The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. It is known for its strong focus on research and is part of a special group of top Australian universities called the Group of Eight.

ANU was created by the Parliament of Australia in 1946, making it the only university in Australia to be established this way. Its main campus in Acton has seven colleges for teaching and research. The university also includes several national academies and institutes.

Many important people have studied or worked at ANU. This includes six Nobel Prize winners and two prime ministers of Australia.

What is the History of ANU?

How ANU Began After World War II

People started talking about having a national university in Australia as early as 1900. When Canberra was chosen as the capital city in 1908, land was set aside for ANU. Planning was put on hold during World War II.

After the war, the Australian National University Act 1946 was passed on August 1, 1946. This law officially created ANU.

Parts of the ANU homopolar generator designed by Mark Oliphant.

Many famous Australian scholars came back from overseas to join the new university. These included Sir Howard Florey, who helped develop penicillin, and Sir Mark Oliphant, a nuclear physicist. Sir Douglas Copland became ANU's first Vice-Chancellor, and former Prime Minister Stanley Bruce was the first Chancellor.

ANU first had four main research areas: Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Pacific Studies, and the John Curtin School of Medical Research. In 1954, University House opened for faculty and postgraduate students. The Mount Stromlo Observatory, a government observatory, became part of ANU in 1957. The first ANU Library buildings opened in 1963.

Joining with Canberra University College

Before ANU, there was another higher education school in Canberra called Canberra University College (CUC). It started in 1929 and taught its first students in 1930. CUC was connected to the University of Melbourne, which granted its degrees.

In 1960, CUC joined ANU and became the School of General Studies. This added subjects like arts, economics, law, and science to ANU. Bruce Hall, the first living space for undergraduate students, opened in 1961.

The ANU School of Art is located in the old Canberra High School building.

ANU in Modern Times

The Canberra School of Music and the Canberra School of Art joined together in 1988. They later became part of ANU in 1992 as the ANU Institute of the Arts.

ANU opened its Medical School in 2002. In 2003, the Canberra bushfires badly damaged the Mount Stromlo Observatory. ANU astronomers now use the Siding Spring Observatory for their research.

In 2013, a former ANU student, Graham Tuckwell, gave $50 million to the university. This was the largest donation ever given to an Australian university at the time. It helps fund scholarships for students.

ANU has a history of students speaking up for what they believe in. In recent years, students have campaigned for the university to stop investing in companies that use fossil fuels. This means students want the university to support cleaner energy. Students have also protested about student living costs.

ANU has exchange programs with many universities around the world, especially in Asia. This allows students to study abroad for a period.

In 2017, the university's computers faced a security issue from hackers. ANU has since worked to improve its computer safety.

What is the ANU Campus Like?

Acton, Canberra.

The Di Riddell Student Centre, which opened in 2019.

Side of the Kambri Cultural Centre at ANU.

The main ANU campus is in the Acton area of Canberra. It covers about 358 acres (1.45 square kilometers) and looks like a park with university buildings spread throughout. A creek called Sullivans Creek runs through the campus. The campus is also near Black Mountain and Lake Burley Griffin.

ANU has over 10,000 trees on its campus. It won an award in 2009 for being a sustainable campus. Many of its buildings are historically important.

Several important Australian academic groups are based at ANU. These include the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of the Humanities. The National Museum of Australia and CSIRO (Australia's national science agency) are also close to the campus.

ANU also has other locations, like the Mount Stromlo Observatory and the Siding Spring Observatory.

ANU Library

The ANU Library started in 1948. It has over 2.5 million physical books and other items. These are kept in six different library branches, including the Chifley, Menzies, and Hancock Libraries. Many of these libraries are open 24 hours a day for students and staff.

Chifley Library
Menzies Library
Hancock Library
Law Library contained within the ANU College of Law

Where Do Students Live?

ANU has eleven on-campus residential halls and colleges. These include Bruce Hall, Burgmann College, and Ursula Hall. They provide housing for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. There are also several UniLodge residences near campus for ANU students.

Students have sometimes organized protests about the cost of living in these residences and the support they receive.

Drill Hall Gallery

The Drill Hall Gallery is an art gallery located in an old drill hall from the 1940s. This building was once used to train soldiers during World War II. In 1984, it was changed into an art gallery.

ANU took over the hall in 1992 to show its own art collection and host temporary art exhibitions. The gallery has four different exhibition spaces. It features both Australian and international art. A large painting by Sidney Nolan called Riverbend is always on display there.

How is ANU Organized Academically?

In 2006, ANU was reorganized into seven Colleges. Each College focuses on both teaching and research in specific areas.

Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

This college covers subjects like History, Philosophy, Sociology, Politics, International Relations, and Archaeology. It also includes the ANU School of Music and schools for Art & Design, and Languages and Linguistics.

ANU is highly ranked in the world for subjects like politics and social policy.

Asia and the Pacific

This college is a special center for studying Asia and the Pacific regions. It has many experts in these fields. The college includes the ANU Crawford School of Public Policy, which focuses on public policy. It also has schools for culture, history, languages, politics, and international affairs of the Asia-Pacific.

This college also houses centers like the Australian Centre on China in the World. Students can often travel to an Asian country to study a language there for a year.

Business and Economics

The ANU College of Business and Economics has four schools. These schools teach and research subjects like economics, finance, accounting, and statistics.

They also have research centers focused on areas like social policy and economic history. The college works with professional groups like the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia.

