NSW School of Physiotherapy

The Australian Physiotherapy Association provided a course in NSW through its School of Physiotherapy. The training of physiotherapists in NSW had been conducted by the NSW Branch of the Association for many years even before the Physiotherapy Registration Act came onto the statute books on 1st November, 1946. Prior to that date the Association was regarded as the controlling body as well as the training authority for physiotherapists. When the Act came into force the Association remained the official training body even though the Physiotherapy Registration Act empowered the Registration Board to prescribe a course of training. The course conducted by the NSW Branch of the Association was not a prescribed course but was recognised by the Physiotherapy Registration Board for registration purposes. The training of students was supervised by a Director of Studies appointed by the Association.

The Universities of Sydney and NSW would not accept responsibility for the training of physiotherapists because the content and level of training as a graduate course were below the level which one would expect of university teaching. The Martin Committee reported in 1964 that the so called paramedical diplomas should not be provided by the universities and if there was a greater diversity of tertiary educational institutions available, such diplomas courses could be the concern of another category of tertiary institution.

In September 1968, the NSW Government announced that it proposed to establish an Advanced Education Board to co ordinate and develop advanced education in NSW outside the universities. The Higher Education Act was passed on 9th April 1969. From this a College of Advanced Education in Paramedical Studies was established, which was formally gazetted on the 1st July 1973 as the NSW College of Paramedical Studies. From the 1st of July 1973, the school of physiotherapy became part of the NSW College of Paramedical Studies. On 6th June 1975, the College was renamed the Cumberland College of Health Sciences.