deakin university

Deakin University is an Australian public university with approximately 50,644 higher education students in 2014. Established in 1974, the University was named after the leader of the Australian federation movement and the nation's second Prime Minister, Alfred Deakin. It has campuses in Geelong, Warrnambool and Burwood, Melbourne and learning centres in Dandenong, Craigieburn and Werribee,^[3] all in the state of Victoria

History

Deakin University was formally established in 1974 with the passage of the Deakin University Act 1974.^[4] Deakin was Victoria’s fourth university, the first to be established in regional Victoria and the first to specialise in distance education.

Deakin University’s first campus was established at Waurn Ponds. The University was the result of a merger between State College of Victoria, Geelong (formerly Geelong Teachers College) and the higher education courses of the Gordon Institute of Technology. Deakin enrolled its first students at Waurn Ponds in 1977.

The Burwood campus is on the site of the former Burwood Teachers' College, and also takes in the former sites of the Bennettswood Primary School and the Burwood Secondary School. The teachers' college conducted two-year training courses for Primary School teachers, and three year courses for Infant Teachers (females only). It provided live-on-site accommodation for country students.

A merger with Warrnambool Institute of Advanced Education took place in 1990. This was followed by a merger with most of Victoria College in 1991, with its campuses in Burwood, Rusden and Toorak.

The Rusden Campus was closed in 2003 and all courses were transferred to the Melbourne campus at Burwood. Rusden subsequently acquired by Monash University for its student accommodation purposes.

The former Toorak Campus, located in Malvern, was sold in 2007 as the University considered the campus surplus to its requirements. The courses and resources were relocated to the Melbourne campus at Burwood in November 2007.

As a Deakin campus, it was home to Deakin Business School, Deakin University English Language Institute, and the Melbourne Institute of Business and Technology, which have since relocated to the International Centre and Business Building on the Melbourne campus at Burwood.

The main building on the site is the 116-year-old historic Stonnington Mansion and is located amongst traditional gardens. The Stonnington Stables art gallery and the University's contemporary art collection were located here, but has since relocated to the Deakin University Art Gallery at the Melbourne campus at Burwood.

The sale of the campus provoked public outrage as it involved the mansion which was at risk of redevelopment by property developers.^[5]