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It was at 6:45pm on 11th February 1969 when the first Student Guild at Curtin University (previously the Western Australian Institute of Technology - WAIT) took office. The development of the Guild was initiated due to the recognition that there was a lack of community amongst the students.
The Student Guild’s voice reached a level of formality in 1971 when amendments were made to the WAIT Act to allow student representation on Council and some boards. In 1972 the Guild Building was completed and opened to the sound of 24 speared kegs donated by WAIT. Whilst the Guild developed and grew by offering more services to students, it completely shut down operations for one day in the late 70’s. This was in protest of the Government’s advances towards enforcing voluntary student unionism. Fortunately this legislation was not successful during this time, but did manage to come to pass in the mid 90’s which severely impacted Guild services.
In the midst of the VSU period, the Guild celebrated its 30 year anniversary and calculated that Guild Representatives had sat on around 19 500 boards and committees, organised over 100 rallies and petitions and written over 10 000 reports. Whilst the legislation was later amended to encourage universal unionism, the current Federal Government is pursuing very similar stifling legislation.
Although the Guild has experienced setbacks in the past and will also in the future, it will always continue to strive to protect and represent student interests.
Source:
Curtin Student Guild, 1987-2000, Grok [Official Guild Newspaper], Perth.
Curtin Student Guild, 1987-2000, Guild Council Minutes.
WAIT Student Guild, 1968-1986, Guild Council Minutes.
WAIT Student Guild, 1969-1971, Aspect [Official Guild Newspaper], Perth.
WAIT Student Guild, 1972-1986, Grok [Official Guild Newspaper], Perth.
WAIT Student Guild, 1974-1985, Annual Reports.
White, M., 1996, WAIT to Curtin, Paradigm Books Curtin University, Perth.
(Particular thanks to Terry Craig who helped to compile the Guild history in WAIT to Curtin)