Engineering, Computing & Cybernetics

A large dish for concentrated solar power at ANU.

This college has three research schools that study different areas of engineering, computer science, and cybernetics. ANU is home to the National Computational Infrastructure National Facility, a major computing center in Australia.

Research groups in this college work on topics like Artificial Intelligence, Computer Vision and Robotics, and Sustainable Energy Systems.

The ANU John Curtin School of Medical Research.

The Peter Baume Building houses the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science.

Law

The ANU College of Law includes the ANU Law School. It focuses on legal research and teaching. The college has centers for different types of law, such as commercial law and international law.

Students can earn law degrees here. The ANU Law School is one of the oldest and highest-ranked law schools in Australia.

Health and Medicine

Linnaeus Way at ANU.

This college includes the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) and the ANU Medical School. JCSMR was started in 1948. Three Nobel Prizes have been won for research done at JCSMR.

Physical, Life, Mathematical, and Environmental Sciences

This college includes research schools for Astronomy & Astrophysics, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, and Physics. It also has the Fenner School of Environment and Society and the Mathematical Sciences Institute.

Early research at ANU focused on nuclear physics. Brian Schmidt, an astrophysicist at Mount Stromlo Observatory, won the 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics for his work on how the universe is expanding.

Who Governs ANU?

ANU is managed by a Council with 15 members. The Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor are part of this Council. Julie Bishop, a former Australian Foreign Minister, became the Chancellor in 2020. Genevieve Bell, a cultural anthropologist, became the Vice-Chancellor in 2024.

How Does ANU Rank?

University rankings
Australian National University
QS World	30
THE World	62
ARWU World	79
US News World	62
CWTS Leiden World	209
Australian rankings
QS National	4
THE National	5
ARWU National	6
US News National	6
CWTS Leiden National	8
ERA National	6

ANU is consistently ranked among the top universities in the world. In 2025, it was ranked 30th globally by the QS World University Rankings. It was also ranked 62nd in the world by the 2023 Times Higher Education rankings.

For specific subjects, ANU is highly ranked in areas like geology, philosophy, politics, and sociology. In 2023, Times Higher Education said ANU was the 27th most international university in the world. This means it has many students and staff from different countries.

In 2022, ANU was ranked 35th globally for how well its graduates find jobs.

What is Student Life Like at ANU?

The Australian National University Students' Association (ANUSA) is the main group that represents undergraduate students. The Postgraduate and Research Students' Association (PARSA) represents postgraduate students. These groups help students with their needs and interests.

Woroni

Woroni is one of the student newspapers at ANU. It started in 1950 and is published every two weeks. It covers news about the university and the local area. It also has opinion pieces, arts and culture, and sports. Woroni also has an online radio show and video productions.

The ANU Observer

The ANU Observer is another student news website at ANU. It was founded in 2017. It reports on campus news, student life, and university policies. The ANU Observer also has a weekly podcast.

Notable People from ANU

Famous Faculty Members

Many important people have taught at ANU. These include Mark Oliphant, who helped discover important things about atoms, and Howard Florey, who won a Nobel Prize for his work on penicillin. Other Nobel Prize winners like John Eccles and Brian Schmidt have also been faculty members.

Famous Alumni

Many ANU graduates have become leaders in government and other fields. Bob Hawke and Kevin Rudd, who both became Australian Prime Ministers, studied at ANU. Other senior politicians like Annastacia Palaszczuk and Barry O'Farrell are also ANU alumni.

ANU graduates have become Australian Ambassadors and heads of government departments. They also include leaders in other countries, like the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands, Gordon Darcy Lilo.

Other notable alumni include judges, journalists like Stan Grant, and business leaders like John Bryant, the CEO of Kellogg's.

Honorary Doctorates

ANU has given special honorary doctorates to many famous people. These include former Australian officials like Robert Menzies and Angus Houston. Foreign leaders like Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi have also received honorary doctorates from ANU.

Notable alumni of ANU

Bob Hawke, 23rd Prime Minister of Australia (1983–1991).
Kevin Rudd, 26th Prime Minister of Australia (2007–2010, 2013).
Annastacia Palaszczuk, 39th Premier of Queensland (2015–2023).
Barry O'Farrell, 43rd Premier of New South Wales (2011–2014).
Lt. Gen. David Morrison, Australian Chief of Army (2011–2015).
Don Brash, New Zealand Opposition Leader (2003–2006) and Reserve Bank of New Zealand Governor (1988–2002).
Marty Natalegawa, 16th Foreign Minister of Indonesia (2009–2014).

Notable past and present staff of ANU

H.C. Coombs, first Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Mark Oliphant, known for the co-discovery of tritium, helium-3 and nuclear fusion.
Howard Florey, Nobel Prize in Medicine Laureate (1945) for his role in developing penicillin.
Boediono, Vice President of Indonesia (2009–2014).
Ian Chubb, Chief Scientist of Australia (2011–2016).
Gareth Evans, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs (1988–1996).
Brian Schmidt, Nobel Prize in Physics Laureate (2011) and former ANU Vice-Chancellor.

What are ANU's Affiliations?

ANU is part of several important groups of universities. These include the Group of Eight in Australia and the International Alliance of Research Universities globally.

ANU also has partnerships with universities like Yale University, Brown University, MIT, and Oxford University. These partnerships allow for student exchanges and research collaborations.

Images for kids

Kinloch Lodge
Lena Karmel Lodge
Davey Lodge

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Australian National University facts for kids

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