Victorian College of Agriculture and Horticulture
Encyclopedia
The Victorian College of Agriculture & Horticulture, abbreviated VCAH, was a grouping of the agricultural colleges of the State of Victoria in Australia
. Formed in 1983, it was later incorporated
as a company limited by guarantee in 1991. It provided a coordinated framework for the five colleges of Burnley
, Dookie
, Gilbert Chandler
, Glenormiston and Longerenong, and the McMillan Rural Studies Centre to form a single institution. Separation from the Victorian Department of Agriculture had been a dream for decades and in becoming a reality created an innovative and flexible institution which enlivened Victorian agricultural education
, creating real competition with the two university providers (University of Melbourne
and Latrobe University).
In 1997, the College merged with similar departments at the University of Melbourne to form that university's Institute of land and food resources (later Faculty of Land and Food Resources).
In a hostile funding period, VCAH proved an essential component to the preservation of practically oriented education for the primary industries sector. A thorn in the side of other institutions, it provided the reminder of the need for relevance and the strength of industry as a partner. Such resilience should not have surprised the universities or the Department of Agriculture, for it was an institution conceived in conflict and born strong after a difficult birth.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Formed in 1983, it was later incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
as a company limited by guarantee in 1991. It provided a coordinated framework for the five colleges of Burnley
Burnley, Victoria
Burnley is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra. At the 2006 Census, Burnley had a population of 708....
, Dookie
Dookie, Victoria
Dookie is a town in the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia. It is situated in a valley between Mount Major and Mount Saddleback. Dookie is a farming community. At the 2006 census, Dookie had a population of 286....
, Gilbert Chandler
Gilbert Chandler
Sir Gilbert Lawrence Chandler, CMG, KBE was a Liberal Party of Australia politician who served in the Bolte Ministry in Victoria....
, Glenormiston and Longerenong, and the McMillan Rural Studies Centre to form a single institution. Separation from the Victorian Department of Agriculture had been a dream for decades and in becoming a reality created an innovative and flexible institution which enlivened Victorian agricultural education
Agricultural education
Agricultural education is instruction about crop production, livestock management, soil and water conservation, and various other aspects of agriculture. Agricultural education includes instruction in food education, such as nutrition...
, creating real competition with the two university providers (University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
and Latrobe University).
In 1997, the College merged with similar departments at the University of Melbourne to form that university's Institute of land and food resources (later Faculty of Land and Food Resources).
In a hostile funding period, VCAH proved an essential component to the preservation of practically oriented education for the primary industries sector. A thorn in the side of other institutions, it provided the reminder of the need for relevance and the strength of industry as a partner. Such resilience should not have surprised the universities or the Department of Agriculture, for it was an institution conceived in conflict and born strong after a difficult birth.