You are here: About the University > A great campus life

Print View

A great campus life

The University of Adelaide's vibrant campus life and close engagement with its community provide social, cultural and intellectual stimulation, an appreciation of diversity and an openness to enquiry that makes an impact on both students and the community as a whole.

Because University is not just about getting a degree but about acquiring skills for life, non-academic activities are a valued and long-established part of campus life at the University of Adelaide.

Founded in 1895, the Adelaide University Union runs many of the non-academic activities and services that ensure the existence of a true campus community and culture.

Through its affiliate bodies (such as the Students' Association), the Adelaide University Union provides representation for the student voice to the University, the Government and the wider community. Through the Clubs Association and the Sports Association, the Union offers students, graduates and members of the community the opportunity for involvement in 40 sports and more than 80 interest groups.

Sport has a long tradition at Adelaide. The Sports Association was formed in 1896, growing out of the original three clubs — rowing (1881), tennis (1885) and lacrosse (1889). Today, it encompasses 37 different sporting and recreational groups, starting with beginner and social competition and going through to world champion and Olympic level. Many Adelaide students and graduates have gone on to shine on the world sporting stage — among them, champion rower and Olympian, Amber Halliday, and Duncan Chessell, the first South Australian to scale Mt Everest.

Apart from Adelaide University Union-based programs, the University has strong formalised links with its local community via a diverse range of activities, many of which also engage members of the community as volunteers within the University.

At the Waite Campus, historic Urrbrae House and its innovative gardens, the Waite Arboretum and the Waite Conservation Reserve are open to the public every day of the year and provide rich opportunities for community engagement. The Arboretum is home to the TREENET project, which is dedicated to improving suburban streetscapes and involves local government and the nursery industry as well as the education sector.

The Thebarton Campus places significant emphasis on community interaction with the Western region of Adelaide in which it is situated. It has employment programs and strong relationships with local government welfare and activities officers, schools and TAFE colleges, managers of employment schemes and economic development groups in the region.

Radio Adelaide is the University's educational and community radio station, one of the first established in Australia. It broadcasts 24 hours a day and has a regular audience of more than 60,000. Its commitment to progressive educational and multicultural programming, local artists and alternative music forms has won it many awards, and it has a large volunteer base of students, staff and community members.

The Elder Conservatorium's Lunch Hour and Evening Concerts are an icon of Adelaide culture, attracting many thousands of music lovers to the North Terrace campus each year. International conductors and overseas artists appear regularly.

The internationally-acclaimed Australian String Quartet is quartet-in-residence at the University of Adelaide. The Quartet presents full subscription seasons in Adelaide and Melbourne, major concerts in other capital cities, and regularly tours both overseas and regional centres in Australia.

The University of Adelaide Theatre Guild is a University-supported community theatre company established in 1938 and based at the North Terrace campus. Its theatrical productions attract several thousand people to the campus each year and involve University staff, students and graduates with members of the community as active participants.

The University also contributes significantly to many community-based cultural events. These include the Adelaide Festival of Arts, the Adelaide Fringe, the Adelaide Festival of Ideas, National Science Week, and Tasting Australia. Many components of these events take place on the University's North Terrace campus.