His experience in the British co-operative movement was that workers wanted political and industrial power, but lacked the knowledge to use it, which could be provided by the universities.

[3] In the same year, Mansbridge wrote to David Stewart, a Scottish-born carpenter who had arrived in Sydney in 1910 and was a delegate to the Labor Council of New South Wales.

At the time of Stewart's death the organisation served more than 8,000 students, offered 103 courses and 31 study circles across New South Wales, hundreds of lectures, and a summer school complex at Newport.

Its location close to Town Hall station and all city bus routes is an important factor in attracting students by day, evening and at weekends.

[9] WEA Sydney's teaching spaces include: There is also a lending library, with almost 13,000 books, tapes and periodicals, leading to an annual borrowing pattern of 4,000 items (2017).

[11] WEA Sydney is a non-profit company governed democratically by an elected board of honorary office bearers and an executive director (non-voting).

Courses are presented in a variety of formats – either short, as in its 'Politics at Lunchtime' talks or one-off weekend seminars, or of standard length (normally between six and ten weekly sessions).

Courses are offered in Chinese, Japanese, Ancient Greek, Hebrew, Latin, French, Italian, Portuguese, German, Spanish, Swedish, Arabic, Russian, Indonesian and Welsh.

The program includes courses on travel, writing skills, lifestyle and hobbies, healthy living, photography, and the creative and visual arts.

WEA Sydney offers a number of courses in association with external organisations, including the Australian National Maritime Museum, the Royal Australian Historical Society, Sydney Observatory, Nicholson Museum, and the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

Students join together in groups to read, analyse, discuss and debate educational material that is mailed to them under the guidance of a corresponding tutor.