Right in front of you stands the Tasmanian University Student Association, or TUSA, though once upon a time-over 120 years ago-students proudly called it the Tasmania University Union. Imagine the year: 1899. There were just 35 students at the University of Tasmania, which is about the number you’ll find in a modern tutorial group, or squeezed into a coffee line during peak hour. Their aim? To make university life fun-and perhaps to argue over who got to control the phonograph at the next party.
Now, picture those earliest days: debating contests, sports matches in rough paddocks, and plays so dramatically performed that local sheepdog might join in. The first student magazine? Named “Platypus” in 1914. A curious name, but hey, if you want to unite a few dozen opinionated students, why not borrow the most unique animal in the area?
Though membership was devotedly optional at first, the University soon realized that compulsory fees meant more money for more… well, everything: events, clubs, and some truly rowdy balls and “Mock Commem Processions”-think of costumed parades with a healthy bit of student cheek. Things even went quiet (or at least quieter) during World War I, as many left for the front. But, like all good student organizations, the energy snapped back post-war with even more clubs-by the 1920s there were seventeen and counting.
By the 1930s, the TUU decided student voices belonged not just in the common room, but at the University’s decision-making table. Ambitious? Absolutely. Achievable? Even more so. The Student Representative Council was given power, and for the very first time, a paid secretary to handle all the paperwork (and probably the avalanche of complaints about lukewarm coffee).
Jump to the 1940s: World War II hit, and once again, activities slowed. But the union didn’t give up. Funny story-they even managed to elect their first female president in 1941, decades before many other Aussie institutions caught on. As peacetime returned, the number of students soared, and the union helped move the university from the Hobart Domain to Sandy Bay, establishing O-Week, building permanent sports facilities, and even starting a book stall. You could say they’d grown from picnic organizers to major life operators!
By 1959, with Commonwealth funding in their back pocket, the union raised money for the iconic Union Building, complete with a Refectory, shops, and-get this-a hairdresser, perfect for that exam season nervous trim. New traditions sprang up: the infamous Scav Hunt, where students once “kidnapped” local personalities and buses. Don’t worry-no buses were truly harmed. The era was as much about activism as about fun: the 1960s and '70s saw protests pouring out of this very building, tackling big topics from university reforms to Vietnam and Apartheid.
But not every party goes on forever. In the late 1970s, the TUU nearly went bankrupt-apparently, the only thing they couldn’t organize was their own Annual General Meeting; six years running, barely anyone showed up. Still, a new president brought things back from the brink and in the '80s the union became “the major music promoter in Tasmania.” Secret gigs and cheap tickets? Yes, please.
By the turn of the millennium, they’d survived fee wars, financial shakeups, and even an increase to the union fee that outraged students as only students can be outraged. The organization also expanded services: independent advice, advocacy, student media-the beloved Togatus magazine-support services, safe spaces, and a club for nearly every interest. Lawyers, bushwalkers, cricketers, aspiring politicians-all found a home here.
Then came a curious plot twist: a commercial arm grown so large it was eventually sold to the university in 2011-think of it like a student union garage sale, but for big businesses. This sparked a new wave of activism and reimagining, leading to a strategic overhaul and, after years of spirited debate (and probably endless Facebook polls), the rebirth as TUSA in 2021.
Nowadays, TUSA is run by student leaders, many of whom go on to illustrious careers-maybe you’ve heard of Eric Abetz or author Richard Flanagan. It’s the hub of campus life today, representing a staggering 35,000 students, fighting for their rights, giving them a platform, and, just as importantly, giving them somewhere to heat up last night’s leftovers.
If you listen closely, you might almost hear the sound of generations of students debating, laughing, and maybe, just maybe, arguing over who’s doing the dishes after the club meeting.
To expand your understanding of the structure, services or the clubs and societies, feel free to engage with me in the chat section below.
