Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE
Encyclopedia
Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT) is a TAFE institute located in the northern suburbs of Melbourne
, Victoria, Australia. It has six city campuses located at Preston
, Collingwood
, Epping
, Fairfield
, Greensborough
, Heidelberg
, a country campus at Ararat
, and country training facilities at Eden Park
, Yan Yean
and Kyneton
.
A wide selection of study options in vocational education
are offered from short courses, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships and traineeships through to certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, and bachelor degrees under the Australian Qualifications Framework
. In 2010 there were 1,083 teaching staff and 641 support staff employed by NMIT who delivered over 550 courses. There were 44,500 students in Australia and a further 23,000 off-shore students at 26 partner institutions.
NMIT claims it is the largest provider of primary industry training in Victoria and one of the largest in Australia offering a diverse range of courses from practical short-courses to Bachelor degrees in Agriculture and Land Management, Aquaculture, Equine Studies, and Viticulture and Winemaking.
, Hangzhou Vocational and Technology College, Insurance Professional College, IEN-Start Institute Minjiang University
, Jiyuan Vocational College, Luoyang University, Nanchang Hangkong University, Ocean University of China
, Shandong Economic University
, Sichuan College of Architectural Technology, Suzhou Vocational College, Taiyuan University of Technology
, Xi'an Polytechnic University
, Yunnan Institute of Information Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology
, Zhongshan College, Huainan Normal University, Hong Kong Universal Education, Ansan College of Technology
, Changshin College, Kunjang College, Suncheon Cheongam College, Saekyung College.
The direct antecedents of NMIT are Preston College of TAFE and Collingwood College of TAFE which amalgamated in 1988. The new organisation was called Northern Metropolitan College of TAFE. Initial campuses were at Preston, Collingwood and Parkville with the Institute developing new campuses at Heidelberg, Greensborough and Epping.
The Epping Campus was developed and built in 1992. At the time the Institute were planning delivery of part-time, night-time horticulture programs. The Victorian Government, as part of a policy direction, stipulated courses needed to be also delivered in agriculture. From that point NMIT developed the resources to become the pre-eminent agricultural training
organisation in Victoria by 2005.
A further name change to Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE occurred in 1996, with the NMIT acronym adopted in 1999. Training centres at Eden Park
and Yan Yean
were developed. In 2002 a campus was opened in Ararat
on the site of the Aradale Mental Hospital
, and a new training centre at Yarra Glen
in the Yarra Valley
region. In 2004 the Parkville
campus closed and a new campus opened at Fairfield
on the site of the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital
.
In 2005 NMIT upgraded its telephone system from a Fujitsu telephone branched exchange to a full internet telephony network at a cost of about A$5 million. To enhance its negotiating power and technical support base for implementing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) system, NMIT lead a consortium of regional TAFEs (Gordon Institute of TAFE
from Geelong, Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE
, Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE
and Wodonga Institute of TAFE) in migrating to the new telephony system.
The first Higher Education graduates from NMIT Bachelor degree programs were awarded their bachelor degrees in Applied Aquaculture, Viticulture and Winemaking and Equine Studies at the 2009 NMIT Graduation Ceremony. With the expansion of Bachelor degree programs NMIT is becoming a Dual sector education
institution.
Collingwood Technical School was established in July 1912 at 35 Johnston street. The bluestone buildings were originally built during the gold rush
period in 1853 as the Collingwood Town Hall and Court House. Initial subjects studied included preliminary carpentry and pattern-making, plumbing, engineering, sheet iron work and bricklaying with students studying 2 hours per night, 3 nights a week.
Juniors enrolled at the start of 1913, and the school was classified as a trades school by the Victorian Education Department, offering courses in carpentry, fitting and turning, plumbing, bricklaying and plastering. Two years later electrical wiring and electrical and mechanical engineering were introduced.
During the first World War the school was also used for retraining returning servicemen.
In 1935, the junior school was the largest technical school in Melbourne with 788 enrolments, and with a total enrolment of 1769, but the establishment of Preston Technical School in 1937 reduced subsequent demand.
The school was renamed Collingwood Technical College in 1968.
To address a shortage of skilled gardeners, the college started its horticultural studies program at Parkville in 1979, with an initial 96 apprentices enrolled. The following year, 1980, the new nine story Otter Street Campus building was completed. The school had 8000 full-time and part-time students enrolled in TAFE courses at Collingwood.
The Minister of Education announced the closure of the school at the end of 1987 citing falling enrolments from 800 in 1963 to 200 in 1985, to 100 in 1987.
The 1950s also saw the introduction of the Preston Diploma School offering tertiary Diploma courses in engineering and science. By 1977 the combined school offered 100 courses. By 1987 the school was known as Preston College of TAFE and had 17,000 students enrolled prior to its amalgamation with Collingwood Technical College in 1988 to form the Northern Metropolitan College of TAFE.
The Centre of Excellence for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing is based at the Preston Campus. The centre was setup in 1993 by the Office of Training and Further Education (OTFE), later renamed Skills Victoria. The Centre's aim is to provide leadership, support and research to the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector on the needs of Deaf and hard of hearing students in Victoria.
An IELTS
centre is based at Preston to test English language proficiency for academic and general purpose.
testing is also conducted at Collingwood.
and only a few kilometres from the CBD. Located on the site of the former Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital
, and many of the hospital's original buildings converted for student use. Facilities at the Fairfield Campus include photography studios and darkrooms, recording studios and fully equipped computer laboratories. Courses in illustration, visual arts, performing arts and horticulture are based at Fairfield.
The Fairfield plant nursery, run by horticulture students, is open to the public for sales Wednesday to Saturday 10 - 4 pm, near the Fairfield Nursery Cafe.
In 2008 and 2009 Yarra House on Fairfield campus is being redeveloped for residential student accommodation.
There is an AIDS Memorial Garden located in parklands adjacent to the campus where the ashes of at least 50 people are scattered. The garden was established on 22 April 1988 as a
place of tranquillity and respite for patients in the AIDS Ward at the former Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital and their families and friends.
NMIT provides the only locksmithing apprenticeship course in Victoria at its Heidelberg campus which attracts students from as far afield as Tasmania, South Australia, the Northern Territory and New Zealand.
Heidelberg Technical Education Centre
(TEC), one of four established in the state, was established at NMIT Heidelberg campus. The $8 million Heidelberg Technical Education Centre was opened in May 2010.
Green Skills Centre
The Epping campus has been home to NMIT’s centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainability with state-of-the-art facilities for courses in renewable energy. In 2009/2010 a Green Skills Centre of Excellence was constructed on the Campus with $9.5million of Federal Government funding.
