The Inauguration of Australia's First University: The Founding and Early History of the University of Sydney in 1852.

The Inauguration of Australia's First University: A Detailed Account of the University of Sydney's Founding on October 11, 1852.

The University of Sydney holds the distinguished title of being Australia's first university . Its inauguration on October 11, 1852, was far more than a local ceremony; it was a landmark event that represented a profound transformation for the colony of New South Wales. Established on the principles of academic merit and secularism, the university was a bold experiment and a testament to the ambitions of a rapidly evolving society. This moment marked the birth of an institution that would become an "ornament and a blessing to these ends of the earth" .

The Colonial Context and the Push for a University

In the first half of the 19th century, the Australian colonies faced a significant intellectual and professional deficit. Young colonists who sought higher education were compelled to undertake the long, hazardous, and expensive journey to Britain or Europe . This barrier meant that many potential students forewent university education, depriving the colony of a highly educated workforce essential for its development . As New South Wales moved towards self-government, the need for locally educated engineers, lawyers, doctors, and civil servants became increasingly apparent.

Before 1850, attempts to establish higher learning institutions had met with limited success. Private colleges, such as John Dunmore Lang's Australian College and the non-denominational Sydney College, were founded but struggled financially, particularly during the economic depression of the 1840s . The impending collapse of Sydney College prompted its proprietors to petition the government to convert it into a university, directly setting the stage for political action.

The prime mover behind this action was William Charles Wentworth, a Cambridge alumnus and member of the New South Wales Legislative Council . In 1849, he successfully moved for a Select Committee to investigate the establishment of a university endowed at public expense . The committee's report recommended founding a university "upon a liberal and comprehensive basis... which shall be accessible to all classes" . Wentworth championed a revolutionary idea for the time: that admission should be based on academic merit, established through written examination, rather than a student's religious affiliation or social status . This was a deliberate move to create an inclusive institution that would serve the entire community.

The Founding Legislation and a Secular Compromise

A bill to incorporate the university was first introduced in October 1849 but was lost due to significant disagreement over the composition of the university's governing senate . The central point of contention was religion. Religious organizations advocated for a university modeled on Oxford and Cambridge, which were deeply entwined with the Church of England . In contrast, supporters of a secular model pointed to the University of London, which excluded religious qualifications for entry.

The initial bill had excluded clergy from sitting on the senate, which proved unacceptable to many . A political compromise was eventually reached: the senate would include representation for the main Christian denominations, but no single sect would dominate . The revised bill, the University of Sydney Act 1850 (NSW), was passed by the Legislative Council and received assent from Governor Sir Charles FitzRoy on 1 October 1850, legally bringing the university into existence.

The Act was groundbreaking. Its preamble stated that the university was to hold forth "to all classes and denominations of Her Majesty’s subjects resident in the Colony of New South Wales, without any distinction whatsoever, an encouragement of pursuing a regular and liberal course of education" . Crucially, it specified that "no religious test shall be administered to any person in order to entitle him to be admitted as a Student ... or to hold any office therein" . This secular and inclusive character was a pragmatic solution for a diverse colony and made the University of Sydney one of the first public, non-denominational, and secular universities in the entire British Empire.

The Inauguration: A "Memorable Day in the Annals of Australia"

Following the Act, 16 Fellows were appointed to the first Senate, which held its inaugural meeting on 3 February 1851 . The Senate immediately began its work, advertising in England for professors and taking over the building of the defunct Sydney College in College Street, which now houses Sydney Grammar School.

In 1852, the university's first academics arrived: the Reverend Dr. John Woolley as Principal and Professor of Classics; Morris Birkbeck Pell as Professor of Mathematics; and Dr. John Smith as Professor of Chemistry and Experimental Philosophy . On 4 October 1852, the first matriculation examination was held, and 24 candidates passed . A week later, on 11 October 1852, the formal inauguration ceremony was held in the Big Schoolroom of the former Sydney College building.

