TheUniversity of South Australia is apublicresearch university based inAdelaide,South Australia. Established in 1991, it is the successor of the former South Australian Institute of Technology. Its main campuses alongNorth Terrace are adjacent to theAustralian Space Agency inLot Fourteen and forms part of the Adelaide BioMed City research precinct. It also has a presence in the Adelaide Technology Park inMawson Lakes. In mid-2023, it agreed to merge with the neighbouringUniversity of Adelaide to formAdelaide University. The merger has been under way since 2024, with the merged university formally opening in January 2026, with the closure of the existing institutions planned for 31 March 2026 when the University of Adelaide Act 1971 and University of South Australia Act 1990 are repealed.
Its earliest antecedent institutions were both founded in theJubilee Exhibition Building of the formerRoyal South Australian Society of Arts. The South Australian Institute of Technology was founded in 1889 as the School of Mines and Industries and the South Australian College of Advanced Education dates back to theSchool of Art in 1856. The institute later gained university status during theDawkins Revolution following their merger in 1991. Its expansion over three decades, including to sites on the west end ofNorth Terrace, and broadening fields of studies later contributed to its status as the state's largest university with 34,878 students in 2023.
The university comprises six campuses including the City East and City West campuses alongNorth Terrace, a tech-oriented campus inMawson Lakes, theMagill campus specialising insocial sciences and two regional campuses inMount Gambier andWhyalla. Its academic activities are currently divided between the seven academic units. In 2023, the university had a revenue ofA$715.5 million. It is a member of theAustralian Technology Network, an association of technology-focussed universities, but will join theGroup of Eight following the merger.
The University of South Australia was formed in 1991 following by the merger between the South Australian Institute of Technology with three campuses belonging to the South Australian College of Advanced Education.[2]
TheSouth Australian School of Art, the earliest antecedent institution of the University of South Australia, was established in 1856 at the formerRoyal South Australian Society of Arts.[6][2] The independent art school, which went through many name changes, and resided for much of its history at theJubilee Exhibition Building.[7][2][8] The Jubilee Exhibition Building remained on theUniversity of Adelaide campus until 1962, when the building was demolished to make way for several university buildings.[2][9][10] at which time the art college was temporarily relocated in Stanley Street,North Adelaide. In 1973, SASA merged with Western Teachers College to form Torrens College of Advanced Education.[11] It is one of the oldest art schools in Australia, and the oldest public art school.[12]
As of 2025[update] the South Australian School of Art is incorporated into UniSA Creative, which includes the disciplines of architecture and planning; art and design; journalism, communication, and media; film, television, and visual effects; and thecreative industries.[13] The SASA Gallery in the Kuarna Building, which showcases creative works by students and researchers, is the modern descendant of the school.[14][15]
Brookman Building (1903), shortly after its construction
The building, which took three years to complete, was opened by then-state governorSamuel Way.[20] It is located on the site formerly the eastern annexe of the Jubilee Exhibition Building on the corner ofNorth Terrace andFrome Road between theUniversity of Adelaide and the then-Royal Adelaide Hospital.[20] When opened, only the main hall was named after George Brookman, and a plaque commemorating his contribution is still located in the hall.[20] The Brookman Building in the nearbyGrenfell Street, now the site of theGrenfell Centre, was his business headquarters.[20]
The institute maintained strong ties with the neighbouringUniversity of Adelaide that included the co-ordination of teaching, laboratories and examinations across fields of engineering and sciences.[21][22][23] Despite the university later establishing its own faculty of engineering in 1937, the reciprocal relationship remained intertwined to its University Council and studies completed at the institute were recognised as equivalent studies eligible for credit towards university courses.[21][22][24][25] The institute later expanded to the regional city ofWhyalla in 1962 and to the Adelaide suburb ofMawson Lakes in 1972 asThe Levels.[16][2][24] In 1965, it was designated anadvanced college which initiated an expansion in the variety of courses available.[14] The campuses on North Terrace, Mawson Lakes and Whyalla all remain a part of the University of South Australia.[2]
The Hartley Building of the original mother college and SACAE, later absorbed by the University of Adelaide
