From University to a Date!

The University of Western Australia is 100 years old this year. It opened its doors  in 1913 and 184 students attended. It was then located in Irwin Street, Perth.

It had many buildings, one was transported from Coolgardie, 580 kilometers North-East of Perth. When the First World War started many students and staff volunteered for Military Service and the University's funding started to deplete. After World War One ended, the University quickly developed 
once more.

A bequest was left from Sir Winthrop Hackett's estate (Sir Winthrop Hackett was the owner and the Editor of a Western Australian major newspaper). Building began in 1929 on a 51-hectare site in Crawley, about five kilometres west of Perth. A Mediterranean style Winthrop Hall, clock tower, Hacket Hall and administration buildings were completed in 1932. Also with the funding, a Gothic style St Georges College was the University's first student residence. 

The original buildings were also moved from Irwin Street to the new location at Crawley. One is still operational, the University's archives centre and cricket club pavilion.

During the Great Depression and World War 2 the University froze its development. One exception was the breakaway of Agriculture from Science to form a new faculty in 1936. Through ties with the then newly formed Institute of Agriculture, the Faculty of Agriculture was to become home to research laboratories for the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research for many years.
 
The faculty has developed today into the best of its kind in Australia and among the top 50 in the world.

After World War 2 the University's  student numbers grew to 1000. Then to 2000 by 1956 and almost doubled to 3,800 by the end of 1962, including 166 enrolments for master's degrees and 99 for doctorates. With larger student numbers came a dramatic increase in academic staff, leaping from 91 in 1953 to 247 in 1966.
 
Currently there are over 24,000 students enrolled.

The University is not only a place for study, I have attended some wonderful events there. In Summertime  they have outdoor movies, plays and a great theatre called the "Octagon Theatre" where I have seen many performances.

The gardens around the University are beautiful, with permission you can be married there!

 
DATE MELTAWAY

Ingredients for Pastry

2 tablespoons of butter
1 and a half cups of self raising flour
1 egg
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 tablespoons of milk

Ingredients for Date Mixture
                                          
1 cup of stones dates
Half a cup of sugar
1 cup of water

Method
 
Meltaway Pastry - Melt the butter and sugar, add the milk and well-beaten egg, mix well and add the flour. Roll out, and line a baking dish with pastry, keeping back half for a covering.

Date Mixture- In a saucepan place 1 cup of stoned dates, half a cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. Cook on low heat until mixture well combined and thick. Allow to cool, then spread over the meltaway pastry in the baking dish, and cover with another layer of the pastry. 

Brush over with a little milk, and bake until golden brown.