The building was opened in November 2010 and features green building
design; renewable energy sources including Geothermal heat pump for heating and cooling and solar panels (25 kW); Rainwater harvesting
and recycling; green concrete with low cement content; and Forest Stewardship Council
(FSC) timber. Eighty per cent of the construction waste was recycled. The building has a Green Building Council of Australia
GreenStar
rating of 5 signifying 'Australian Excellence' in sustainable building design. The building is used for a range of courses teaching sustainable practices and technologies including in "carbon trading
, solar power
and solar water heating
, wind power
generation, geothermal exchange heating and cooling, black water
and grey water treatment, rainwater harvesting
, waste management
and waste recycling, water resources
management for horticulture, and agricultural and horticultural land conservation."
site near Ararat, near the Pyrenees wine region. The campus was established to provide in Victoria a world-class wine and hospitality training facility. The campus accommodates up to 120 students, focusing on practical aspects of Wine Making, Marketing, Vineyard management and Food Processing (wine) subjects for its Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor degree courses.
Northern Lodge is NMIT's 320 hectare farm and horse stud at Eden Park located 40 kilometres north of Melbourne in the foothills of Victoria's Great Dividing Range. The farm provides dedicated training for thoroughbred racing and viticulture. Northern Lodge was established in 1993 and includes irrigated pastures, stables, barn, a 1400 metres running track, and other facilities to enable a high standard of thoroughbred training. The first vineyard was planted by students in 1996 which has grown to 10 hectares including the varieties chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon, riesling, pinot noir, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot.
During 2011 there have been community protests to stop the Eden Park Kangaroo Cull
on the NMIT Eden Park property.
Yan Yean
NMIT operates a fully operational farming property at Yan Yean which is located 25 kilometres north of Melbourne. The 200 hectare property is dedicated to training students in cattle and deer farming, aquaculture and the production of medicinal herbs and essential oils.
Yarra Glen
NMIT has 12 hectares of Vineyards located at the Yarra Valley Racing Centre, with a 100-tonne winery constructed there in 2003.
NMIT Kyneton Park
NMIT entered into a joint agreement with the Kyneton District Racing Club in 2009 to use the facilities of the Kyneton
Racecourse as an educational training facility running short courses from 1 August 2009. Courses will include weed identification and control, vermin control, gardening with natives, irrigation for the water-wise gardener, operating and maintaining chainsaws to fell small trees, tree and shrub pruning techniques, horse nutrition, pasture production and maintenance, wine appreciation, native plant identification, farm chemicals and whole farm planning. The racing facilities and associated infrastructure will also be incorporated in NMIT's equine studies programs.
(Bachelor and Associate degree) programs. Many of the Bachelor degree courses have associate degrees embedded within them for an interim qualification and exit point after 2 years study.
(MCP) and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA
) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP). Courses in IELTS
- International English Language Testing system - are constantly being run from Preston and Collingwood campuses to enhance the English skills of students from non-English speaking backgrounds, particularly international students.
announced that TAFEs would be able to offer Bachelor degrees in specialised vocational areas not catered for by universities. Legislation was passed in 2003 and NMIT became the first Victorian TAFE to offer an undergraduate degree in 2004: The Bachelor of Applied Aquaculture course with the first students enrolling at the start of 2005.
NMIT has since added undergraduate degree courses in Viticulture and Winemaking (2006), Equine Studies (2006), Australian Popular Music (2007), Hospitality Management (2008), Illustration (2008), Writing and Publishing (2008), Accounting (2011), and two in Early Years Education (2011). In 2012 new Bachelor Degrees are being launched in Business, Information Technology, and Music Industry.
Associate Degrees are also offered in Accounting, Agriculture and Land Management, Business, Early Years Studies, Equine Studies, Illustration, Information Technology, International Business, and International Business Management, Music, Music Industry, Writing and Publishing, and Tertiary Studies.
Bachelor of Aquaculture
The Bachelor of Aquaculture at NMIT was the first full-time course in applied aquaculture and aquatic environmental management at the Bachelor degree level to be offered by a Victorian TAFE institute. Aquaculture research has included captive breeding of Murray Cod
and biodiesel
from microalgae as part of this degree program.
Bachelor of Education (Early Years), Bachelor of Early Years Studies
In 2011 NMIT offered 2 Bachelor degrees in early childhood education: a 4 year Bachelor of Education (Early Years) degree, a 3 year Bachelor of Early Years Studies, and a 2 year Associate Degree in Early Years Studies. They are the first training courses run by a TAFE Institute in Victoria that has achieved registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching
.
Bachelor of Equine Studies
The degree in Equine studies has been hailed as the first course of its kind in Australia and a forerunner in higher education needed to professionalise the equine industry. Previous courses were only available at the Certificate or Diploma level at a variety of regional TAFEs. The course is based at NMIT's 300 hectares (741 acre) thoroughbred stud, Northern Lodge, north of Melbourne, which has sold its yearlings for up to $125,000 as part of its commercial activities. Northern Lodge was established in 1993 comprising 70 hectares (173 acre)plus an adjoining 270 hectares (667 acre) property on a long term-lease for the stud farm, training track and a vineyard.
Bachelor of Writing and Publishing
NMIT has established its own publishing arm - Flat Chat Press - to give hands on experience at writing, editing and management of the publishing process for Certificate IV and Diploma level Professional Writing and Editing students, as well as for Bachelor of Writing and Publishing students. Fantasy author Karen Simpson Nikakis
was appointed in 2008 as the foundation head of the Bachelor Degree in Writing and Publishing.
Bachelor Music
The 3 year Bachelor degree include studies in jazz, classical, pop/rock, and world music and is structured around four strands : music tools and language; music practice; applying music technology and music and culture; and creativity and the music business. The course is taught by accomplished musicians and music educators: Nick Haywood
, Greg Arnold
, Eugene Ball
and Adrian Sherriff. It joins the other music industry courses at the Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels that have been offered by NMIT since 1986 in sound production, music business, and music performance. NMIT has also introduced online courses in Songwriting, Arranging and Copyright for musicians which are units in its National Music Training Package.
Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking
NMIT has been running wine training at its Epping campus since 1993 and in the Yarra Valley since 1994. The Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking degree commenced in February 2006 using the facilities of the Australian College of Wine, established by NMIT in 2001 to enable state-of-the-art training in viticulture
, winemaking
and hospitality
.
. The NMIT board have approved the following colours to represent the different fields of study (colour samples are approximate):
In 2001 the Victorian Government provided $7.4 million to NMIT to establish the Australian College of Wine, announcing a new teaching facility with 12 hectares of vines in the Yarra Valley
wine region and a new campus and 30 hectares (74 acre) vineyard and 10 hectares (25 acre) olive grove and olive processing facility at the former Aradale Mental Hospital
site near Ararat
, near the Pyrenees
wine region. The College was established to provide in Victoria a world-class wine and hospitality training facility.
