The UWA Historical Society plays a vital role in preserving and celebrating UWA’s rich history. Convocation regularly partners with the society and together we ensure that every milestone is remembered—bringing to light significant anniversaries that connect generations of our University community.

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Reid Library

The Reid Library had a major impact when it first opened its doors to students in February 1964. The new library, named after Sir Alexander Reid, one of UWA’s longest serving Chancellors, won a bronze medal from the Royal British Institute of Architects for its elegant design. But the reality of a large purpose-built university library, had been a long haul. Read more

Park Avenue Building celebrates 100 years

On 31st October 2025, we mark the 100th anniversary of the official opening of the Park Avenue Building. On that date, the then Premier of WA, Philip Collier officially opened this building to provide teaching and research facilities for those studying the natural sciences of biology and geology. Read more

UWA's Dental School marks an impressive partnership

As it marks a 25-year partnership with the Oral Health Centre of Western Australia (OHCWA), the UWA Dental School continues to demonstrate the impressive practical impact a university can have when education, service, and research come together to align with community need. Read more

Convocation is proud to be supporting several initiatives at UWA. From creating a lasting tribute to a much-admired Vice-Chancellor, to unveiling unique gems hidden in the Reid Library, and providing research travel awards to our postgraduate students, our efforts are making a real difference. We're also stepping up to support students facing the cost-of-living crisis, ensuring no one in our community goes without.

Work Integrated Learning

UWA’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) program opens doors to a remarkable variety of experiences for students. If any alumni are interested in hosting a student for an internship, please contact [email protected]. Read more

Convocation’s Creator-in-Residence fundraising project

A recent refurbishment of the Reid Library  features a new ‘Reading Wall,’ which will exhibit a curated selection of treasures from the Library’s Special Collections.

Convocation invites you to join their collective giving appeal to fund a Creator-in-Residence program, to bring the Reading Wall to life for new audiences by curating dynamic displays inspired by the Library’s Special Collections. 

Donations of $1000 and over will be recognised by displaying the names of donors on shelves of the Convocation Reading Wall in the Reid Library. There are a limited number of shelves (100), so this is a very special opportunity for Convocation members! 

Learn more or donate now

From UWA to Unicorn: How two alumni built a global technology leader

The University of Western Australia has long been recognised for producing graduates who make meaningful contributions across industries. The remarkable journey of Chris Shaw and Xavier Orr provides a compelling example of how UWA’s academic environment can shape ideas that grow into global enterprises.

Chancellor's Alumni Recognition Reception

UWA graduates recently recognised with prestigious awards and honours were recognised at a celebration hosted by the chancellor  on 19 March 2026.

Celebrating Alumni Councillors

We are very proud to celebrate the achievements of our Alumni Councillors.

Dr Raj Kurup has been awarded the 2025 Sir John Holland Civil Engineer of the Year by Engineers Australia. This award is the highest honour for civil engineers in Australia and recognises contributions to leadership, innovation, and service to the profession and the community. Raj was awarded a UWA Chancellor’s Medal in 2024 which recognised his role in assisting UWA by providing internships for our engineering students at his company, Environmental Engineers International — to date 80 students have benefitted.

Dr Angela Evangelinou-Yiannakis is a finalist in the 2025 Greek International Women Awards. Her citation reads ‘In the field of ‘Education and Psychology, Dr Angela Evangelinou-Yiannakis of Western Australia stands out as a lifelong educator, academic, and advocate for Greek language teaching.’

UWA Library named a finalist in the Clarivate Library Innovation Awards

UWA Library is making waves globally—named a finalist in the Clarivate Library Innovation Awards for its UWA Collected platform.

UWA Collected brings together a rich mix of the University’s cultural, historical and research treasures in one place. You can now dive into archival copies of Pelican and the UWA Senate Minutes—both available online through UWA Collected. More than just a digital archive, it’s an initiative dedicated to preserving these unique collections—ensuring they remain secure, accessible, and available for students, researchers, and the wider community for generations to come.

The Clarivate Awards celebrate innovation in libraries worldwide, recognising projects that make a real difference for students, researchers, and communities. As a finalist, UWA Library’s work is being recognised for its creativity, impact and forward-thinking approach—and will be showcased on an international stage in 2026.

Now reborn as your Alumni Council, we're unlocking new opportunities for learning and collaboration.

A new title for Convocation

For generations, the meaning of the word Convocation has seemed elusive—formal, historic, and not always immediately clear. At its heart, though, the meaning is simple: a coming together. It refers both to a large gathering of people and to the act of calling them into a formal assembly.

In universities, the term has deep roots. It was first used at Oxford to describe the collective body of graduates—an idea that has endured for centuries. At UWA, that tradition lives on: every graduate automatically becomes a member of Convocation, joined by others with a special connection to the University who are admitted by the Senate.

Convocation will now be known as the UWA Alumni Association: a title that speaks plainly to what it has always been.

Significant changes are under way within UWA’s teaching programs this year, which are designed to increase student numbers and provide new opportunities for students who once could only dream of higher education - read more.

More studies on AI are being published, two of which are cited here. Universities can respond creatively to challenges. A moving story shows how universities in the Ukraine, for example, are responding to the impact of war. In Australia, there are challenges to universities of quite a different sort by the formal establishment of the new Australian Tertiary Commission (ATEC). Read on...