The Adelaide Teachers College, which changed names and shifted locations multiple times throughout its existence, was established in 1876.[26][27] Despite not being located at theUniversity of Adelaide campus until 1900, students from the institution attended university lectures since at least 1878.[26][27] In 1921, it renamed to the Adelaide Teachers College, in line with other interstate teachers colleges.[26][27] Despite offers from the university to take control of the college, which was heavily integrated into the university, the Education Department retained administrative authority throughout its early history.[26][27] The Hartley Building was built as its permanent home in 1927.[26][28][27]
The college eventually renamed to the Adelaide College of the Arts and Education.[26][23] It also established additional teachers colleges in other parts of the city includingMagill.[26][29][2] Following a series of mergers,[2][30][29] the colleges expanded to becomeadvanced colleges which all later amalgamated with the original mother college to become the South Australian College of Advanced Education in 1982.[26][31][32] The combined institution continued its presence alongside the University of Adelaide with which it maintained joint teaching, facilities and committees.[23][33][34][26] The campus merged with the latter university in 1991 with three of the remaining campuses merging with the SAIT to establish the University of South Australia.[35][7]
Stronger demand foradvanced college places throughout the country resulted from a broadening appeal of higher education beyond the traditionally elite education provided by the universities.[36][37][38]Advanced colleges were originally designed to complement universities, forming a binary system modelled on that of theUnited Kingdom.[38][39][40][41][42] It was originally created by theMenzies government followingWorld War II on the advice of a committee led by physicistLeslie H. Martin, during a period of high population growth and corresponding demand for secondary and tertiary education.[36][42][43][44] This sector ceased to exist when, between 1989 and 1992, theHawke-Keating government implemented thesweeping reforms of Education MinisterJohn Dawkins that dismantled the binary system.[38][42][45] The states, eager for increased education funding, merged the colleges either with existing universities or with each other to form new universities.[38][40][41][42][44][46] Following its expansion and increasing autonomy from the University of Adelaide, the South Australian Institute of Technology was given the option to merge with either TAFE South Australia or the South Australian College of Advanced Education.[7][21][22] It chose to merge with the latter advanced college resulting in the establishment of the University of South Australia, which continues to remain neighbours with the University of Adelaide.[7][46][47]
The University of South Australia became the state's third public university, a continuation of the formerSouth Australian Institute of Technology that merged with most of the SACAE, and maintained their historical presence next to theUniversity of Adelaide, in the suburbs ofMawson Lakes andMagill and in the regional city ofWhyalla.[48][2][49] Its expansion over the next few decades, including to sites on the west end ofNorth Terrace, and broadening fields of studies contributed to its status as the state's largest university by student population.[48][49][50] It also became the second-largest university nationally by number of online students, either in the state or from other parts of the country, and expanded toMount Gambier in 2005.[45][51] In 2021, the university celebrated its 30th birthday.
In June 2018, the University of South Australia and theUniversity of Adelaide began discussions regarding the possibility of a merger. The proposition was dubbed a "super uni" by then South Australian premier,Steven Marshall, andSimon Birmingham,[52][53][54] but the merger was called off in October 2018 by the University of South Australia, which was less keen.[55][56] Vice-chancellorDavid Lloyd, in an email to University of South Australia staff, claimed that the amalgamation lacked a compelling case. This statement was contradicted by the University of Adelaide's chancellor who said that the merger continues to be in the state's best interests and a spokesperson for the university added that it was still open to future talks.[57][58][56] Following the release of several internalFOI documents retrieved byABC News, it was later revealed that the merger talks failed due to disagreements on the post-merger institution's leadership structure.[56] The nameAdelaide University of South Australia was agreed upon by both universities andChris Schacht, who previously served on the University of Adelaide Council, alleged that the merger talks failed due to disagreement on which vice-chancellor would replace the other following their amalgamation.[56]