Some within the wine industry, such as the Yarra Valley Wine Growers Association, objected to the establishment of the Australian College of Wine, on the grounds that existing institutions: Charles Sturt University
at Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, Adelaide University in South Australia and Swinburne University of Technology
campus at Lilydale
, produced enough graduates for the industry.
The NMIT Australian College of Wine campus at Aradale was officially opened by Education and Training Minister, Lynne Kosky
in November 2002. The college accommodates up to 120 students, focusing on practical aspects of Wine Making, Marketing, Vineyard management and Food Processing (wine) subjects for its Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor degree courses.
NMIT has taught various courses associated with winemaking and viticulture at its Epping
campus since 1993 which has a 100 tonne winery a470 hectares (1,161 acre) and a licence to market and sell wine. NMIT students planted vines in 1996 at the NMIT owned 470-hectare thoroughbred stud, Northern Lodge, at Eden Park 40 km north of Melbourne. The first vintage was bottled in 1998. The first Gold Medal, for a 2002 Shiraz, was awarded in 2003 at the prestigious Royal Adelaide Wine Show. Numerous wine show awards have since been won for wines produced by NMIT students with the Australian College of Wine.
In 2003 new wineries of 100-tonne at both Eden Park and Yarra Glen and 250-tonne at Aradale were constructed as part of the development of the Australian College of Wine. State and Regional Development Minister John Brumby
announced that NMIT would run a $1 billion viticulture training project at Panzhihua University in China's south-west from 2004.
The college is a member of the Grampians Winemakers Association and is a major sponsor of the annual Grampians Gourmet Food and Wine Festival.
Some of the noteworthy people who have attended NMIT or its antecedents:
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria, Australia. It has six city campuses located at Preston
Preston, Victoria
Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:...
, Collingwood
Collingwood, Victoria
Collingwood is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, Epping
Epping, Victoria
Epping is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 22 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea...
, Fairfield
Fairfield, Victoria
Fairfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Darebin and Yarra...
, Greensborough
Greensborough, Victoria
Greensborough is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 17 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule. At the 2006 Census, Greensborough had a population of 20,214....
, Heidelberg
Heidelberg, Victoria
Heidelberg is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 11 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Banyule....
, a country campus at Ararat
Ararat, Victoria
Ararat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, about west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera...
, and country training facilities at Eden Park
Eden Park, Victoria
Eden Park is a rural locality in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, ~45 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea...
, Yan Yean
Yan Yean, Victoria
Yan Yean is a locality in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 38 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea and Shire of Nillumbik.Yan Yean is home to Yan Yean Reservoir...
and Kyneton
Kyneton, Victoria
Kyneton is a town on the Calder Highway in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria, Australia. The Calder Freeway bypasses Kyneton to the north and east. The town was named after the English village of Kineton, Warwickshire. The town has three main streets: Mollison Street, Piper Street and High Street...
.
A wide selection of study options in vocational education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
are offered from short courses, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships and traineeships through to certificate, diploma, advanced diploma, and bachelor degrees under the Australian Qualifications Framework
Australian Qualifications Framework
The Australian Qualifications Framework provides the hierarchy of educational qualifications in Australia. It is administered nationally by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Few qualifications outside the system are accepted by employers or for...
. In 2010 there were 1,083 teaching staff and 641 support staff employed by NMIT who delivered over 550 courses. There were 44,500 students in Australia and a further 23,000 off-shore students at 26 partner institutions.
NMIT claims it is the largest provider of primary industry training in Victoria and one of the largest in Australia offering a diverse range of courses from practical short-courses to Bachelor degrees in Agriculture and Land Management, Aquaculture, Equine Studies, and Viticulture and Winemaking.
International Partnerships
NMIT is a global vocational education and training provider and offers qualifications in partnership with institutions in China, Hong Kong, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, The Republic of Korea, India, Pakistan, Columbia and New Zealand. Students graduated in 2009 from NMIT programs at the following partner universities and colleges: Dalian Jiaotong UniversityDalian Jiaotong University
Dalian Jiaotong University is a university in Dalian, Liaoning, China under the provincial government. It has its larger campus near downtown Dalian and smaller campus in the High-Tech zone in Lüshun. Until 2004, it was known as Dalian Railway Institute ....
, Hangzhou Vocational and Technology College, Insurance Professional College, IEN-Start Institute Minjiang University
Minjiang University
Minjiang University is a public university located in Fuzhou, Fujian, China. The university is a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary university accredited by the Chinese Education Ministry the right to confer undergraduate degrees to students in China...
, Jiyuan Vocational College, Luoyang University, Nanchang Hangkong University, Ocean University of China
Ocean University of China
The Ocean University of China , located in Qingdao, is one of the key comprehensive universities under the direct jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China...
, Shandong Economic University
Shandong Economic University
Shandong Economic University is based in Jinan, China. It is a full-time comprehensive institution of higher education which was founded upon approval by Shandong Provincial Government in 1952 and originally known as Shandong Institute of Finance and Economics....
, Sichuan College of Architectural Technology, Suzhou Vocational College, Taiyuan University of Technology
Taiyuan University of Technology
Taiyuan University of Technology is a university in Shanxi, People's Republic of China, under the authority of the provincial government. In 2002 it celebrated its 100th anniversary, although it was originally part of Shanxi University, and didn't become an independent university until much later...
, Xi'an Polytechnic University
Xi'an Polytechnic University
Xi'an Polytechnic University is a college located in Xi'an, in the Shaanxi province, China.- History :Xi'an Polytechnic University was founded in 1912 as the machine-weaving facility of the Beijing High Industry School...
, Yunnan Institute of Information Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology
Zhejiang University of Technology
Zhejiang University of Technology is located in the city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. It is considered one of the top industrial universities in mainland China and the second largest university in Zhejiang Province after the most comprehensive university - Zhejiang University.Engineering,...
, Zhongshan College, Huainan Normal University, Hong Kong Universal Education, Ansan College of Technology
Ansan College of Technology
Ansan College of Technology is a private technical college in Ansan City, which lies south of Seoul in Gyeonggi province. It offers degree programs in social science , tourism, physical education, industrial design, engineering, and computers. All programs place a strong emphasis on vocational...
, Changshin College, Kunjang College, Suncheon Cheongam College, Saekyung College.
History
The Epping Campus was developed and built in 1992. At the time the Institute were planning delivery of part-time, night-time horticulture programs. The Victorian Government, as part of a policy direction, stipulated courses needed to be also delivered in agriculture. From that point NMIT developed the resources to become the pre-eminent agricultural training
organisation in Victoria by 2005.
