It’s the campus that I called home for three and a bit years and it was a wonderful place to live. One of the original Charles Sturt campuses, Bathurst is located in the Central West of New South Wales about three hours from Sydney. But what is so great about the Bathurst campus?
Here are a few things you might not know about the Bathurst campus of Charles Sturt.
Fun facts about the Bathurst campus
- The Bathurst campus has a flagship animal, the Diamond Firetail
- Bld 1305 (the Engineering Building) started its life as the maintenance shed for the campus until a major redevelopment in 2015 led to the construction of the current facility. In 2017 the building received the National Sustainable Building Award for Educational Projects from the Australian Institute of Architects.
Sustainability
As you would know, sustainability is a big part of Charles Sturt University’s focus, and the Bathurst campus is known as the flagship for clean energy. Most of the power is generated onsite by a 1,095 kW rooftop solar energy system and 630 kW cogeneration system that is installed. But that isn’t the end of it. Additional solar is being connected in April 2022 and will increase solar generation by more than 35 times!
In the ground, over 1,000 trees have been planted and a pollinator garden, which was funded through a Sustainability Project Grant is currently being established to attract local pollinators to the campus. And then there have been free water stations that have been established to encourage the use of tap water instead of bottled water, reducing waste and the energy that is required to produce bottled water.
Finally, an Eco Walk has been established on the campus which provides a recreational and fitness track that incorporates key sustainability features of the campus. Interpretive signage has been installed along the track to provide information on key features of the campus.
The wildlife
You can’t forget about the wildlife. Naturally there are plenty of kangaroos that call the Bathurst campus home and many wild birds, plovers, kookaburras, roos and cockatoos especially. You do have to be careful though. The magpies sure do want a piece of your banana bread if you are not careful.
Location, location, location
Bathurst is likely most famous for Wahluu, otherwise known as Mount Panorama. Mount Panorama has been the site of Australian sporting greatness every year in October (and occasionally in November and December) due to the Bathurst 1000 Supercars race. Held since 1962, the Bathurst 1000 has showcased Australian engineering and manufacturing excellence from Holden and Ford, among others, where for a four or five days, engines roar around the track, something that is unmistakable on campus. Plus there is the parade on the Wednesday before the race when all of the team trucks drive up William Street right past the campus.
But you cannot forget the importance of Wahluu in Indigenous culture. The land at the foot of Wahluu (Mt Panorama) has traditionally been, and remains, an important place for education and induction into the practices and stories of Wiradyuri culture. Knowledge of land, plants, animals and the night sky are all passed on at this place.
