A history of enterprise

The very first of the University’s antecedent institutions, the South Australian School of Art, was founded in 1856 by painter and educator Charles Hill, creating what is now one of the oldest art schools in Australia. 

The formation of the first South Australian Teachers College, The Training School, occurred shortly after in 1876, followed by the establishment of the South Australian School of Mines and Industries in 1889. These educational institutions, developed to support the needs of a growing colony, offered settlers education in areas that remain at the core of UniSA’s offerings today – educating the next generation of teachers, harnessing local creativity, and providing practical skills to meet the demands of industry.  

As the settlement developed, it was graduates from the School of Mines and Industries who were key to crafting the built foundations of South Australia, after the School introduced the State’s first architecture course in 1906. 

A number of other institutions played a role in UniSA becoming the largest tertiary education provider in the State, including the Adelaide Kindergarten Training College founded in 1907, the Adelaide Technical High School in 1918 and finally the South Australian Institute of Technology (SAIT) in 1960. SAIT was housed in the historic Brookman Building, now part of UniSA’s City East campus, and the University continues to excel in research and education in the fields of science and technology today.  

By the time South Australia was into its second century, the University’s antecedent institutions were expanding their physical presence both in Adelaide and regionally with The Levels campus, now known as Mawson Lakes, opening in 1960 and SAIT’s Whyalla campus opening in 1962. 

In 1982, the South Australian College of Advanced Education was created, following the amalgamation of four colleges of advanced education.   

While there was a new confidence and hopefulness with the establishment of UniSA, making it the third university in South Australia, just months later the State was blindsided by a knockout blow – the collapse of the State Bank. Despite the bleak outlook for South Australia, UniSA went from strength to strength in its first years of life.

The University wasted no time in making connections both nationally and overseas – in 1993, UniSA joined Queensland University of Technology, Curtin University, RMIT University and University of Technology Sydney to form the Australian Technology Network. In the same year, UniSA commenced its first offshore teaching programs, setting the stage for the globally engaged institution we are today. 

UniSA also became home to the prestigious Anne & Gordon Samstag International Scholarships, established through the generous bequest of the late Gordon Samstag.  

Equity and access to education were at the heart of UniSA’s original mission, with the creation of the Distance Education Centre in 1993 pioneering flexible study options for students, no matter where they lived. 

And while the University’s commitment to accessible high-quality education grew, so too did its research capabilities. In 1994 the Ian Wark Research Institute opened, named in recognition of eminent Australian scientist, Sir Ian William Wark. Under the leadership of Emeritus Laureate Professor John Ralston AO FAA FTSE, the Institute excelled in first-class fundamental research, developing new technologies for use in industry and improving existing processes. 

In the same year the Institute for Telecommuni-cations Research opened. Its focus is research, education and technology development in wireless and digital communications.   

Under the leadership of Vice Chancellor Professor Denise Bradley AC, the University continued to strengthen its commitment to equity. In 1997 UniSA was the first Australian university to develop a Statement of Commitment to Reconciliation, a commitment which has continued to inform the University’s strategic direction. 

In the same year, the Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre was launched. Only the second Australian Prime Ministerial Centre, it is dedicated to presenting discussion, debate and engagement on key social and cultural issues. 

By this time, the newcomer in the South Australian tertiary sector had well and truly found its feet. In 1999 UniSA won its first Business SA Export Award for Education. The awards recognised South Australia’s most innovative export companies, and acknowledged the University’s position as one of Australia’s leading providers of transnational education. UniSA went on to win the award again in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2006. 

In 2001 the University sponsored the Santos Tour Down Under for the first time. As the named sponsor of the Australian development cycling squad, UniSA supports young cycling talent to compete on the world stage and has done for 15 years. 

Just shy of the 10th anniversary of delivering international education, UniSA was named the leading provider of offshore programs in Australia by IDP, a title it held for three consecutive years.  

The University continued to reach for the stars, and in 2002 played an important role in creating Australia’s first experimental satellite, FedSat, which was launched in the Tanegashima Space Centre in Japan. 