A further name change to Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE occurred in 1996, with the NMIT acronym adopted in 1999. Training centres at Eden Park
Eden Park, Victoria
Eden Park is a rural locality in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, ~45 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea...
and Yan Yean
Yan Yean, Victoria
Yan Yean is a locality in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 38 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea and Shire of Nillumbik.Yan Yean is home to Yan Yean Reservoir...
were developed. In 2002 a campus was opened in Ararat
Ararat, Victoria
Ararat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, about west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera...
on the site of the Aradale Mental Hospital
Aradale Mental Hospital
Aradale Mental Hospital was an Australian psychiatric hospital, located in Ararat, a rural city in Victoria, Australia. Originally known as Ararat Lunatic Asylum, Aradale and its two sister asylums at Kew and Beechworth were commissioned to accommodate the growing number of 'lunatics' in the colony...
, and a new training centre at Yarra Glen
Yarra Glen, Victoria
Yarra Glen is a town in Victoria, Australia, 40 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Yarra Ranges...
in the Yarra Valley
Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley is the name given to the region surrounding the Yarra River in Victoria, Australia. The river originates approximately 90 kilometres east of the City of Melbourne and flows towards it and out into Port Phillip Bay...
region. In 2004 the Parkville
Parkville, Victoria
Parkville is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, the population was 4,980....
campus closed and a new campus opened at Fairfield
Fairfield, Victoria
Fairfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Darebin and Yarra...
on the site of the Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital
Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital
Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, originally known as Queens Memorial Infectious Diseases Hospital, operated from 1904 to its closure in 1996. Perched high on the banks of the Yarra River at Yarra Bend in the inner Melbourne suburb of Fairfield, it developed an international reputation for...
.
In 2005 NMIT upgraded its telephone system from a Fujitsu telephone branched exchange to a full internet telephony network at a cost of about A$5 million. To enhance its negotiating power and technical support base for implementing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) system, NMIT lead a consortium of regional TAFEs (Gordon Institute of TAFE
Gordon Institute of TAFE
The Gordon Institute of TAFE is the TAFE institute servicing Geelong since 1888. It has 26,000 students studying on-campus, off-campus and in business or industry ....
from Geelong, Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE
Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE
Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE is a regional provider of vocational education, training and assessment services, located in northern and central Victoria, Australia...
, Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE
Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE
Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, also known as GOTAFE, is a Technical and Further Education institute located in the north east region of Victoria, Australia based on the Goulburn and Ovens rivers, and is the largest regional TAFE in Victoria, and a specialist centre for food processing, equine...
and Wodonga Institute of TAFE) in migrating to the new telephony system.
The first Higher Education graduates from NMIT Bachelor degree programs were awarded their bachelor degrees in Applied Aquaculture, Viticulture and Winemaking and Equine Studies at the 2009 NMIT Graduation Ceremony. With the expansion of Bachelor degree programs NMIT is becoming a Dual sector education
Dual sector education
Dual sector education is a system of tertiary education that includes substantial amounts of both vocational and higher education in the same institution. Dual sector education is offered by colleges and universities worldwide, most prominently in Australia, Austria, Germany, Ireland, New...
institution.
Collingwood Technical School
The antecedents of NMIT date back to a trade skills crisis in Victoria in the initial years of the twentieth century resulting in the passing of the 1910 Education Act No 2301 in the Victorian Parliament. This act allowed the establishment of technical schools.Victorian gold rush
The Victorian gold rush was a period in the history of Victoria, Australia approximately between 1851 and the late 1860s. In 10 years the Australian population nearly tripled.- Overview :During this era Victoria dominated the world's gold output...
period in 1853 as the Collingwood Town Hall and Court House. Initial subjects studied included preliminary carpentry and pattern-making, plumbing, engineering, sheet iron work and bricklaying with students studying 2 hours per night, 3 nights a week.
Juniors enrolled at the start of 1913, and the school was classified as a trades school by the Victorian Education Department, offering courses in carpentry, fitting and turning, plumbing, bricklaying and plastering. Two years later electrical wiring and electrical and mechanical engineering were introduced.
During the first World War the school was also used for retraining returning servicemen.
In 1935, the junior school was the largest technical school in Melbourne with 788 enrolments, and with a total enrolment of 1769, but the establishment of Preston Technical School in 1937 reduced subsequent demand.
The school was renamed Collingwood Technical College in 1968.
To address a shortage of skilled gardeners, the college started its horticultural studies program at Parkville in 1979, with an initial 96 apprentices enrolled. The following year, 1980, the new nine story Otter Street Campus building was completed. The school had 8000 full-time and part-time students enrolled in TAFE courses at Collingwood.
The Minister of Education announced the closure of the school at the end of 1987 citing falling enrolments from 800 in 1963 to 200 in 1985, to 100 in 1987.
Preston Technical School
The Victorian Government opened the Preston Technical School in 1937 on land provided by Preston Council on St Georges Rd, and also supported by Northcote Council. After World War Two substantial expansion occurred with new workshop premises opened in 1947, followed by a Girls' Technical School in the mid 1950s. In 1951 Preston was the largest technical school in Victoria.The 1950s also saw the introduction of the Preston Diploma School offering tertiary Diploma courses in engineering and science. By 1977 the combined school offered 100 courses. By 1987 the school was known as Preston College of TAFE and had 17,000 students enrolled prior to its amalgamation with Collingwood Technical College in 1988 to form the Northern Metropolitan College of TAFE.
Campuses
The Institute’s main campus and administration is located at Preston on St Georges Road.Preston
Set on the site of Preston Technical School, this campus offers a variety of courses and facilities, including a Gym and football oval. Courses include information technology, hospitality and tourism, business and office administration, massage and hairdressing. The Hospitality Department runs a Tourism and Hospitality Training Centre which provides training bars, commercial kitchens and a simulated hotel foyer, front desk, hotel suite and the St Georges Restaurant and bistro which is run as a successful commercial venture.The Centre of Excellence for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing is based at the Preston Campus. The centre was setup in 1993 by the Office of Training and Further Education (OTFE), later renamed Skills Victoria. The Centre's aim is to provide leadership, support and research to the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector on the needs of Deaf and hard of hearing students in Victoria.
An IELTS
IELTS
IELTS , or 'International English Language Testing System', is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Pty Ltd, and was established in 1989.There are two versions of...
centre is based at Preston to test English language proficiency for academic and general purpose.
Collingwood
Located in an 8 story tower in Otter street, close to Smith Street, the Collingwood campus offers courses in information technology, multimedia, video production, hairdressing and contains the International Students office. A Cafeteria is located on the 3rd floor along with the Level 3 Bistro which hospitality students run during term times. IELTSIELTS
IELTS , or 'International English Language Testing System', is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Pty Ltd, and was established in 1989.There are two versions of...
testing is also conducted at Collingwood.