In early 2022, the topic of a merger was raised again by the new state government led by premierPeter Malinauskas, which proposed setting up an independent commission to investigate the possibility of a merger between the state's three public universities should they decline.[57][59] He had made an election promise to take a heavy-handed approach towards the merger to reduce students departing to higher-ranking institutions on the east coast and to improve the state's ability to attract international students and researchers.[59][57] At the time, staff's opinions were evenly divided on the idea of the commission.[58] Following the appointment of merger advocatePeter Høj as University of Adelaide vice-chancellor, both universities announced that a merger would once again be considered.[60][61] The universities began a feasibility study into a potential merger at the end of the year.[61] The invitation to merger negotiations was rejected byFlinders University, the state's third public university.[62]
The agreement for the merger was reached on 1 July 2023 by the two universities, which then accounted for approximately two-thirds of the state's public university population, in consultation with theSouth Australian Government.[1][63][64][4][65] The rationale for the amalgamation was a larger institutional scale may be needed in order to increase the universities' ranking positions, ability to secure future research income and a net positive impact on the state economy.[66][67] The two universities argued that by combining their expertise, resources and finances into a single institution, they can be more financially viable, with stronger teaching and research outcomes.[68] Support for the merger among existing staff were mixed, with aNational Tertiary Education Union SA survey showing that only a quarter were in favour of the amalgamation.[69][1]Warren Bebbington, who previously served as vice-chancellor at the University of Adelaide, described the proposed institution as a "lumbering dinosaur" in reference to its timing during an ongoing federal review of the higher education sector.[66] Vice-chancellorColin Stirling described plans to provide the new institution withA$300 million in research funding and scholarships as "unfair" to students who choose to study at Flinders University.[66] The combined figure was later revised toA$464.5 million to include land purchases, with an additionalA$40 million research fund set up for Flinders University.[70]
The University of South Australia (left) is set to merge with theUniversity of Adelaide (right) by 1 January 2026
In November 2023, legislation passedstate parliament enabling the creation of the new university to be namedAdelaide University, previously a colloquial name used by the University of Adelaide.[70][71] An application for self-accreditation authority was submitted to theTertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) on 15 January 2024, which was needed for the institution to offer courses that issue qualifications.[72][73] Following approval on 22 May 2024, students starting studies at the pre-merger institutions from 2025 onwards will be issued degree certificates from Adelaide University.[74][75] Students enrolled on or prior to 2024 will also be able to opt in adding antecedent institutions' names and logos on their parchments.[75] The combined institution is expected to become operational by January 2026, with an additional transitional period extending to 2034.[68][76] It is projected to have 70,000 students at launch, with one-in-four students being international students, and contribute approximatelyA$4.7 billion to the Australian economy annually.[77] The amalgamation has beensubject to mixed reactions.
The main Brookman Building, constructed in 1903 and named after its benefactorGeorge Brookman, formed part of the original School of Mines and Industries later renamed to theSouth Australian Institute of Technology.[18][20] It was inherited by the university, which also later expanded to the west end of the terrace asCity West.[48][49] The David Murray Library is the main library on the site and is located in the Brookman Building.[80][81][82] It is named after Scottish-born merchant and politicianDavid Murray who donated £2000 towards the library.[83][84]
Bradley Building
The original SAIT campus has undergone several building upgrades and expansions. TheBasil Hetzel Building was opened in 2005 and includes 2,000 square metres (22,000 sq ft) of multipurpose biomechanical, pharmaceutical and microbiological laboratory space.[85] There was also a major reconstruction to the main Brookman Building from 2008 to 2009 to include a new outdoor plaza, a new exercise physiology clinic, outdoor walkways, student lounges and other upgrades.[86] Some other notable buildings on the east end of the campus include the Playford Building, Bonython Jubilee Building and Centenary Building.[47]
The City West campus is located on the west end ofNorth Terrace.[87] As the university had expanded to the west end of North Terrace over several decades following its establishment, the buildings on the site are considerably newer than on the east.[88][89][48][49]
