Week 1: Establishing a University

Monday, 17 March 2014

Establishing a university is a challenging task. Planning for the University of Western Sydney started years before it was launched in 1989.

Choosing a site was a particular challenge with proposals from several local councils. In support of the site at Werrington, the Mayor of Penrith City Council, Kevin Dwyer is quoted in 1987 as saying:

With the buildings already on this site and the expenditure of only $10M on additional facilities the University could be opened for the first intake of students as early as 1989.

From the archives

The UWS Archives contain a number of records, which provide an interesting insight into how the University came to be. Click on the image below, to view a gallery of artists' impressions of the new university.

Image gallery

From the Archives this week, we have:

• In the above image gallery, Architects Impressions of Chifley University, c.1988 (Ref: P5544; P5545)
  
• The University of Western Sydney Advisory Council - UNIWEST Bulletin (PDF, 3396.88 KB)(opens in a new window) - No.1 December 1986 (A1-29564)
  
• Penrith University City Newsletter (PDF, 1060.03 KB)(opens in a new window), January 1987 (Ref: Al-45279)
  
• Chifley University Interim Council Minutes (PDF, 2152.95 KB)(opens in a new window) (CP99/0992)
  

Did you know?

The University of Western Sydney was originally intended to be called Chifley University (after Ben Chifley – Labor Prime Minister from 1945-1949). There was even a Chifley University Interim Council Act passed by NSW Parliament in 1987.