Fairfield
Fairfield Campus is set amidst picturesque Yarra Bend parklands close to the Yarra RiverYarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
and only a few kilometres from the CBD. Located on the site of the former Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital
Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital
Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, originally known as Queens Memorial Infectious Diseases Hospital, operated from 1904 to its closure in 1996. Perched high on the banks of the Yarra River at Yarra Bend in the inner Melbourne suburb of Fairfield, it developed an international reputation for...
, and many of the hospital's original buildings converted for student use. Facilities at the Fairfield Campus include photography studios and darkrooms, recording studios and fully equipped computer laboratories. Courses in illustration, visual arts, performing arts and horticulture are based at Fairfield.
The Fairfield plant nursery, run by horticulture students, is open to the public for sales Wednesday to Saturday 10 - 4 pm, near the Fairfield Nursery Cafe.
In 2008 and 2009 Yarra House on Fairfield campus is being redeveloped for residential student accommodation.
There is an AIDS Memorial Garden located in parklands adjacent to the campus where the ashes of at least 50 people are scattered. The garden was established on 22 April 1988 as a
place of tranquillity and respite for patients in the AIDS Ward at the former Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital and their families and friends.
Greensborough
Greensborough Campus has a hilltop position which offers sweeping views of the distant city and surrounding area. Located in the heart of a residential growth area 25 kilometres north east of Melbourne, the Greensborough Campus caters to a diverse student base. The Greensborough Campus has gardens which are developed and maintained by students of the Landscape Gardening course.Heidelberg
The Heidelberg campus contains the Manufacturing, Engineering and Building Industry Training Centre which was custom built in 1994. The technologically advanced training facilities provides workshops for each trade area allowing students to learn in an environment similar to real work situations using equipment and fittings donated by industry. The plumbing training facilities are recognised as a national industry benchmark including a plumbing sandpit, simulated house stations and an advanced gas training laboratory.NMIT provides the only locksmithing apprenticeship course in Victoria at its Heidelberg campus which attracts students from as far afield as Tasmania, South Australia, the Northern Territory and New Zealand.
Heidelberg Technical Education Centre
Technical Education Centre
Technical Education Centres are purpose built centres for the delivery of practical secondary school and vocational education programs on a TAFE campus in the state of Victoria, Australia. They aim to attract young people 16-19 years of age to provide trade skills training while they complete a...
(TEC), one of four established in the state, was established at NMIT Heidelberg campus. The $8 million Heidelberg Technical Education Centre was opened in May 2010.
Epping
The campus was initially developed in 1992 with State Government funding. NMIT has become the largest provider in Victoria of training to the agriculture sector with courses delivered from the Epping Campus located on Melbourne's northern rural fringe. Epping Campus is home to award winning courses in beef, goat, sheep and grain production. The campus also has welding workshops, a forklift training area, glass houses for herb production, a winery and hosts one of Victoria's few indoor recirculating aquaculture facilities. Students at courses at Epping also use the training facilities of a farm at Yan Yean and Northern Lodge, a 60 hectare horse stud and 8 hectare vineyard at Eden Park.Green Skills Centre
The Epping campus has been home to NMIT’s centre for Renewable Energy and Sustainability with state-of-the-art facilities for courses in renewable energy. In 2009/2010 a Green Skills Centre of Excellence was constructed on the Campus with $9.5million of Federal Government funding.
The building was opened in November 2010 and features green building
Green building
Green building refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition...
design; renewable energy sources including Geothermal heat pump for heating and cooling and solar panels (25 kW); Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses and local institutions can...
and recycling; green concrete with low cement content; and Forest Stewardship Council
Forest Stewardship Council
The Forest Stewardship Council is an international not-for-profit, multi-stakeholder organization established in 1993 to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. Its main tools for achieving this are standard setting, independent certification and labeling of forest products...
(FSC) timber. Eighty per cent of the construction waste was recycled. The building has a Green Building Council of Australia
Green Building Council of Australia
The Green Building Council of Australia was established in 2002 with the mission to "develop a sustainable property industry in Australia and drive the adoption of green building practices"....
GreenStar
Green Star (Australia)
Green Star is a voluntary environmental rating system for buildings in Australia. It was launched in 2003 by the Green Building Council of Australia....
rating of 5 signifying 'Australian Excellence' in sustainable building design. The building is used for a range of courses teaching sustainable practices and technologies including in "carbon trading
Carbon trading
Carbon trading may refer to:*Carbon emission trading*Personal carbon trading*Emissions trading...
, solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
and solar water heating
Solar water heating
Solar water heating or solar hot water systems comprise several innovations and many mature renewable energy technologies that have been well established for many years...
, wind power
Wind power
Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships....
generation, geothermal exchange heating and cooling, black water
Black Water
"Black Water" is a song by the American music group The Doobie Brothers from the album What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits. Released in 1974, it features Patrick Simmons on lead vocals....
and grey water treatment, rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting
Rainwater harvesting is the accumulating and storing of rainwater for reuse before it reaches the aquifer. It has been used to provide drinking water, water for livestock, water for irrigation, as well as other typical uses. Rainwater collected from the roofs of houses and local institutions can...
, waste management
Waste management
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing or disposal,managing and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics...
and waste recycling, water resources
Water resources
Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water....
management for horticulture, and agricultural and horticultural land conservation."
Ararat
In November 2002 a new campus and 30 hectare vineyard and 10 hectare olive grove and olive processing facility was opened at the former Aradale Mental HospitalAradale Mental Hospital
Aradale Mental Hospital was an Australian psychiatric hospital, located in Ararat, a rural city in Victoria, Australia. Originally known as Ararat Lunatic Asylum, Aradale and its two sister asylums at Kew and Beechworth were commissioned to accommodate the growing number of 'lunatics' in the colony...
site near Ararat, near the Pyrenees wine region. The campus was established to provide in Victoria a world-class wine and hospitality training facility. The campus accommodates up to 120 students, focusing on practical aspects of Wine Making, Marketing, Vineyard management and Food Processing (wine) subjects for its Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor degree courses.
Rural Training Centres
Eden ParkNorthern Lodge is NMIT's 320 hectare farm and horse stud at Eden Park located 40 kilometres north of Melbourne in the foothills of Victoria's Great Dividing Range. The farm provides dedicated training for thoroughbred racing and viticulture. Northern Lodge was established in 1993 and includes irrigated pastures, stables, barn, a 1400 metres running track, and other facilities to enable a high standard of thoroughbred training. The first vineyard was planted by students in 1996 which has grown to 10 hectares including the varieties chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillon, riesling, pinot noir, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and merlot.
