In The Australian Idea of a University, Glyn Davis leads us briefly through the development of the Australian university sector since the establishment of the University of Sydney in 1850. He describes the eventual establishment of similar institutions across the nation, all modelled upon the same Metropolitan University template: a city-based campus, focused on educating local students into the professions, tied to the life of the surrounding town.

Davis outlines various attempted alterations to this model, that were initiated over the last ~ 150 years, but ultimately concludes that Australian universities remain effectively homogenous: method and content of offerings is essentially consistent across all institutions. This homogeneity was formally reinforced in 1987 when John Dawkins as Minister for Employment, Education and Training, created the Unified National System, compelling all institutions to conform. University status was afforded to a far wider array of educational institutions, university places and thus enrolments increased, though sector homogeneity remained.