University of Wollongong - History

History

The University of Wollongong was founded in 1951 when a division of the then New South Wales University of Technology (renamed the University of New South Wales in 1958) was established in Wollongong. In 1962 the division became the Wollongong University College.

On the 1st January 1975, the University of Wollongong was incorporated by the New South Wales Parliament as an independent institution of higher learning consisting of five faculties (Engineering, Humanities, Mathematics, Sciences, and Social Sciences), with Professor Michael Birt as its inaugural Vice Chancellor. In 1976 Justice Robert Marsden Hope was installed as Chancellor of University.

In 1977, the computer science faculty developed a version of Unix for the Interdata 7/32 called UNSW 01, this was the first non-PDP Unix. In the late 70s, Tim Berners-Lee sourced TCP/IP software, an integral element of the World Wide Web, from the University of Wollongong.

In 1981, Dr Ken McKinnon was appointed Vice Chancellor overseeing the amalgamation of the University with the Wollongong Institute of Education(also known as WIE) in 1982. The Wollongong Institute of Education had originated in 1971 as the Teachers College (renamed the Wollongong Institute of Education in 1973) This merger formed the basis of the contemporary university.

In 1983, the Faculty of Commerce was established along with the School of Creative Arts, followed by the creation of the Faculty of Education in 1984. 1984 also saw the commencement of the new Wollongong University building program which led to the construction/opening of the Illawarra Technology Centre(1985), Kooloobong (1985, 1986, 1990), Weerona College (1986), Administration, Union Mall (now known as UniCentre), URAC(1987), multi-storey carpark(1990), and heated swimming pool(1990).

In 2008, the University opened the first building at Wollongong Innovation Campus (also known as iC) on a 20-hectare site at Brandon Park in Wollongong.