The University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia£ºhttp://www.uwa.edu.au
The University of Western Australia is the first university in Western Australia, founded in 1911 and located in Perth, the capital of Western Australia. There are 8 faculties, namely the Faculty of Arts, the Faculty of Agriculture, the Faculty of Business, the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Medicine, and the Faculty of Science.
About The University of Western Australia
Starting where Western Australian kaartdijin (knowledge) began, The University of Western Australia sits on sacred soil alongside the Derbal Yerrigan (Swan River) on Whadjuk Noongar Booja.
It has been a place to gather and learn for tens of thousands of years, sharing life lessons through stories that have been passed down from generation to generation of the world’s oldest continuous culture.
Established as the State’s first university in 1911 and founded with a mission to ‘advance the prosperity and welfare of our communities’, the University opened in 1913 to just 184 students. Today, more than 28,000 students are enrolled from 115 countries.
Since our beginnings, UWA has blazed the trail in producing remarkable and life-changing contributions across learning, teaching and research. But our University is more than simply a centre for education and research.
For more than 100 years, we have contributed to the intellectual, cultural and economic development of Western Australia, the nation and our world. We have forged and embraced connections with community, partners and industry to ensure our impact is far reaching, both now and into the future.
We’re continuing to make our mark on the world and our students are vital in this journey. UWA students contribute to society in ways that tackle our world’s most pressing challenges. From health and social inequalities to the environment and climate change, our passionate community of students, academics and researchers are partnering with industry to help solve these Grand Challenges.
Our motto ‘Seek Wisdom’ is as relevant today and into the future as it was when it was adopted by the UWA Senate in 1912. We remain committed to this, as we continue to encourage our students and staff to push beyond the bounds of what is known and what is possible.
Longstanding Indigenous knowledge and culture provide a rich and unique lens through which we can view and understand our environment. The maali (black swan) stands proudly on the UWA coat of arms as our community stands proudly as thought leaders and creators, sharers of knowledge and seekers of wisdom. The story of the swan has been shared by Dr Richard Barry Walley OAM. Dr Walley is a Nyoongar man and respected lecturer in Aboriginal culture. We acknowledge and thank Dr Richard Walley for sharing these stories.
During the Dreaming, the Waugul, or Rainbow Serpent, was the creator – the giver of life.
The Waugul made its way from the Darling Scarp to the Indian Ocean, leaving a trail of contours behind it. Every twisting movement scoured out the rivers, creeks, waterholes, lakes and valleys across Nyoongar boodja, the land of the Whadjuk Nation.
And so, the Waugul formed the Derbal Yerrigan, the Swan River, where it still resides today. The bilya, or river, is the umbilical cord of the land – a life force connecting Nyoongar people to boodja. So close is the connection, ‘river’ and ‘umbilical cord’ are known by the same name.
The river not only feeds bodies, but minds. Goordandalup (Crawley bay), on the Derbal Yerrigan, has been a place to gather and learn for tens of thousands of years. Sharing life lessons through stories that have been passed down from generation to generation of the world’s oldest continuous culture. UWA has the ultimate privilege of sitting on this sacred soil where Western Australian kaartdijin (knowledge) began.
THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
35 Stirling Highway
Perth WA 6009 Australia
+61 8 6488 6000
Emergency
+61 8 6488 2222
CRICOS 00126G | PRV12169, Australian University