The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a

public research university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

, primarily located in

Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...

, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College, one of the university's residential colleges, first proposed in 1840 in Lieutenant-Governor Sir

John Franklin Sir John Franklin (16 April 1786 – 11 June 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer, explorer and colonial administrator. After serving in the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812, he led two expeditions into the Northern Canada, Canadia ...

's Legislative Council, was modelled on the

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

and

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

colleges, and was founded in 1846, making it the oldest tertiary institution in the country. The university is a sandstone university, a member of the international

Association of Commonwealth Universities The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is a charitable organization that was established in 1913, and has over 400 member institutions in over 40 countries across the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth.Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning The Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL) is a non-governmental organization (NGO). Its aim is to assist member institutions to strengthen themselves through mutual self-help to achieve distinction in teaching, res ...

. The university offers various undergraduate and graduate programs in a range of disciplines, and has links with 20 specialist research institutes and co-operative research centres. Its

Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies An institute is an organizational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

has strongly contributed to the university's multiple 5 rating scores (''well above world standard'') for excellence in research awarded by the

Australian Research Council The Australian Research Council (ARC) is the primary non-medical research funding agency of the Australian Government, distributing more than in grants each year. The Council was established by the ''Australian Research Council Act 2001'', ...

. The university also delivers tertiary education at the

Australian Maritime College The Australian Maritime College (AMC) is a tertiary education institution based in Launceston, Tasmania, established by the ''Maritime College Act 1978'' (Cth). Tertiary education is provided and organised by the University of Tasmania (UTAS) a ...

, the national centre for maritime education, training and research. The University has also demonstrated strong outcomes on

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

, sustainability, and resource management, earning it a high global ranking in the Times Higher Education Impact Ratings in 2022 and 2023. UTAS's initiatives include climate-focused research, offering over 100 courses with climate-focused units, low-carbon energy use in new campus developments, divesting from fossil fuels, and a commitment to carbon neutrality, which has been certified by Climate Active since 2016.

History

Founding and early years (1890–1938)

The University of Tasmania was established on 1 January 1890, after the abolition of overseas scholarships freed up funds. It immediately took over the role of the Tasmanian Council for Education.

Richard Deodatus Poulett Harris Richard Deodatus Poulett-Harris (26 October 1817 – 23 December 1899) was an educationalist in England and Tasmania. Early life and education Harris was born on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, the eldest son of Captain Charles Poulett ...

, who had long advocated for the establishment of the university, became its first warden of the senate. The first degrees to graduates admitted ''ad eundem gradum'' and diplomas were awarded in June 1890. The university was offered an ornate

sandstone Sandstone is a Clastic rock#Sedimentary clastic rocks, clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of grain size, sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate mineral, silicate grains, Cementation (geology), cemented together by another mineral. Sand ...

building on the Queens Domain in

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

, previously the High School of Hobart, though it was leased by others until mid-1892. This eventually became known as University House. Three lecturers began teaching 11 students from 22 March 1893, once University House had been renovated. Parliamentarians branding it an unnecessary luxury made the university's early existence precarious. The institution's encouragement of female students fuelled criticism.

James Backhouse Walker James Backhouse Walker, (14 October 1841 – 4 November 1899) was an Australian solicitor and historian. Life James Backhouse Walker, the eldest son of George Washington Walker, was born at Hobart. He was educated at the High School, Hobar ...

, a local lawyer and briefly vice-chancellor, mounted a courageous defence. According to Chancellor Sir John Morris, from 1918 until 1939 the institution still 'limped along'. Distinguished staff had already been appointed, such as historian William Jethro Brown, physicists and mathematicians

Alexander McAulay Alexander McAulay (9 December 1863 – 6 July 1931) was the first professor of mathematics and physics at the University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania. He was also a proponent of dual quaternions, which he termed "octonions" or "Clifford biquate ...

and his son Alexander Leicester McAulay, classicist RL Dunbabin, and philosopher and polymath

Edmund Morris Miller Edmund Morris Miller, Order of the British Empire, CBE (14 August 1881 – 21 October 1964), known as E. Morris Miller, was an Australians, Australian author, professor, and vice-chancellor of the University of Tasmania between 1933–1945. ...

