Deakin University is marking its 50th anniversary with a rolling program of celebration and acknowledgement starting in Geelong in regional Victoria, this Friday 29 November.
The free Community Festival will take place at the Waurn Ponds Campus where Deakin began five decades ago.
Deakin Vice-Chancellor Professor Iain Martin says he is delighted to host the family-friendly festival at Waurn Ponds and encourages people with connections to Deakin University, as well as members of the broader community, to join the milestone celebrations.
‘We warmly invite members of our community together with students, staff, alumni, their family and friends,’ Martin says.
‘Deakin owes much of its great success as an internationally recognised University to the people of Geelong who campaigned over many years to bring to life the idea of a fourth university for Victoria and the first regional university in the state.
‘Our growth and development from a small campus in a paddock to a global leader in education and research with four campuses across Victoria is testament to all those people who have made remarkable contributions to our university over the decades.’
Remembering an era of economic growth and regional development
Deakin was formed during a time of strong economic growth, driven by a desire for improved social conditions, decentralisation and regional development.
In February 1974, the Federal Cabinet Welfare Committee decided Geelong would be the location for Victoria’s fourth university.
When it opened, with an initial intake of 2445 students and 404 staff, the uni’s leadership had a bold vision for a tertiary institution that would broaden access to education, lifelong learning and innovation, particularly through its distance education programs. Within its first decade, Deakin became the first university nursing school to open in Australia and the first to introduce an innovative mix of community teaching and on-campus learning for Indigenous teacher education.
In the 50 years since, Deakin has produced more than 350,000 graduates from 13 schools across four faculties including Health, Arts and Education, Business and Law and Science, Engineering and Built Environment.
This Friday’s festivities begin at 4pm on the Union Green with live entertainment, market stalls, food trucks, free activities and finish with a 9pm fireworks display.
