The W.A. Tertiary Education Commission was created in 1969 as a non-statutory agency, following a review (by Sir Lawrence Jackson) on the State's future needs in tertiary education. The Commission was formally established as a statutory body in 1971. It operated as an advisory and co-ordinating agency in matters relating to the university, advanced education, and technical and further education sectors. The fifteen member Commission was abolished in 1976 and was succeeded by the Western Australian Post Secondary Education Commission. The Chairman of the Commission was responsible to the Minister of Education.

The Post Secondary Education Commission (WAPSEC) was established on 17 December 1976 to advise the government, post-secondary education institutions, and the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Commission on matters pertaining to higher education. The Commission provided advice on the establishment and location of post-secondary institutions (i.e. universities, advanced education and technical and further education colleges), on funding, curricula, and accreditation of courses, and on salaries and conditions of employment for academic and non-academic staff. The Post Secondary Education Commission consisted of a Chairman and eleven other members appointed by the Governor on the recommendation of the Minister of Education. The Commission was wound up on 31 December 1989 and succeeded by the Western Australian Higher Education Council.