. Housed in the former Hobart High School, facilities were totally outgrown, but the state government was slow to fund a new campus. In 1914 the university petitioned

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. George was born during the reign of his pa ...

for ''

Letters Patent Letters patent (plurale tantum, plural form for singular and plural) are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch, President (government title), president or other head of state, generally granti ...

'', which request he granted. The Letters Patent, sometimes called the ''Royal Charter'', granted the university's degrees status as equivalent to the established universities of the United Kingdom, where such equivalents existed.

World War II (1939–45)

During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, while the Optical Munitions Annexe assisted the war effort, local graduates, replacing soldier academics, taught a handful of students. New post-war staff, many with overseas experience, pressed for removal to adequate facilities at Sandy Bay on an old rifle range. Chancellor Sir John Morris, also Chief Justice, though a dynamic reformer, antagonised academics by his authoritarianism. Vice-chancellor

Torleiv Hytten Torleiv Hytten CMG (17 February 1890 – 2 January 1980) was a Norwegian-Australian economist and university administrator. He served as vice-chancellor of the University of Tasmania from 1949 to 1957. He was previously an economic adviser to the ...

, a Norwegian-born economist, saw contention peak while the move to Sandy Bay was delayed. In a passionate open letter to the premier, Philosophy Professor

Sydney Orr Sydney Sparkes Orr (6 December 1914 - 15 July 1966) was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Tasmania and the centre of the "Orr case", a celebrated academic scandal of the 1950s. Born in Belfast in 1914, Orr achieved a first-class-honou ...

goaded the government into establishing the 1955 Royal Commission into the university. The commission's report demanded extensive reform of both university and governing council. Staff were delighted, while lay administrators fumed.

Post-war years (1946–1964)

On 10 May 1949, the university awarded its first

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of Postgraduate education, graduate study and original resear ...

to Joan Munro Ford. Ford worked as a research biologist in the University of Tasmania's Department of Physics between 1940 and 1950. In early 1956 Orr was summarily dismissed, mainly for his alleged though denied seduction of a student. A ten-year battle involved academics in Australia and overseas. Orr lost an unfair dismissal action in the

Supreme Court of Tasmania The Supreme Court of Tasmania is the highest State court in the Australian State of Tasmania. Together with the Magistrates Court, it forms the judiciary in Tasmania. In the Australian court hierarchy, the Supreme Court of Tasmania is in the mid ...

and the

High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is the apex court of the Australian legal system. It exercises original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified in the Constitution of Australia and supplementary legislation. The High Court was establi ...

. The Tasmanian Chair of Philosophy was boycotted. In 1966 Orr received some financial compensation from the university, which also established a cast-iron tenure system. The latter disappeared with the federal reorganisation of higher education in the late 1980s. In the early 1960s The University of Tasmania at last transferred to a purpose-built new campus at Sandy Bay, though many departments were initially housed in ex-World War II wooden huts. It profited from increasing federal finance following the 1957 Murray Report. Medical and Agricultural Schools were established and the sciences obtained adequate laboratories. Physics achieved world recognition in astronomy (optical, radio and cosmic rays), while other departments attracted good scholars and graduates were celebrated in many fields. Student facilities improved remarkably.

Mergers and the "new" university (1965–99)

The 1965 Martin Report established a traditional role for universities, and a more practical role for colleges of advanced education. The Tasmanian Government duly created the Tasmanian

College of Advanced Education The College of Advanced Education (CAE) was a class of Australian tertiary education institution that existed from 1967 until the early 1990s. They ranked below universities, but above Colleges of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) which offer ...

