SYDNEY INSIGHTS #13 - University of Sydney

The University of Sydney is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania and is ranked in the top 1% of universities world wide.

It all began in 1848 when William Wentworth proposed a plan to extend Sydney College into a larger university believing it was imperative for the colony to develop self-government.

When the University of Sydney Act was passed on 24th September 1850 and was assented on 1st October 1850 by Sir Charles Fitzroy, the University was established.

But when Queen Victoria gave the university its Royal Charter on 27th February 1858 its degrees were given rank and recognition equal to those given from the universities in the United Kingdom.

About 12 years later this picture below was taken in 1870 showing the massive traffic jam on Parramatta Road that would be a feature of this neighbouring road for all the years to come.

The Twentieth Century saw the emergence of the New England University College that was founded by the University of Sydney in 1938. But years later in 1954 it separated to become the University of New England.

Later in the 1960's great brawls and demonstrations broke out at the university when students demanded a course on Feminism and was the cause of Professor David Armstrong, Challis Chair of Philosophy from 1959 to walk out. Eventually this resulted in a split of the Philosophy department into the Traditional and Modern Philosophy Department and the General Philosophy Department.

In the Twenty-First Century it was mostly known for several controversies involving those in control of the management of the university and also the new design of its logo supposedly replacing its coat of arms, eve though the new logo was mostly consisting of the coat of arms.

The University of Sydney is currently ranked 39th in the world overall and its Life Sciences Category is currently ranked 21st in the world. Whilst this is very successful, these rankings have slipped from slighter higher positions.

The Sydney Conservatorium of Music, "the Con", which has appeared in a previous Sydney Insights blog was incorporated into the University of Sydney in 1990 after the passing of the Higher Education Amalgamation Act 1989.

Throughout its history, University of Sydney alumni have made significant contributions to Australia and beyond. Australian leaders who have graduated from the University include two governors-general, five Australian prime ministers, four chief justices of the High Court of Australia, and twenty other justices of the High Court, as well as the third president of the United Nations General Assembly and three Nobel laureates.

It sprawls over two Sydney suburbs, Camperdown and Darlington and if you have not been one of the lucky people to have studied in this historical piece of Sydney architecture and education then do yourself a favour and take a walk through the grounds at your first opportunity. 

J G S