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The verdant universities, also referred to as the “gumtree” universities, are a group of Australian universities founded in the 1960s and 1970s.[1] These tertiary institutions were established in their respective state capitals, often next to native bushland (today’s nature reserves), and were usually centred around lush vegetative campuses, to which the term verdant refers. The verdant universities often stand in contrast to the older and ostensibly more prestigious sandstone universities.
They are predominantly the second or third established university in their state; the only exception is Macquarie, which is the third university in Sydney, but the fourth university in New South Wales.
| University | Location | State | Established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flinders University | Adelaide | SA | 1966 |
| Griffith University | Brisbane | QLD | 1971 |
| La Trobe University | Melbourne | VIC | 1964 |
| Macquarie University | Sydney | NSW | 1964 |
| Murdoch University | Perth | WA | 1973 |
La Trobe University takes "verdant" a step further by owning a 28-hectare wildlife sanctuary and managing the Gresswell Hill Nature Conservation Reserve north of the Melbourne campus.[2][3]
The verdant universities were part of a broader effort to expand and reform tertiary education in Australia, based on similar reforms that led to the creation of the plate glass universities group in the United Kingdom.[1] All these universities went on to form Innovative Research Universities in 2003.[1]
- ^ a b c "Types of Australian universities". www.academia.edu. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
- ^ "History of the area, La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary, La Trobe University". www.latrobe.edu.au. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
- ^ "About the Sanctuary, La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary, La Trobe University". www.latrobe.edu.au. Retrieved 2016-01-10.