University of Newcastle (Australia) - History

History

The origins of the University of Newcastle can be traced back to the establishment of the Newcastle University College at the Newcastle Technical College site on 3 December 1951. The college was established under the authority of the then University of Technology New South Wales, which is now known as the University of New South Wales. At the time of its establishment the Newcastle University College had just five full-time students and study was restricted to engineering, mathematics and science.

The university became autonomous through the University of Newcastle Act 1964 (NSW) which constituted the university on 1 January 1965 through a Proclamation of His Excellency the Governor of New South Wales. A document known as the University’s Grant of Arms is cited as being its very own Declaration of Independence.

Each year the University’s student body celebrates autonomy day on 1 July. According to unverified sources the official autonomy of the University began on 1 January 1965 with a “symbolic ceremonial bonfire held at the site of the Great Hall”. This celebration is said to have been officiated by Professor Godfrey Tanner who is said to have poured wine libations onto the ground as to “sanctify the land upon which the University rests”. Since the university technically became autonomous on 1 January 1965 autonomy day should be held on 1 January. The 1 July actually coincided with the University of Technology New South Wales’s autonomy from the Public Service Board’s authority on 1 July 1954. According to Don Wright, students interpreted Autonomy Day as celebrating the autonomy of the University of Newcastle from the University of New South Wales. The students were entitled to give the celebration whatever meaning they chose. The fact that they called it ‘autonomy day’ heightened the students’ sense of the importance of autonomy and their need to defend it against outside interference.

In 1998, the University established a partnership with the Institut Wira, a Malaysian private business school. In 2002, Ian Firms, a lecturer, failed a large number of student papers from Wira for academic dishonesty, but his actions were reversed by the Newcastle administration and he was discharged. He then appealed to the New South Wales Independent Commission Against Corruption, which made a finding of corruption against Dr Paul Ryder, a failure by Vice Chancellor Roger Holmes in the execution of his duty and recommended disciplining the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Brian English.

In 2003, The University of Newcastle, together with five other Australian universities (Macquarie, La Trobe, Flinders, Griffith and Murdoch) established Innovative Research Universities Australia (IRUA).

Forty years after obtaining autonomy, The University of Newcastle has developed a reputed history in their national and international university standings; ranked in the 10–14 range of the 38 universities in Australia by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University and 215th in the world by the Times Higher Education Supplement in 2007.

The university unveiled a new logo on 31 March 2007 as part of a brand refresh to better align the university's image with its new strategic direction.

On 11 May 2007, the university launched a campus at the PSB Academy's two main campuses in Singapore.