University of South Australia

Its main campuses along North Terrace are adjacent to the Australian Space Agency in Lot Fourteen and forms part of the Adelaide BioMed City research precinct.

Its expansion over three decades, including to sites on the west end of North Terrace, and broadening fields of studies later contributed to its status as the state's largest university with 34,878 students in 2023.

Notable alumni of the university include the incumbent foreign affairs minister Penny Wong, the Human Rights Watch director Tirana Hassan, the founding editor-in-chief of Vogue China Angelica Cheung, former state premier Steven Marshall and retired politician Christopher Pyne.

The institute maintained strong ties with the neighbouring University of Adelaide that included the co-ordination of teaching, laboratories and examinations across fields of engineering and sciences.

[36][37][38][39][40] It was originally created by the Menzies government following World War II on the advice of a committee led by physicist Leslie H. Martin, during a period of high population growth and corresponding demand for secondary and tertiary education.

[34][40][41][42] This sector ceased to exist when, between 1989 and 1992, the Hawke-Keating government implemented the sweeping reforms of Education Minister John Dawkins that dismantled the binary system.

[46][2][47] Its expansion over the next few decades, including to sites on the west end of North Terrace, and broadening fields of studies contributed to its status as the state's largest university by student population.

[55][56][54] Following the release of several internal FOI documents retrieved by ABC News, it was later revealed that the merger talks failed due to disagreements on the post-merger institution's leadership structure.

[64][65] The two universities argued that by combining their expertise, resources and finances into a single institution, they can be more financially viable, with stronger teaching and research outcomes.

[66] Support for the merger among existing staff were mixed, with a National Tertiary Education Union SA survey showing that only a quarter were in favour of the amalgamation.

[67][1] Warren Bebbington, who previously served as vice-chancellor at the University of Adelaide, described the proposed institution as a "lumbering dinosaur" in reference to its timing during an ongoing federal review of the higher education sector.

[64] Vice-chancellor Colin Stirling described plans to provide the new institution with A$300 million in research funding and scholarships as "unfair" to students who choose to study at Flinders University.

[68][69] An application for self-accreditation authority was submitted to the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) on 15 January 2024, which was needed for the institution to offer courses that issue qualifications.

The Basil Hetzel Building was opened in 2005 and includes 2,000 square metres (22,000 sq ft) of multipurpose biomechanical, pharmaceutical and microbiological laboratory space.

[97][98] It is a student hub that comprises "open plan" teaching and learning spaces, the main library on the east end and a central green common area with an outdoor cinema.

[111] According to legend, a blonde girl or young woman in Victorian-era attire named May supposedly haunts the manor, scaring patrons from the balcony or stairways.

[120] Located in city of Whyalla in the Eyre Peninsula, it is set on 22 hectares (54 acres) and offers studies in teacher education, nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work and human services.

[120][109] Based in the Limestone Coast, the Mount Gambier campus was established in 2005 and offers studies in commerce, teacher education, nursing, midwifery, social work and human services.

[123][125] The current vice-chancellor is Irish biochemist David Lloyd,[127] who began his role in January 2013 following the departure of Peter Høj who left to serve the same position at the University of Adelaide.

[141][142] Notable artefacts held at the library include a hide belt gifted by former President Ronald Reagan, the jacket he wore to the 1983 America's Cup celebrations, a replica of a Panther Model 100 motorcycle that he crashed as a university student and several prime ministerial briefcases.

[158] The incubator provides the Venture Catalyst General, Space and Social Enterprise programs for students and the community to build early-stage startup companies.

[158] The incubator offers office space, mentoring, access to industry experts, workshops, university resources and funding to companies accepted into the program.

[183] These surveys place more emphasis on criteria such as student experience, graduate outcomes and employer satisfaction[183] than perceived reputation, research output and citation counts.

[215] Notable alumni of the university include the incumbent foreign affairs minister Penny Wong,[216] the Human Rights Watch director Tirana Hassan,[217] the founding editor-in-chief of Vogue China Angelica Cheung,[218] former state premier Steven Marshall[219] and retired politician Christopher Pyne.

