Victoria College, Melbourne

Victoria College was a College of Advanced Education (CAE) in Melbourne, Australia. It was created as a result of the merger on 23 December 1981 of the State College of Victoria colleges at Burwood, Rusden and Toorak with the Prahran College of Advanced Education. In doing so, it became the largest College of Advanced Education in eastern Melbourne.

It ceased to be at midnight 1 January 1992. Most of it became part of Deakin University, while one campus joined Swinburne Institute of Technology and its Fine Art courses went to the Victorian College of the Arts.

At its foundation, it was primarily a teachers college. At its end, it had a diverse range of courses in a broad range of subjects.

All the founding institutions had a single campus with the exception of Rusden which had two campuses: one in Clayton (known as "Rusden"), the other in Armadale.

In the beginning, it was expected by the State Government that the Prahran campus would close, with its facilities going to the TAFE college and its courses to other Victoria campuses. However, this did not occur, in part because of that campus's extensive specialist facilities.

At its founding in 1981, 75% of the college's students were enrolled in teaching courses. It diversified during its ten years, taking on many language, business and nursing course students. In 1988, only 65% of students were studying teaching. In 1991, the figure was 42%.

In 1983, the Armadale campus closed.

In 1990, the college purchased the Allambie children's home from the State Government. It was adjacent to the Burwood campus.

Research in 1990 found that the college's students mainly lived in eastern and southern Melbourne, and on the Mornington Peninsula. Students residing in the outer east found it particularly popular. It was suggested that this was due to their relative disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

In 1988, the Dawkins higher education reforms by the Commonwealth Government meant that just seven years after its establishment, Victoria College was to become part of a university. Which university was a matter for major debate between 1988 and 1991.

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