University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia ("UWA") is Western Australia's oldest university, established in February 1911.
It is one of Australia's "Group of Eight" leading universities.
The original campus was located in Hay Street in the centre of Perth, in what was known as "Tin Pot Alley" (the roof of the building was made of tin). The main campus is as of the 1930s located in Crawley. The original building - named the Irwin St Building, due to its former location on Irwin St in the CBD - has been transported to the new campus, and serves as a cricket pavilion and formerly as the Senate meeting room. Sporting facilities are also located in Mt Claremont.
The Crawley campus is one of Perth's premier tourist attractions. Many of the buildings are constructed from limestone, including the enormous Winthrop Hall with its Romanesque architecture. These buildings are dotted amongst green parks and thickets of trees. The campus is adjacent to the Swan River.
The university boasts faculties of law, medicine and dentistry, arts, architecture, education, commerce, science, agriculture, and engineering. There are several residential colleges nearby including St George's College, St Catherine's College, Trinity College, Currie Hall and Sir Thomas More College.
UWA is renowned around Perth for its highly active social calendar for students. The university has for many years enjoyed the highest levels of guild membership among all the Western Australian universities. The highlight of the social year is undoubtedly Prosh, a day early in the university year where students dress up in costume and parade through the streets of the city, selling risque newspapers for various worthy charities.
UWA is one of the largest landowners in Perth, as the result of government and private bequests. Notable alumni include Bob Hawke, Carmen Lawrence, and Kim Beazley.