Australian Centre for Microscopy & Microanalysis (ACMM)

In 1958 an electron microscope had been purchased with money from the University Cancer Research Fund and the Electron Microscope Unit (EMU) was set up. The Unit was not associated with any other department or faculty, its aim being to enable all university researchers equal access to the new technology of electron microscopy. EMU services met the research needs of its users by providing microscopy and microanalysis instruments and through instruction by highly trained staff on the handling of the microscope controls so that researchers could conduct their own projects. Over the years the Unit grew and provided researchers with advanced microscopy in all its forms.

In 1995 the ARC established the Australian Key Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis (AKCMM) within the EMU as a research and training centre in microscopy. When ARC funding ran out in 2000 the Centre remained as the research and training arm of EMU. The Centre was part of the Faculty of Science and worked with the faculty running postgraduate coursework programs and PhD programs. 

In 2001 the EMU incorporated the Australian Key Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis and the NWG Macintosh Centre for Quaternary Dating.

During 2005 the ARC announced the Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals. The Unit was the University's node of the Centre and contributed to the Centre's research program. Due to the expanded performance areas of the Unit, its Director Professor Simon Ringer in 2008 sought a more contemporary name for the Unit by looking at unifying the EMU AKCMM under a single name. In 2009 Professor Ringer suggested the name change from Electron Microscope Unit to Australian Institute for Microscopy and Microanalysis. Approval for that name change seems not to have been given. 

In 2018 it was noted that the Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis had never been established as a Centre under the University's Centres Policy introduced in 2007. Approval was then sought to establish the Level 3 Centre. The establishment of the Australian Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis (ACMM) was endorsed by the University Executive (UE-19/31-07) effective from 11 September 2019 with the Director of the Centre reporting to the Dean, Faculty of Engineering.

In 2020 ACMM was the interdisciplinary home of microscopy research at the University of Sydney. blending high-end equipment and technical expertise with an international reputation for world-class research in both the development and application of microscopy techniques.

The ACMM also provided research services by the Sydney Microscopy & Microanalysis core research facility. The Microscopy facilities supported research by exploring physical and biological structures at the micro, nano and atomic scales and making its instrumentation and technical expertise available for all researchers.

[EMU Annual Report 2001, TRIM documents DOC2019/1861473; DOC2018/1188307; https://www.sydney.edu.au/research/centres/australian-centre-for-microscopy-and-microanalysis.html accessed 11/11/2020]