During 2011 there have been community protests to stop the Eden Park Kangaroo Cull
Eden Park Kangaroo Cull
During October 2010 the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE applied for and received a 12 month permit from the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment for the Eden Park Kangaroo Cull - to cull 300 Eastern Grey Kangaroos on its 320 hectare Eden Park Vineyard and farm and Northern...
on the NMIT Eden Park property.
Yan Yean
NMIT operates a fully operational farming property at Yan Yean which is located 25 kilometres north of Melbourne. The 200 hectare property is dedicated to training students in cattle and deer farming, aquaculture and the production of medicinal herbs and essential oils.
Yarra Glen
NMIT has 12 hectares of Vineyards located at the Yarra Valley Racing Centre, with a 100-tonne winery constructed there in 2003.
NMIT Kyneton Park
NMIT entered into a joint agreement with the Kyneton District Racing Club in 2009 to use the facilities of the Kyneton
Kyneton, Victoria
Kyneton is a town on the Calder Highway in the Macedon Ranges of Victoria, Australia. The Calder Freeway bypasses Kyneton to the north and east. The town was named after the English village of Kineton, Warwickshire. The town has three main streets: Mollison Street, Piper Street and High Street...
Racecourse as an educational training facility running short courses from 1 August 2009. Courses will include weed identification and control, vermin control, gardening with natives, irrigation for the water-wise gardener, operating and maintaining chainsaws to fell small trees, tree and shrub pruning techniques, horse nutrition, pasture production and maintenance, wine appreciation, native plant identification, farm chemicals and whole farm planning. The racing facilities and associated infrastructure will also be incorporated in NMIT's equine studies programs.
Faculties
NMIT is structured with seven faculties each containing a number of Vocational education and training (VET) Teaching Departments and some containing Higher EducationHigher education
Higher, post-secondary, tertiary, or third level education refers to the stage of learning that occurs at universities, academies, colleges, seminaries, and institutes of technology...
(Bachelor and Associate degree) programs. Many of the Bachelor degree courses have associate degrees embedded within them for an interim qualification and exit point after 2 years study.
| Faculty | VET Teaching Departments | Higher Education |
|---|---|---|
| Arts and Social Sciences |
|
Creative Arts
|
| Building and Construction |
|
|
| Business |
|
Business
|
| Earth Sciences |
|
Primary Industries
|
| Engineering |
|
|
| Further Education |
|
Education
|
| Tourism, Hospitality and Personal Service |
|
Hospitality
|
Courses
Short Courses
Short vocational courses are offered in a wide variety of areas including: Beauty, Drafting, Multimedia, Hospitality, HR, IT, massage, Office Administration, Welding, Microsoft Certified ProfessionalMicrosoft Certified Professional
Microsoft Certified Professional is a program of Professional certifications awarded by Microsoft. Individual certifications are awarded upon passing of one or more exams. The MCP program itself is designed for both IT Professionals and developers. Beneath the MCP program is a variety of more...
(MCP) and Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA
CCNA
CCNA is the certification from Cisco.CCNA certification is a second-level Cisco Career certification...
) and Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP). Courses in IELTS
IELTS
IELTS , or 'International English Language Testing System', is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Pty Ltd, and was established in 1989.There are two versions of...
- International English Language Testing system - are constantly being run from Preston and Collingwood campuses to enhance the English skills of students from non-English speaking backgrounds, particularly international students.
Certificate and Diploma Courses
As a major vocational education provider in Melbourne NMIT offers a large variety of Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma Courses across all Faculties and teaching departments with many of the courses open for international students to enrol.Degree Courses
In 2002 Victorian Education Minister Lynne KoskyLynne Kosky
Lynne Janice Kosky is a former Australian politician and senior minister in the Parliament of Victoria. She represented the electoral district of Altona in the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the Australian Labor Party from 1996 to 2010...
announced that TAFEs would be able to offer Bachelor degrees in specialised vocational areas not catered for by universities. Legislation was passed in 2003 and NMIT became the first Victorian TAFE to offer an undergraduate degree in 2004: The Bachelor of Applied Aquaculture course with the first students enrolling at the start of 2005.
NMIT has since added undergraduate degree courses in Viticulture and Winemaking (2006), Equine Studies (2006), Australian Popular Music (2007), Hospitality Management (2008), Illustration (2008), Writing and Publishing (2008), Accounting (2011), and two in Early Years Education (2011). In 2012 new Bachelor Degrees are being launched in Business, Information Technology, and Music Industry.
Associate Degrees are also offered in Accounting, Agriculture and Land Management, Business, Early Years Studies, Equine Studies, Illustration, Information Technology, International Business, and International Business Management, Music, Music Industry, Writing and Publishing, and Tertiary Studies.
Bachelor of Aquaculture
The Bachelor of Aquaculture at NMIT was the first full-time course in applied aquaculture and aquatic environmental management at the Bachelor degree level to be offered by a Victorian TAFE institute. Aquaculture research has included captive breeding of Murray Cod
Murray Cod
The Murray cod is a large Australian predatory freshwater fish of the Maccullochella genus and the Percichthyidae family. Although the species is a called cod in the vernacular, it is not related to the northern hemisphere marine cod species...
and biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
from microalgae as part of this degree program.
Bachelor of Education (Early Years), Bachelor of Early Years Studies
In 2011 NMIT offered 2 Bachelor degrees in early childhood education: a 4 year Bachelor of Education (Early Years) degree, a 3 year Bachelor of Early Years Studies, and a 2 year Associate Degree in Early Years Studies. They are the first training courses run by a TAFE Institute in Victoria that has achieved registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching
Victorian Institute of Teaching
The Victorian Institute of Teaching is a statutory authority whose task is to recognise and regulate members of the teaching profession in Victoria, Australia,. The Institute registers teachers working in all schools in Victoria....
.
Bachelor of Equine Studies
The degree in Equine studies has been hailed as the first course of its kind in Australia and a forerunner in higher education needed to professionalise the equine industry. Previous courses were only available at the Certificate or Diploma level at a variety of regional TAFEs. The course is based at NMIT's 300 hectares (741 acre) thoroughbred stud, Northern Lodge, north of Melbourne, which has sold its yearlings for up to $125,000 as part of its commercial activities. Northern Lodge was established in 1993 comprising 70 hectares (173 acre)plus an adjoining 270 hectares (667 acre) property on a long term-lease for the stud farm, training track and a vineyard.
Bachelor of Writing and Publishing
NMIT has established its own publishing arm - Flat Chat Press - to give hands on experience at writing, editing and management of the publishing process for Certificate IV and Diploma level Professional Writing and Editing students, as well as for Bachelor of Writing and Publishing students. Fantasy author Karen Simpson Nikakis
Karen Simpson Nikakis
Karen Simpson Nikakis is an Australian fantasy author, writer and poet who lives at Melton, whose first fantasy novel The Whisper of Leaves , has been described as an "impressive debut", with the National Library of Australia describing her first book as heralding "the arrival of an exciting new...
was appointed in 2008 as the foundation head of the Bachelor Degree in Writing and Publishing.
