University of Sydney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The University of Sydney

Coat of arms
Latin: Universitas Sidneienses
Motto	Sidere mens eadem mutato (Latin)
Motto in English	The stars change, the mind remains the same
Type	Public research university
Established	1 October 1850; 174 years ago (1850-10-01)
Accreditation	TEQSA
Affiliation	Group of Eight (Go8)
Academic affiliations	APRU U21 CEMS AMC AAL ACU AMBA EQUIS AACSB UA
Endowment	A$4.43 billion (2023)
Budget	A$2.62 billion (2022)
Visitor	Governor of New South Wales (ex officio)
Chancellor	Belinda Hutchinson
Vice-Chancellor	Mark Scott
Academic staff	3,574 (2022)
Administrative staff	4,909 (2022)
Total staff	8,776 regular (2022) 1,059 casual (2022)
Students	69,200 (2022)
Undergraduates	39,507 (2022)
Postgraduates	29,693 (2022)
Doctoral students	3,662 (2022)
Location	Sydney , New South Wales , Australia 33°53′15″S 151°11′24″E / 33.88750°S 151.19000°E / -33.88750; 151.19000
Campus	Urban, regional and parkland
Colours	Red, yellow and blue
Sporting affiliations	UniSport EAEN UBL
Mascot	Lion

The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public research university in Sydney, Australia. It was started in 1850. This makes it the oldest university in Australia and Oceania. It was one of the first universities in the world to accept students based only on their academic results. It also welcomed women on the same terms as men.

The university has eight main academic areas. These offer different types of degrees, like bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. Many famous people have studied or worked here. This includes five Nobel winners and two Crafoord winners. Eight Australian prime ministers, including the current one, Anthony Albanese, also went to this university.

University History

Early Years: 1850 to 1950

The University of Sydney from Parramatta Road in the early 1870s

The Sydney University Regiment for the Duke of York's visit in 1927

In 1848, William Wentworth and Sir Charles Nicholson suggested making Sydney College a bigger university. Wentworth believed a public university was important for society to grow. He wanted it to be a place where "the child of every class" could become successful. He pushed for students to be accepted based on their skills, not their religion or social standing.

The university was officially created on 24 September 1850. It was opened on 11 October 1852. It was Australia's first university. It was also one of the first public universities in the British Empire that did not belong to a specific religion. In 1858, Queen Victoria gave the university a special approval. This meant its degrees were recognized just like those from universities in the United Kingdom.

The university was one of the first in the world to accept women equally with men. This started in 1881. In 1885, Mary Elizabeth Brown and Isola Florence Thompson were the first women to get their bachelor's degrees. Thompson was also the first woman to get a master's degree in 1887.

A large sum of money was given to the university in 1889 by John Henry Challis. This helped create seven new teaching positions. These included areas like anatomy, engineering, and law. In 1924, John Bradfield earned the first Doctor of Science in Engineering degree. He later became the main engineer for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Mid-Century Changes: 1950 to 2000

The PhD research degree began in 1947. The first PhD was awarded in 1951. The University of New England started as part of the University of Sydney in 1938. It became a separate university in 1954.

In the late 1960s, the university discussed adding courses on new ideas like Marxism and feminism. This led to many discussions and changes within the philosophy department. Some parts of the university, like the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, joined the University of Sydney in 1990.

New Millennium: 2000s and Beyond

The Charles Perkins Centre

In 2007, the university gained land from St John's College. This was to build the Sydney Institute of Health and Medical Research. It is now called the Charles Perkins Centre. It is named after Charles Perkins, the first Indigenous Australian man to graduate from the university.

In 2010, the University of Sydney changed its main logo. It kept the same symbols but gave them a more modern look. The original Coat of Arms from 1857 is still used for special events.

The university received a painting by Pablo Picasso in 2010. It was given by a secret donor. The painting was sold for a lot of money. The money was used to fund medical research at the Charles Perkins Centre.

In 2016, the university started plans to combine some of its degrees. This was to offer fewer, but stronger, programs. In 2019, a survey showed that students were less satisfied than the national average.

In 2022, some university staff went on strike. They wanted better job security and pay. In 2024, students and staff began a protest on campus. This was related to the Israel–Hamas war.

University Campus

Main Campus Features

The Quad Building

The Great Hall, with a statue of founder William Charles Wentworth

The Quadrangle

The main campus is in the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington. It is known for its beautiful buildings and main quadrangle. The government gave land to the university in 1855. This land is now the main Camperdown campus. The architect Edmund Blacket designed the first buildings. The Great Hall was finished in 1858. The main building was completed in 1859.

The Camperdown/Darlington campus holds the university's main offices. It also has many faculties like Arts, Science, and Engineering. The large Sydney Medical School is also here. It works with many hospitals across the state.

Student life is active on the main campus. The student-run University of Sydney Union (USU) has three buildings. These buildings have places to eat, recreation rooms, and event spaces. One big event is Welcome Week. This is a festival at the start of the school year.

The campus has many statues and artworks. These include the Gilgamesh Statue. The main buildings are considered very important examples of Gothic and Tudor Revival style architecture in Australia.

In 2015, a plan was approved to improve the campus. This included new buildings and renovations. A new building for the Sydney Law School was also completed. The university opened a new building for business students in 2016.

Sports fields along Physics Road

In 2018, the University of Sydney campus was added to the state heritage register. This helps protect its historic buildings and grounds. In 2021, the Cumberland campus closed. Many health studies moved to the main Camperdown campus.

