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Throughout its 100 year history, Swinburne University of Technology has been committed to providing the latest innovations in education, whilst helping students build strong industry links to help prepare them for successful careers.
From its establishment in 1908 in Melbourne’s eastern suburb of Hawthorn, Swinburne has grown from being a local provider of technical education into a multi-disciplined provider of higher education both online and on-campus.
Swinburne was established as the Eastern Suburbs Technical College by George Swinburne and the first students were enrolled in 1909, when classes began in carpentry, plumbing and blacksmithing.
Soon afterwards, a boys’ junior technical school and the first girls’ technical school in Victoria, were established.
In 1913, the institution changed its name to Swinburne Technical College, to commemorate the founder, George, who was also a former Mayor of Hawthorn and a member of the Parliament of Victoria.
Swinburne became affiliated with the Victoria Institute of Colleges in 1965, which was established in that year by an Act of the Parliament of Victoria.
The range of courses and the various levels at which they were offered grew to such an extent that in 1969, the boys’ and girls’ technical schools were taken over by the Victorian Education Department while the college remained as an autonomous institution.
An extensive reorganisation of advanced education took place in Victoria in the late seventies culminating in the passing of the Victorian Post-Secondary Education Act. Under the Act the Victoria Institute of Colleges was dissolved and the Victorian Post-Secondary Education Commission established.
As part of the new arrangements, Swinburne Council was given power to grant bachelor degrees. The first of these was awarded at a conferring ceremony held on Thursday 21 May 1981 at the Camberwell Civic Centre.
Swinburne University of Technology was proclaimed on 1 July 1992. This marked not only recognition of its distinguished history, but the beginning of a new period of growth and innovation for Swinburne.
Swinburne now
Swinburne has always been a forward thinking institution and that hasn’t changed. The values on which it was established remain relevant today to meet the changing needs of society and the challenges of the future.
In recent years, Swinburne has become one of the world’s leading universities, ranking in the top 400 in the world, as assessed by the Academic Ranking of World Universities.
Swinburne has over 30,000 students enrolled worldwide, supported by 2,800 staff and an alumni network of over 90,000.
With campuses in Melbourne and one international campus in Sarawak, Malaysia, its emphasis is on high-quality teaching and world-class research in science, technology and innovations that make a difference.
In 2011, Swinburne partnered with SEEK to establish Swinburne Online. Now serving more than 5000 students, Swinburne Online offers students a highly engaging learning experience.
To date, Swinburne Online offers 18 different degrees in Business, Education, Communication, Design and Social Science. These courses are increasing in popularity amongst working adults as online delivery allows students to work and study concurrently.
Swinburne works to provide educational and professional opportunities to capable students. Both as a leader in international education and an early adopter of online education, the University is expanding the opportunities available to a new generation of leaders.
Learn more about Swinburne University of Technology.