Australia - University of Sydney Faculty of Veterinary Science

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Introduction

The Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney opened its doors on 22 March 1910. Since then, we have developed outstanding research and clinical facilities, and strong reciprocal links with academic peers around the world.

We are recognised internationally as a leading provider of education and a key contributor to the world's best practice in the care and welfare of animals. Our vision is to be a world leader in veterinary education, animal science and research, focused on the health and welfare of animals, and of benefit to the community.

Our strong global connections ensure that about 20 per cent of our veterinary student intake each year is made up of international students.

The Faculty of Veterinary Science operates on two campuses. We are based in the heart of Sydney at Camperdown, with our own rural facilities in the Camden region on the south-western outskirts of the city.

History

Prior to 1910, the fledgling nation of Australia relied on English and Scottish veterinary schools for training of its veterinary professionals, and on imported technical expertise to support its rapidly developing animal industries.

James Douglas Stewart, an Australian who graduated from the Royal Dick Veterinary School, lobbied the New South Wales Government to establish a veterinary school at the University of Sydney, Australia’s oldest University. He became the veterinary school’s founding professor and once it was honoured full status as a Faculty of Veterinary Science in 1920, Professor Stewart became the inaugural Dean and remained in this prestigious position until his retirement in 1939.

The Faculty of Veterinary Science opened its doors on the 22nd March, 1910. Sixteen students enrolled in this premier Australian university course in veterinary science. These students learned from skilled practitioners and world class academics, with access to the know-how of a nation, which was already an emerging power in animal health and production. The early development of the School was delayed when many graduates and undergraduates volunteered for active service in the First World War.

In 1928 there were 25 enrolled students, a number that grew to over one hundred in 1935. In 2005 The Faculty was granted international accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), becoming one of six accredited veterinary schools outside the USA and Canada. By 2010 there were over 750 students enrolled in the two degrees offered by the Faculty of Veterinary Science.

Research

The faculty has a proud history of research in veterinary and animal science. In the first half of the 20th century we established the cornerstones of our research effort – animal health, animal husbandry, nutrition, anatomy and genetics. Today, we lead international, multidisciplinary programs in farm animal health, biosecurity, poultry and dairy science, animal genomics, advanced reproduction, animal welfare science, ecosystems health, tissue repair, veterinary education, companion animal disease and clinical service, to name a few areas of expertise.

Presently, approximately 70 per cent of our research income is directed towards the health and performance of production animals. Wildlife research has become an area of intense interest and activity with a fantastic diversity of species now being studied. We also have a strong core of biomedical research and this has been reflected in the way that our research student graduates have been valued by leading medical research institutes, both in Australia and overseas. Our campuses at Camperdown, placed adjacent to the Centre for Obesity Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease (CODCD) development, and Camden, within the emerging bioscience precinct, provide the infrastructure required to study a diverse range of species in a laboratory, farm and clinical context.

The Centenary year of the Faculty in 2010 was suitably marked by a number of occasions, including a Research Showcase, which was a successful display of the diversity and depth of our research capabilities. It seems fitting that the major developments in research on our doorstep should be happening at a time when we look to the future for the next century of research.

School name

Faculty of Veterinary Science, the University of Sydney