If you have ever been in the frustrating position of booking a room on campus grounds, you would know that “space” at UNSW is a concept as tiny as Ariana Grande’s pinky finger. Clubs and volunteering programs have oftentimes resorted to conducting sickeningly hot and sweaty events at the Alumni Lawn or the Quadrangle. All because of one thing: every single room on campus is booked out.
Packed university lecture rooms and students starved for a venue to express their creativity could mean two things: either the university is overpopulated with people it does not have the capacity to shelter, or closed spaces have been left unattended for so long that space is simply not a priority on the university’s list.
There are a few who have considered the latter.
Ever wondered what that abandoned white cottage on the alumni lawn is? Well, that’s the Whitehouse and it has been closed since 2021.
The Whitehouse; Source: Inside UNSW
The last time anyone heard of the Whitehouse was when the building was promised to be revived to enter a “new era”. Unless its “new era” is sitting on grass unused, we can assume that most of what was claimed were just empty promises.
UNSW Director of Venues and Events, Jason Lyons said in a response to comment,
“We miss the Whitehouse! It was a great space that Arc operated for 10 years…The Whitehouse closed in 2021 because Arc’s 10-year lease agreement expired, and as we were in the middle of the COVID pandemic it was a difficult time to be trying to run a cafe and small bar […] Subsequently the area around Whitehouse became a construction site to demolish UNSW Hall, which would have further eroded the opportunity to operate the venue during that period.”
History remains etched in the decaying white walls of the Whitehouse. From its brief stint as a migrant hostel complex, being used by the army during the Second World War, housing a theatre camp by NIDA and then eventually resuming its position as university’s local pub, the Whitehouse has set deep roots into the grounds of UNSW. It is regrettable that a building so steeped in history has been deprived of use by students, most of whom will graduate never having seen the inside of this establishment.
However, the Whitehouse is not the only building void of any human encampment. Several university rooms have been closed for as long as eight years.
Currently, the buildings and venues at UNSW that are gathering dust are as follows:
Penny Lane (closed 2022)
Max Brenner (closed 2017)
The Whitehouse (closed 2021)
Quad Upstairs (closed 2022)
Fig Tree Theatre
Art & Design (closed 2024)
Quad Upstairs closed since 2022, Source: Sarah Mitchell
Gamamari also reached out to Susan O’Brien, Senior Manager for Property Retail & Leasing at UNSW for comment on the closed spaces that are waiting to be reopened.
“We understand seeing these cherished venues closed is frustrating, and we want to assure you that there are plans to reactivate these spaces.”
The retail sector has faced ongoing challenges and is only now recovering to pre-pandemic levels. Finding the right operators to meet the University’s standards and student needs, takes careful planning. UNSW has been developing a campus development plan, including retail and campus experience strategies, with students input playing a key role through consultations and surveys. While visible progress has been limited, work is well underway behind the scenes.”
Speaking of surveys, Gamamari conducted a short survey asking students about their struggles in booking a room for club events and activities. If “student input” is of any value to the university, a quick ask-around should suffice to conclude that space has always been a struggle for students on campus.
When asked if certain venues have been noticeably closed for too long, a respondent said:
“There are several venues on campus that closed during COVID with no signs of anything new taking its place. i.e. Whitehouse, Quad Food Court Vendors, Penny Lane, WHS Smith (Next to Grad Shop) and the travel agent (Next to the Quad Chemist) just to name a few.”
A few struggled with booking venues, with no explanation on why certain spaces were unavailable.
“Tried booking a room in Robert Webster. The confirmation email was really vague, but seemed to imply the booking was successful. Turned up to the room for our society event and there was a class going on in there so we couldn’t use it.”
Another respondent said:
“I think until now most societies rely on learning spaces like CATS rooms so having more transparency on what’s available or not and why it’s available or not would be great.
I find it hard to believe that there’s a class going on in EVERY room at UNSW at the same time of day regardless of room capacity.”
Respondents unanimously agreed that opening up shuttered spaces would be beneficial for students.
The university’s blasé approach to estate management is a serious concern for the students who pay the institution to make full use of its facilities. International students contribute egregious amounts in school fees, only for them to be provided with dusty venues and locked lecture halls to study in.
While the difficult circumstances of COVID only seem like it happened yesterday. It has been 5 years now. What will it take for the university to prioritise student experience? Or does it think a “MyExperience student survey” fulfills its duties towards the student body?
Susan O’Brien commented,
“Our goal is to create an engaging and functional campus for students, staff, and the community. In the meantime, we’re excited about the recent reopening of the Tyree Building café, and the upcoming new tenancies in the Quad Food Court this year.”
The aforementioned Tyree Building café called Tasty Baguette opened its doors to UNSW on lower campus early this year.
In our attempt to find more answers, we were left with more questions than we started with: Why is a 38-hectare university campus struggling to provide space for its students? Is the university still grappling to overcome the financial aftereffects of COVID-19? Do we really need more cafés on campus? What about spaces where students get to be the ones who are taking initiative?
One can only speculate. In the meantime, students will have to gather around in limited spaces in order to keep student organisations running.