the Orientation Week (or 'O-week'), centering on stalls set up by clubs and societies on the Front Lawns.
The University is currently undertaking a large capital works program (entitled "Campus 2010 + Building for the Future"), which will see the amalgamation of the smaller science and technical libraries into a larger library, and the construction of a central administration and student services building along City Road. A new building for the School of Information Technologies opened in late 2006, and has been located on a site adjacent to the Seymour Centre. Meanwhile, a new home for the Sydney Law School is under construction, located alongside Fisher Library on the site of the old
Edgeworth David and Stephen Roberts buildings. The busy Eastern Avenue thoroughfare will be transformed into a pedestrian plaza, while a new footbridge will be built over City Road.
From
2007, the University will also use Bay 17 in the new Carriageworks development in the former
Eveleigh railway yards just to the south of
Darlington as an examination room.
The new School of Information Technologies building
The campus is well-served by public transport, being a short walk from
Redfern Railway Station, and served by buses on the neighbouring
Parramatta Road and
City Road.
[11]
Mallett Street campus
The Mallett Street campus is home of the Faculty of Nursing. As of 2005, the Faculty no longer offers undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing programs. A new Master of Nursing program (M.N) has been introduced, with its first intake of students in 2006. Other hybrid programs such as the Bachelor of Arts/Master of Nursing, Bachelor of Science/Master of Nursing, Bachelor of Applied Science/Master of Nursing, Bachelor of Sports and Exercise Science/Master of Nursing have also been introduced.
Cumberland campus
Formerly an independent institution (the Cumberland College of Health Sciences), the Cumberland campus in the Sydney suburb of
Lidcombe was incorporated into the University as part of the higher education reforms of the late 1980s. It is home to the Faculty of Health Sciences, which covers various allied health disciplines, including physiotherapy, speech pathology, radiation therapy, occupational therapy, as well as exercise science and health information management.
Surry Hills campus
The Sydney Dental Hospital at Surry Hills houses the University's Dental School and Dentistry library. Situated between Chalmers Street and Elizabeth Street, it is adjacent to the eastern entrance to
Central Station.
Sydney Law School
Main articles: Sydney Law School
Near
St. James Railway Station in the centre of Sydney's business and legal district, the Sydney Law School is located across the road from the
Supreme Court of New South Wales building. In 2009, the Faculty of Law will move to the main campus following the completion of the new law building on Eastern Avenue. Notable alumni include
High Court Judges and current
Australian Prime Minister,
John Howard.
Sydney Law School, located in Sydney's
CBDSydney College of the Arts
Main articles: Sydney College of the Arts
The Sydney College of the Arts (SCA) is based in a former sanitorium in the Sydney suburb of
Rozelle, overlooking
Sydney Harbour. The college specialises in the fine (visual) arts.
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Main articles: Sydney Conservatorium of Music
Formerly the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (SCM) is located on the edge of Sydney's
Royal Botanic Gardens, a short distance from the
Sydney Opera House. It became a faculty of the University in the 1990s, and as of 2005 incorporates the main campus Department of Music, which was the subject of the documentary ''
Facing the Music''.
Demolition of the Edgeworth David building to make way for the new Faculty of Law building
Orange Agricultural College
Located at Orange in rural NSW, the Orange Agricultural College joined in 1994. Orange campus was principally the domain of the former Faculty of Rural Management; however other undergraduate courses from the Faculties of Arts, Science, Nursing and Pharmacy were also taught at Orange.
The Orange Campus and the Faculty of Rural Management were transferred to
Charles Sturt University in 2005 amid objections from the staff and students of at the University of Sydney.
Camden campus
Located on Sydney's southwest rural fringe, the
Camden campus houses research farms for agriculture and veterinary science.
Narrabri Plant Research Centre
The Narrabri Plant Research Centre is located at
Narrabri, near the
Queensland border.