(TCAE) in 1966 sited on Mount Nelson above the university. It initially incorporated The School of Art, the Conservatorium of Music and the Hobart Teachers College. In 1971, a Launceston campus of the TCAE was announced. These were fateful decisions, as events over the next years showed. It was argued that the TCAE attempted to compete with the university, not complement it. In 1978 the University of Tasmania took over two of the courses offered by the TCAE in Hobart, Pharmacy and Surveying, following a report by Professor Karmel, and another by H.E. Cosgrove. Some other TCAE courses in Hobart moved to Launceston. The curious situation of three separate courses in teacher education in the State could not last, however, and following two more reports, the university incorporated the remaining courses of the Hobart campus of the College of Advanced Education in 1981, which raised its numbers to 5000. The Launceston campus of the TCAE renamed itself the Tasmanian State Institute of Technology (TSIT). In 1987, the University Council resolved to approach the TSIT to negotiate a merger to minimise ongoing conflict. The 'Dawkins Revolution' and the 'unified national system' provided later support for this initiative. The Tasmanian State Institute of Technology became the Newnham Campus of the university on 1 January 1991, exactly 101 years after the university's founding. A new campus at Burnie on the North-West Coast of Tasmania was opened in 1995, and later became known as the Cradle Coast Campus.

21st century

In 2001, the Tasmania Law Reform Institute (TLRI) was established to create a link between institutional law reform in the State created by the demise of first the Tasmanian Law Reform Commission in 1989, and then its replacement, the Tasmanian Law Reform Commissioner in 1997. The new institutes model was based on the Alberta Law Reform Institute, an agency based on an agreement between the Canadian province of Alberta, the Law Society, and the

University of Alberta The University of Alberta (also known as U of A or UAlberta, ) is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It was founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta, and Henry Marshall Tory, t ...

and funded primarily by the Government and the

Law Society of Alberta The Law Society of Alberta (LSA) is the self-regulating body for lawyers in Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie pr ...

. The TLRI has been used as a template for the establishment of similar institutes at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

with the South Australian Law Reform Institute and in the Australian Capital Territory.

Damian Bugg Damian John Bugg (born 11 October 1946) is an Australian barrister who served as the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions between 1999 and 2007. Prior to this appointment, he was the Tasmanian Director of Public Prosecutions from July ...

became the university's chancellor in 2006, having previously served as a member of the University Council since 2001. Bugg was an alumnus of the university who studied law and resided at John Fisher College where he was president. While chancellor, he also served as

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

Director of Public Prosecutions. That year the university opened two satellite campuses in Sydney, offering nursing and paramedic education in partnership with local hospitals and health services such as St Vincent's Hospital. Mt Pleasant radio telescope night

The

(AMC) merged with the university in 2008. The merger helped streamline degree programs and improved provision of basic services at the combined Newnham campus. The university formed the

(IMAS) in 2010 to help integrate the Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studied and the Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute, as well as the universities existing marine and Antarctic facility. The

Greenhill Observatory The Greenhill Observatory is an astronomical observatory operated by the University of Tasmania (UTAS) on Bisdee Tier, near Spring Hill, Tasmania. The observatory is located roughly 50 km (30 miles) north of Hobart, (Australia). The nearest ...

which houses a 1.27 metre optical telescope was opened in 2013 to replace the previous observatory at

Canopus Hill Canopus Hill is located on the island of East Falkland near Stanley, the capital city of the Falkland Islands. It is named after , which fired the first shots in the Battle of the Falkland Islands during World War I World War I or th ...

, near Hobart. The observatory joined the universities two other observatories including the

Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory The Mount Pleasant Radio Observatory is a radio astronomy, radio-astronomy-based observatory owned and operated by the University of Tasmania, located 20 km east of Hobart in Cambridge, Tasmania. It is home to three radio astronomy antennas ...

and Ceduna Radio Observatory in Ceduna,

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

Move to the city

In 2019, the University of Tasmania announced its intention to move from its Sandy Bay campus and into the Central Business District of

. As part of the plan, on 8 April 2019, UTAS acquired the K&D Warehouse along Melville Street, adding to the number of university buildings within the city centre. The warehouse was initially intended for accommodation, but following the release of the Draft Masterplan in May 2021, would be proposed as the new site for Engineering and Technology. In 2018 the University bought the Forestry building a heritage-listed complex situated at 79–93 Melville Street, Hobart. The University reported in January 2023 that the Forestry building "will be restored and given new life as an inner-city hub for the learning, research and collaboration over the next two years". The project will also restore the living forest to the dome. The masterplan includes targets for increased

sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

, community involvement, and better methods of

transport Transport (in British English) or transportation (in American English) is the intentional Motion, movement of humans, animals, and cargo, goods from one location to another. Mode of transport, Modes of transport include aviation, air, land tr ...

into the CBD. The new city university precincts consist of West End, Midtown,

Domain A domain is a geographic area controlled by a single person or organization. Domain may also refer to: Law and human geography * Demesne, in English common law and other Medieval European contexts, lands directly managed by their holder rather ...

