Curtin University facts for kids
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Former names
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List
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| Motto |
Look ever forward
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| Type | Public research university |
| Established |
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| Accreditation | TEQSA |
| Affiliation | Australian Technology Network (ATN) |
| Budget | A$1.1 billion (2023) |
| Chancellor | Vanessa Guthrie |
| Vice-Chancellor | Harlene Hayne |
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Academic staff
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1,717 (FTE, 2023) |
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Administrative staff
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2,103 (FTE, 2023) |
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Total staff
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3,820 (FTE, 2023) |
| Students | 61,193 (2023) |
| Undergraduates | 39,852 (2023) |
| Postgraduates | 9,617 coursework (2023) 1,897 research (2023) |
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Other students
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11,832 (2023) |
| Address |
Kent Street
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6102
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32°00′17″S 115°53′37″E / 32.0048589°S 115.8936669°E |
| Campus | Suburban and regional with multiple sites, 116 hectares (1.2 km2) |
| Named after | John Curtin |
| Colours | Gold Black |
| Nickname | Carnabys |
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Sporting affiliations
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| Mascot | Carl the Carnaby |
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Curtin University is a large public university in Perth, Western Australia. It is located in a suburb called Bentley. The university is named after John Curtin, who was the Prime Minister of Australia from 1941 to 1945. It is the biggest university in Western Australia, with over 61,000 students in 2023.
Curtin University started as the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT) in 1966. It became a university in 1986. Since then, Curtin has grown a lot. It now has campuses in other countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, and Mauritius. It also works with many other universities around the world.
Curtin University is part of the Australian Technology Network. This means it focuses on practical research and technology. It is known for its research in many different areas.
History of Curtin University
Curtin University began in 1966 as the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT). It was built on the foundation of the Perth Technical College, which first opened in 1900. The main campus in Bentley was chosen in 1962 and officially opened in 1966. The first students started their studies there in 1967.
In 1969, three more schools joined WAIT. These were the Kalgoorlie School of Mines, the Muresk Agricultural College, and the Schools of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy. Between 1966 and 1976, the number of students at WAIT grew from 2,000 to 10,000.
In December 1986, WAIT officially became a university. It was named Curtin University of Technology after former Prime Minister John Curtin. In 1987, it became Western Australia's third university. It was also Australia's first "university of technology." By the mid-1990s, it had 20,000 students, making it one of Australia's largest universities.
In 2008, Curtin opened its second campus outside Australia, in Singapore. In 2010, the university changed its name to simply "Curtin University," dropping "of Technology."
Curtin University Campuses
Curtin University has several campuses. Its main campus is in Bentley, Western Australia. This is about 6 kilometers south-east of the Perth city center. The campus was built on what used to be a pine tree farm.
Campuses in Western Australia
Curtin has smaller campuses in the Perth area. The Graduate School of Business is in the Perth central business district. The law school is on Murray Street. Curtin also uses the old Perth Boys' School building for community events.
Some research facilities are located next to the main Bentley campus. These include the Australian Resources Research Centre (ARRC). Students and staff also work at places like the Oral Health Centre of WA.
The university has two bus stations that connect to public transport. There are also shuttle buses to a nearby train station. Curtin is even testing self-driving buses on campus!
Outside Perth, Curtin has other campuses. The largest is the Western Australian School of Mines in Kalgoorlie. There are also smaller campuses in places like Esperance and Geraldton.
International Campuses
Curtin University has several campuses in other countries.
Dubai Campus
In April 2017, Curtin opened a campus in Dubai at Dubai International Academic City. The courses offered here are the same as those at the main Bentley campus in Australia.
Malaysia Campus
Curtin's biggest international campus is in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. It opened in 1999 and was the first foreign university campus in East Malaysia. It has about 4,000 students from many different countries.
Singapore Campus
Curtin University opened its Singapore campus in November 2008. Like Dubai, the courses here follow the same plan as the Bentley campus.
Mauritius Campus
Curtin University opened its fourth international campus in Mauritius in May 2018. It is located on the campus of Charles Telfair Institute in Moka.
