Vignette 129: The Charter

The Charter of The University of Adelaide [Letters Patent], granted by Queen Victoria in 1881, marked a pivotal moment in the University’s establishment and formal recognition.

It granted the University the legal authority to exist as an independent and self-governing institution with the power to award degrees. Significantly, this included granting  degrees to women, in answer to the University’s proposal. For comparison, the University of Oxford did not give women the right to take degrees until 1920.

The Charter recognised degrees in Arts, Medicine, Laws, Science and Music, and gave them the same rank, precedence, and consideration as any conferred in the United Kingdom.

These foundational documents played a crucial role in shaping the University’s identity, which was founded ‘to prepare for South Australia young leaders shaped by education rather than by birth or wealth’ or—we might add—biological sex.

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Preserving a legacy.  p.176