Gordon Institute of TAFE 3.53

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 (2007).The Gordon has campuses in Geelong, Warrnambool, Victoria, Colac, Victoria, East Geelong, Victoria, Waurn Ponds, Victoria and Werribee, Victoria. It was named after General Charles George Gordon after his death at the Siege of Khartoum.HistoryThe Gordon Institute of TAFE was opened in 1888 as the Gordon Memorial Technical College.The college had its beginnings in 1885, when 500 people met at the Geelong Town Hall to decide upon a memorial to General Charles George Gordon, who died at Khartoum in January 1885. William Humble (owner of the Vulcan Foundry) and George link (Matthew Flinders school headmaster) decided that a school of art be erected in his honour.The foundation stone was laid in July 1887 for the first building, Davidson Hall. The land selected for the school was originally part of Johnstone Park, Geelong. January 16, 1888 saw the first term at the Gordon Memorial Technical College commence. There were 63 students enrolled, in subjects ranging from mechanical drawing, to architecture, and languages.