Historical information

Bendigo TAFE is made up of many prior entities, including Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE, Bendigo School of Mines, Bendigo Technical College, Bendigo Junior Technical School and Loddon Campaspe College of TAFE, just to name a few. Over 150 years, the Bendigo TAFE campus has played the pivotal role of a technical secondary school, a technical college and, as the regional university sector strengthened in more recent decades, a key provider of vocational education and apprenticeship training. With Bendigo's rich mining history, the Bendigo School of Mines played a critical role in providing the training and skills to many engineers and mining industry workers throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
Commencing with the Bendigo School of Mines in 1873, La Trobe University is proud to continue the legacy of offering high quality, accessible education to the Bendigo Community.

The 150 Years of Tertiary Education in Bendigo celebration focuses on our past achievements and successes and celebrates our antecedent organisations. As we reflect on our history, we also aim to explore and celebrate the transformational impacts on workforce capability, culture, infrastructure and ecomomic development through education and research, industry, social institutions, and regional development now and into the future.
As Victoria’s only statewide university, La Trobe University is deeply committed to its regional campuses and has played a pivotal role in the transformational impact of education on the communities in which it is located. The history of La Trobe University in Bendigo is intertwined with TAFE and antecedent institutions, and has been an integral part of La Trobe since 1991.

Key Milestones in Bendigo's Tertiary History:
• 1873: The Bendigo School of Mines opens on McCrae Street, marking the start of higher education in the region.
• 1883: Renamed the Bendigo School of Mines and Industries.
• 1926–1959: The Bendigo Teachers' College launches (1926), re-opens post-war (1945), and relocates to Osborne Street (1959).
• 1950: The Northern District School of Nursing is established.
• 1959–1967: The School of Mines becomes the Bendigo Technical College (1959) and then the Bendigo Institute of Technology (1967).
• 1970: The Edwards Road campus opens in Flora Hill.
• 1976: Amalgamates into the Bendigo College of Advanced Education (BCAE).
• 1991: Affiliates with La Trobe University following the federal Dawkins higher education reforms, becoming the La Trobe University College of Northern Victoria (LUCNV).
• 2004: Fully integrates into La Trobe University as the official Bendigo Campus.

Physical description

Hard cover. 205 pages. Black and white and color images throughout book. Front cover has image of the then Bendigo Institute of Technology, taken May, 1952 - black and white image. 'The 150 years book' faintly embost on front cover. Back cover has a color image of La Trobe University , Bendigo, in 2023. Title in white and green towards the bottom of the front cover. Spine black in color with title in white and green. La Trobe logo on both spine and back cover. Contents page, but no index. ISBN: 978-0-64846881-8-9. Published in Australia by La Trobe University Library, 2023. Lead Writer: Lauren Mitchell. Contributors: Dr Michael Angove, et al.