The University of Western Australia, usually known as UWA, is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia that was founded in 1911. The sixth-oldest university in Australia, UWA, was established by an act of the Western Australian Parliament. Until the creation of Murdoch University in 1973, it was Western Australia's only university. The University of Western Australia, classified as a sandstone university, is also a member of formal groups such as the Group of Eight (Go8), Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning (ASAIHL), Matariki Network of Universities (MNU), and Worldwide Universities Network (WUN). UWA has helped make significant breakthroughs in the world UWA scientists helped an international project team detect gravitational waves for the first time in history, confirming a major prediction of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity
The University of Western Australia offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in social science, medicine and health, law, education and training, applied science and professions, computer science and information technology, humanities, journalism, and media. Alumni of UWA include Bob Hawke, the former Prime Minister of Australia. H. C. Coombs, the former Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, and Robert French, the former Chief Justice of Australia.
The University of Australia has a QS ranking of #90 globally, with an employment rate of 79%.