NSW Speech Therapy Training School

The first training course in speech therapy was opened in 1939 in a newly established Speech Therapy Training School at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children which had the support and approval of the Hospitals Commission of NSW. In 1953 there were two training schools in Australia Sydney and Melbourne. There was much discussion about bringing the two schools together with the object of bringing uniformity of training and examination standards. By 1954 the Australian College of Speech Therapists had been established. Speech therapy did not have a statutory registration board and employment was dependent on the holding of a diploma or licence of the Australian College of Speech Therapy or a qualification recognised by that College.

The total enrolments in 1967 were 55 students of whom 25 were in their first year. There was one full time staff member in the school supported by some 35 part time lecturers. Significantly the diploma, following successful completion of the course, was not awarded by the training school but by the Australian College of Speech Therapy.

From the 1st of July 1973, the speech therapy school became part of the NSW College of Paramedical Studies. On 6th June 1975, the College was renamed the Cumberland College of Health Sciences.