, Medical Precinct, and Wapping, with the old Sandy Bay campus to be transformed into a "world-leading example of a sustainable urban community". The transition is expected to take place over the next 10 years, with a priority placed on student and community satisfaction. The move to the city has attracted significant community opposition (in the local council area of Hobart City Council, in which the Sandy Bay campus is located) which has culminated in an elector poll being held on the issue in October 2022 at the same time as the Tasmanian local government elections. 74.38% of polled electors in the Hobart City Council area voted against the University's proposal to relocate. It is not known if the same concerns are held by the wider Tasmanian community. In August 2024, another education entity, National Institute of Education and Technology (NIET, Hobart Centre) moved in Old Hytten Building at the University of Tasmania Sandy Bay campus, which is partly repurpose for the University of Tasmania old campus.

Campuses and buildings

The university has three main campuses based in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie. It also has a number of small, specialist facilities within the College of Health and Medicine at the Rozelle campus in Sydney. It also has a joint research facility at the city's

Australian National Maritime Museum The Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM) is a Australian government, federally operated maritime museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. After considering the idea of establishing a maritime museum, the federal government announced that a nation ...

in Pyrmont.

Southern

Hobart

University of Tasmania Medical Science Precinct MS1

Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The state encompasses the main island of Tasmania, the 26th-lar ...

(the Conservatorium of Music campus is no longer a public building; access to the premises by the public, students and staff is restricted). *Medical Sciences Precinct in the inner city that encompasses the College of Health and Medicine and the

Menzies Institute for Medical Research The Menzies Institute for Medical Research is an Australian medical research institute of the University of Tasmania based in Hobart, Tasmania. Formerly known as the Menzies Centre for Population Health Research, the institute was established in ...

UTAS School of Creative Arts 20171120-099

* School of Creative Arts & Media based in the converted Jones & Co. IXL jam factory on Hobart's waterfront the campus hosts students and academics studying a range of art and design subjects such as painting, photography, drawing, sculpture, textiles, 3D Design and visual communication. *

(IMAS) campus encompasses research, learning and teaching on fisheries and aquaculture; ecology and biodiversity; and, oceans and the cryosphere. The campus is situated adjacent to the

CSIRO The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government agency that is responsible for scientific research and its commercial and industrial applications. CSIRO works with leading organisations arou ...

Marine Laboratories, and is co-located with Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC), and the Tasmanian Partnership for Advanced Computing (TPAC). * Queen's Domain, the university's original site that encompasses the School of Nursing.

Sandy Bay and greater Hobart

* Sandy Bay – the Sandy Bay campus is set on 100 hectares of land in the suburb of Sandy Bay – about 35 minutes walk from the centre of

. The Sandy Bay campus overlooks the estuary of the River Derwent and has the majestic

Mount Wellington Mount Wellington may refer to: Mountains * Mount Wellington (British Columbia), in Canada * Mount Wellington (New York), in Otsego County, New York, United States * Mount Wellington (Tasmania), in Tasmania, Australia * Mount Wellington (Victoria) ...

as its backdrop. Much of the upper campus is in natural bushland. Approximately 10,000 students are enrolled at the southern campuses. * University Farm, a 334 hectare farm property located 20 km from the Sandy Bay campus and numerous other land parcels. The University Farm is set in the cropping and grape growing area of Cambridge located in the Coal River valley, serving the teaching and research needs of the School of Agricultural Science. * Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture *

(IMAS) Taroona *

is located adjacent to the University Farm, and operates a museum and radio telescope. *

, near

Jericho, Tasmania Jericho is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of Southern Midlands in the Central LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about south-west of the town of Oatlands. The 2016 census recorded a population of 59 for the state s ...

is astronomy observatory opened in 2013 to replace the

Canopus Hill Observatory The Canopus Hill Observatory, located approximately 12 km from Hobart in Tasmania, Australia, is an optical astronomy observatory belonging to the University of Tasmania (UTAS). Due to the high southern latitude, the Canopus Hill Observatory ...

