The Free Kindergarten Union of Victoria commenced teacher training in 1909. A two year course was run in cooperation with the Education Department in 1910-14, but from 1917 the Union trained its students independently. In 1922 the Kindergarten Training College was established in Mooroolbeek, Kew. In 1965, the institution, as the Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers' College, became an entity separate from the Union, and in 1973 joined the State College of Victoria as the Institute of Early Childhood Development. It subsequently amalgamated with the University of Melbourne to become the Department of Early Childhood Studies and moved from Madden Grove, Kew, to 234 Queensberry St, Carlton, early in July 1997.Metal plaque commemorating the opening of Mooroolbeek Hall in the Diamond Jubilee Year of the Institute of Early Childhood Development in KewMooroolbeek Hall was opened by Dr Wm C. Radford, AO, MBE, Director of the Australian Council for Educational Research on March 25th 1976 in the Diamond Jubilee Year of the Institute for Early Childhood Developmentinstitute of early childhood development - kew (vic), dr william c. radford, memorial plaques - kew (vic), mooroolbeek hall