Contemporary accounts describe it as a grand occasion, attended by the "assembled rank, intelligence, and beauty" of Sydney . The ceremony was imbued with a sense of historical significance and colonial pride. As one report noted, it was "a memorable day in the annals of Australia," which saw the inauguration of "the first Colonial University in the British Empire" . The speeches by Vice-Provost Sir Charles Nicholson and Professor Woolley reflected on the colony's rapid transformation from a "lately abject and despised colony" to a place establishing an institution for "high intellectual culture" . They eloquently defended the university's secular foundation as the only system possible for a legislature and population divided into many creeds, ensuring all sects could participate equally in its benefits . Following the addresses, the 24 successful matriculates were formally enrolled as the university's first students.

Building an Enduring Institution: The Move to Grose Farm

The university began teaching immediately from the old Sydney College building, but it was soon clear that a larger, more suitable site was needed . In 1853, the government offered a 128-acre tract of land about two miles west of the city, known as Grose Farm—an area then considered remote and "in the wilds of the bush" . This land, on the Camperdown/Darlington ridge, was the traditional land of the Cadigal people of the Eora Nation.

The Colonial Architect, Edmund Blacket, was commissioned to design the university's first buildings. He chose the Gothic Revival style, inspired by the quadrangles of Oxford and Cambridge, and used local Pyrmont sandstone . Construction began in 1854, and by 1857, the professors and their students moved into the new building, now known as the eastern range of the Quadrangle . The imposing Main Building, with its iconic Great Tower completed by 1862, stood as a powerful symbol of the senate's far-sighted vision for a "noble and enduring institution".

To address the concerns of religious groups about the secular nature of the university, the model of affiliated residential colleges was adopted . The Affiliated Colleges Act of 1854 allowed major Christian denominations to establish colleges that would provide residence, religious instruction, and tutorial support for students, while the university itself remained secular . St Paul's (Anglican, 1858), St John's (Roman Catholic, 1862), and St Andrew's (Presbyterian, 1876) were among the first to be established, creating a collegiate system that continues to this day.

Early Curriculum, Challenges and Milestones

The university's initial curriculum reflected the classical traditions of European universities but also showed a progressive bent. Students could study classics, sciences, and mathematics, as well as 'modern' subjects like French, German, and political philosophy . The first degrees were awarded in 1856 .

Growth in the early decades was slow. From the initial 24 students in 1852, enrolment had only reached about 70 by 1871 . The university faced criticism for its high cost relative to its small number of students . However, its founding principles soon led to another world-first innovation. In 1881, at the urging of Chancellor Sir William Manning, the senate resolved to admit women on the same basis as men . The first women, Mary Elizabeth Brown and Isola Florence Thompson, began their Bachelor of Arts studies in 1882 and graduated in 1885, becoming the first women to earn degrees from the university . This made the University of Sydney one of the first universities in the world to admit women equally, and its medical school admitted the first women medical students in Australia in 1884.

A major turning point came with the announcement of the Challis Bequest. Upon his death, businessman John Henry Challis left the majority of his estate, eventually amounting to about £250,000 (equivalent to tens of millions today), to the university . This massive private benefaction, received in 1890, stimulated the government to increase its funding and allowed the university to expand dramatically, creating new professorships in fields like anatomy, zoology, engineering, history, and law . Similarly, the Thomas Fisher bequest of 1885 provided a foundation for what would become the university's library, one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

A Lasting Legacy

The inauguration of the University of Sydney in 1852 was the culmination of a visionary effort to create a center of learning that was both accessible and excellent. Its founding principles of secularism and admission based on academic merit challenged the conventions of the age and laid the groundwork for a uniquely democratic institution . From its first 24 students, the university has grown to educate generations of leaders, including prime ministers, Nobel laureates, and pioneers in every field . The "memorable day" of its inauguration truly marked the beginning of an intellectual tradition that continues to shape Australia and the world, fulfilling the hopes of its founders that it would for ages be "an ornament and a blessing" to the nation .

Photo from: Unsplash

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