Hunter Institute of TAFE

Hunter TAFE, formerly known as the Hunter Institute of Technology, is part of the TAFE NSW network. The Institute has 15 campuses and is Australia's largest regional provider of vocational education and training spanning the Hunter and Central Coast regions of New South Wales. It enrols approximately 60,000 students annually. Newcastle, 160 km north of Sydney, is the major city of the Hunter Region where five of the fifteen campuses are located. It is the second largest city in New South Wales, Australia. The Hunter region is Australia's largest regional economy, due to the rapid mining and agricultural expansion.

1877: First technical courses were offered through Newcastle School of Arts (corner of Hunter and Wolfe Streets) including Elocution, Grammar, French and Mechanical Drawing.
1891: The School of Arts was vacated for premises at the Telegraph Office (Hunter Street).
1894: Building commenced on Newastle Technical College and School of Mines (Hunter Street). It was officially opened in 1896.
1910: A Technical College opened in Maitland (High Street).
1919: The old brewery building in Wood Street, Newcastle West, was taken over to train returned soldiers. Classes included Carpentry and Joinery, Plumbing, Sheet-metal Work and Patternmaking, Boilermaking, Bricklaying, Motor Mechanics, Moulding and Founding, Welding, Wood-working, Machining and House Painting.
1920: Enrolments reached 2000. There was an increased demand in Mining and Electrical courses.
1930-1936: The new campus at Tighes Hill was developed.
1938: The first building on the Tighes Hill site, The Sir Edgeworth David Memorial Science Building was officially opened on 24 September.
1939-1945: During WWII a munitions annex was established to produce thousands of Bren Gun tools.
1941: Students were offered courses in Shipbuilding, Sheep and Wool, Bricklaying, and Woodworking Machinery.
1951: Newcastle University College (an offshoot of the University of NSW) was opened on 3 December on the Tighes Hill site with Newcastle Technical College. It commenced with 5 students. Enrolments of the Technical College reached 5000.
1956: Cessnock Technical College opened.
1960: Muswellbrook Technical College opened.
1964: Newcastle Technical College credited with creating the first Student's Union in NSW. Enrolments reached 6000.
1967: Belmont Technical College opened.
1970's: Classes in Commercial Cookery, Nursing, Language Laboratory, Library Practice and Colour Television Technicians offered.
1974: Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Act became effective. This change led to expansion of courses for all members of the community.
1980: Newcastle Technical College became the first TAFE college outside Sydney to install word-processing equipment to secretarial, business and administration studies students.
1981: Glendale Technical College opened (Frederick Street).
1982: Kurri Kurri Technical college was established on the site of a Youth and Community Services residential facility.
1985: New building to teach Hospitality courses was opened at Hamilton Campus (Parry Street, Newcastle West) adjacent to the old brewery building.
1987: Old High Street campus closed in Maitland and new campus opened at Metford.
1989: Newcastle earthquake damaged many buildings at Newcastle, Hunter Street and Hamilton campuses.
1991-1992: All Hunter Technical Colleges became campuses of the Hunter Institute of Technology.
1996: Scone campus opened focusing on equine studies. Enrolments of the Hunter Institute of Technology reached 47,600.
1998: Tomaree Education Centre opened in the Port Stephens area.
1999: Enrolments reached 50,387.
2006: Children's Services Centre opened at Glendale Campus.
2010: Mining Skills Centre opened at Muswellbrook and Hunter Valley Hotel Academy opened at Kurri Kurri Campus.
2011: Enrolments reached 62,000.

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