Closer to home, the first stage of the University’s $100 million capital development program, Blueprint 2005, was completed in 2005 and five new buildings – the award-winning Kaurna Building, the Dorrit Black Building, the Garth Boomer Building, the Basil Hetzel Building and the Mawson Centre – were opened. In the same year, UniSA increased its presence in the regions, establishing a Regional Centre in Mount Gambier. 

In the research domain, 2005 marked the creation of three new research hubs to strengthen the University’s research capabilities in marketing, health, and the humanities and social sciences. Today the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science is one of the world’s leading research centres in consumer behaviour while the Sansom Institute for Health Research remains at the forefront of research into the major health issues of our time. The Hawke Research Institute was opened to help create sustainable and just societies and now influences policy-making debates around the globe. 

The University was also making ground in the business sector with the UniSA Business School becoming only the second in Australia to receive European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) accreditation. 

In 2006 the Ian Wark Research Institute was chosen to lead the Australian Minerals Science Research Institute, a multi-million dollar Australian research cluster comprising a consortium of world-class Australian university research centres and a global network of 24 collaborators.

And in another international collaboration in the field of science and technology, UniSA partnered with the International Space University in 2010 to deliver space education in the Southern Hemisphere. The Southern Hemisphere Space Studies Program continues at UniSA this year. 

UniSA also became home to the Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding with the Centre launched by former Prime Minister Bob Hawke in 2008. It became an International Centre when then Minister of Education and future Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, launched the Centre in India in 2009.  

The University’s success in research across this period was acknowledged in the 2012 Excellence in Research Australia assessment which rated more than 86 per cent of UniSA research as world-class or better.  

A major milestone was reached in 2009 when Bachelor of Commerce graduate and Rwandan refugee, Charlotte Mukamuberwa, crossed the stage to become the University’s 100,000th student to graduate. 

And in a move to open up more opportunities for students, 2010 marked the opening of UniSA College, dedicated to giving more South Australians access to tertiary education through foundation studies.

In 2013 UniSA became the first university in the world to host an online brainstorming event and ideas generator – unijam. Working with IBM technology, the UniSA community contributed to a global conversation about strategies and ideas for the University’s future. The 38-hour online conversation informed UniSA’s current strategic plan, Crossing the Horizon, which was launched later that year. 

It was also a big year for research in 2013, with the University appointed to lead the Cooperative Research Centre for Cell Therapy Manufacturing in March. Then in June, UniSA, in collaboration with SA Pathology, became home to the Centre for Cancer Biology. To cap off a successful year, UniSA made both the QS and Times Higher Education rankings for the world’s top universities under 50 years of age. 

Fast becoming Australia’s University of Enterprise, UniSA announced a number of partnerships with prominent organisations in 2014, including Hewlett Packard, Hills Limited, WOMADelaide, Seeley International, ANZ and Port Adelaide Football Club. 

In the same year, the University celebrated 20 years of collaboration with one of its longest-standing educational partners, the Hong Kong Baptist University. 

In 2014 UniSA expanded its footprint nationally with the launch of the Institute for Choice in Sydney, a global leader in decision making and choice behaviour research.  

Back in South Australia, the Jeffrey Smart Building, named after the renowned Australian artist and UniSA alumnus, opened its doors at City West campus. 

Creating strong networks with industry, academia and the wider community remained a priority in 2015, with the University partnering with Basketball SA and the Jam Factory. In the international space, UniSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University College London (UCL). 

The partnership with UCL also heralded the establishment of the Future Industries Institute, a new multi-million dollar research hub that is focusing on building knowledge and capacity in core future industries. 

On the eve of the University’s 25th birthday, UniSA rose 16 places to rank 25 in the world in the QS World University Rankings Top 50 under 50 years. And to cap off the successful year, 97 per cent of UniSA’s evaluated research was rated “well above world standard” in the 2015 Excellence in Research for Australia evaluation.