ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY: The Bursar's Office was established following the decision by Council on 30 October 1964 to institute a tripartite system of senior administration to replace the Registrar's Department.

The first appointee was Walter Meiklejohn, former Accountant (1954) and Assistant Registrar (1955-64), who had been granted the title of Bursar from April 1964, and the new system of administration came into operation from March 1, 1965.

The Bursar's Office was vested with the responsibility for all monetary and financial matters, including:
- the preparation of financial statements and budgets
- receipt of University funds
- payment of accounts, salaries and wages
- superannuation
- investments
- maintenance of long service and sick leave records
- appointment and review of ancillary staff
- payments of scholarships and prizes
- administration of external grants
- receipt of student enrolments and associated fees
- maintenance of inventories of departmental furniture and equipment
- audit, insurance and customs matters
- provision of administrative services for the Finance Committee and all other Committees related to its finance and ancillary staff responsibilities.

Following adoption by Council on 9th May 1980 of the report of the Committee od administrative review, the duties and responsibilities of the Registrar, Academic Registrar and Bursar were divided functionally between the Bursar and the Academic Registrar ( who assumed the title of Registrar).

Building and maintenance matters ( but not the servicing of related Committees) were transferred to the Bursar and the Bursar transferred his former responsibilities for ancillary staff to the Registrar. Administrative computing services (the former Administration Computing Services Unit within the Registrar's office) were divided between the offices of the Registrar and the Bursar. The Bursar was to report direct to the Vice-Chancellor and be accountable to the Vice-Chancellor in the performance of his duties.