Guide to Canberra University College Records

• Introduction
• Brief History
• Records held by the University Archives
• Records held elsewhere
• Published sources

  
  
  Students in the College Library, Childers Street, 1960
  

Introduction

The purpose of this guide is to provide an overview of the location of records relating to the Canberra University College.

Brief History

The Canberra University College (CUC), established to provide undergraduate university education in Canberra, took its first students in 1930. For most of its history, students were part-time. The CUC operated in association with the University of Melbourne, whereby students sat for University of Melbourne examinations and graduated from that institution. In late 1960, the CUC amalgamated with the Australian National University (ANU) to become the School of General Studies within ANU.

Records held by the University Archives

Various records created by the CUC have survived and have been transferred to the University Archives. They include Annual Reports, calendars, files, some teaching material and photographs.

Official ANU files relating to CUC are held by University Records. Arrangements to gain access to these files are made through the University Archives. The files are made available to members of the public in the reading room of the Noel Butlin Archives Centre.

Transcripts of interviews for the ANU Oral History Project also contain information relating to the CUC. Some interviewees, including Herbert (Joe) Burton, Manning Clark and Heinz Arndt were members of CUC staff.

Records held elsewhere

University of Melbourne Archives (UMA)

These include student cards 1947-1952. UMA also holds other official records relating to the academic direction of the CUC. There may be material relevant to CUC in various UMA personal papers, such as those of Professor RD Wright, Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.

National Library of Australia (NLA)

These include the records of the University Association and the papers of Charles Daley, a significant figure in the development of Canberra who was a member of the CUC Council. The NLA also holds the personal papers of a number of academics who taught at CUC, including foundation professors Manning Clark, AD Hope, Heinz Arndt and LF Crisp.

National Archives of Australia (NAA)

These include other papers of Charles Daley, including his copies of minutes of the CUC Council. They also include records of Commonwealth Government agencies responsible for education and the development of Canberra.

Published sources

The ANU Library holds some published sources relating to the CUC. They include calendars (full set); examination papers 1957-1959 and publications of the CUC Students' Association (including incomplete runs of the student newspaper, Woroni, for 1954-1960). These publications are available on request at the desk in the Menzies Building of the ANU Library.