History of COFA

COFA’s historical lineage can be traced back to the formation of The Sydney Mechanics School of Arts in 1833, which then evolved into Sydney Technical College in 1878. 
In 1958 the New South Wales government decided to combine all of the Technical Colleges under the one name:  The National Art School.  With another incarnation taking place in 1970 when The National Art School was amalgamated with the Alexander Mackie Teachers College. 

Alexander Mackie College was made a College of Advanced Education in 1975 becoming a ‘multi disciplinary’ college with a School of Art and a School of Teacher Education.

Further changes came about in 1982 with another amalgamation taking place, involving five inner city institutions and resulting in the creation of The City Art Institute, in COFA's current location on the corner of Oxford Street and Greens Road in Paddington.  City Art Institute was home to a School of Visual Art and Art Education, delivering both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. 

The College of Fine Arts at UNSW, as it is today, came about when The City Art Institute came under the auspices of the University of New South Wales in 1990. COFA has gone on to become a national leader in the field of teaching and research in art, design and multi media, art history and theory and art education, and is at the forefront of international debates shaping the direction of contemporary practice. COFA offers bachelor, master and doctorate degrees in fine art, art education, art theory, design and art administration.
 
UNSW is a member of the Group of Eight (GO8) Universities as well as the international network of research-intensive universities, Universitas 21 (U21)