“First” and “only” are strong, definitive words, which might explain why they appear so often in media coverage. As the first higher education provider in Australia to become a university under new national standards and the only addition to the “Australian University” category following a transition to those standards, news of our new status received wide coverage.

Not many reading-averse teenagers would choose to spend more time with words simply for self-development, but Olivia Matheson had a goal she wanted to meet. It tells you something about the character of this go-getter first-year student.

It has finally happened (yet much sooner than expected). With a 124-year history that places it as one of the oldest, Avondale is the first higher education provider in Australia to become a university under new national standards.