The Australian National University (ANU) is a large public comprehensive university established in 1946, located in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory. It is a five-star university.
It is one of the eight major universities in Australia and the only one established after Australia's independence. It is also the only national university in Australia established by legislation from the federal parliament, competing with the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney for the first place in Australia all year round.
The Australian National University holds a special academic status in Oceania, with three of the four national research institutes located on the ANU campus: the Australian Academy of Sciences (AAS), the Australian College of Humanities, and the Australian Academy of Social Sciences (ASSA). Over 270 scholars from within the university have been elected as Commonwealth Academicians of Australia, ranking first among all Australian universities. The number of members of the Royal Society in the UK is also the highest in Australia. Six Nobel laureates and two Australian prime ministers have been born.
The main campus of the Australian National University is located in the Acton community of Canberra, the capital of Australia. The total campus area is approximately 150 hectares, with over 200 buildings and 10000 trees. It is adjacent to Black Mountain, Lake Burley Griffin, and the city center of Canberra.