The Hawke Building, also the chancellery, is named after former prime ministerBob Hawke and was constructed in 2007.[94][95] Designed byWardle, the distinctive two-storey building won theJack McConnell Award of Merit for Public Architecture at the 2008RAIA SA Architecture Awards; an RAIA SA Award of Merit for Interior Architecture; and aNational Commendation for Public Architecture in the RAIA National Architecture Awards.[96] The Hawke Building is home to the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre (known as the Hawke Centre);[97] Kerry Packer Civic Gallery;Samstag Museum; the Allan Scott Auditorium, with a seating capacity of 400 seats; and the Bradley Forum with 150 seats.[98][99][100]
The adjacent Jeffrey Smart Building, named after artistJeffrey Smart, was constructed in 2014.[101][102] It is a student hub that comprises "open plan" teaching and learning spaces, the main library on the east end and a central green common area with anoutdoor cinema.[103][104][105][106]
Pridham Hall is a gymnasium and multi-sport facility constructed in 2018.[107] It was designed as a collaboration between Norwegian architecture firmSnøhetta, JPE Design Studio andJamFactory.[108] It features a 25 metres (82 ft) heated swimming pool, gymnasium, dance studio, a sloping roof amphitheatre and a 1,600 square metres (17,000 sq ft) convertible great hall that can be used for both sports or hosting events with up to 2,000 attendees.[109][108][110] It was funded largely by alumni, including its namesakeAndrew Pridham and his family who donatedA$5 million toward its construction.[111]
The parkland campus includes the heritage-listed Murray House, named after Scottish-born pastoralistAlexander Borthwick Murray.[115] Built in 1884 and later expanded, the stone building incorporatesVictorian-eraItalianate andGothic Revival architecture styles.[115] According to legend, a blonde girl or young woman inVictorian-era attire namedMay supposedly haunts the manor, scaring patrons from the balcony or stairways.[116][117] Theurban myth, one of many supposedGhosts of Murray Park, are akin to thewhite lady phenomenon in other parts of the world.[116][117] The house replaced an earlier home built in 1854.[117]
As part of the merger, the entirety of the campus has been sold for housing and commercial re-development.[118] As of 2024[update] approximately half of the campus is leased back to the university for a period of up to 10 years.[118][119]
Building X on theMawson Lakes campus adjacent to Technology Park Adelaide
The Mawson Lakes campus, established in 1972 asThe Levels, is located in the northern Adelaide suburb of Mawson Lakes along 144 hectares (360 acres) of wetlands.[2][120] It specialises in fields ofscience,engineering,computer science,environmental sciences,civil aviation andteacher education.[2][113] It is also home to the Adelaide Planetarium and several information technology and engineering laboratories, including a defence research lab and the Future Industries Institute.[120][113] The campus also hasAirbus A320 andBoeing 737 flight and airport simulators and offers pilot training through its aviation academy at the nearbyParafield Airport.[121][113][122]
As part of the merger, more than half of the campus has been sold for housing and commercial development.[118][119] It is one of two campuses belonging to the University of South Australia where land was sold.[118]
The establishment of academic units is formally the responsibility of its University Council.[127] The university is divided into seven academic units.[128] These include:
The main governing body of the institution is its Council.[127] It is the executive committee responsible for managing operations, setting policies and appointing the chancellor and vice-chancellor.[127] The Council comprises the chancellor, vice-chancellor, a member of the academic staff, a member of the professional staff, an undergraduate student, a postgraduate student, at least one member with a commercial background, two members with prior experience in financial management and other members appointed by the selection committee.[127] The selection committee, which comprises the chancellor and six other appointed members, can appoint members to the Council.[127]
Thechancellor of the university is a limitless term position that is mainly ceremonial and is held by former politicianJohn Hill who succeeded Pauline Carr who left to serve the same position atAdelaide University in May 2024.[129][130] John was appointed by the University Council.[127][129] The current vice-chancellor isIrishbiochemistDavid Lloyd,[131] who began his role in January 2013 following the departure ofPeter Høj who left to serve the same position at theUniversity of Adelaide.[132] While the chancellor's office is ceremonial, thevice-chancellor serves as the university's de facto principal administrative officer.[127] The university's internal governance is carried out by the University Council formed through the University of South Australia Act 1991.[127]
In 2023, the university had a revenue ofA$715.47 million (2022 –A$667.5 million), an expenditure ofA$732.66 million (2022 –A$675.49 million) and net assets ofA$1.46 billion (2022 –A$1.48 billion).[4]
In the 2018ERA National Report, theAustralian Research Council evaluated work produced between 2014 and 2018.[137] 100 per cent of the university's research activity was judged to be "at or above world standard" (3-5*).[138]
