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) |
| Visitor | Governor of Western Australia (ex officio) |
| 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 located in Bentley, Perth, Australia. It is named after John Curtin, who was the Prime Minister of Australia from 1941 to 1945. Curtin is the biggest university in Western Australia, with over 58,607 students in 2022 who come from many different countries.
The 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 Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, and Mauritius. It also works with 90 other universities in 20 countries.
Curtin University is part of the Australian Technology Network, a group of leading universities focused on technology and innovation. Curtin is well-known for its research in many areas. It is the only university in Western Australia whose students have won a special gold medal for nuclear science and engineering research.
History of Curtin University
Curtin University began in 1966 as the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT). It was created by four important people: Lesley Phillips, George Hayman, T. L. Robertson, and Haydn Williams.
How Curtin University Started
The university grew from programs at the Perth Technical College, which opened in 1900. The main campus in Bentley was chosen in 1962 and officially opened in 1966. The first students started their studies in 1967. Haydn Williams was the first director of WAIT.
In 1969, three more schools joined WAIT: 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.
Becoming a University
In December 1986, WAIT officially became a university and was named Curtin University of Technology. It was named after former Australian Prime Minister John Curtin. In 1987, Curtin became Western Australia's third university and Australia's first university of technology. By the mid-1990s, it had 20,000 students, making it one of Australia's largest universities.
In 1993, Curtin opened a special business school in Perth. This school moved to Murray Street in 2002, where it is still located.
In 2008, Curtin opened a campus in Singapore, which was its second campus outside Australia. In 2010, the university changed its name to simply "Curtin University."
Curtin Campuses and Buildings
Campuses in Perth and Western Australia
Curtin University's main campus is in Bentley, Western Australia. It is about 6 kilometers south-east of the Perth city center. The campus was built on what used to be a pine tree farm.
Curtin also 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. In 2016, Curtin started using the old Perth Boys' School building for community events. In 2018, the original Perth Technical College building was renovated for meetings and learning.
Some research facilities, like the Australian Resources Research Centre (ARRC), are next to the main Bentley campus. This center is used for studying things like exploration geophysics and petroleum engineering.
Curtin has two bus stations that connect to Perth's public transport. There are also shuttle buses that link the campus to the Canning Bridge train station. Curtin even has internal buses, including some that drive themselves!
Outside Perth, Curtin has campuses like the Western Australian School of Mines in Kalgoorlie. There are also smaller campuses in places like Esperance, Margaret River, and Geraldton.
Hayman Theatre
The Hayman Theatre was created in 1973 for students studying theatre arts. It was named after George Hayman, who helped start WAIT. The theatre was updated in 1977. In 2017, the Hayman Theatre moved to a new building on campus.
Curtin's Dubai Campus
In April 2017, Curtin University opened a new campus in Dubai at Dubai International Academic City. The courses offered there are the same as those at the main Bentley campus in Australia.
Curtin's Malaysia Campus
Curtin's biggest international campus is in Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia. It opened in February 1999. In 2002, a special campus was built, making it Curtin's first campus outside Australia and the first foreign university campus in East Malaysia. It has about 4,000 students from over 45 countries.
Curtin's Singapore Campus
Curtin University opened a campus in Singapore on November 23, 2008. The courses here also follow the same plan as the Bentley campus. In 2022, Curtin Singapore moved to a new location.
Curtin's Mauritius Campus
Curtin University opened its fourth international campus in Mauritius on May 3, 2018. It is located on the campus of Charles Telfair Institute in Moka.
Former Sydney Campus (2005–2016)
Curtin University Sydney was open from 2005 to 2016. It was first in The Rocks area and later moved to Chippendale. This campus offered courses to international students. Curtin Sydney closed in 2017.
How Curtin University is Organized
Schools and Departments
Since 2007, the university has been divided into five main groups called faculties. Each faculty has several schools. These schools were reorganized in 2020. They include:
- Centre for Aboriginal Studies
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School of Accounting, Economics and Finance
- School of Management and Marketing
- Curtin Law School
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Curtin Medical School
- Curtin School of Allied Health
- Curtin School of Nursing
- Curtin School of Population Health
- Faculty of Humanities
- School of Design and the Built Environment
- School of Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry
- School of Education
- Faculty of Science and Engineering
- School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences
- School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Sciences
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences
- Western Australian School of Mines: Minerals and Energy Engineering
Libraries and Collections
The main library is the TL Robertson Library, located on the Bentley campus. It opened in 1972. The university started a big renovation of the library in 2021.
