Edith Cowan University, informally known as ECU is a public university located in Perth in Western Australia. The university has the distinction of being the only Australian university names after a woman, Edith Dircksey Cowan, who was the first women elected into a parliament in Australia.
The University of Western Australia, informally known as UWA is a public university located in Western Australia. The university was founded in 1911 by the University of Western Australia Act, and is the oldest university in Western Australia. It is a member of the prestigious Australian lobby group ‘Group of Eight’, and due to its age and its membership in the G8, it is known colloquially as a sandstone university.
The University of Notre Dame Australia, informally known as UNDA is a private Roman Catholic University located in Freemantle, Western Australia. The university was established in 1989 through an Act of the Western Australian Parliament. The University of Notre Dame Australia opened its doors and began teaching in 1992.
Curtin University of Technology, or simply Curtin, is located in Perth, Western Australia, and is the state’s largest university. Curtin University began operating under its current name in 1986, and previously operated as the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT). The university named after John Curtin, a former Prime Minister of Australia, who led Australia during part of World War II, from 1941-1945. The University has a large student body of over 42,450 students, including 16,000 international students. This large student body is supported by approximately 3,000 staff.
Murdoch University was founded in 1973, and is located in Perth, Western Australia. Murdoch is a public university, and is named in honour of Sir Walter Murdoch, the founding Professor of English, and former Chancellor of the University of Western Australia. Murdoch University is home to 18,000 students including 2,000 international students, who are supported by 1500 staff.