Media releases

A long history of tertiary education, industry collaboration and community partnership is being celebrated at Federation University Australia’s Gippsland Campus. 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Gippsland Campus, when predecessor institution the Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education (GIAE) established itself in Churchill in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges. 

Today, the university supports more than 1500 Gippsland students and is working with industry, government and the community to address skills shortages and drive economic growth and jobs in the region through a new co-operative education model. 

The campus is training the next generation of critical allied health workers, with occupational therapy launched in 2020, followed by physiotherapy and speech pathology programs in response to local workforce needs. 

A new engineering degree, launched in 2022, aims to address the shortage of qualified electrical engineers and as the region transitions away from traditional industries like coal-fired power, Federation is working with its partners to build a skilled local workforce for Gippsland’s emerging clean energy sector. 

The University's Campus Vision maps out a bright future in Gippsland, with a plan to bring classrooms to the Gippsland community, concentrating more educational activities into key population areas, while the co-op model will see extended workplace learning embedded into all our courses and programs by 2025, giving students a head start on their career 

They will benefit from courses that are co-designed, co-developed and co-delivered in partnership with industry. 

This approach builds on a strong heritage of industry collaboration, dating back to 1928 when the Yallourn Technical School was set up at the request of the State Electricity Commission to provide technical and engineering support to staff. 

As the population grew and the Latrobe Valley developed as a coal mining region, the college expanded its course offerings, eventually becoming the GIAE. 

In 1972, the GIAE moved to Churchill, laying the foundation for the Gippsland campus as we know it today, later becoming the Monash University Gippsland Campus and in 2014 Federation University Australia following a merger with the University of Ballarat. 

A series of historic information boards along a main corridor will be expanded to include this latest chapter in the University’s history as part of the 50th anniversary celebration. 

Quotes attributable to Federation University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Duncan Bentley 

“It is exciting to celebrate this milestone for the Gippsland campus which has become a great source of pride and fond memories for so many people, bringing access to higher education to this region over five decades.” 

“As we commemorate the past, Federation is building a bright future for the university in Gippsland, where the classroom is brought to the community and extended workplace learning is a part of all programs and courses.” 

Quotes attributable to Federation University Gippsland Head of Campus, Ms Leigh Kennedy 

“The Gippsland campus is embedded in this region, growing with it through trials and triumph over the past 50 years,” 

“We have a key role to play in the future prosperity of Gippsland and we are rising to the challenge of transition as we partner with industry to address skills shortages in growing and emerging sectors to help drive economic growth in the region.”