In February 2026, Edith Cowan University (ECU) opened its new state-of-the-art City Campus in the heart of Perth’s CBD. The ECU City Campus is guided by the Life Layers narrative, developed through collaboration between Whadjuk Noongar Elders and ECU.

This framework expresses the deep connections between land, water, culture and community through five interconnected layers—Ngarda (Earth/Subterranean), Kep (Water), Kaata (Hills), Moort Boodja (Community/Ecosystem) and Djinda Worlal (Stars/Sky). These layers shape the campus’s design, identity, architecture and cultural storytelling.

At the heart of the campus is Kaarlak, ECU’s City Campus Library. Meaning home, Kaarlak has been designed to provide students with contemporary learning and study spaces, access to specialised collections including archives, art books and law resources, high-speed Wi-Fi, and a dedicated computing eLab. Students can also access support from librarians, learning advisers and career development staff in a single, welcoming location.

The Library is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week for ECU students and is open to the public from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm on weekdays. Since opening, Kaarlak has welcomed more than 3,000 visitors each week.

Steve Thomas, City Campus Coordinator for Kaarlak, describes the Library as more than just a place to study.

“ECU City Library is a welcoming space where curiosity is encouraged, creativity is celebrated, and everyone belongs.”

Students have particularly embraced the study tables overlooking sweeping views of the Perth city skyline, along with the Library’s collaborative project rooms and comfortable booth seating. Kaarlak also features innovative automated technology, including laptop lockers, as well as dedicated sensory spaces that support a diverse range of learning needs.

Located across Levels 4 and 5 of the ECU City Campus, Kaarlak provides a vibrant, inclusive and future-focused environment that reflects ECU’s commitment to learning, innovation and community connection.