* The Hedberg, a performing arts campus located adjacent to the

Theatre Royal, Hobart Theatre Royal is an historic performing arts venue in central Hobart, Tasmania. It is the oldest continually operating theatre in Australia; Noël Coward once called it "a dream of a theatre" and Laurence Olivier launched a national appeal for ...

Northern

* Inveresk – the Inveresk campus is Launceston's main campus (which has mostly replaced the previous campus based at Newnham that looked down to the

Tamar River The Tamar River, officially kanamaluka / River Tamar, is a estuary located in northern Tasmania, Australia. Despite being named a river, the waterway is a brackish and tidal estuary over its entire length. Etymology The Tamar River was named ...

. Over 5000 students are enrolled at the Launceston campuses. * The

is located adjacent to the Newnham campus. * The Tasmanian College of the Arts and the School of Architecture & Design are housed in the Inveresk Arts Precinct in Launceston, an award-winning 17-hectare inner city site comprising arts studios, galleries, performance spaces, a museum and specialist workshops. The Inveresk precinct is based on developed buildings from a disused rail-yards site. The majority of facilities and services previous based at the Newnham campus have moved into new buildings at Inveresk.

North-West

* Cradle Coast – established in 1995 as the North-West Study Centre, the now Cradle Coast campus in

Burnie Burnie ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#North, pirinilaplu/palawa kani: ''Pataway'') is a port city located on the North West Tasmania, north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is the fourth largest city on the island, located approximately north ...

caters for researchers and students in the State's north-west. It underwent significant expansion in 2008. * Rural Clinical School, the university's rural clinical school operated by the School of Medicine. * West Park, is a new campus currently under construction for a 2021 opening. The modern building will have student accommodation, new learning facilities, community integration, and quick access to the nearby Makers' Workshop.

Sydney

* Darlinghurst – established in 2006, the Darlinghurst campus delivered nursing, paramedic practice and health management courses. These have now been transferred to the Rozelle campus. * Rozelle – established in 2010, the Rozelle campus delivers nursing and paramedic practice courses, the latter being in association with the Ambulance Service of NSW.

Governance and structure

Academic structure

The University of Tasmania has five colleges, previously known as faculties, some divided into schools and institutes: * College of Arts, Law and Education ** Faculty of Education ** Faculty of Law ** School of Creative Arts and Media ** School of Humanities ** School of Social Sciences * College of Health and Medicine **

** School of Health Sciences ** School of Pharmacy & Pharmacology ** School of Medicine ** School of Nursing ** School of Psychological Sciences ** Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre * College of Sciences and Engineering **

** School of Engineering ** School of Natural Sciences ** School of Architecture and Design ** School of Geography, Planning, and Spatial Sciences ** School of Information and Communication Technology ** School of Natural Sciences **

Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture The Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) is a research institute in Tasmania dedicated to research and development of sustainable agricultural industries. Founded in 1996, it is a collaborative effort of the University of Tasmania (UTAS) and ...

Tasmanian School of Business and Economics The Tasmanian School of Business and Economics (TSBE), formerly known as the Faculty of Business, was founded in 1890 and first offered degrees in Economics and is the business and economics school of the University of Tasmania. It offers the unde ...

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies f ...

The university currently holds the secretariat role of the International Antarctic Institute established in 2006 in partnership with 19 institutions in 12 countries. A partnership between the university and the Cradle Coast Authority established the Institute for Regional Development at the Cradle Coast campus in 2005.

