Historical information

Graham Willey was a School of Mines Ballarat student from 1953-55. He was awarded the 1955 Honour Blazer.
The School of Mines was established in 1870 in Ballarat, making it Australia's third oldest tertiary institution. Redmond Barry was its first president, and he was involved in the creation of university degree level courses for the school. The School of Mines was divided into a tertiary division and a technical division. The tertiary division provided higher education courses such as mining engineering, geology, education and business studies, while the technical division provided such programs as wool classing, plumbing and bricklaying.It remained in that form until the 1967 when it was split into three institutions, Ballarat School of Industries, Ballarat Technical School, and Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education. They remained three entities until 1976. Ballarat Institute of Advanced Education merged into Ballarat College of Advanced Education. The Ballarat School of Industries and Ballarat Technical School merged into the School of Mines and Industries, Ballarat (SMB) in 1976.
Several entities merged or had arrangements with SMB. In 1994, a memo of understanding (MOU) was signed between SMB and the Ararat Technical School, which was founded in 1969. Then, in 1998, SMB and the Horsham-based Wimmera Institute of TAFE (1984), dating back to 1882, merged into the University of Ballarat to create a larger University.

Physical description

This three quarter lined, 3 buttoned, bottle green woolen blazer is edged in black twill piping and has a SMB badge on pocket "XVII ATH. XI Honor 1955 S.R.C." The 2 side pockets are also edged in the black twill and there is a trim of the twill 8.3cm from the sleeve cuff. The breast pocket has a top binding of yellow and green diagonal stripes.

Inscriptions & markings

Cloth label - Messer & Opie Ballarat
On embroidered badge "Incenio Effodore Opes", "XVII ATH XI Honor 1955 S.R.C."