ArchivesACT has chosen the value and significance the Canberra community places on education as its incentive for declaring the plans to develop the city’s first university building site as its Find of the Month for May.
In a statement accompanying the ‘Find’, ArchivesACT said a 1926 review of schooling in the Territory found that while high school education was moving ahead and looked promising, the lack of higher education had been noted by the community.
“Despite this finding it would be another few years before the gazettal of the Canberra University College Ordinance 1929 to “provide for the establishment of a University College and for other purposes”, the Archives said.
“Working out of the Telopea School (pictured), the Canberra University College provided its first classes in 1930.
With no premises of its own, it was forced to operate after hours, providing opportunities for locals to study part-time, and enabling the city’s Public Servants to continue their studies if transferred to Canberra by the Commonwealth Government.
The Archives said that by 1939, with the site at Acton for a full-scale university planned but not developed, the Council of the University College was concerned that increased reports of building developments there would put the dream of a suitable campus at risk.
The council began pressing the Department of the Interior for action, asking that the Government involve it in any development decisions.
“In 1942, after multiple attempts to agree on the site boundaries, agreement was finally reached on the suggested area,” ArchivesACT said.
“In 1946 new legislation had been passed for the establishment of a National University, and funding was finally provided for the site.”
Consequently, the responsibilities of the council for the Acton site were passed on to the newly established interim Council of the Australian National University.
The Archives said the Canberra University College continued as in independent entity until 1960 when a Canberra College of Advanced Education was on the horizon, and a search for a new site for higher education in Canberra began.
The Archives said it would like to hear from anyone involved in the planning and construction of the ANU site. It can be contacted at [email protected].