Heraldry and insignia

Coat of arms

The Grant of Arms was made by the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

. The blazon reads: ' In 1936 the University Council ran a competition to produce a draft set of Arms to replace the

common seal The harbor (or harbour) seal (''Phoca vitulina''), also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere. The most widely distributed species of pinniped (walruses, eared sea ...

it had used since 1901, based on the badge of the Tasmanian Council of Education with the motto ''Floreat Tasmania'' (May Tasmania Prosper). The winning design included four key elements of the current Arms of the university including a lion (representing Tasmania), a book (representing the academic side of the university), a Southern Cross (representing Australia) and a torch (representing the athletic side of the university), over a crown (Or) (signifying the

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

held by the university). The official coat of arms was granted by the College of Heralds in 1978. The core elements of the 1936 design were kept with slight adjustments made to comply with heraldic rules.

Academic profile

Research and publications

The university maintains five multi-disciplinary research themes that provide ability for interdisciplinary collaboration. * Environment, Resources and Sustainability * Creativity, Culture and Society * Better Health * Marine, Antarctic and Maritime * Data, Knowledge and Decisions

Research divisions

Menzies Research Institute The Menzies Institute for Medical Research is an Australian medical research institute of the University of Tasmania based in Hobart, Tasmania. Formerly known as the Menzies Centre for Population Health Research, the institute was established in ...

* Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies * Centre for Colonialism and its Aftermath * Centre for Law and Genetics * Tasmania Law Reform Institute * Centre for Aboriginal Education * Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies * Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute * Institute of Antarctic and Southern Ocean Studies * Centre for Marine Science * Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC * Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science * Australian Innovation Research Centre * Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits *

* Australian Food Safety Centre of Excellence The University of Tasmania maintains close linkages with the Tasmanian Government and its departments, with the teaching hospitals, with the Tasmania Police, and with relevant industry bodies such as fishing and farming.

Libraries and databases

The University of Tasmania library system comprises seven physical libraries integrated into a single library system: # Morris Miller Library (Sandy Bay) including Special & Rare Collections # Law Library (Sandy Bay) # Art Library (Centre for the Arts) # Music Library (Conservatorium of Music) # Clinical Library (Medical Sciences Precinct) # Launceston Campus Library (Newnham) # Cradle Coast Campus Library (Cradle Coast)

Academic reputation

In the 2024 ''Aggregate Ranking of Top Universities'', which measures aggregate performance across the QS, THE and ARWU rankings, the university attained a position of #253 (20th nationally). ; National publications In the ''Australian Financial Review'' Best Universities Ranking 2024, the university was ranked #26 amongst Australian universities. ; Global publications In the 2025 ''

Quacquarelli Symonds Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a higher education analyst and a for-profit services provider headquartered in London with offices in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. History The company was founded by Nunzio Quacquarelli in 1990 to provide informati ...

World University Rankings College and university rankings order higher education institutions based on various criteria, with factors differing depending on the specific ranking system. These rankings can be conducted at the national or international level, assessing inst ...

(published 2024), the university attained a tied position of #293 (20th nationally). In the ''Times Higher Education'' World University Rankings 2025 (published 2024), the university attained a position of #251-300 (tied 14-19th nationally). In the 2024 ''Academic Ranking of World Universities'', the university attained a position of #301-400 (tied 16-21st nationally). In the 2024–2025 ''U.S. News & World Report'' Best Global Universities, the university attained a position of #285 (21st nationally). In the ''CWTS Leiden Ranking'' 2024, the university attained a position of #460 (20th nationally).

International collaboration

The university is an active member of the

University of the Arctic The University of the Arctic (UArctic) is an international cooperative network based in the Circumpolar Arctic region, consisting of universities, colleges, and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the Arcti ...

. UArctic is an international cooperative network based in the Circumpolar Arctic region, consisting of more than 200 universities, colleges, and other organizations with an interest in promoting education and research in the Arctic region. The university also participates in UArctic's mobility program north2north. The aim of that program is to enable students of member institutions to study in different parts of the North.

Student outcomes

The Australian Government's QILT conducts national surveys documenting the student life cycle from enrolment through to employment. These surveys place more emphasis on criteria such as student experience, graduate outcomes and employer satisfaction than perceived reputation, research output and citation counts. In the 2023 Employer Satisfaction Survey, graduates of the university had an overall employer satisfaction rate of 83.7%. In the 2023 Graduate Outcomes Survey, graduates of the university had a full-time employment rate of 77.5% for undergraduates and 95.9% for postgraduates. The initial full-time salary was for undergraduates and for postgraduates. In the 2023 Student Experience Survey, undergraduates at the university rated the quality of their entire educational experience at 76.6% meanwhile postgraduates rated their overall education experience at 74.4%.

