<P> In 1989 , the Hawke Labor Government began gradually re-introducing fees for university study . It set up the Higher Education Contributions Scheme ( HECS ) , which was first proposed by Professor Murray Wells and subsequently developed by economist and lecturer at the Australian National University , Bruce Chapman and championed by Education Minister John Dawkins ( see Dawkins Revolution ) . Under the original HECS , a $1,800 fee was charged to all university students , and the Commonwealth paid the balance . A student could defer payment of this HECS amount ( in which case it was called a HECS debt ) and repay the debt through the tax system , when the student 's income exceeds a threshold level . As part of the reforms , Colleges of Advanced Education entered the University sector by various means . The HECS system was accepted by both federal political parties and has survived until today , though with a number of changes . </P>
when did university stop being free in australia
1989