Charles Darwin University’s striking new campus has been named Danala, the Larrakia name for the dillybag.

And that’s appropriate – not just because Darwin is on Larrakia country but also because the traditional dillybag represents a place to house and store knowledge.

Even though the new campus is primarily a place of learning, Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Scott Bowman believes the Danala Education and Community Precinct will strengthen the university’s connection to Darwin and the Northern Territory.

The campus in the heart of Darwin took more than five years of planning and construction – built by Territory construction company DCOH, it was one of the largest and most ambitious projects seen in the city in recent years.

Danala was an integral part of the Darwin City Deal, a joint initiative between the Australian and Northern Territory governments.

The aim is to reinvigorate Darwin.

“Now that it’s open, it means the university will be a key player in transforming Darwin into a more liveable, sustainable and connected city,” says Professor Bowman. “It will attract students from across the Northern Territory, Australia and the world.”

Library and Archives NT and the CDU Library have “joined hands” in their new home on Danala’s second floor.

“Thanks to Danala’s central location in the CBD, these fantastic resources will be more accessible than ever.”

The Territory FM community radio team has set up and begun broadcasting from their new studio – and are “loving the new space”.

And the CDU Art Gallery has relocated to Danala and been renamed as the Midpul Art Gallery at CDU. Its inaugural exhibition was opened to the public in February.

“I invite anyone and everyone to explore Danala,” says Professor Bowman. “It’s a beautiful, new, innovative and modern teaching campus that represents a new chapter in the Northern Territory’s book.

“It will be a beacon for Darwin. It shows our commitment to education and our community.”

Professor Bowman says Danala will be a place of great learning for students as they embark on their journeys in life – and a great place for staff to work.

The first cohort of students began in the final semester of last year and the first full semester began in March 2025.

“With more students in the heart of the city, the CBD will flourish with business growth and new employment opportunities,” says Professor Bowman. “I hope it also means we’ll see more students staying in the Northern Territory after they have completed their studies.

“Of course, it takes time to get a new campus off the ground, but we have received feedback that it has been a great teaching and learning environment. That’s its core purpose.”

Staff from a range of disciplines continue to move into the new campus.

University Pro-Vice Chancellor Faculty of Arts and Society Professor Ruth Wallace says moving to Danala has been exciting.

“I’ve enjoyed settling into the new space, and it’s great to see staff settling in as well and feeling connected,” she says

“I’m particularly excited about the incredible new student spaces. The technology available to teaching staff will help CDU level up its student engagement.

“Some of the classrooms are fitted with multiple screens all around the walls so students can see what their lecturers are discussing from any angle. Those rooms also have microphones and speakers fitted in the ceiling so online students can participate in the lecture easily.

“The rooms also adjust the teacher’s lighting and temperature preferences automatically to save energy and offer a more comfortable learning environment.”

She says the city centre location of the campus opens new opportunities for staff and students to engage with the broader Darwin community.

“Danala was built to breathe new life into the CBD, and I hope to see CDU’s relationship with the Darwin populace strengthen.”

Courses offered at Danala include computer science and IT, accounting, business and law, plus a few TAFE courses, such as project management, human resources and workplace skills.

The campus has a floor area of nearly 36,000 square metres, and has a maximum staff capacity of 384 and a student capacity of 3271.

There are 23 meeting rooms, 22 onetouch studios, external meeting rooms, voice-over booths, eight computer labs, two cyber labs and a moot court.

The campus has 20 interactive learning lecture rooms, two festival learning spaces and two seminar rooms. TQ