AGY-2942 | University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury

Full description

The University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury was established as a network member of the University of Western Sydney under the University of Western Sydney Act, 1988 (Act No.90, 1988) which began operation on 1 January 1989. (1) The Act created a federated network university based on two existing Colleges of Advanced Education - Hawkesbury Agricultural College and Nepean College of Advanced Education.

The Act was subsequently amended by the University of Western Sydney (Amendment) Act, 1989 (Act No.128, 1989) when the Macarthur Institute became the third Member of the University. The Institute officially joined the University on 1 November 1989. (2)

The University of Western Sydney Act 1988, as amended, provided a governing structure to ensure that the aims and standards of the University were adhered to by each of the Members. The Act also provided for the establishment of other Members of the network and for their federation into the University structure from time to time. The Members were known as the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury; the University of Western Sydney, Macarthur; and the University of Western Sydney, Nepean.

From 1 November 1989, Part 2 of Schedule 3 of the University of Western Sydney Act, 1988 (Act No.90, 1988) commenced (NSW Government Gazette, 27 October 1989, vol.4, Part 1, p.8853). Under the Schedule, Nepean and Hawkesbury Colleges were dissolved and all real and personal property were divested from the Colleges to the University. (3) The governing authority of the University was the Board of Governors and the Board included elected parliamentary, student, and staff representatives, ex officio academic members and other members appointed by the Minister.

The functions of the Board included: co-ordinating the use, and monitoring of, the University’s resources; distribution of income among network members; development of broad policies relating to academic planning and the nature and standards of academic awards and generally defining the educational profile of the University; defining the areas and responsibilities of Members of the University network with respect to teaching, research and consultancy; provision of courses which will enable students to transfer to other universities with a high level of credit for work already completed; liaising with government and to represent the University. (4) The Act conferred upon the University responsibility for: the provision of educational facilities at university standard; giving attention to the needs and aspirations of residents of Western and South-Western Sydney; undertaking and promoting research, and conferring academic awards. (5)

The University of Western Sydney Hawkesbury, Richmond Campus, is situated on 1500ha of semi-rural land in the Hawkesbury Valley at Richmond. Originally established in 1891 as Hawkesbury Agricultural College, Hawkesbury produced the first agriculturalists in NSW and rapidly developed as one of the leading centres of agricultural education in Australia. The Blacktown campus of UWS Hawkesbury was established in 1995 following the acquisition from the Commonwealth of Australia in October 1994, of the land and buildings previously known as 'HMAS Nirimba' and used by the Navy as a training centre. The Nirimba Education Precinct, located off Eastern Road, Quakers Hill, was a co-operative, unincorporated joint venture entered into by UWS Hawkesbury, Western Sydney Institute of TAFE, Department of Education and Training, and the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Parramatta. (6)

The University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury offered undergraduate and graduate education for careers in: food and environmental science; property management, development, and valuation; nursing and community studies; agriculture, and horticulture.

The University of Western Sydney Act, 1988 was repealed by the University of Western Sydney Act, 1997 (Act No. 116, 1997). The University established by the new Act was a continuation of the University of Western Sydney established under the 1988 Act. The principal changes under the 1997 Act were the replacement of the Board of Governors with a Board of Trustees, the Chancellor need not be a member of the Board, and provision for the establishment of Councils by University Members (formerly known as members of the University network). These Councils were responsible for the internal governance of the University Members. The Chair of each Council was an official member of the Board of Trustees and a Deputy Chancellor. The position of chief executive officer at each of the University Members was replaced by a principal executive officer.

Following consultation across the University, the Vice Chancellor put proposals before the University of Western Sydney’s Board of Trustees at the end of 1999 for a major restructure of the University. From 1 January 2001, the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury became a campus of the University of Western Sydney. The federated structure of the University of Western Sydney was replaced with a unitary structure under the University of Western Sydney Amendment Act 2000 (Act No.101, 2000). (7) Under the University of Western Sydney Amendment Act 2000, the University of Western Sydney, Hawkesbury’s status as a University Member was amended to be a “part of” the University and its governing Council was abolished. The Act also reduced the number of Deputy Chancellors from three to two, and increased the number of Board members of the University who could be appointed by the Board from one to two. The former University Members – Hawkesbury, Nepean, and Macarthur - were now campuses of a single unitary University.

Endnotes
1. The University of Western Sydney Act, 1988 (Act No 90, 1988) received its assent on 15 December 1988.
2. University of Western Sydney (Amendment) Act, 1989 (Act No 128, 1989).
3. University of Western Sydney Act, 1988 (Act No 90, 1988), Schedule 3, Part 2.
4. University of Western Sydney Act, 1988, (No. 90, 1988), Clause 10.
5. University of Western Sydney Charter as reproduced in 1989 Annual Report.
6. University of Western Sydney Tabularium control system registration.
7. University of Western Sydney Amendment Act 2000 (Act No. 101, 2000).