Campion College

Roman Catholic college in Sydney, Australia

For the school of the same name in Gisborne, New Zealand, and Regina, SK, Canada, see Campion College, Gisborne and Campion College Regina.

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Campion College AustraliaMotto| Educare ad Aeternitatem

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Motto in English

| Educating for Eternity
Type| Liberal arts college
Established| 2006; 19 years ago (2006)

Religious affiliation

| Roman Catholic Church in Australia
Chairman| Rev Deacon Adam Walk
President| Dr Paul Morrissey
Dean| Dr Stephen McInerney
Students| ~160
Undergraduates| ~90
Postgraduates| ~70
Location|

Austin Woodbury Place, Toongabbie, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

33°47′4″S 150°57′54″E﻿ / ﻿33.78444°S 150.96500°E﻿ / -33.78444; 150.96500
Campus| Suburban:
4.0 hectares (10 acres)
Patron| Saint Edmund Campion
Newsletter| Campion's Brag
Colours| Maroon and gold
Website| campion.edu.au

Location in greater metropolitan Sydney

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Campion College (New South Wales)

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Campion College (Australia)

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Campion College Australia is a Roman Catholic tertiary educational liberal arts college located at Austin Woodbury Place, Toongabbie in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Named in honour of Saint Edmund Campion, Campion College offers undergraduate studies in the liberal arts and postgraduate studies in Religious Education. The college welcomed its first intake of students in February 2006.[1]

## Courses

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Campion offers a Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts as its sole undergraduate degree. The focus of this course is the development of Western culture. The key disciplines are history, literature, philosophy and theology. The program is structured (loosely) chronologically: with students studying the ancient world in first year, the Middle Ages and Enlightenment in second and finishing with modernity and postmodernity in the third and final year. Students may opt to complete a major in any of the four disciplines. Students are also required to complete two science subjects in their final year. They may also elect to study Latin and Greek above their normal study load, with the ability to graduate with an additional Diploma of Classical Languages upon completing eight languages units concurrently with their Bachelor units. Students who do not wish to study for three years may complete the first year of the Bachelor of Arts program and graduate with a Diploma of Liberal Arts - Foundations of the Western Tradition.

In 2020, Campion launched its first postgraduate course, a Graduate Certificate in Religious Education (Primary). The course serves as professional development for individuals currently working as Religious Education teachers and as a pathway for further learning in theological studies.

Campion College is classed as a Non-Self-Accrediting Institution. Its registration as an institution, and accreditation of courses, are completed through the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). Accreditation is completed in accordance with the Australian Qualifications Framework. Approval was granted by NSW Department of Education & Training in April 2006 to enrol international students in the Bachelor of Arts. The college is also approved by the Australian Government as a Higher Education provider and as such, eligible students have access to FEE-HELP loans for tuition fees. In 2011, the college had an external quality audit by the Australian Universities Quality Agency (AUQA), with commendations received in relation to the academic and quality culture that have been established.[2]

## History

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The college originated in lay initiatives to create a classical liberal education with Catholic characteristics as an alternative to Australia's secular universities.[3]

In its first year of operation, the college's intake was 16 undergraduate students. Since then, new undergraduate enrolments have averaged 30–40 per year, for a total undergraduate student body of around 90.

Campion College publishes a quarterly newsletter, Campion's Brag. The Campion College Student Association (CCSA) publishes a quarterly magazine called The Sextant.

In 2011, the college established the Centre for the Study of Western Tradition[4] to encourage critical reflection and research on the history, literature, languages, philosophy and theology that characterise Western civilisation and culture, in order to raise the profile of these vital disciplines in Australian tertiary education. The Centre holds conferences and symposia relating to its central research themes.[5]

## Campus

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The college's 4-hectare (10-acre) campus and grounds had been a Marist Fathers seminary which was dedicated to, and at one time held relics of, Saint Peter Chanel. The campus houses a chapel, library, accommodation, lecture and tutorial rooms, kitchens, and student areas. In 2018, the college constructed two new residential houses on-site, providing accommodation for an additional 34 students.[6] In 2020, the college received funding and approval to construct a new academic centre on campus, including a new library, lecture theatres, tutorial rooms and dining hall.[7]

In March 2025, the college opened the 'George Cardinal Pell Grand Hall', named in honour of George Pell, an Australian cardinal who was convicted in 2018 of child sexual abuse before the conviction was overturned by the Australian High Court in 2021.[8][9] The hall was opened the month after the Australian National Redress Scheme had accepted that Pell abused two boys in Ballarat in the 1970s, with compensation paid to one of the boys in question five weeks prior to Pell's death.[10]

## See also

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* Education portal
* New South Wales portal
* Catholicism portal

* Catholic education in Australia
* Tertiary education in Australia

## References

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1. ^ "Campion College to open in 2006". AD2000. Vol. 18, no. 7\. Umbria Associates Pty Ltd. August 2005. Archived from the original on 16 May 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
2. ^ "Audit Report: Campion" (PDF). Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. Australian Government. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 March 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
3. ^ Schmude, Karl (2022). "Campion College Australia: the genesis of a Catholic liberal arts college". Journal of the Australian Catholic Historical Society. 43 (2022): 152–166.
4. ^ "Campion College opens Centre for the Study for Western Tradition". Roman Catholic Diocese of Parramatta. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
5. ^ Sheridan, Greg (17 December 2016). "Western civilisation in safe hands at small Campion College". The Australian.
6. ^ "Campion College, Toongabbie NSW - Reitsma Constructions". www.reitsmaconstructions.com.au. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
7. ^ "Government commits $5m towards Campion building expansion". Campion College. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
8. ^ admin (7 April 2020). "George Pell convictions quashed on appeal to High Court". Sterling Law QLD. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
9. ^ Vella, Christine (26 March 2025). "Campion College Australia Honours George Cardinal Pell with Grand Hall Dedication and Book Launch". Campion College. Retrieved 12 April 2025.
10. ^ "Two men abused by George Pell in 1970s granted compensation by the federal government | George Pell | The Guardian". web.archive.org. 2 February 2025. Retrieved 12 April 2025.

## External links

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* Official website