Monash University, Gippsland campus
Encyclopedia
The Gippsland campus of Monash University
is located in the town of Churchill
142 km east of Melbourne. There are around 2,000 students studying on-campus and 5,000 students who study off-campus. The campus faculties include Business and Economics; Arts; IT; Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences; Education; Science and Art and Design. The current head of the campus is Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Helen Bartlett, who was appointed on August 4 2008. The Gippsland Education Precinct was recently completed at the Campus, which provides education and training for Year 11 and 12 secondary school and TAFE
students.
workers for the Yallourn Power Station
. It became Yallourn Technical College in 1958. The Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education (GIAE) took over College courses after it was formed in 1968 at its current location of Churchill. It was amalgamated with Monash University
in 1990, initially becoming Monash University College, before becoming a campus of the University in the mid-1990s. In recent years, the campus has undergone substantial expansions and upgrades of its buildings, Science and Engineering (1986), Information Technology (1994), a two level library (1997), Gippsland Education Precinct (2006), and a new auditorium was completed in 2008, replacing the iconic Binishell, demolished in 2009.
In 2008, the Monash Gippsland Medical School was opened, after extensive construction of new facilities and accommodation for the increase in students on campus.
. The region is home to both major environmental and industrial sites in Victoria, including twelve national parks, including Wilsons Promontory
and Baw Baw
, and the centre of Victoria's electricity industry.
. A Binishell is large reinforced concrete dome shaped and lifted by air pressure. Its inventor, architect Dr. Dante Bini, directed the construction of the Binishell in December 1979. Around 1,600 Binishells have been built in 17 countries. The eleven metre high binishell, using 300 tons of concrete and reinforcing steel, was inflated by a large membrane in around one hour, using Dr. Dante Bini's ferrocement
method. The Binishell is used as a place for exams and graduations. However, due to its diminished structural integrity, during 2004 and early 2005 the building was not used for either of these purposes whilst a new structure support was installed. Normal use of the building was resumed in Semester 1 2005.
On February 14, 2009, the Binishell was demolished. Monash University plans to replace it with a square shaped building.
by a local newspaper. The organisation has lost much of its funding due to Voluntary Student Unionism
. VSU was among the issues for which MUGSU campaigned against John Howard
and in particular the now local member Peter McGauran in the 2004 Federal election.
The paper is edited by students, and consists of student articles.
It is seen as a tremendous initiative which allows Journalism students the chance to improve their writing skills as well as develop experience in the field of Journalism.
The Threshold Newspaper was founded by journalism students Bjornar Kjensli and Timothy Lamacraft in 2002.
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
is located in the town of Churchill
Churchill, Victoria
Churchill is a town in the Latrobe Valley, located in central Gippsland in the east of Victoria, Australia. The town had a population of 4,588 at the 2006 census, and is part of the Latrobe City local government area...
142 km east of Melbourne. There are around 2,000 students studying on-campus and 5,000 students who study off-campus. The campus faculties include Business and Economics; Arts; IT; Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences; Education; Science and Art and Design. The current head of the campus is Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Helen Bartlett, who was appointed on August 4 2008. The Gippsland Education Precinct was recently completed at the Campus, which provides education and training for Year 11 and 12 secondary school and TAFE
Technical and Further Education
In Australia, training and further education or TAFE institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary education courses, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System/Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework...
students.
History
The campus began as the Yallourn Technical School in 1928, in order to train State Electricity Commission of VictoriaState Electricity Commission of Victoria
The State Electricity Commission of Victoria was a monopoly electricity generation, transmission and supply utility located in Victoria, Australia...
workers for the Yallourn Power Station
Yallourn Power Station, Victoria
Yallourn Power Station was a complex of six brown coal fuelled power stations built progressively from the 1920s to the 1960s. Located in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, the complex was situated beside the Latrobe River, with the company town of Yallourn located to the south west...
. It became Yallourn Technical College in 1958. The Gippsland Institute of Advanced Education (GIAE) took over College courses after it was formed in 1968 at its current location of Churchill. It was amalgamated with Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
in 1990, initially becoming Monash University College, before becoming a campus of the University in the mid-1990s. In recent years, the campus has undergone substantial expansions and upgrades of its buildings, Science and Engineering (1986), Information Technology (1994), a two level library (1997), Gippsland Education Precinct (2006), and a new auditorium was completed in 2008, replacing the iconic Binishell, demolished in 2009.
