UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA
In Perth in 1950, formal “University Refectory” dances—typically hosted by the University of Western Australia (UWA) Student Guild or student faculties like the Science Club—were frequently held throughout the year. They generally took place on Friday or Saturday nights at the UWA Crawley campus.
In the 1950s, the University of Western Australia (UWA) Refectory served as the vibrant, beating heart of student social life and regular campus dances in Perth. During this post-war era, these events were foundational to the student experience due to distinct financial, logistical, and cultural factors of the time.
The Hub of Student Social Life
According to archival accounts and UWA Historical Society Oral Histories, students in 1950 were significantly hampered by personal finances and a widespread lack of independent transport.
While major commercial dance halls flourished in central Perth—such as the iconic Embassy Ballroom, Canterbury Court, and the Pagoda Ballroom—traveling into the city was a luxury many students could not frequently afford. Because of this, the UWA Student Guild and various campus faculties hosted regular, budget-friendly dances directly inside the campus Refectory to keep student life affordable and accessible.
Faculty Balls and Society Dinners
The Refectory wasn’t just used for casual weekend mixers; it was the primary venue for premier annual events:
- The Annual Law Ball: Organized by the Blackstone Society, this was one of the most anticipated and formal highlights of the university social calendar.
- Faculty Dinners: Groups like the Blackstone Society frequently paired their formal dinners with subsequent dances in the Refectory space.
- Guild Mixers: The UWA Student Guild regularly organized informal Friday or Saturday night dances, which offered a local alternative to the jazz and jive nights happening across town.
Music and Dance Styles of 1950
The musical landscape of 1950 sat at a fascinating crossroads:
- Big Band & Ballroom: The music of the big band era still heavily reigned over Perth’s social scenes in 1950. Local dance bands (such as Jack Harrison and the Norm Wrightson Dance Band) played jazz and traditional ballroom syllabus music. [
- The Dance Culture: Attending a Refectory dance in 1950 meant participating in highly structured, fast-paced partner dancing. Girls wore elaborate, hand-made evening gowns with crinolines, while guys wore sharp suits or dinner jackets.
- The Transition Era: This period immediately predated the mid-1950s rock-and-roll explosion. The dances in 1950 focused on classic styles like the Jitterbug and early Lindy Hop before the massive wave of rock ‘n’ roll and jive took over later in the decade.
Eventually, campus social life shifted when dedicated venues like the UWA Tavern (Cameron Hall) opened decades later, but the 1950 Refectory dances remain a nostalgic touchstone for UWA’s early post-war student community.
The The Refectory | UWA Student Guild at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in Crawley evolved from segregated campus dining rooms inside the historic Hackett Hall in the 1930s into a modern multi-option student food court. [1, 2]
Origins and Early Years
- 1932: Student dining facilities were originally established in Hackett Hall as part of the Mediterranean-style Hackett Memorial Buildings completed on the Crawley campus.
- Segregated Design: The original dining spaces inside Hackett Hall featured duplicate men’s and women’s cafeterias and dining rooms separated by accordion doors.
- 1961 Extensions: Architect Marshall Clifton designed a new eastern wing and courtyard to expand the student facilities to accommodate growing post-war student enrollments
Independent and free from University influence, the Guild holds considerable sway over decision-making at UWA, working in the interest of the students.
The Guild of Undergraduates was established as an independent organisation at UWA free from University influence, with official control to govern relations between the University and its student body.
As much as the Guild maintains independence, it has always seen itself as a partner in the success of the University – critiquing when needed and helping where required. One such example of this is from 1932, when the Reflection Pond outside Winthrop Hall was being built. Workers went on strike just days before a visit from an international benefactor, leaving a half-finished pond. Administration arrived at the campus the next day to discover the students digging the pond themselves, as a gesture of goodwill towards the University.
Two shillings & sixpence
At the behest of Chancellor and Guild President Sir John Winthrop Hackett, it was decided by the University Senate in 1912 that tuition would be free for students.
However, this meant limited resources for the management of social and sporting events for undergraduates. The Guild took these on, setting a blanket membership fee in 1913 of a half-crown, two shillings and a sixpence.
To this day, the Guild continues to represent the students of The University of Western Australia at all levels of the University, while providing support services and an engaging campus culture of events, clubs and volunteering.
The First Council
At the first meeting of the Guild, held on Friday 11th April 1913, Sir John Winthrop Hackett was “asked to accept the position of President.” Members of the teaching staff and “other gentlemen interested in the University” were requested to be the three Vice-Presidents of the Guild. The first three Vice-Presidents of the Guild included Mr C. Andrews (The Pro. Chancellor of the University), Mr P. Le Couteur and the Chairman of the Professorial Board.
The first Guild Committee was to consist of 10 students (5 daytime students & 5 evening students). Members of this committee included: Miss Fairweather, Miss Houghton, Mr Appel, Mr Roydhouse, Mr Leach (Daytime Students) and Miss Corr, Mr Caldwell, Mr Reedy, Mr Fitzgerald and Mr Flinn (Evening Students).
Since 1913, the UWA Student Guild has been led by UWA students who have gone on to become Prime Ministers, Supreme Court Justices, high-ranking diplomats and business leaders.