The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library is also on the Bentley campus. It holds many important papers related to John Curtin, as well as collections from other important people like John Dawkins and Hazel Hawke.
John Curtin Gallery
The John Curtin Gallery (JCG) is on the Bentley campus. It focuses on contemporary art, which is art made in our time, and is used for learning and research.
Academic Achievements
Curtin University is a partner in the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study. This is one of the largest studies in the world that follows people from pregnancy through childhood and into adulthood.
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.
University Rankings
| University rankings | |
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| QS World | 183 |
| ARWU World | 201–300 |
| US News World | 152 |
| Australian rankings | |
Universities are often ranked to show how well they are doing. In 2024, Curtin University was ranked #191 globally when combining results from several major ranking systems. It was ranked 11th in Australia.
- In the 2024 Australian Financial Review Best Universities Ranking, Curtin was ranked 26th among Australian universities.
- In the 2026 Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, Curtin was ranked #183 globally and 12th in Australia.
- In the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Curtin was ranked between #251–300 globally.
- In the 2024 Academic Ranking of World Universities, Curtin was ranked between #201–300 globally.
- In the 2025–2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Global Universities, Curtin was ranked #152 globally.
Student Success
The Australian Government surveys students to see how they are doing. In 2023, 90.1% of employers were happy with Curtin graduates. Also in 2023, 80.9% of undergraduate students and 87.9% of postgraduate students found full-time jobs after graduating.
Partnerships
In 2022, Curtin University joined an international group with the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and the University of Calgary in Canada. They work together to solve big global problems. Curtin is also a member of the Australian Technology Network.
Student Life at Curtin
Student Union
The Curtin Student Guild is the student union at Curtin University. It was started in 1969. The Guild helps students by offering support services and having student representatives.
The Guild also runs most of the food and drink places on campus, like cafes and food outlets. They also have a general store for printing and stationery.
The Guild supports all the student clubs and societies at Curtin. They also organize events throughout the year, like the Toga Party. The Guild publishes a magazine called Grok.
Students elect their representatives to the Guild Council every September.
Sports and Athletics
Basketball
Curtin University's basketball teams are called the Carnabys. As of 2023, they play in the University Basketball League (UBL).
Soccer
The men's soccer team of the Curtin University Football Club plays on the main campus. In 2023, they competed in the Football West State League Division 2.
The Curtin University FC women's team was one of the first teams in the National Premier Leagues WA Women competition, which started in 2020.
Student Housing
Curtin University offers places for students to live on campus. There are five different housing areas managed by UniLodge: Kurrajong Village, Erica Underwood House, Guild House, Vickery House, and St Catherine's College.
Famous People from Curtin
Notable Alumni
Many well-known people have studied at Curtin University, including:
Arts and Humanities
- James Angus, a sculptor
- Natalie Barr, a news presenter
- Carrie Bickmore, a TV show 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
- Jon Doust, a comedian and writer
- Claire Hooper, a comedian
- Judith Lucy, a comedian
- Kate Mulvany OAM, an actor and playwright
- Frances O'Connor, an actor
- Philip Salom, a poet
- Elaine Smith, an actor
- Ben Templesmith, an illustrator
- Tim Winton, a famous author
Other Fields
- Business and Law
- Cody Fern, an actor
- Brad Hogg, a cricketer
- Health Sciences
- John Worsfold, a football coach
- Science and Engineering
- Jim Geelen, a professor
- Zaneta Mascarenhas, an engineer and politician
- Arts and media
- Nguyễn Phương Khánh, Miss Earth 2018
Academics and Staff
Curtin has many important teachers and researchers. These include environmental scientist Peter Newman, writer Kim Scott, and geochemist Kliti Grice.
Past famous staff members include writer Elizabeth Jolley and journalist Robert Duffield. Erica Underwood was the first woman to be on the main council of the university in 1974.
See also
In Spanish: Universidad John Curtin para niños
- API Network, a publisher connected to the university
- List of universities in Australia