The university operates a number of disciplinary-specific research institutes and centres in partnership with other research institutions and private enterprises.[139] Notable examples include:
The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Library is the prime ministerial library ofBob Hawke, who served asPrime Minister of Australia from 1983 until 1991.[140] Established in 1997, it was the first of its kind in the world to be founded during the lifetime of a prime minister.[141] The library, located in theHawke Building since its construction in 2007, was expanded following Hawke's death in 2019.[116][142][82]
The Bob Hawke Collection forms the bulk of its archives, and includes a large collection of his notes, personal papers, state gifts, biographical texts, newspaper extracts, photographs, political comics, articles, recordings and transcripts of speeches and media events, including documents from ministers fromhis cabinet.[141][143][144] Notable artefacts held at the library include a hide belt gifted by former PresidentRonald Reagan, the jacket he wore to the1983 America's Cup celebrations, a replica of aPanther Model 100 motorcycle that he crashed as a university student, and several prime ministerial briefcases.[143][141]
The Jeffrey Smart Building includes staff and student spaces and the east end library
Established in 1903, the David Murray Library is located in the Brookman Building.[80][81][82] It is named after Scottish-born merchant and politicianDavid Murray who donated £2000 towards the library.[83][145]
MOD. (Museum of Discovery) is described as "a futuristic museum of discovery" featuring exhibitions designed by researchers to showcase "how research shapes our understanding of the world around us to inform our futures".[147][148] It is located in the Bradley Building.[149]
The Samstag Museum of Art is a contemporary art gallery located at the Hawke Building. Established in 2007, its history dates back to 1977 as theCollege Gallery.[150] It is named after Anne and Gordon Samstag and is located at the Hawke Building.[150][151]
TheK Mak at the Planetarium exhibition at the Adelaide Planetarium in 2024[152]
Constructed in 1972, the Adelaide Planetarium is aplanetarium at theMawson Lakes campus.[153][154] It hosts public exhibitions and short courses that are open to the public.[153][154]
The Architecture Museum includes a collection of 400,000 items including drawings, photographs, correspondence, photographs and personal papers mostly donated by architects who worked in the state during the 20th century.[155] It is also a library comprising books, journal articles, research and other literature.[155] It was formally established in 2005, though the collection has been available to the public since the 1990s.[155] Its early collection was donated by Donald Leslie Johnson, an architecture historian and curator, who began collecting the works in the 1970s due to a lack of a repository in the state.[155] The museum, which also conducts research in the field ofarchitecture and thebuilt environment, is located in the Kaurna Building.[155]
The SASA Gallery showcases creative works by students and researchers.[156] It is located in the Kaurna Building.[157] It is the modern descendant of theSA School of Art (SASA) established in 1856.[14][15]
The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre and Kerry Packer Civic Gallery have exhibitions that change regularly.[158][159]
TheInnovation Collaboration Centre is the university'sstartup incubator.[160] The incubator provides the Venture Catalyst General, Space and Social Enterprise programs for students and the community to build early-stagestartup companies.[160] The incubator offers office space, mentoring, access to industry experts, workshops, university resources and funding to companies accepted into the program.[161][162][163]
The lecture series is presented by The Hawke Centre,[164] and is described as "an opportunity to listen to the views of someone whose experience of human affairs is notable, and whose concerns about our world are truly worthy of consideration", with lectures covering topics "from the environment tohuman rights to science".[165]
The UniSA Nelson Mandela Lecture series, is an occasional event presented by the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre.[169] The series was established in 2008 in honour of former South African presidentNelson Mandela, who served as the Hawke Centre's inaugural international patron from 2001 to 2013.[169] Mandela Mandela appreciated that Hawke's actions against theapartheid regime as key to his release from prison. The lecture series seeks to promote the concepts of human rights, freedom, truth and reconciliation in life and public affairs.[169]
The inaugural Nelson Mandela Lecture was given byMusimbi Kanyoro in 2008, with following lectures given in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2022, when formerSocceroo and human rights advocateCraig Foster delivered the address.[169]
In the 2024Aggregate Ranking of Top Universities, which measures aggregate performance across the QS, THE and ARWU rankings, the university attained a position of #313 (22nd nationally).[183]
