The idea of founding a third university in Sydney was flagged in the early 1960s when the New South Wales Government formed a committee of enquiry into higher education to deal with a perceived emergency in university enrolments in New South Wales. During this enquiry, the Senate of The University of Sydney put in a submission which highlighted ‘the immediate need to establish a third university in the metropolitan area’. After much debate a future campus location was selected in what was then a semi-rural part of North Ryde, and it was decided that the future university be named after Lachlan Macquarie, an important early governor of the colony of New South Wales. Macquarie University was formally established in 1964 with the passage of the Macquarie University Act 1964 by the New South Wales Government.
Macquarie University is an Australian public teaching and research university located in Sydney, with its main campus situated in Macquarie Park. The university comprises four faculties, enrolling approximately 35,000 students and having 2,221 (full-time equivalent) academic and professional staff, making it the fourth largest University in Sydney. At present, the university offers 87 undergraduate courses and 124 different post-graduate courses to Students. The University is governed by a 17-member council.
Macquarie University also has the largest student exchange programme in Australia. The Academic Ranking of World Universities listed Macquarie as 7th among Australian Universities in its 2009 rankings. The university is also ranked among the national top five recipients of relative research income. Also affiliated with The university are several research centres, schools and institutes including the Macquarie Graduate School of Management, Australian Proteome Analysis Facility, the Institute of Human Cognition and Brain Science, the Macquarie University Research Park and the Macquarie University Hospital.
Location & Facilities
The main campus is located about 16kilometres (9.9 mi) north-west of the Sydney CBD; the Macquarie University campus is set on 126 hectares of rolling lawns and natural bush land. Located within the high-technology corridor of Sydney's north-west and within close proximity to Macquarie Park and its surrounding industries, Macquarie's location has been crucial in its development as a relatively research intensive University. The university is straddled between the suburbs of North Ryde and the later developed technology and industry focused Macquarie Park, however the campus has its own postcode, 2109.Satellite campuses
Macquarie City Campus
In mid 2007, The University opened the Macquarie City Campus in the Sydney CBD, offering some of Macquarie University’s programs. Macquarie City Campus has been designed to meet demand from students for a CBD campus.
Macquarie Manly Campus
In association with Macquarie University, the International College of Management, Sydney, offers a two-year Diploma programme (only in Hospitality, Event and International tourism), an Associate Degree Programme and a three-year Bachelor of Business Administration Degrees specialised in Hospitality, Event, International tourism, Retail, Property, and Sports Management as well as graduate certificates and master programmes. Bachelor and master degrees are awarded by Macquarie University and students have access to The university library for study and research. Macquarie University has two residential colleges on its campus, Dunmore Lang College and Robert Menzies College, both were founded in 1972. In addition to these residential colleges is the Macquarie University Village which contains over 890 rooms inside multiple two storey townhouses and apartment block.