Its largest campus in Perth is in the port city of Fremantle where it expanded into colonial-era maritime buildings in the West End heritage area, later becoming ubiquitous with the precinct as a university town.

It also has a reciprocal agreement with the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, allowing approved students to study abroad at the other while retaining grades and without additional tuition.

Following the end of World War II in 1945, a Congregation of Holy Cross priest serving as a U.S. Navy chaplain at Naval Base Sydney[3] was travelling between parishes to provide lectures and sermons.

[25] They concluded that while the potential for an Australian institution undertaken by the congregation existed, they should start smaller from a single faculty and the cardinal would need to lobby other bishops to raise enough funds.

[7][34][35] Ultimately, political opposition from the press and the further stretching of Holy Cross resources due to the Korean War led to the required charter to establish the university not being acquired at the time.

[54][56] They enlisted the help of Catholic businessperson Denis Horgan, also a childhood friend to Peter and founder of the Leeuwin Estate, who they hoped would provide financial assistance in establishing the university.

[62][63][64] Increasing the confidence of the state government of Western Australia in the feasibility of the institution, the proposal received support from both the WA Labor premier Peter Dowding and Liberal opposition leader Barry MacKinnon paving the way for obtaining a charter for establishment.

[70] The Archdiocese of Perth, Catholic Education Commission and the Sisters of St John of God provided initial loans[c] and donations for property, mainly old unutilised buildings in Fremantle in need of repair.

[77] Prior to the decision to select Fremantle as the sole campus, the state government had offered the university a 150-hectare (370-acre) land grant[78] in the Alkimos region north in Greater Perth.

[84][85] The planning committee saw the main Alkimos campus as vital to the expansion of the university, with the existing development in Fremantle being perceived as limiting to student population growth and subsequent funding.

[86][87] Although the proposal was discussed extensively between the university and both sides of the state parliament,[88][83] it led to a collapse of the Labor majority when the disillusioned Frank Donovan left the party.

[100][101][102] The influx of staff and students formed a symbiotic relationship with the city's culture and economy, and the restoration of neglected heritage buildings improved its status as a tourism precinct.

[127][112] The Sydney Catholic Education Office also donated property including the now-called Canavan Hall building,[127] which houses the St Benedict's Library among other facilities.

[118][119] Notre Dame's prior experience in restoring deteriorating historical landmarks and high-density campus planning played a role in its selection over the Australian Catholic University.

[127][112] The Sydney Catholic Education Office also donated property including the now-called Canavan Hall building,[127] which houses the St Benedict's Library[e] among other facilities.

[94] Starting in 1998, the federal government gradually began subsidising tuition and providing low-interest loans for students at the university,[114][204] eventually leading to it being granted Table A status in 2021.

[245] Its key research areas are Aboriginal Wellbeing; Culture Country and Language; Transformational Education; Policy, Practice and Evaluation; and Sustainable Lifeways and Social Justice.

[175] Notre Dame possesses self-accrediting authority from the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency[278] and also has numerous additional specialised accreditations for its programs.

[294] Since 2021, Commonwealth Supported Places have also been limited to 7 years of equivalent full-time study load (EFTSL), calculated in the form of Student Learning Entitlement (SLE).

[319] These surveys place more emphasis on criteria such as student experience, graduate outcomes and employer satisfaction[319] than perceived reputation, research output and citation counts.

[334] It offers programming for Catholic liturgical services and traditions including Mass, sacraments, communal prayer, worship, group bible study, choir, music and social ministry.

[334] All students at Notre Dame are required to complete the Catholic-inspired core curriculum,[341] which aim to develop graduate attributes within a liberal arts context.

[356][335] It incorporates volunteering and leadership skills with the stated aim to help students "develop spiritually, to identify their own passions and gifts, and to serve the Church in a meaningful way".

[357][356] Personal projects can include liturgical activities, music ministry, organising events, leading small groups, community outreach, running movie and game nights or creating arts, crafts or other media.

[385] Politicians who have held office at a state or federal level include Caitin Collins,[386] Emily Hamilton,[387] James Griffin[388] and Matt Keogh.

[389] Sportspeople who have played or managed professional sports include Giancarlo Italiano,[390] Marty Roebuck,[391] Ricky Grace,[392] Scott Whiting,[393] Sean Terry[394] and Nathan Williamson.

[395] Athletes who have competed in the Olympic and Paralympic games include Aiden Roach,[396] Alessandra Ho,[397] Brianna Throssell,[398] Emily Rogers,[396] Jackson Hamilton,[399] Lucy Chaffer,[400] Nina Kennedy[401] and Toby Kane.

[402] Other notable alumni include singer-songwriter Fantine,[403] actress Gracie Gilbert,[404] social activist June Oscar,[405] theologian Graham Hill,[406] educator Kylie Sturgess[407] and physician-inventor Kirby White.

[408] Notable academics and staff at Notre Dame have included Andrew McGowan (Anglican priest and scholar),[409] Andy Lamey (philosopher and journalist),[410] Anthony Fisher (Catholic Archbishop of Sydney),[411] Anna Poelina (Aboriginal Australian community leader, advocate and filmmaker),[412] Asha Bowen (infectious diseases clinician and scientist),[413] Bernadette Tobin (ethicist and philosopher),[414] Celia Hammond (lawyer and politician),[415] Cheryl Kickett-Tucker (sociology researcher and author),[416] David Kissane (psychiatrist and palliative medicine researcher),[417] David Malcolm (Chief Justice of Western Australia),[418] Elizabeth Boase (biblical scholar),[419] Fleur McIntyre (sports scientist and former basketball player),[420] Gordian Fulde (emergency medicine specialist),[421] Greg Craven (law scholar),[422] Iain Benson (legal philosopher),[423] Janette Gray (Sister of Mercy and theologian),[424] Joe McGirr (physician and politician),[425] John Bloomfield (sports scientist and author),[426] Lyn Henderson-Yates (social scientist),[427] Margaret Somerville (philosopher and bioethicist),[428] Munjed Al Muderis (orthopedic surgeon and author),[429] Nadia Badawi (physician and medical researcher),[430] Nikki Bart (physician and mountaineer),[431] Pat Dodson (indigenous rights activist and politician),[432] Peter Kennedy (journalist),[433] Richard Parkinson (neurosurgeon),[434] Robert McGuckin (Catholic bishop),[435] Richard Umbers (Catholic bishop),[436] Timothy Costelloe (Catholic Archbishop of Perth),[437] Tracey Rowland (Catholic theologian)[438] and Vivienne Garrett (actress).

[440] Notable recipients have included human rights advocates, religious figures, academics, writers, healthcare workers, retired politicians and diplomats, those associated with Notre Dame's founding or advancement and several members of the NDUS.