For 50 years Charles Sturt University and our predecessor institutions have been a driving force behind tertiary education in the Albury-Wodonga region.
Our current and former academics have greatly contributed to this proud history and continue to shape education in the region. The Charles Sturt University Regional Archives and University Art Collection, part of our portfolio’s Division of Library Services, has played a key role in helping to capture this ambitious 50-year journey and transform it into a new eBook.
Achieving Higher Education in Albury-Wodonga is available on the university’s archives website. The book is the culmination of extensive research and work by project team members Ms Portia Dilena (author) and Charles Sturt staff members Mr Wayne Doubleday, Associate Professor Jennifer Munday and Associate Professor Bruce Pennay. Ms Dilena was commissioned by Charles Sturt to work with our staff to capture the Albury-Wodonga campus’s historical landscape.
Drawing on archival research and oral history interviews with former staff and students, the book illustrates the resilient journey of the university and several individuals to advocate for and develop education on the border.
It explores a number of significant moments for the Albury-Wodonga campus, from the arrival of tertiary education in the city 50 years ago to the vibrant and established Charles Sturt University campus we know today.
Excerpt: “The story of Charles Sturt Albury-Wodonga campus is not just the story of Charles Sturt University; rather, it is a story of a growing regional city’s efforts to deliver first-class higher education to its residents. In doing so, the border region community has had to navigate the many obstacles and forces that have arisen due to the city’s unique location. As relevant as they were in 1984, it is appropriate to refer again to E.A.B. Phillips’s words when we describe the history of higher education in Albury-Wodonga as a tale defined by a ‘mix of politics, civic pride, [and] parochial rivalries.” (p. VIII)
I would like to commend the project team, and in particular the book’s author, Ms Dilena. This unique book not only reflects the dedication and outstanding efforts to share and preserve the story of the Albury-Wodonga campus, but the efforts of our entire university to provide world-class tertiary education in the regions. The history of Charles Sturt on the border demonstrates the necessity of tertiary institutions in regional Australia in providing equity in services, promoting regional development, and strengthening communities.
Staff across the Academic Portfolio continue to contribute many new activities and developments at our Albury-Wodonga campus. The campus’s library was recently updated; it is now open 24/7 for students and it will soon be fitted with new furniture. Last year, we added a rather unique course to our on-campus offerings last year: the Graduate Certificate in Fish Conservation and Management (the course is also available online).
Most recently, we welcomed approximately 900 students to the campus to start face-to-face learning in a range of fields, from nursing, physiotherapy and occupational therapy to education and environmental sciences – all in line with the region’s skills and workforce needs. Many of our academics are also involved in Charles Sturt’s new Gulbali Institute, which delivers research in agriculture, water and environment and has a significant footprint in the Albury-Wodonga region.
On a related note, the Charles Sturt University Regional Archives will celebrate its own 50-year anniversary next year. The team has been collecting archival material from the Riverina and Murray regions since 1973. Visit their site to have a look through their collections and while you are there, take a moment to view the eBook, Achieving Higher Education in Albury-Wodonga.
AlburyCity Council are also currently working with Associate Professor Dirk Spennemann from the School of Agriculture, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences to undertake a cultural heritage study of Albury. The study aims to better understand which places are important to the people of Albury and which should be protected for the benefit of present and future generations. Members of the public who live, work or shop in Albury are invited to participate in the study by completing an anonymous survey.
Achieving Higher Education in Albury-Wodonga was developed with assistance from of the Charles Sturt Division of Strategy, Marketing and Analysis. A joint exhibition with Albury LibraryMuseum was held in March 2022 to launch the book and celebrate 50 years since the opening of the Albury Study Centre.
Emeritus Professor Sue Carthew