Other University Locations

The University of Sydney has several other campuses and facilities:

• The Sydney Dental Hospital in Surry Hills.
• The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (SCM) is in Sydney's city center. It is near the Sydney Opera House.
• The Camden campus is in Sydney's southwest. It has lecture halls and research farms for science and agriculture.
• The Sydney CBD campus for the University of Sydney Business School is in the heart of Sydney's city center.

The university also uses other places for teaching and research:

• Sydney Medical School has eight clinical schools at hospitals.
• One Tree Island is a research station on the Great Barrier Reef.
• The IA Watson Grains Research Centre is in Narrabri.
• The Molonglo Observatory is near Canberra.

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  Sydney College of the Arts

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  Sydney Pharmacy School

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  Sydney Conservatorium of Music

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  Sydney Medical School

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  Molonglo Observatory

University Library

Library of the Sydney Law School

The University of Sydney Library has 11 separate libraries. It is the largest academic library in the southern hemisphere. In 2007, it had almost 5 million physical books and 300,000 e-books. It is also the only university in Australia that receives a copy of every printed material published in New South Wales.

The Rare Books Library has very old and special items. These include one of two copies of the Gospel of Barnabas. It also has a first edition of Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica.

Museums and Galleries

The interior of the Chau Chak Wing Museum

The Chau Chak Wing Museum shows the university's collections of art, natural history, and ancient items. It opened in 2020. It holds the Nicholson Collection of ancient artifacts. It also has the Macleay Collections of natural history and science. The University Art Collection is also here. The museum is named after Chau Chak Wing, a Chinese-Australian businessman.

Museum Collections

• The Nicholson Collection has the largest collection of ancient items in Australia. It was started in 1860 by Sir Charles Nicholson. It has artifacts from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
• The Macleay Collection is named after Alexander Macleay. It started with his insect collection in the late 1700s. It is the oldest natural history collection in Australia. It has grown to include many natural history items and scientific tools.
• The University Art Collection began in the 1860s. It has over 7,000 pieces of art.

Other Galleries

• The Rare Books Library is part of the Fisher Library. It has 185,000 rare books and old writings.
• Verge Gallery is run by the University of Sydney Union. It shows modern art by new artists.

Student Housing

The university has several places for students to live. These include halls of residence and residential colleges. The halls of residence are managed by the university. They aim to provide affordable housing and a good learning environment.

The university also runs International House. There are also six residential colleges linked to the university. These colleges are not tied to specific study areas.

• International House
• St John's College
• St Andrew's College
• St Paul's College
• Sancta Sophia College
• Wesley College
• The Women's College
• Mandelbaum House

Gallery

University Structure

The university has eight main faculties and schools:

• Arts and Social Sciences
• Business School
• Engineering
• Medicine and Health
• Science
• Architecture, Design and Planning
• Conservatorium of Music
• Law School

The largest faculties by student numbers in 2020 were Arts and Social Sciences, Medicine and Health, Business, Science, and Engineering. These five faculties had almost 88% of all students.

University Rankings

The University of Sydney consistently ranks as one of the top universities in Australia.

The University of Sydney is often ranked as one of the best universities in the world. In 2025, the QS World University Rankings placed it 18th globally. It was also ranked second in Australia.

By subject, QS ranked the university in the top 50 for all five broad subject areas in 2024. For example, it was 15th in Arts and Humanities. It was also 15th in Life Sciences and Medicine.

In 2020, the QS Graduate Employability Rankings said that graduates from the University of Sydney were the fourth most employable in the world. They were also first in Australia and the Asia Pacific region.

The 2021 Times Higher Education World University Rankings ranked the university 51st in the world. It was second in Australia. In 2020, the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings placed it 51–60th globally for reputation.

The University of Sydney Business School has received "triple crown" status. This means it is among the top 1 percent of business schools worldwide. The Financial Times has ranked its Master of Management program as Australia's best for eight years in a row.

University Motto

Arms used in the University of Sydney logo, pre-2010

The university's official symbol was given by the College of Arms in 1857. The motto is in Latin: Sidere mens eadem mutato. This means "the stars change, the mind remains the same." This motto suggests that even when things change around us, the pursuit of knowledge and learning stays the same.

Student Life

Welcome Week

Students at the University of Sydney have different groups that represent them. Undergraduate students are represented by the University of Sydney Students' Representative Council (SRC). Postgraduate students are represented by the Sydney University Postgraduate Representative Association (SUPRA).

The University of Sydney Union (USU) is the oldest and largest university union in Australia. The USU offers many activities and services for students. These include clubs, events, and places to eat. It also provides spaces for students to relax.

Both the SRC and the USU are run by students. Students vote for their representatives each year.

Charles Perkins Oration and Prize

Since 2000, the university has held the Dr Charles Perkins Oration. This event honors Charlie Perkins. He was the first Aboriginal person to graduate from the university. Important First Nations people have given speeches at this event.

The Oration also includes the Charles Perkins Memorial Prize. This prize celebrates the top three Indigenous students at the university. It is given based on their excellent academic results.

Famous People Who Studied Here

The School of Physics

Many people who studied at the University of Sydney have become very famous. They have made big contributions in Australia and around the world.

Eight Australian prime ministers went to this university. This is more than any other university. Five chief justices of the High Court of Australia also studied here.

The university is linked to five Nobel laureates. These are people who won Nobel Prizes for their amazing work. For example, John Cornforth won for chemistry.

The School of Physics has been important in developing radio astronomy. This is the study of radio waves from space. Famous alumni include Ruby Payne-Scott, who did early work in radio astronomy. Paul Scully-Power, the first Australian-born astronaut to fly in space, also studied here.

In the performing arts, famous alumni include singer Joan Sutherland. Actor John Bell and director Dolph Lundgren also went to the university.