Scholarships

The Tasmania Scholarships program supports the university's commitment to offer students equal learning opportunity. It assists talented students, both locally, nationally and internationally. Industry contributions now make up the backbone of the Tasmania Scholarships program. The development and growth of this initiative into one of the most successful sponsored programs in the country is exceptional by any standard. Around 10 per cent of all domestic students at UTAS receive some sort of scholarship or financial assistance. Scholarships are also offered under the banner of the

Jim Bacon Memorial Scholarship The Jim Bacon Foundation is a Foundation (non-profit), philanthropic organisation based in Tasmania, Australia. It provides practical support and financial assistance to cancer patients and organisations that support them during their treatment. It ...

, funded by the Tasmanian Government.

Student life

Student union

Until 2008, there were two separate student unions: the

Tasmania University Union The Tasmanian University Student Association (TUSA), formerly known as Tasmania University Union (TUU), is the peak body of student representation for tertiary students attending the University of Tasmania and was established in 1899. The Studen ...

(TUU) in

and the Student Association (SA) in Launceston. Following the abolition of compulsory student unionism in 2007, the SA and the TUU amalgamated into one statewide organisation representing all UTAS students. The TUU is responsible for the overseeing of all the university's many sports clubs and societies. Some of these include faculty-based societies providing academic and careers guidance; societies relating to various interests, such as the

Old Nick Company The Old Nick Company, established in 1948, is one of the longest standing theatre companies in Tasmania. It stages the popular annual Uni revue and student 'Summer School' among other smaller productions. Past members include actor Essie Davis, Cha ...

; and various sporting clubs, including

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

and

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

. The TUU also publishes the independent student media at the University of Tasmania, ''

Togatus ''Togatus'' is the independent student media at the University of Tasmania and is produced for students, by students. Published by the Tasmania University Union since 1931, ''Togatus'' produces four print editions each year and occasionally fea ...

''. Postgraduate students are represented by the TUU through the Tasmania University Union Postgraduate Council. The TUU Postgraduate Council was previously organised as the Tasmania University Postgraduate Association (TUPA). TUPA was established in 1982 to represent postgraduate research students on campus independently of the TUU.

Residential colleges

The university maintains a strong residential college system, as well as providing more independent apartment-style living. A key aspect of campus life, the residential colleges are equipped with modern facilities and host several events during the semesters. The colleges also maintain their respective student clubs, key in the passing of traditions from one cohort to the next. The southern colleges annually compete in a series of sporting events including

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

Australian Football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...

Cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

Softball Softball is a Variations of baseball, variation of baseball, the difference being that it is played with a larger ball, on a smaller field, and with only underhand pitches (where the ball is released while the hand is primarily below the ball) ...

Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

Table Tennis Table tennis (also known as ping-pong) is a racket sport derived from tennis but distinguished by its playing surface being atop a stationary table, rather than the Tennis court, court on which players stand. Either individually or in teams of ...

Tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

and

Soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

. The college system comprises Christ College,

Jane Franklin Hall Jane Franklin Hall in Hobart, Australia is an independent non-denominational residential college of the University of Tasmania. Familiarly referred to as "Jane", it was founded by the Tasmanian Council of Churches in 1950 as a residential colle ...

and

St. John Fisher College St. John Fisher University is a private university in Rochester, New York in the United States. It is named after John Fisher, an English Catholic cardinal and saint. It was named St. John Fisher College until July 1, 2022. History St. John F ...

, and Hytten Hall (originally open from 1959–1980 and re-established in 2023) in Hobart, and

Kerslake Hall Kerslake Hall is a residential college for full-time students of the University of Tasmania and Australian Maritime College. It is situated on the university's Newnham campus, Launceston, Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth ...

