The Tert (formerly Tertangala) is the student magazine of the University of Wollongong. First established as a newspaper in September 1962, the publication is older than the institution itself, which was separated from the University of New South Wales in 1975. In 2010, The Tert transitioned to a magazine. It is managed by an elected representative of the Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association.
Content
Written and edited by student volunteers, the magazine features local news, artwork, poetry, opinion pieces, film and music criticism, and interviews. Occasionally issues are structured around a theme to spark inspiration for writers. The magazine also contains updates from elected representatives of the Wollongong Undergraduate Students' Association (WUSA).
Prior to 1967, The Tert was apolitical, but soon began commenting on local student Labor and Liberal clubs, and the push to solidify the University of Wollongong (UOW) as an independent institution. It also wrote scathingly about the Vietnam War and conscription. The newspaper's first issue was a four-page publication welcoming new students to Open Day, featuring satirical and journalistic articles, plus advertisements for local businesses. In 2000, then-editor James Breach confirmed the name Tertangala was completely made up, not having roots in any Aboriginal language, and not being used in consultation with the local Aboriginal community.
Robert Bruce Keanan Brown, the paper's editor from 1988 to 1990, resigned in an open letter citing the "bureaucratisation" of the magazine as his main reason for leaving. He stated that:
Inappropriate content
The Tert has been accused of being depraved, pornographic, obscene and offensive by residents and local media on more than one occasion. The first was following a Commem Week edition of the publication called Daily Moron in 1974. Locals took issue with the magazine's liberal use of the word "fuck".
During 2009, the WUSA Queer Collective produced the "Sexuality and Gender" issue of The Tert, without the consent of the magazine staff. The edition received some student criticism relating to "offensive" material. The Queer Collective confirmed that the publication was intentionally offensive, consistent with a long tradition of subversive student journalism at UOW.
In 2019 the magazine was accused by UOW that their "Debauchery Edition" was incompatible with the university's Safe and Respectful Communities policy. The then-coordinator of the magazine issued a statement instead pointing the finger at the administration which had refused to introduce compulsory consent courses and to combat sexual assault off-campus.
Contributors
Notable alumni
Dr. Karl used to write for The Tert while studying at the University of Wollongong in the 1960s,