SABRENet: 20 Years of Connecting South Australia’s Future
The Unsung Hero of Innovation
In 2025 SABRENet marks 20 years of powering South Australia’s innovation, education and research sectors. Established in 2005, SABRENet has grown into one of the nation’s most significant dark fibre networks. It is the invisible backbone behind universities, schools, hospitals, and 23 innovation precincts such as Tonsley and Lot Fourteen.
As SABRENet Chair Paul Sherlock reflects, “SABRENet has often been described as an undiscovered gem, quietly powering South Australia’s innovation while remaining invisible to most.”
Origins and Vision
SABRENet was born out of necessity and vision. In the early 2000s, the connectivity available to South Australian universities and research institutions simply was not sufficient. Broadband wasn’t readily available at a quality or price that was sustainable, leaving researchers and educators without the capacity they needed. A group of leaders from the state’s three universities, together with government, recognised the urgent need for a better solution.
Paul Sherlock and Ralph Leonard were at the heart of those early discussions. Ralph recalls the determination: “We knew that if South Australia was to compete nationally and globally, we needed the infrastructure to support it. That meant building our own network.”
The bold decision to establish SABRENet as a not-for-profit charity ensured that revenues would be reinvested and protected from takeover. Paul emphasises this as a turning point: “If we hadn’t become a charity, 30 per cent of the funding would have been lost to tax. That single decision probably determined whether SABRENet could exist as it does today.”
Building the Backbone
SABRENet provided something no commercial telco was offering at the time; dark fibre. This gave universities and research organisations the ability to light the network at the speed they required, with complete security and control.
The early years demanded pragmatism. Governance was deliberately kept simple, with decision-making driven by CIOs and project leaders rather than university vice-chancellors. According to Paul, “The success of SABRENet came from good governance, good leadership and clarity of purpose. Those three things made the difference.”
Transforming Education, Research and Innovation
From the outset, SABRENet was designed to serve education and research, but its impact has spread much further.
Education: Thousands of South Australian students now benefit from high-performance connectivity at schools, TAFEs and universities. The network enables new approaches to digital learning through programs such as Trinity College’s globally recognised SPARK curriculum.
Research: By connecting directly into global networks, SABRENet has allowed South Australian researchers to collaborate internationally and access the 97 per cent of the world’s research output that lies beyond Australia. Research is, as Paul describes, “a global team sport”.
Innovation: Precincts such as Tonsley and Lot Fourteen simply would not have achieved the same success without SABRENet. Ralph reflects, “Those innovation precincts wouldn’t be anywhere near as successful without SABRENet and perhaps wouldn’t have happened at all.”
Health: Public teaching hospitals have gained secure connectivity for both research and clinical applications, breaking down barriers to collaboration between universities and the health system.
Leadership and Growth
SABRENet’s early success came from its strong foundations, including vision from James Tizard, SABRENet’s first CEO, and it is the leadership of today that ensures its continued growth.
When Sandra Vallance became CEO in 2019, she brought a new dynamism and focus to the organisation. Sandra is vibrant, enthusiastic and passionate. She recognised that SABRENet needed a stronger marketing presence and has built that into the organisation, ensuring that its role is better understood across the community.
Under her leadership, SABRENet has expanded into new projects, strengthened relationships with partners, and positioned itself as a forward-looking organisation ready to embrace the next generation of technologies.
As Sandra puts it, “We’ve quietly enabled the breakthroughs, the startups, the collaborations by ensuring the infrastructure is always there, always fast, and always affordable.”
Future-Proofing South Australia
The importance of SABRENet is only growing. Fibre is the foundation for emerging technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum research, and data-driven health. Paul captures this reality simply: “AI doesn’t work without fibre. Every new technology from research to business relies on fast, reliable connectivity.”
SABRENet is committed to ensuring that South Australia’s schools, researchers, innovators and health providers have the connectivity they need to compete globally. With fibre in the ground and a not-for-profit model that reinvests every dollar, the network is built for the long term.
Legacy and Looking Ahead
From its beginnings as a solution for universities, SABRENet has grown into the backbone of South Australia’s digital future. Its collaborative model, stable governance, and reinvestment-for-public-good ethos remain unique in Australia.
As Ralph reflects, “We knew South Australia needed this infrastructure if it was to compete. Twenty years on, it has delivered more than we could have imagined.”
SABRENet’s legacy is one of foresight, collaboration, and resilience. It stands as a reminder of what can be achieved when visionaries take bold steps and when passionate leaders continue to build on that foundation for the benefit of the entire community.
