The Battle for Education!

Back in 1799, Greenock in Scotland saw the birth of John Dunmore Lang. His brother had moved to Australia and so in 1823, John followed him, becoming the first Presbyterian Minister in New South Wales. Having been educated at the University of Glasgow, John saw that there was a need for a similar establishment that could provide higher learning. Thus, he founded the Australian College, which offered an education of classical, practical and technical subjects under a religious background.

Meanwhile, a group of dissenters set up a non-denominational college in Sydney aimed at providing a secondary education for the sons of wealthy merchants. But, following the economic depression of the 1840s, the college was on the point of collapse and so the owners asked the Government to take it over and convert it into a University. One of those involved was William Charles Wentworth, who was a great supporter of non-religious education.

However, the Government was none too keen on the idea of a non-religious education provider, citing Oxford and Cambridge Universities in England as examples to which any Australian university should aspire. However, the dissenters gave a different example: the University of London, founded in 1836, which explicitly excluded religious qualification as an entry requirement.

The dissenters won the day and it was today, 11th October back in 1852 that Sydney University finally opened its doors to students.