ANU is Australia’s only national university – so it’s no surprise that we also have some of the best university facilities in Australia. Those facilities include state-of-the-art science labs, active law courts, libraries and more. From the most STEM-minded to the most artistic, there’s something for all students.
Overview
- ANU is home to some of the best university facilities in Australia.
- They include Australia’s fastest supercomputer, the Moot Court and huge performance venues.
- There’s also plenty of delicious food on campus to keep you fuelled between classes.
For science lovers
The Mount Stromlo Observatory is the home of the ANU Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, and it offers students captivating clues to the cosmos. As does Stromlo’s Space Simulation Facility (affectionately known as Wombat XL), which can extensively test space mission instruments and mimic the conditions during launch and in space. It’s the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere!
Are your feet planted more firmly on the ground? Check out our School of Archaeology and Anthropology and the fantastic research facilities at the ANU College of Health and Medicine.
A man manipulates scientific equipment inside Mount Stromlo Observatory.
Further afield, get your hands dirty at our North Australian Research Unit campus in the Northern Territory and our Kioloa Coastal Campus on the South Coast of New South Wales – both are filled with a diverse ecology that encourages and facilitates research across scientific disciplines.
For IT buffs
Australia’s fastest supercomputer, Gadi, was launched in 2019 by the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI). It is Australia’s most highly-integrated, high-performance research computing environment – and it’s based at ANU! It was named after the words “to search for” in the language of the traditional owners of the Canberra region, the Ngunnawal people.
Gadi gives researchers the tools to advance cancer research, predict and manage natural disasters, unlock the mysteries of the universe and design new materials for future technologies. Futuristic fabulousness!
A man sits at an array of monitors, with the Wombat XL behind his desk.
For law lovers
If you’re interested in learning about and practicing law, the new Moot Court at ANU allows law students to develop communication, research and legal advocacy skills. On a sweeter note, students can also earn recognition and potential prize money (cha-ching!)
The exterior of the ANU Moot Court.
(Ever wondered what ‘moot’ means? It’s an odd-sounding word, but it has serious cred. It refers to “matters that are subject to dispute, debate or uncertainty”.)
The ANU College of Law annually hosts the Australian preliminary rounds of the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition in the gleaming moot courtroom, so it is regularly tested and tried and comes up trumps. The competition is the world’s oldest and largest international one of its kind and has been running for more than 70 years, with over 700 law schools competing. Now, getting involved in that would be a CV enhancer!
For bookworms
So many books, so little time! ANU is bursting to the brim with educational resources for all study streams.
They include:
- The Art and Music Library for students of visual art, design, music and new media collections.
- The Chifley Library, which supports the learning, teaching and research activities of the ANU College of Arts & Social Sciences and the ANU College of Business and Economics.
- The Hancock Library, your go-to for material from most areas of science, from computers and engineering to medicine and technology.
- The Law Library, in which you’ll spend a lot of time if you’re after superb legal resources, including statutes and case law from every Australian and some overseas jurisdictions.
Students sit on couches and beanbags to study in an ANU library.
For foodies
Take your taste buds on a world tour of the Kambri precinct on University Avenue, the beating heart of campus activity. Hosting food outlets galore, the Student Centre, a bookshop and a couple of gyms, Kambri feels like a small city of lanes, lounges, shops and gathering spaces. If you’re one of those have-to-eat-continuously creatures, it offers Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, Turkish, Mexican, ’pub grub’ and vegetarian cuisines, with lots of budget-friendly options. Refuel the tank and reconnect with your mates at Kambri after a hard day of knowledge-seeking and learning.
The Kambri Precinct’s Joplin Lane at night, with students eating at the restaurants along the lane.
ANU also has a food co-op that serves delicious, healthy and organically-friendly vegan treats and lunches. Bring your own container and do your bit for the environment. On campus is also a supermarket with a selection of groceries and fresh fruit and veg, for you to fill it up.
For creative types
If you’re a bona fide, 100 per cent right-brained culture lover, then you will love the world-class features in our Cultural Centre. Depending on the event, the space can morph from a concert theatre to a dining hall for large-scale celebratory events. The smaller spaces offer more intimate encounters for up to 200 people. And the cinema provides a transformative sensory experience with a 10-metre wide screen and an immersive 7.1 surround sound system.
The Drama Theatre is the perfect backdrop (pun intended) for small concerts, theatre and dance classes and the gallery space is an award-winning exhibition spot that encourages the curation and production of arts and cultural activities.
The seats of Llewellyn Hall with a full audience watching ANU Chancellor Julie Bishop speak on stage.
Lastly, there are the magnificent ANU School of Music sound recording and music technology studios, which are among Australia’s most technologically advanced recording facilities – and the incredible Llewellyn Hall, the venue of many a performance by visiting musicians and students, as well as the host of plenty of graduation ceremonies.
There are even more facilities that we haven’t had time to include! Check out the map of our Acton campus to find out more about some of the best university facilities in Australia.