Sandstone universities

The sandstone universities are a group of Australian universities. All were founded more than 100 years ago.

University of Sydney

University of Melbourne

University of Tasmania

University of Adelaide

University of Queensland

University of Western Australia

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Sandstone Universities in Australia

The universities in the group have buildings made mostly of sandstone. Some universities, such as the private Bond University, have sandstone-plated buildings, but are not considered sandstone universities.

These universities focus on research. Their courses have a strong emphasis on theory rather than practice. Students who enter the sandstone universities come from higher income families, and graduates usually have higher paid occupations or positions of influence. This prompts claims of elitism and social division.

The first university to be established in Australia was the University of Sydney in New South Wales in 1850. It was quickly followed by the University of Melbourne in 1853.

The richest university is the University of Sydney with endowments of about 2.5 billion dollars (annual reports). The least well endowed university in the group is the University of Tasmania with $561 million.