The University of New South Wales and its College of Fine Arts (COFA) are leading educational institutions in Australia. COFA’s location on Oxford Street is arguably one of the best addresses for an art school in the world and it has a complex history.
- Before European settlement, the crest of the hill upon which the College now sits was used as a camping ground by the Cadigal people of the Eora nation, as they travelled between what we now call Centennial Park and Sydney Harbour.
- In 1898, the site became Paddington’s first Infants School. The school building designed by Kemp and Vernon (the State Government architects who also designed the AGNSW) remains in use today housing COFA’s Library and Ivan Dougherty Gallery.
- By 1940, the site was redesignated, Sydney Technical High School, and additional buildings (current Building B and C North) were added.
- In 1958, the site became the Alexander Mackie Teachers College. Current Buildings C and E were added.
- By the 1970s the original site contained by Albion Ave, Selwyn, Napier and Iris Streets was almost doubled in size by the addition of the Iris Street to Greens Road block.
- In 1975, Alexander Mackie became an art school and a College of Advanced Education.
- In 1990, the institution become a faculty, the College of Fine Arts (COFA), at the University of New South Wales.
- By the early 1990s, Buildings F and G were completed.
- In recent decades, the site received little attention accept for minor refurbishments and attention to compliance issues.
- The current agglomeration of buildings could, at best, be called ‘quaint’ and at worst, ‘rabbit warren’ like.
- Now, the site requires and deserves substantial redevelopment for the benefit of both students and staff.