[1][67][225] Andrew Miller, the state secretary of the union, raised concerns that staff were under "extreme psychosocial pressure" to meet the 2026 launch deadline.

[226] The institutions' vice-chancellors David Lloyd and Peter Høj criticised the claims, referring to them as "whispers of Little Birds or Littlefingers",[227] though they had previously admitted that the "two-by-two approach across the board" was "not as linear as first conceived".

[231] As of 2024, UNSW is considering reversing the change following a 40% drop in paid hours for staff, decreased time for non-academic activities and student burnout from increased workload.

[231] In February 2024, the State Government drew criticism for its plans to convert land it had purchased from two University of South Australia campuses for housing and commercial re-development.

[114] As part of the merger agreement, the land was to be sold to the South Australian Government for A$114.5 million and leased back to the university for a period of up to 10 years.

[114] Following the release of several internal FOI documents retrieved by InDaily from the Premier's Office, it was later revealed that the land was "earmarked for future development" for residential and commercial purposes.

This is a photograph of the now-demolished Jubilee Exhibition Building in 1885.
The now-demolished Jubilee Exhibition Building in 1885
This is a 1903 photograph of the Brookman Building, the ancestral home of the University of South Australia, shortly following its construction.
Brookman Building (1903), shortly after its construction
This is a photograph of the Spanish Mission Revival-style Hartley Building of the Adelaide Teachers College and its successor the South Australian College of Advanced Education, later part of the University of Adelaide.
The Hartley Building of the original mother college and SACAE, later absorbed by the University of Adelaide
This map shows the South Australian Institute of Technology and the locations of its neighbouring institutions in 1926.
The SAIT and neighbouring institutions in 1926
This is a photograph of students from the two neighbouring universities near Bonython Hall on North Terrace.
Students from the two neighbouring universities near Bonython Hall on North Terrace
This is a photograph of two neighbouring buildings, each belonging to the University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide respectively.
The University of South Australia (left) is set to merge with the University of Adelaide (right) by 1 January 2026
This is a photograph of the Brookman Building of the University of South Australia, the ancestral home of the University of South Australia.
The Brookman Building of the university is its ancestral home
This is a photograph of the Bradley Building, named after Denise Bradley, that is part of the Adelaide BioMed City research precinct.
The Bradley Building, named after Denise Bradley , is part of the Adelaide BioMed City
This is a photograph of the Jeffrey Smart Building.
The Jeffrey Smart Building
This is a photograph of the heritage-listed Murray House and surrounding parklands on the Magill campus.
The Magill campus includes the heritage-listed Murray House and surrounding parklands
This is a photograph of Building X on the Mawson Lakes campus which is adjacent to Technology Park Adelaide.
Building X on the Mawson Lakes campus adjacent to Technology Park Adelaide
This is a photograph of the Hawke Building, which is the chancellery of the University of South Australia on the west end.
The Hawke Building is the chancellery on the west end
This is a photograph of the national headquarters of the Australian Space Agency in Lot Fourteen which is located adjacent to the university.
The national headquarters of the Australian Space Agency adjacent to the university
This is a photograph of a South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute building in North Terrace.
South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute
This is the photograph of the Jeffrey Smart Building which includes staff and student spaces and the east end library.
The Jeffrey Smart Building includes staff and student spaces and the east end library
This is a photograph of the "K Mak at the Planetarium" exhibition at the Adelaide Planetarium in 2024.
The K Mak at the Planetarium exhibition at the Adelaide Planetarium in 2024 [ 150 ]
This is a photograph of the indoor pool located in Pridham Hall, a gymnasium and multi-sport facility.
Pridham Hall is a gymnasium and multi-sport facility
This is a photograph of the Newland Building at St Mark's College, one of several private residential colleges near the university.
Newland Building of St Mark's College , one of several private residential colleges
This is a photograph of Abraham House, one of a number of heritage-listed buildings at Lincoln College, a residential college for university students in Adelaide.
Abraham House, one of several heritage buildings that are part of Lincoln College