World War 1 had ground into its second year when Footscray Technical School opened its doors, ready to train young people from the West to support both the home front and the war effort.
It was Footscray’s first secondary school and inaugural principal Arch Hoadley was intent on providing the opportunity to learn more than basic trade skills.
110 years later, its institutional descendant, Victoria University last night celebrated generations of dedication to educating the people of the west, as well as wider horizons to expand on its purpose across campuses in Australia, Asia and India.
Around 600 guests gathered at the Melbourne Town Hall for an event that was a step aside from the usual institutional self-congratulation that drives many anniversaries – raising funds for students through ticket sales and an auction, and highlighting its grounded DNA.
The presence of former Prime Minister Julia Gillard was a reminder of how far the now dual sector institution had come (and the value of having a Labor hero and former Premier as Chancellor), and yet her keynote was a reminder of how much more it – and the rest of the sector – still had to do to live up to the expectations of the community.