The Dawkins Reforms: Higher Education (Amalgamation) Act 1989
Under the terms of the
Higher Education (Amalgamation) Act 1989 (NSW), the following bodies were incorporated into the University of Sydney in
1990:
★ the Sydney Branch of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music
★ the Cumberland College of Health Sciences
★ the Sydney College of the Arts of the Institute of the Arts
★ the Sydney Institute of Education of the Sydney College of Advanced Education
★ the Institute of Nursing Studies of the Sydney College of Advanced Education
★ the Guild Centre of the Sydney College of Advanced Education.
The
Orange Agricultural College (OAC) was originally transferred to the
University of New England under the Act, but then transferred to the University of Sydney in 1994, as part of the reforms to the University of New England undertaken by the
University of New England Act 1993 and the
Southern Cross University Act 1993. In January 2005, the University of Sydney transferred the OAC to
Charles Sturt University.
The New England University College was founded as part of the University of Sydney in
1938, and separated to become the
University of New England in
1954.
Funding
Latest figures show that the University of Sydney has been confirmed as Australia’s leading research university in terms of funding. Sydney researchers have been awarded more than $49 million by the
Australian Research Council for 120 research projects commencing in 2007, the largest amount awarded to any university in Australia. Of that total, Sydney has received $40.5 million for 97 new Discovery Grants commencing in 2007, $5.4 million more than its nearest national competitor.
The University of Sydney secured more than $46 million in funding in the 2007 round of National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Project Grant, Capacity Building and Fellowship awards, the largest allocation to any university in the state.
The James Jones foundation has announced the 2007 recipient of the bicentennial award in university research linked to applied agricultural economics. The award includes various grant and research opportunities that may be taken up by both staff members and senior students.
Five of the University's affiliated medical research facilities secured $38 million in the Australian government’s 2006 budget, part of $163 million made available for a variety of development and expansion projects.
Colleges and faculties
The University comprises seventeen faculties, which have been grouped into three colleges
[12]:
★ College of Health Sciences
★
★ Faculty of Dentistry
★
★ Faculty of Health Sciences
★
★
Faculty of Medicine
★
★ Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery
★
★ Faculty of Pharmacy
★ College of Humanities and Social Sciences
★
★ Faculty of Arts
★
★ Faculty of Economics and Business
★
★ Faculty of Education and Social Work
★
★ Graduate School of Government
★
★
Faculty of Law
★
★ Sydney College of the Arts
★
★ Sydney Conservatorium of Music
★ College of Sciences and Technology
★
★ Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
★
★ Faculty of Architecture
★
★ Faculty of Engineering
★
★ Faculty of Science
★
★ Faculty of Veterinary Science
University of Sydney Library
Main articles: University of Sydney Library
The University of Sydney Library consists of numerous individual libraries across its many campuses. Fisher Library was named after an early benefactor. The University library is the largest in the southern hemisphere, with a collection of more than 5.25 million items. It possesses many rare items such as one of the two extant copies of the ''
Gospel of Barnabas'', and a first edition of ''
Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica'' by
Sir Isaac Newton.
Museums and galleries
Nicholson Museum
Main articles: Nicholson Museum
Nicholson Museum of Antiquities contains the largest and most prestigious collection of antiquities in Australia. It is also the country's oldest university museum, and features ancient artefacts from Egypt, the Middle East, Greece, Rome, Cyprus and Mesopotamia, collected by the University over many years and added to by recent archaeological expeditions.
Macleay Museum
Main articles: Macleay Museum
The Macleay Museum is named after Alexander Macleay, whose collection of insects begun in the late eighteenth century was the basis upon which the museum was founded. It has developed into an extraordinary collection of natural history specimens, ethnographic artifacts, scientific instruments and historic photographs.
University Art Collection
The University Art Collection was founded in the 1860s and contains more than 2500 pieces, constantly growing through donation, bequests, and acquisition. It is housed in several different places, including the
Sir Hermann Black Gallery and the
War Memorial Art Gallery.