Founded in 2013, UniSA Sport has 28 sports clubs and competes asTeam UniSA.[190][191] It includes several clubs that predate the university.[192][193][194] This includes its hockey club which was affiliated with the antecedentSouth Australian Institute of Technology since 1970.[195]
TheUniversity of South Australia Student Association (USASA, formerly UniLife) is a democratic organisation run by students.[196] The association operates both as the representative voice for university students and as a provider of a wide range of services.[196] The union also supports a range of services, including 71 clubs and societies, social events and an advice service.[196][197]
TheUSASA produces theVerse Magazine which was established in 2014 and has an annual print run of 12,000 copies.[198][199] The two magazine publish artwork and written pieces including creative writing, essays, opinion pieces, photography, poetry and visual art.[199][198]
Newland Building ofSt Mark's College, one of several private residential colleges
Aquinas College was founded as a men's college in 1950 by theCatholic Church at Montefiore House, the former residence ofSamuel Way.[201][202] It later expanded to surrounding sites and became co-residential in 1975.[201]
Abraham House, one of several heritage buildings that are part ofLincoln College
St Ann's College was founded as a women's college in 1947.[206] The college's honorary founder is politicianJosiah Symon who in 1924 suggested that female students should have somewhere to live.[206] It became co-educational in 1973.[206]
There are also other private student accommodation providers in the city centre and near other campuses.[207] Additionally,Whyalla campus manages its own student village.[208]
The University of South Australia and theUniversity of Adelaide had previously engaged to discuss a merger in 2018 but failed due to disagreements from the latter about the post-merger leadership structure.[55][56][57][58]
TheNational Tertiary Education Union SA conducted a survey of 1,100 university staff and found that three-quarters of respondents were against the merger.[1][69][218] In addition, the state government has been accused of coercing the universities to agree to merge, indicating that a commission of inquiry would be established to find ways to compel the two universities to merge had their councils refused to do so, with less financial support available.[1][69][219]
Andrew Miller, the state secretary of the union, raised concerns that staff were under "extreme psychosocial pressure" to meet the 2026 launch deadline.[220] Backing his claims with communications from theIntegration Management Office staff responsible for merging the two institutions, he added that the "Game of Thrones" perception among staff competing "for the final spots of the new Adelaide University" was causing tensions, breakdowns and disharmony.[220] The institutions' vice-chancellorsDavid Lloyd andPeter Høj criticised the claims, referring to them as "whispers of Little Birds or Littlefingers",[221] though they had previously admitted that the "two-by-two approach across the board" was "not as linear as first conceived".[220]
In 2025, aFOI document obtained byThe Australian found an increase in bullying and harassment reports at theUniversity of Adelaide following the announcement of the merger.[222] It added concerns from staff that the merger would result in a "meat grinder producing poorly educated students" that would be seen as "walking dollar signs".[222]
The post-merger plan to switch to a trimester academic calendar has also been criticised by the union whose internal poll showed that more than 4 in 5 members were against the move.[223]
In February 2024, theState Government drew criticism for its plans to convert land it had purchased from two University of South Australia campuses for housing and commercial re-development.[118] As part of the merger agreement, the land was to be sold to theSouth Australian Government forA$114.5 million and leased back to the university for a period of up to 10 years.[118] Following the release of several internalFOI documents retrieved byInDaily from thePremier's Office, it was later revealed that the land was "earmarked for future development" for residential and commercial purposes.[118]
The original media release replaced the phrase with "short-term transitional lease to university", referring to the leaseback period of 10 years, following concerns from UniSA vice-chancellorDavid Lloyd that the original draft would "create enormous community reaction which will be particularly unhelpful at this time".[118] The land sales account for the entirety of theMagill campus and approximately 50% of theMawson Lakes campus.[118]
The university is served by two stops on theGlenelg tram line,University andCity West, which connects theCity East andCity West campuses respectively alongNorth Terrace.[224][79][87]
^McCulloch, Alan McLeod (1977).Encyclopedia of Australian art (Repr. with corrections ed.).Melbourne,Victoria: Hutchinson of Australia.ISBN978-0-09-081420-6.
^"Hawke Building opens" (Press release). University of South Australia. 9 October 2007.Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved27 October 2013.