Campuses
ACU has six campuses located in the state capital cities of Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane, the national capital, Canberra, and the regional centre of Ballarat.
Brisbane
The Brisbane Campus (McAuley at Banyo) commenced in 2003, replacing the former Brisbane Campus at Mitchelton. The 40-hectare site was formerly the Pius XII Provincial Seminary, with a history extending back to 1863.
Formed in 1955 as McAuley College by the Sisters of Mercy for the preparation of Sisters of Mercy to teach in Catholic schools, the college soon extended its mission to include members of other religious orders. This mission was further extended in 1973 when lay-students were admitted to the college.
At the end of 1990, the Council of McAuley College formally handed responsibility for the college and its operations to ACU.
North Sydney
Mary MacKillop founded the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph in South Australia in 1866 and moved to a cottage in Mount Street, North Sydney, in the 1880s.
In 1913, the Sisters established a training school at North Sydney for the teacher training of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. In 1958, lay students were admitted to the College which in 1971 became the Catholic Teachers' College. In 1982, this College became part of Catholic College of Education. It was at this stage that the name MacKillop was given to this campus to identify it as a discrete part of the College and to recognise the ongoing support of the Sisters of St Joseph.
At the end of 1990, the Catholic College of Education Sydney formally handed over responsibility for the College and its operations, which now rests with ACU. The North Sydney Campus is still known as MacKillop.
Strathfield
The Strathfield Campus (Mount Saint Mary) was once the home of Australia’s fourth Prime Minister, Sir George Houston Reid, before it was purchased by the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 1907.
The Brothers originally used the site as a provincial headquarters and as a centre for trainee Brothers. Lay male students were admitted in the 1970s and female students were admitted in the 1980s.
In 1981, the Federal Government required specified Colleges in each State to amalgamate, and in 1982 Mount Saint Mary College joined in the amalgamation to become the Catholic College of Education Sydney.
At the end of 1990, the Catholic College of Education Sydney formally handed responsibility for the College and its operations to ACU.
Canberra
In response to the invitation of the Catholic Bishops, the Dominican Sisters came to Australia from Ireland and England in 1867 and established their first teacher training school in Maitland, New South Wales.
After the devastating Hunter Valley floods of 1955, the College was relocated to Sydney, and then to Canberra – where it was opened by the then Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies on 24 March 1963.
At the end of 1990 the Signadou Dominican College of Education formally handed responsibility for the College and its operations to ACU, and it is now known as Signadou.
Ballarat
The Ballarat Campus (Aquinas) is set in the historic gardens of Carn Brea, formerly the property of Cornish miner Cyrus Retallac.
The Ballarat Campus had its beginnings in the establishment of the Aquinas Training College by the Ballarat East Sisters of Mercy in 1909.
The property was later purchased by the Diocese of Ballarat and from 1974 became the new site of the Catholic teachers' college, which was initially known as Aquinas College.
In March 1974, the authorities controlling the Victorian Catholic teachers' colleges relinquished their control to the Institute of Catholic Education. In December 1974, the Institute was admitted as a constituent member of the State College of Victoria. At the end of 1990 the Institute formally handed responsibility for the Institute and its operations to ACU.
Melbourne
The Melbourne Campus (St Patrick's) at Fitzroy, incorporating Central Hall, was established in 2000 after ACU's existing two Melbourne campuses (Mercy and Christ) were formally amalgamated. Mercy and Christ had both been colleges of the Victorian Institute of Catholic Education between 1975 and 1990.
At the heart of the Fitzroy neighbourhood stands historic Central Hall, previously known as Cathedral Hall, which has stood at 20 Brunswick Street, near the Victoria Parade corner, since 1904.
Central Hall was showing real signs of wear and tear when custodianship was handed to ACU six years ago but it gained state heritage listing in February 2002. From that point, the University embarked on a restoration program to return the Central Hall complex back to its former glory, and it reopened in October 2007.
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