Rare Books Library
The Rare Books Library is a part of the
Fisher Library and holds 185,000 books and manuscripts which are rare, valuable or fragile, including eighty medieval manuscripts, works by Galileo, Halley and Copernicus and an extensive collection of
Australiana. The copy of the
Gospel of Barnabas, and a first edition of
Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica by
Sir Isaac Newton are held here. Regular exhibitions of rare books are held in the exhibition room.
Residential colleges
The univerrsity has a number of residential college and halls of residence each with its own distinctive style and facilities. All offer tutorial support and a wide range of social and sporting activities in a supportive communal environment. Five colleges are affiliated with religious denominations and while this gives each of these colleges a special character, students of any denomination or religion are eligible for admission. Unlike some residential colleges in British or American universities, the colleges are not affiliated with any specific discipline of study.
★
St John's College
★
St Andrew's College
★
St Paul's College
★
Sancta Sophia College
★
Wesley College
★
The Women's College
★
Mandelbaum House
★
International House, University of Sydney
In 2003, the University completed the
Sydney University Village (SUV), consisting of studio and apartment accommodation operated by a private company on behalf of the university. There is also a university-affiliated
housing cooperative,
Stucco.
Eastern Elevation from St John's Oval
Student organisations, clubs and activities
Student Representatives
Politically and academically, undergraduate students are represented by the
Students Representative Council (SRC) and postgraduate students by the
Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA)
[1].
Student Union
Main articles: University of Sydney Union
The University of Sydney Union provides student services and amenities and supports the university's strong debating, dramatic, and cultural traditions, through over a hundred clubs and societies. Unofficially, the University of Sydney ranks first in the world in debating ahead of
Oxford and
Cambridge[2]. They are the reigning World Debating Champions, and in recent years have comprehensively dominated the finals of the Australian and Australasian Championships. Former debaters include Prime Minister John Howard, Justice Michael Kirby and members of the Chaser crew.
The Labor Club is the oldest political campus club in Australia. Honi Soit, run by the SRC, is the only remaining weekly student newspaper in Australia.
Sports Union
Main articles: Sydney University Sport
Formerly known as the Sydney University Sports Union and Sydney University Women's Sports Association, Sydney University Sport is one of the largest tertiary sporting body. It currently manages and administers 42 sport and recreation clubs, organises sporting and recreation events, and offers student and non-student members a comprehensive range of sporting facilities.
Sydney University Football Club, founded in 1863, is the oldest rugby union club in Australia. The club was a member of the inaugural Sydney club competition in 1874. The club currently competes in the
NSWRU competition and in 2005 claimed the
Tooheys New Cup, senior and colts club championships and were runners up in the
Shute Shield.
In women's basketball, the
Sydney Uni Flames compete in the
WNBL. The men's and women's
water polo clubs also compete in their national leagues, with the men's team winning the title in 2005.
The
cricket club, founded in 1864, has competed in the
Sydney Grade Cricket competition since its inception. The
University fielded a
rugby league team in the
New South Wales Rugby League's Sydney premiership from 1920 to 1937. It currently competes in the NSW Tertiary Student Rugby League competition.
Kendo Club training at HK Ward Gym
The
Kendo club, founded in 2005, has since merged with SU SPORT in 2007. The club actively participates in all regional tournaments and championships, as well as Australian University Games every year. The club is a member of New South Wales Kendo Association governed by the
Australian Kendo Renmei.
In
netball, the
Sydney Sandpipers were based at the university until they left the
Commonwealth Bank Cup, and the university now fields a team in the NSW state league.
The Sydney University
Soccer Football Club
[3] was founded in 1946. The club fields elite teams for men and women in the Soccer NSW Super League. The club also fields all age men's teams in the Eastern Suburbs Football Association and all age women's teams in the North West Sydney Women's Soccer Association. They also have a number of junior girls team and an over 35 men's team.
The
Australian rules football club has teams in the
Sydney AFL and the
women's SWAFL competitions.