Bachelor Music
The 3 year Bachelor degree include studies in jazz, classical, pop/rock, and world music and is structured around four strands : music tools and language; music practice; applying music technology and music and culture; and creativity and the music business. The course is taught by accomplished musicians and music educators: Nick Haywood
Nick Haywood
Nick Haywood is a prominent Australian jazz double bass player, composer and music educator in Melbourne.He has worked with many of Australia's best known Australian jazz musicians including Don Burrows, Dale Barlow, Paul Grabowsky, Bernie McGann, and James Morrison, and with many international...
, Greg Arnold
Greg Arnold
Greg Arnold is a singer/songwriter who won the prestigious APRA songwriter of the Year award in 1993 and performs regularly with his folk/rock band, Things of Stone and Wood....
, Eugene Ball
Eugene Ball
Eugene Ball is an Australian jazz music composer and acclaimed trumpeter who won the best Australian jazz composition award for Fool Poet's Portion in 2008....
and Adrian Sherriff. It joins the other music industry courses at the Certificate, Diploma and Advanced Diploma levels that have been offered by NMIT since 1986 in sound production, music business, and music performance. NMIT has also introduced online courses in Songwriting, Arranging and Copyright for musicians which are units in its National Music Training Package.
Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking
NMIT has been running wine training at its Epping campus since 1993 and in the Yarra Valley since 1994. The Bachelor of Viticulture and Winemaking degree commenced in February 2006 using the facilities of the Australian College of Wine, established by NMIT in 2001 to enable state-of-the-art training in viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
, winemaking
Winemaking
Winemaking, or vinification, is the production of wine, starting with selection of the grapes or other produce and ending with bottling the finished wine. Although most wine is made from grapes, it may also be made from other fruit or non-toxic plant material...
and hospitality
Hospitality
Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of being hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other services for travelers...
.
Graduation Colours
At the yearly graduation ceremony graduates (Diploma and above) are presented their qualification in academic dressAcademic dress
Academic dress or academical dress is a traditional form of clothing for academic settings, primarily tertiary education, worn mainly by those that have been admitted to a university degree or hold a status that entitles them to assume them...
. The NMIT board have approved the following colours to represent the different fields of study (colour samples are approximate):
| Academic Colour | Field of study | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Ruby | Applied Art including Visual Arts, Vocational Pathways |
|
| Cherry | Building including Design, Drafting and Interior Fittings |
|
| Ultramarine | Business including Business Services, Commerce, Information Technology, Office Administration |
|
| Parma violet | Engineering including computer systems and electrotechnology, civil engineering, mechanical manufacturing |
|
| Burnt Orange | Koorie | |
| Fuchsia | Performing Arts including music |
|
| Jade | Personal Services including Hospitality, Personal Services, Tourism |
|
| Spectrum Green | Rural Studies and Horticulture including Agriculture and animal science, Horticulture |
|
| Buttercup | Social and Community Services including Children's Services, Health and Community Studies |
Australian College of Wine
Yarra Valley
The Yarra Valley is the name given to the region surrounding the Yarra River in Victoria, Australia. The river originates approximately 90 kilometres east of the City of Melbourne and flows towards it and out into Port Phillip Bay...
wine region and a new campus and 30 hectares (74 acre) vineyard and 10 hectares (25 acre) olive grove and olive processing facility at the former Aradale Mental Hospital
Aradale Mental Hospital
Aradale Mental Hospital was an Australian psychiatric hospital, located in Ararat, a rural city in Victoria, Australia. Originally known as Ararat Lunatic Asylum, Aradale and its two sister asylums at Kew and Beechworth were commissioned to accommodate the growing number of 'lunatics' in the colony...
site near Ararat
Ararat, Victoria
Ararat is a city in south-west Victoria, Australia, about west of Melbourne, on the Western Highway on the eastern slopes of the Ararat Hills and Cemetery Creek valley between Victoria's Western District and the Wimmera...
, near the Pyrenees
Pyrenees (Victoria)
The Pyrenees is a wine region centred on the Pyrenees ranges located in Victoria, Australia near the town of Avoca.The altitude of the ranges is 300 to over 750 m...
wine region. The College was established to provide in Victoria a world-class wine and hospitality training facility.
Some within the wine industry, such as the Yarra Valley Wine Growers Association, objected to the establishment of the Australian College of Wine, on the grounds that existing institutions: Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University is an Australian multi-campus university located in New South Wales, Victoria, and the Australian Capital Territory. It has campuses at Bathurst, Canberra, Albury-Wodonga, Dubbo, Goulburn, Orange, Wagga Wagga and Burlington, Ontario...
at Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, Adelaide University in South Australia and Swinburne University of Technology
Swinburne University of Technology
Swinburne University of Technology is an Australian public dual sector university based in Melbourne, Victoria. The institution was founded by the Honourable George Swinburne in 1908 and achieved university status in June 1992...
campus at Lilydale
Lilydale, Victoria
Lilydale is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district situated in the Olinda Creek valley. At the 2006 Census, Lilydale had a population of 13,887...
, produced enough graduates for the industry.
The NMIT Australian College of Wine campus at Aradale was officially opened by Education and Training Minister, Lynne Kosky
Lynne Kosky
Lynne Janice Kosky is a former Australian politician and senior minister in the Parliament of Victoria. She represented the electoral district of Altona in the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the Australian Labor Party from 1996 to 2010...
in November 2002. The college accommodates up to 120 students, focusing on practical aspects of Wine Making, Marketing, Vineyard management and Food Processing (wine) subjects for its Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor degree courses.
NMIT has taught various courses associated with winemaking and viticulture at its Epping
Epping, Victoria
Epping is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 22 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Whittlesea...
campus since 1993 which has a 100 tonne winery a470 hectares (1,161 acre) and a licence to market and sell wine. NMIT students planted vines in 1996 at the NMIT owned 470-hectare thoroughbred stud, Northern Lodge, at Eden Park 40 km north of Melbourne. The first vintage was bottled in 1998. The first Gold Medal, for a 2002 Shiraz, was awarded in 2003 at the prestigious Royal Adelaide Wine Show. Numerous wine show awards have since been won for wines produced by NMIT students with the Australian College of Wine.
In 2003 new wineries of 100-tonne at both Eden Park and Yarra Glen and 250-tonne at Aradale were constructed as part of the development of the Australian College of Wine. State and Regional Development Minister John Brumby
John Brumby
John Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election...
announced that NMIT would run a $1 billion viticulture training project at Panzhihua University in China's south-west from 2004.
