Perth Technical College 1900 to ----

Before 1900, apprentices only received on the job instruction, and although the Swan River Mechanics Institute had offered courses of lectures from time to time, no regular courses were available. The supply of skilled tradesmen became critical during the gold boom years of the 1890s.

When Cyril Jackson was appointed Inspector General of Education in 1896, one of his first duties was to develop a technical education system for post primary aged children. The result was the opening of Perth Technical School in 1900 and Fremantle Technical School circa 1901.

When the Perth Technical School began operations in the Perth city centre in May 1900, the curriculum included chemistry, assaying, engineering, art and design, woodwork and metalwork. An article published in the Western Mail on 7 April 1900 provides more detail. Classes began in the Old Perth Boys School building at 139 St Georges Terrace and expanded next door to 137 St Georges Terrace when a new building was constructed in 1909-1910.

The Perth Technical School, which would be renamed The Perth Technical College in 1929, offered voluntary classes for trade apprentices and others possessing an occupational qualification. The school also provided university courses under licence from the University of Adelaide until the University of Western Australia was established in 1914.

The early fortunes of technical education in Western Australia ebbed and flowed. During the Great Depression years, staffing issues and overcrowding had been major problems. By 1943 it was expected demand for technical training would dramatically increase in the post war period. The idea of creating an institute of technology began to be promoted to handle the expected influx of students as it was clear that Perth Technical College, along with other technical institutions, would struggle to meet that demand. As expected, by 1956 space issues had reached crisis point. Thus the idea of creating the Western Australian Institute of Technology (WAIT) was born.

It wasn’t until the late 1950s that things started to happen. It was during this period that some of the key drivers of WAIT, Dr Thomas Robertson, George Hayman and Dr Haydn Stanley Williams ensured the important groundwork between the State and Commonwealth was progressing. These three men, who would later be commemorated in the naming of key buildings on campus, worked tirelessly to make the dream of WAIT a reality. A key figure in State politics at this time was (later Sir) Charles Court. Robertson convinced Court that the massive mining and infrastructure projects planned by the State government would require a wide base of skilled and professional personnel to complete, and the best way to do this would be to invest in a new technical institution. Finally, in June 1960, the State Government approved the establishment of a new institute of technology.

The modern day successor to Perth Technical College is Technical and Further Education (TAFE) which has five colleges located around Western Australia. TAFE provides Diploma level courses in Engineering and Mining with graduates eligible for Affiliate membership of Engineers Australia.

Material extracted from Heritage Perth, Wikipedia and Curtin University Websites.