Newspaper Article
- Title
- The lost ideal
- In
- honi soit
- Imprint
- 1967
- Abstract
"The Lost Ideal" was published in the Sydney University student newspaper honi soit on Tuesday, 3 October 1967. It was the foundation manifesto of what was to become known as the Free U, initially operating out of rented premises in Redfern before moving to premises in nearby inner suburbs. The first Free U courses commenced in December 1967, and early in the new year involved 150 people. At its peak, during the summer of 1968-1969, over 300 people were involved in courses. The Sydney experiment, which closed in 1972, stimulated others to attempt something similar in Adelaide, Armidale, Brisbane, Hobart, and Melbourne. Experimentation took place, but as far as I can surmise, Sydney Free U was the only one to actually get off the ground with separate purpose-rented off-campus premises, an extensive curriculum, and the involvement of a significant number of people.
Rowan Cahill