The college is a member of the Grampians Winemakers Association and is a major sponsor of the annual Grampians Gourmet Food and Wine Festival.
Institute Awards
- 2011 - A team of four NMIT cookery students won the Victorian Tafe Cookery Challenge
- 2010 - Australian Institute of Professional Photography Tertiary Institution of the Year Award
- 2008 - Australian Institute of Professional Photography Tertiary Institution of the Year Award
- 2007 Victorian Tourism Awards - Winner of Tourism Education and Training Award, Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism and Personal Services
- 2006 Best New Centre Award - IELTSIELTSIELTS , or 'International English Language Testing System', is an international standardised test of English language proficiency. It is jointly managed by University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, the British Council and IDP Education Pty Ltd, and was established in 1989.There are two versions of...
Australia - 2006 Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) Tertiary Institute Award
- Wines produced by NMIT students have won medals in the Australian Small Winemakers Show, Royal Hobart Wine Show, Royal Melbourne Wine Show, Victorian Wines Show, Royal Adelaide Show.
Alumni
- Ron BarassiRon BarassiRonald Dale Barassi, Jr AM is a former Australian rules football player and coach. During a long and decorated career, Barassi has been one of the most important figures in the history of Australian football. His father, Ron Barassi, Sr., was the first Australian footballer killed at Tobruk during...
- Australian rules footballer and coach - student at Preston Technical Schooler - Basic shapeBasic shapeBasic Shape are an Australian indie/pop/folk band based in Melbourne.Their debut album Boat Without A Sail was released in April 2008 and was Album of The Week on ABC Tasmania. The album was recorded over three years at Audrey Studios and engineered and co-produced by Craig Pilkington from The...
- folk/pop/indie band whose members attended NMIT music courses - Amy Findlay of StonefieldStonefield (band)Stonefield is an Australian rock band made up of four sisters, Amy, Hannah, Sarah, and Holly Findlay from Darraweit Guim, a small town in rural Victoria. Previously known as Iotah, the band won the 2010 Triple J Unearthed High contest in 2010 with their song "Foreign Lover"...
is a 2010 Music Degree graduate. - Jon FaineJon FaineJon Faine is an Australian radio presenter and host of a morning program on 774 ABC in Melbourne.Faine was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, and emigrated to Sydney with his parents at a young age. Later they moved to Melbourne, where he attended Melbourne High School.In the late 1970s and early 1980s...
- ABC Broadcaster - Frank Gibson - Professor of Biochemistry, Melbourne University, ANU - student at Collingwood Technical College
- Neil HarveyNeil HarveyRobert Neil Harvey MBE is a former Australian cricketer who represented the Australian cricket team between 1948 and 1963, playing in 79 Test matches. He was the vice-captain of the team from 1957 until his retirement...
- vice-captained Australian cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team - student at Collingwood Technical School - Phil HeuzenroederPhil HeuzenroederPhil Heuzenroeder is a musician and community cultural development leader working in Melbourne, Victoria and Australia with people with a disability, people living with mental illness and in community music making....
- musician and creative music director - Bill LawryBill LawryWilliam Morris "Bill" Lawry, AM is a former cricketer who played for Victoria and Australia. He captained Australia in 25 Tests, winning nine, losing eight and drawing eight, and led Australia in the inaugural One Day International match, played in 1971...
- captained Australian cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
team - student at Preston Technical School - Chris Lewis - Circus OzCircus OzCircus Oz was founded in December 1977, with its first performance season in March 1978. Circus Oz was the amalgamation of two already well-known groups - Soapbox Circus, a roadshow set up by the Australian Performing Group in 1976, and the New Ensemble Circus, a continuation of the New Circus,...
music director - John O'Hagan - Circus OzCircus OzCircus Oz was founded in December 1977, with its first performance season in March 1978. Circus Oz was the amalgamation of two already well-known groups - Soapbox Circus, a roadshow set up by the Australian Performing Group in 1976, and the New Ensemble Circus, a continuation of the New Circus,...
music director - Edmond Amendola, David Williams, Adam DonovanAdam DonovanAdam Donovan comes from Shepparton, Victoria, and is one of the original members in the Australian band, Augie March. He attended St Brendans Primary school Shepparton and Notre Dame High school, Shepparton....
- founding members of band Augie MarchAugie MarchAugie March are an Australian indie/pop rock band. Formed in 1996 in Shepparton, Victoria, the band currently consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Glenn Richards, lead guitarist Adam Donovan, bassist Edmondo Ammendola, drummer David Williams, and keyboardist Kiernan Box... - Michael PrattMichael Kenneth PrattMichael Kenneth Pratt GC is a former constable of the Victoria Police Force of Melbourne, Australia, and a recipient of the George Cross, gazetted on 4 July 1978...
recipient of the George CrossGeorge CrossThe George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
for bravery - student at Preston Technical School - Jasmine RaeJasmine RaeJasmine Rae is a classically trained Australian Country singer and songwriter who is best known for her song "Country Singer" and for winning the Telstra Road to Tamworth in 2008.-Early life:...
-Country singer and songwriter - Lou RichardsLou RichardsLewis Thomas Charles "Lou" Richards is a retired Australian rules footballer, who played 250 games with the Collingwood Football Club in the Victorian Football League between 1941 and 1955...
- Australian rules footballer - student at Collingwood Technical School - Ron Richards - Australian rules footballer - student at Collingwood Technical School
- Stan RofeStan RofeStan 'The Man' Rofe was Melbourne's first and most influential rock'n'roll disc jockey. He is remembered as playing the first rock and roll music on Melbourne radio 3KZ in 1956 and as a champion of Australian music, a pioneer who played songs other DJs were too scared to play.-Career:Stan Rofe...
- influential rock'n'roll disc jockeyDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
- student at Collingwood Technical School - Paul StoddartPaul StoddartPaul Stoddart, born 26 May 1955, is an Australian millionaire airline magnate, and former owner of the Minardi Formula One racing team. He later took the Minardi brand into the Champ Car World Series after his purchase of a portion of CTE-HVM Racing which he renamed Minardi Team USA for 2007.-Early...
- airline magnate - studied at Preston Technical School - Frank WilkesFrank WilkesFrank Noel Wilkes AM , Australian politician, was Leader of the Labor Opposition in Victoria from 1977 to 1981. Wilkes was born in Melbourne and educated at Northcote Primary and Secondary Schools and Preston Technical College. During the Second World War he served in the southwest Pacific in the...
- politician and Victorian parliamentary Labor leader - student at Preston Technical School - Marcel Yammouni - musical director of Vanessa AmorosiVanessa AmorosiVanessa Amorosi is an Australian singer-songwriter and recording artist. Her combined album and single sales have reached over 2 million worldwide.-Early life:...