AGY-2941 | Hawkesbury Agricultural College of Advanced Education

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The Hawkesbury Agricultural College of Advanced Education was established on 1 January 1972 when the Hawkesbury Agricultural College was gazetted as a College of Advanced Education under section 17(1) of the Higher Education Act 1969 (No.29).(1) The last students to attend the old-type courses at the Agricultural College graduated at the end of 1971. The College provided diploma courses in advanced education that encompassed training both in the theoretical and practical aspects of agriculture to farm managers, those intending to become farmers or graziers on their own properties, and technologists who worked for firms servicing rural industries.(2) Student numbers at Hawkesbury continued to increase throughout the early to mid 1970s. This decade saw the introduction of a bachelor of applied science degree course in food technology and an associate diploma course in food control. On 20 March 1975, an Interim Council was established to investigate how the Hawkesbury institution could be developed as a corporate, multi-disciplinary College of Advanced Education. From 19 March 1976, Hawkesbury Agricultural College operated as an autonomous corporate institution under the provisions of the Colleges of Advanced Education Act 1975 (Act No. 11, 1975) with its own governing Council.(3) The Council took over the governing role from the New South Wales Department of Agriculture with the Principal becoming the Chief Executive Officer of the Council.(4) Under section 5 of the Colleges of Advanced Education Act 1975, the Education Minister appointed the first Council, and the number of members could not exceed twenty-five. The Chairman of the first Council was WJ Vines, Managing Director of the International Wool Secretariat and Chairman and Managing Director of a number of companies. Other members of the Council included representatives from the Department of Agriculture, tertiary institutions, companies, the College’s Principal and Assistant Principal, senior staff, a non-academic staff representative, and a student representative. After the expiration of the term of office of members of the first Council, members of the Council were to consist of the principal officer of the college, elected staff, an elected student, and members appointed by the Minister. This access to expertise and talents not previously available would ensure the future development of the institution. On 5 August 1976, the Hawkesbury Agricultural College of Advanced Education became an affiliate of the New South Wales Institute of Rural Studies.(5) The Institute of Rural Studies played a key role in the assessment of several courses at the advanced education level and provided advice to the Higher Education Board. In 1978, the Hawkesbury Agricultural College of Advanced Education opened the Scheyville campus after taking out a five year lease on the former army camp and migrant hostel.(6) In 1980, the number of students passed 1000 and the first graduates from a degree programme received their awards.(7) The second half of the 1980s was dominated by the transition of Hawkesbury Agricultural College of Advanced Education to a member of the University of Western Sydney. In 1985, Ron Parry was appointed to head a committee of inquiry into higher education in Sydney’s West. The report was released on 2 February 1986 and recommended the establishment of a university that would absorb both the Hawkesbury Agricultural College of Advanced Education and the Nepean College of Advanced Education.(8) Under the University of Western Sydney Act 1988 (Act No. 90, 1988) the Hawkesbury Agricultural College of Advanced Education became a network member of the University of Western Sydney and was gazetted as the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury from 1 January 1989.(9) ENDNOTES
1. NSW Government Gazette, 12 November 1971, vol. 4, p4365. The Higher Education Act 1969 was amended by the Higher Education (Amendment) Act 1971 (No. 65). Wagga Agricultural College also became a college of advanced education at this time, although other agricultural colleges remained at the certificate level.
2. Annual Report of the Department of Agriculture for the year ended 30 June 1976, Joint Volumes of the Parliamentary Papers of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly [of New South Wales] 1976-77-78, vol 1, p259.
3. Colleges of Advanced Education Act 1975 (Act No. 11, 1975), Section 5. The Act received its assent on 10 April 1975.
4. Braithwaite, BM., Challenge and Change: The history of Hawkesbury Agricultural College 1966-1991, Hawkesbury Agricultural College Old Boys Union, 1991, p70.
5. Annual Report of the Department of Agriculture for the year ended 30 June 1977, Joint Volumes of the Parliamentary Papers of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly [of New South Wales] 1978 vol 1, p184.
and New South Wales Government Gazette No. 107, 1976 p. 3639 6. Braithwaite, op. cit., p73.
7. ibid., pp97-98.
8. ibid., p124.
9. The University of Western Sydney Act 1988 (Act No. 90, 1988) received its assent on 15 December 1988.