The
American Football club, the
Lions, was founded in 1984 and is the most successful club in the
Gridiron NSW league, with seventeen championship game appearances and eight state titles, including the last four (2003-2006).
The Sydney University Cheerleaders are 2006 New South Wales State Champions.
Voluntary Student Union
Main articles: voluntary student unionism
The future of these organisations is under a shadow with the passage of legislation implementing
voluntary student unionism in late 2005. Such legislation prohibits the compulsory collection of fees from students who enrolled for the first time in the second semester of
2006 and all students from the beginning of 2007.
Recent disputes
In 2001, University of Sydney Chancellor
Dame Leonie Kramer was forced to resign by the University’s governing body.
[13] In 2003,
Nick Greiner, a former Premier of NSW, resigned from his position as Chairman of the University's Graduate School of Management because of academic protests against his simultaneous chairmanship of
British American Tobacco (Australia). Subsequently, his wife,
Kathryn Greiner, resigned in protest from the two positions she held at the University as Chairwoman of the Sydney Peace Foundation and a member of the executive council of the Research Institute for Asia and the Pacific.
[14] In 2005, the Public Service Association of NSW and the
Community and Public Sector Union were in dispute with the University over a proposal to privatise security at the main campus (and the Cumberland campus.)
[15]
In February 2007, the University agreed to acquire a portion of the land granted to
St John's College to develop the Sydney Institute of Health and Medical Research. As a Catholic institution, in handing over the land St John's placed limitations on the type of medical research that can be conducted on the premises seeking to preserve the essence of the College mission. This has caused concern among the some groups who argue this could interfere with scientific medical research. However this is rejected by the university administration because the building is not intended for this purpose and there are many other facilities in close proximity where such research can take place.
See also
★ Host of February 2006
ACELL Australasian
Chemistry Enhanced Laboratory Learning event
★
Great Hall of the University of Sydney
★ ''
Honi Soit''
★
List of University of Sydney staff and alumni
★ ''
Frontiers of Science'' (1962–87)
★
Power Institute of Fine Arts
Footnotes
1. University of Sydney - 2005 Annual Report, p127
2. Faculty alumna elected University Chancellor, Retrieved on 2007-06-02.
3. Facts and Figures - About the University
4. Australia's First University - About the University, Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
5. Newshub: National University of Singapore's News Portal, ''NUS Accorded World's Top 20 Universities Ranking'', Retrieved on 2007-01-03. See the tables for the University of Sydney's rankings.
6. News & Events - The University of Sydney, ''Sydney Moves Up World Rankings'', Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
7. Newsweek International Edition, ''The Complete List: The Top 100 Global Universities'', Retrieved on 2007-01-04
8. Howells, T. (2007) ''Universityof Sydney Architecture''. Watermark Press. Boorowa, NSW. ISBN 0-94928-475-0
9. Royal Charter of the University of Sydney
10. The Carnegie Committee, ''Cornell Alumni News'', II(10), 29 November 1899, p. 6
11. University of Sydney, Faculty of Education & Social Work, "About Sydney". Accessed 30 March, 2007.
12. Colleges - About the University
13. Australian Broadcasting Corporation - PM, ''Dame Leonie Kramer Resigns'', Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
14. Sydney Morning Herald, ''Kathryn Follows Nick Out of Door in Protest'', Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
15. Public Service Association of NSW, ''Sydney University Petition on Security Services'', Retrieved on 2007-01-06.
References
★ Williams, Bruce. ''Liberal education and useful knowledge: a brief history of the University of Sydney, 1850–2000'', Chancellor's Committee, University of Sydney, 2002. ISBN 1-86487-439-2
External links
★
University of Sydney website
★
Map of the Main Campus
★
Satellite image of the Main Campus, on Google Maps
★
University of Sydney Library
★
University of Sydney Union
★
Sydney Uni Sport
★
University of Sydney Act PDF (1989, current revision)
★
National Archives of Australia
★
Sydney eScholarship
★
World Debate Website Team Ranking by total Points won at Worlds (Unofficial)
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