Former Sydney Campus (2005–2016)
Curtin University used to have a campus in Sydney from 2005 to 2016. It offered courses mainly for international students. The Sydney campus closed in 2017.
How Curtin University is Organized
Curtin University is divided into different groups called faculties. Each faculty focuses on a certain area of study.
Faculties at Curtin
- Centre for Aboriginal Studies
- Faculty of Business and Law
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Faculty of Humanities
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- Western Australian School of Mines: Minerals and Energy Engineering
Libraries
The main library at Curtin is the TL Robertson Library, located on the Bentley campus. It opened in 1972.
There is also the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library. This library holds many important papers about former Prime Minister John Curtin. It also has special collections from other important people.
John Curtin Gallery
The John Curtin Gallery is on the Bentley campus. It is an art gallery that focuses on contemporary art. It is also used for learning and research.
Hayman Theatre
The Hayman Theatre was started in 1973 for students studying theatre arts. It is named after George Hayman, who helped create the university. The theatre was moved to a new building in 2017.
Academic Achievements
Curtin University is involved in important research. For example, it is a partner in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. This is a very large study that follows people from pregnancy through childhood and into adulthood.
University Rankings
Universities are often ranked to show how good they are compared to others around the world. Curtin University is considered one of the top universities in Australia and globally.
- Curtin is ranked among the top 200 universities in the world by several major global rankings.
- It is often ranked among the top 10 universities in Australia.
- In 2025, it reached its highest ranking ever in the QS World University Rankings, placing 174th globally.
- It was ranked 2nd in the world for Engineering – Mineral & Mining in 2022.
- Writers who have studied or taught at Curtin have won the Miles Franklin Award seven times. This is a very important award for Australian writers.
Student Life at Curtin
Accommodation
Curtin University offers places for students to live right on campus. There are five different student housing areas managed by UniLodge.
Student Guild
The Curtin Student Guild is like the student council for the university. It was started in 1969.
The Guild helps students by offering support services and having student representatives for different groups. It also runs many of the food and drink places on campus, like cafes and food outlets. There is also a general store called G-Mart.
The Guild supports all the student clubs and societies at Curtin. It also organizes fun events throughout the year, like the Toga Party. The Guild publishes a student magazine called Grok.
Students elect their representatives to the Guild Council every year.
Sport
Curtin University has sports teams that students can join.
Basketball
Curtin University's basketball teams are called the Carnabys. As of 2023, they play in the University Basketball League (UBL).
Soccer
The Curtin University Football Club has both men's and women's soccer teams. The men's team plays in the Football West State League Division 2. The women's team is part of the National Premier Leagues WA Women competition.
Notable People from Curtin
Many interesting people have studied or worked at Curtin University.
Faculty and Staff
Some famous people who have taught at Curtin include:
- Peter Newman, an environmental scientist.
- Kim Scott, a well-known writer.
- Kliti Grice, a geochemist.
Alumni
Here are some notable people who have studied at Curtin University:
- James Angus, a sculptor.
- Natalie Barr, a news presenter on Australian TV.
- Carrie Bickmore, a TV host.
- John Butler, a musician.
- Michaelia Cash, a politician.
- Priya Cooper, a gold medal swimmer at the Paralympic Games.
- Judy Davis, an award-winning actress.
- Jessica De Gouw, an actor.
- Cody Fern, an actor.
- Brad Hogg, a cricketer.
- Claire Hooper, a comedian.
- Judith Lucy, a comedian.
- Kate Mulvany, an actor and playwright.
- Frances O'Connor, an actor.
- Philip Salom, a poet.
- Elaine Smith, an actor.
- Ben Templesmith, an illustrator and author.
- Tim Winton, a famous author.
- John Worsfold, a football coach.
- Nguyễn Phương Khánh, Miss Earth 2018.
Images for kids
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Entrance as viewed from Curtin University bus station
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Building 408 (Business and Physiotherapy)
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Curtin Stadium
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Chancellery Building
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Grounds
See also
In Spanish: Universidad John Curtin para niños