In 2008, the Monash Gippsland Medical School was opened, after extensive construction of new facilities and accommodation for the increase in students on campus.
Location
The Gippsland Campus is Monash University's only non-metropolitan, rural campus. It is situated on 63 hectares of landscaped grounds, next to the Strzelecki RangesStrzelecki Ranges
Strzelecki Ranges, also known as Strzelecki Hills is a low mountain range in the Gippsland region of south-eastern Australia between the Latrobe Valley to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
. The region is home to both major environmental and industrial sites in Victoria, including twelve national parks, including Wilsons Promontory
Wilsons Promontory National Park
Wilsons Promontory National Park, commonly known as Wilsons Prom or The Prom, is a national park in the Gippsland region of Victoria , 157 km southeast of Melbourne....
and Baw Baw
Baw Baw National Park
Baw Baw is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 111 km east of Melbourne. It contains the Baw-Baw Plateau and Mount Baw Baw, a small ski resort, including nearby town, technically outside the national park....
, and the centre of Victoria's electricity industry.
The Binishell
A distinctive architectural feature of the Gippsland campus is the BinishellBinishell
Binishells are reinforced concrete thin-shell structures that are lifted and shaped by low air pressure. They were invented in the 1960s by Dr. Dante Bini who built 1,600 of them in 23 countries. The original Binishells are circular in plan and are reinforced via a system of springs and re-bar...
. A Binishell is large reinforced concrete dome shaped and lifted by air pressure. Its inventor, architect Dr. Dante Bini, directed the construction of the Binishell in December 1979. Around 1,600 Binishells have been built in 17 countries. The eleven metre high binishell, using 300 tons of concrete and reinforcing steel, was inflated by a large membrane in around one hour, using Dr. Dante Bini's ferrocement
Ferrocement
The term ferrocement is most commonly applied to a mixture of Portland cement and sand reinforced with layers of woven or expanded steel mesh and closely spaced small-diameter steel rods rebar. It can be used to form relatively thin, compound curved sheets to make hulls for boats, shell roofs,...
method. The Binishell is used as a place for exams and graduations. However, due to its diminished structural integrity, during 2004 and early 2005 the building was not used for either of these purposes whilst a new structure support was installed. Normal use of the building was resumed in Semester 1 2005.
On February 14, 2009, the Binishell was demolished. Monash University plans to replace it with a square shaped building.
Primate Breeding and Research Centre
The National Primate Breeding and Research Centre is located next to the Gippsland campus. Opened in 2007 and costing $5 million it is Australia's main primate centre housing up to 600 monkeys. Little is known about the centre, Monash maintains a low public profile concerning the centre.Student organisation
The student organisation at the campus is known as the Monash University Gippsland Student Union (MUGSU). Every student enrolled at the Gippsland campus is by default a member of MUGSU. The organisation began as the GIAE Union in the early 1970s. Each year students are elected to the student union board, with each office bearer in charge of a portfolio of various student issues. The organisation runs a student publication called Emit, which is distributed throughout the Latrobe ValleyLatrobe Valley
The Latrobe Valley is an inland geographical region and urban area of Gippsland in the state of Victoria, Australia. It is east of the City Of Melbourne and nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Great Dividing Range to the north – with the highest peak to the north of the...
by a local newspaper. The organisation has lost much of its funding due to Voluntary Student Unionism
Voluntary student unionism
Voluntary student unionism is a policy, notable in Australia, under which membership of – and payment of membership fees to – university student organisations is voluntary....
. VSU was among the issues for which MUGSU campaigned against John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
and in particular the now local member Peter McGauran in the 2004 Federal election.
Threshold student newspaper
The campus produces the Monash University Gippsland Student Newspaper that represents all students at Monash Gippsland.The paper is edited by students, and consists of student articles.
It is seen as a tremendous initiative which allows Journalism students the chance to improve their writing skills as well as develop experience in the field of Journalism.
The Threshold Newspaper was founded by journalism students Bjornar Kjensli and Timothy Lamacraft in 2002.