In 1963, the long-sought separation from the Technical College occurred when the State Government created the Tasmanian School of Art as an autonomous institution under the Education Department. Two present-day staff members were among the staff and students who were involved in the move from Bathurst Street to the old Gothic building on the Domain. During its time on the Domain, the Art School became a dynamic cultural force in the Tasmanian and particularly the Hobart community. After only eight years, however, it was on the move again: this time to Mt. Nelson, as part of the brand new Tasmanian College of Advanced Education
The School's national reputation expanded markedly during its time at Mt. Nelson as it became more outward-looking, and student numbers grew considerably.
However, with the 1976 Inquiry into Post-Secondary Education in Tasmania recommending the dismantling of the TCAE (a forerunner of things to come across the nation) the 'home' designated in the wash-up for the School of Art was to be Launceston. In its wisdom, the Inquiry members had decided that Hobart would no longer have an Art School.
Fortunately, the Hobart community believed otherwise - and strongly; and politicians quickly assessed that here was a recommendation by the Inquiry which had to be redressed. The outcome was the transfer in 1981 to yet another parent institution: this time, the University of Tasmania. The incorporation into the University, coupled with its relocation to the Centre for the Arts - recognised as a world class art education facility - has generated even further growth of the School of Art.
Each of its various 'moves', from Charpentier's private school of 1884 through to the school of today, has involved the wholesale transfer from one institution to the next of staff, students, curriculum, equipment, and library. Today's school is the direct heir of the school of 1884. Since that time, the Tasmanian School of Art in Hobart, with its commitment to both the cultural and economic development of Tasmania, has been an integral part of the Tasmanian community. As the principal custodian of the visual arts in this state, the School's highly specialised operations, yet its fundamentally culturally-directed functions, constitute an equilibrium which must be maintained.