, Leprena and Investigator Hall in Launceston. The university accommodation system also includes the University Apartments in Sandy Bay and Hobart Apartments in the Hobart CBD, Endeavour Hall in Beauty Point for students of the

, Newnham Apartments and Inveresk Apartments in Launceston, and West Park Apartments in Burnie. One other residential college once existed in Hobart – Ena Waite Women's College (1968–1980), operated by the Catholic Church and located in central Hobart, which amalgamated with

. An off-campus student residence in Launceston, Clarence House, operated from 2004 to 2008.

Notable people

Notable alumni

The University of Tasmania has produced many notable alumni, with graduates having held the offices of

Governor of Tasmania The governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of the monarch, currently King Charles III. The incumbent governor is Barbara Baker, who was appointed in June 2021. The official residence of the governor is Gov ...

, Justices of the High, Supreme, Federal courts, Premiers of Tasmania and elected leaders of other states and territories,

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international Postgraduate education, postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Esta ...

s, the first female professor in Australia, ministers of foreign countries,

Lord Mayor Lord mayor is a title of a mayor of what is usually a major city in a Commonwealth realm, with special recognition bestowed by the sovereign. However, the title or an equivalent is present in other countries, including forms such as "high mayor". A ...

s, academics, architects, historians, poets, philosophers, politicians, scientists, physicists, authors, industry leaders, defence force personnel, corporate leaders, community leaders, and artists. There are over 100,000 graduates of the University of Tasmania, spanning 104 countries. File:Arms_of_King's_College_London.svg , Ed Byrne, neuroscientist currently serving as Principal of

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

. File:Crown Princess Mary.jpg, Mary, Queen of Denmark. File:Christine Milne profile.jpg,

Christine Milne Christine Anne Milne (; born 14 May 1953) is an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Tasmania. She was the leader of the parliamentary caucus of the Australian Greens from 2012 to 2015. Milne stepped down as leader on 6 May 2015, ...

, Former Leader of the

Australian Greens The Australian Greens, commonly referred to simply as the Greens, are a Left-wing politics, left-wing green party, green Australian List of political parties in Australia, political party. As of 2025, the Greens are the third largest politica ...

File:Jess_Melbourne-Thomas.jpg ,

Jessica Melbourne-Thomas Jessica Melbourne-Thomas (born 17 May 1981) is a marine, Antarctic, and climate change scientist with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia. Her research focuses on climate change, its effects on the marine ...

, Australian marine, Antarctic, and climate change scientist. File:RichardFlanagan 300w.jpg,

Richard Flanagan Richard Miller Flanagan (born 1961) is an Australian writer, who won the 2014 Man Booker Prize for his novel ''The Narrow Road to the Deep North (novel), The Narrow Road to the Deep North'' and the 2024 Baillie Gifford Prize for ''Question 7'', ...

, 2014

Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a prestigious literary award conferred each year for the best single work of sustained fiction written in the English language, wh ...

recipient. File:Bill Mollison, 2008 (cropped).jpg,

Bill Mollison Bruce Charles "Bill" Mollison (4 May 1928 – 24 September 2016) was an Australian researcher, author, scientist, teacher and biologist. In 1981, he was awarded the Right Livelihood Award "for developing and promoting the theory and practice ...

, Australian researcher, biologist,

permaculture Permaculture is an approach to land management and settlement design that adopts arrangements observed in flourishing natural ecosystems. It includes a set of design principles derived using Systems theory, whole-systems thinking. It applies t ...

theory and practice. File:Aeclark.jpg ,

Andrew Inglis Clark Andrew Inglis Clark (24 February 1848 – 14 November 1907) was an Australian founding father and co-author of the Australian Constitution; he was also an engineer, barrister, politician, electoral reformer and jurist. He initially qualified as ...

, Australian founding father and co-author of the Australian Constitution. File:The_Royal_Society.jpg ,

Noel Benson William Noel Benson Royal Society, FRS Royal Geographical Society, FRGS (26 December 1885 – 20 August 1957) was an English-born research geologist and academic active first in Australia and then New Zealand. After studying geology at the Uni ...

, research geologist, Fellow of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

Footnotes

References

External links

* {{Authority control Universities in Tasmania Universities and colleges established in 1890 1890 establishments in Australia Universities in Sydney Sandy Bay, Hobart