Historical information

The following information was the preface of the 1985 GIAE handbook:

The Gippsland institute of Advanced Education was established by an Order-in-Council in September, 1968, but, owes its origin to engineering diploma courses established in 1928 to service the developing electrical industry. The Council of the Institute includes members of the Gippsland community who are prominent in industry, commerce, education and the professions, the Director of the institute, the representative of the academic staff, of general staff, of students and of the Convocation of the Institute.



In 1972 the Institute occupied the first of its permanent buildings on a large campus in rural surroundings near the township of Churchill, ten kilometres south of Morwell and one hundred and sixty kilometres east of Melbourne. Engineering laboratories are temporarily located in buildings on the site of the Yallourn College of TAFE at Newborough and they will be consolidated on the Churchill campus by the end on 1985.



In 1974 new buildings were completed under a self-help program to house the School of Visual Arts. A building complex to provide the first stages of the permanent library and the Union, and accommodation for the School of Business and Social Sciences was completed in 1976. An Education building, an Applied Science building and student residential buildings for 108 student places were completed at the beginning on 1976. The Binishell, a multi-purpose facility was completed in 1980.

On its establishment, the Institute assumed responsibility for the diploma courses which were previously offered by the Yallourn Technical College. These were diploma in Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering, Applied Chemistry, and Business, all of which were recognised by the appropriate professional bodies.


The Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education is the only centre of Higher Education east of Melbourne and offers a range of vocational courses at associate diploma, diploma, degree, graduate degree and master levels to meet the educational needs of the Gippsland regions. The institute also has a very large commitment to a program on external studies.



Federation University Australia was established on 1 January 2014. Formerly known as the University of Ballarat, its enabling legislation was the University of Ballarat Amendment (Federation University Australia) Act 2013. Although formally created as a University in 1994, the University of Ballarat had a lineage back to 1870 with the establishment of the School of Mines Ballarat, making it the third institution of higher learning to be established in Australia and the first to be established in regional Australia. On 1 January 1994, Ballarat University College became the University of Ballarat and in 1998 the University merged with three TAFE Institutes to become a dual sector institution with multiple campuses.



On 1 January 2014, the University of Ballarat amalgamated with the Monash University Gippsland Campus to form Federation University Australia. The Gippsland Campus also had a long lineage dating back to 1928 with the establishment of the Yallourn Technical School which became a predecessor institution to the Gippsland College of Advanced Education formed in 1968. In 1990, it was renamed the Monash University College and in 1993 became the Gippsland Campus of Monash University.

Physical description

4 plaques placed on the wall of 'The Knuckle' at Federation University Gippsland Campus.



.1) Brown and brass coloured plaque commemorating the establishment of Yallourn Technical School.



.2) Brass plaque commemorating the opening of the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education.



.3) Brass plaque commemorating the affiliation between Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education and Monash University.



.4) Plaque commemorating

Inscriptions & markings

.1) 28 May 1928
In 1928 the Yallourn Technical College was established at the request of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria to provide technical and engineering support to staff.
From this College the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education was formed in 1968 leading to the establishment of Monash University College Gippsland in 1990 with full integration into Monash University in 1993.

.2) The Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education was officially opened on the 20th November, 1976 by Senator The Honourable J.L. Carrick Minister of State for Education and The Honourable L.H.S. Thompson C.M.G., M.P. Deputy-Premier of Victoria and Minister of Education.

.3) Monash University
Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education
At this campus on 24 February 1989 and in the presence of the Honourable John Dawkins, the Federal Minister for Employment, Education and Training, and representatives of the Gippsland community, affiliation documents were signed and exchanged. On 01 July 1990, the Gippsland Institute became the Monash University College Gippsland as a constituent of Monash University.
Professor Tom Kennedy Professor Mal Logan
Pro Vice-Chancellor Vice-Chancellor

.4) Monash University Gippsland Campus
On 25 August 1992 the Advisory Council of Monash University College Gippsland endorsed the integration of the University College into Monash University from 1 January 1993.
Professor Tom Kennedy Mr Crofton Hatsell
Pro Vice-Chancellor Chair, Advisory Council

Professor Mal Logan, Vice-Chancellor

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