The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a research-intensive university in Perth, Australia that was established by an act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia. It is colloquially known as a "sandstone university". It is also a member of the Group of Eight.

UWA was established under and is governed by the University of Western Australia Act 1911. The Act provides for control and management by the university's Senate, and gives it the authority, amongst other things, to make statutes, regulations and by-laws, details of which are contained in the university Calendar.

UWA is highly ranked internationally in various publications: the 2015 QS World University Rankings placed UWA at 98th internationally, and in August 2016 the Academic Ranking of World Universities from Shanghai Jiao Tong University placed the university at 96th in the world. To date, the university has produced 100 Rhodes Scholars; one Nobel Prize laureate and one Australian Prime Minister.

In 2010 UWA joined the Matariki Network of Universities as the youngest member, the only one established during the 20th century.