History

1992 – An advisory group formed by state and commonwealth ministers recommended dismantling of the University of New England network

1993 – A new university on the North Coast of New South Wales was announced, consisting of campuses at Lismore (formerly UNE-Northern Rivers) and Coffs Harbour (formally UNE-Coffs Harbour Centre)

1994 – Southern Cross University was officially established on 1st January, with campuses in Lismore and Coffs Harbour

1994 – The first Council was established, with oversight of direction and full accountability

1994 – Vice Chancellor Emeritus Professor Barry Conyngham AM appointed (VC until 2000)

1994 – Launched first courses in tourism, contemporary music, paralegal studies and sports science

1995 – The first Chancellor of Southern Cross University appointed, The Hon Andrew Rogers (Chancellor until 1997)

1995 – 95 international students enrolled at Southern Cross University from more than 20 countries, creating a more multicultural campus and community environment

1995 – Established the exchange program, enabling hundreds of Australian students to travel overseas to study one or two semesters at partner institutions

1996 – Southern Cross University began delivering courses in Singapore, China and Malaysia through education collaborations

1996 – Centre for Plant Conservation Genetics established

1996 – Coffs Harbour campus opened at the present site with North Coast TAFE

1996 – The Law School building opened at Lismore

1998 – The Naturopathy Clinic opened on campus in Lismore, the first for an Australian university

1998 – The College of Indigenous Australian Peoples opened in Lismore

1998 – Chancellor Dr Lionel Phelps AO appointed (Chancellor until 2001)

1999 – Author and gardening journalist Mary Moody opened the School of Natural and Complementary Medicine's Herbal Medicine Garden, containing several thousand plants

2000 – Vice Chancellor Emeritus Professor John Anthony Rickard appointed (VC until 2004)

2002 – National Marine Science Centre opened at Charlesworth Bay, Coffs Harbour

2002 – Tweed campus opened

2002 – Southern Cross University recognized in the top three universities in Australia for Cooperative Research Centre income

2002 – Chancellor The Hon John Dowd AO QC appointed (Chancellor until 2014) 

2004 – Southern Cross University celebrates its 10th anniversary

2004 – Vice Chancellor Emeritus Professor Paul Clark appointed (VC until 2009)

2008 – Planning commences for the new Gold Coast campus

2008 – Eight Northern Rivers peak organisations formed an alliance to communicate, consult and collaborate for action on climate change, now known as the Sustain Northern Rivers (SNR) Collaboration

2009 – Southern Cross University had five individual and team recipients of Australian Learning and Teaching Council Citations

2009 – Vice Chancellor Emeritus Professor Peter Lee FTSE appointed (VC until 2016)

2010 – Gold Coast campus opened at present site by Prime Minister Julia Gillard

2010 – Southern Cross Geoscience and Southern Cross Plant Science research centres launched in Lismore

2011 – The inauguration of the Chancellor's Awards for Excellence

2011 – Southern Cross University commissioned by the Australian Government to research Aboriginal fisheries in NSW with Minjungbal traditional owners

2012 – Building B opened at the Gold Coast campus

2012 – Southern Cross University College established to offer alternative pathways to university

2013 – Lismore welcomed its first engineering students. Funding also received for a major science and engineering precinct at Lismore campus

2014 – Chancellor Nick Burton Taylor AM appointed (Chancellor until 2021)

2015 – Learning Centre Lismore opened

2015 – Solar panel ‘sunflower’ developed 

2016 – Vice Chancellor Professor Adam Shoemaker appointed (VC until 2020)

2017 – Centre for Organics Research launched at Lismore campus

2018 – Work began on new Allied Health building in Coffs Harbour

2018 – Southern Cross received its largest philanthropic donation of $10m from the Blackmore Foundation

2019 – Southern Cross University celebrated its 25th anniversary and 25th Ceremonial Graduation

2019 – Psychology ranked number one in Australia for Student Experience (QILT data)

2019 – Minister for Industry, Science and Technology Karen Andrews officially opens the new Building C at Gold Coast campus