Monash University, Peninsula campus


The Peninsula campus of Monash University is Monash's third-largest campus, with close to 4000 students and almost 300 staff. The campus is located at the "Gateway to the Mornington Peninsula", in the Bayside suburb of Frankston. It continues to specialise in its historical strengths of health and early childhood education. Monash teaching in primary education, nursing and physiotherapy are all based at Peninsula Campus. The campus offers programs from undergraduate through to PhD level. It has research strengths in health and well-being, education and business. At any one time, there are around 100 higher degree by research students at Peninsula Campus.

History

The Peninsula Campus of Monash University was originally a teacher's college, which opened in 1959. It was based in the historic Struan House, an early 20th-century building which is now the Monash Peninsula Postgraduate Studies Centre. The College gained independence and state funding in the early 1970s, and from 1974 was known as the State College at Frankston. During this time, it educated many teachers who went on to become quite well known in children's education, such as author Paul Jennings.
In 1982, the College merged with the Caulfield Institute of Technology to form the Chisholm Institute of Technology. By the end of the decade, Federal Government reforms to higher education in Australia made it clear that smaller degree-providing institutions would have to merge with larger ones. As a result, both Caulfield and Peninsula Chisholm campuses merged with Monash University in 1990, as part of the University's massive expansion. During the 1990s, Monash Vice-Chancellor Mal Logan was able to secure tens of millions of dollars worth of government grants to undertake an expansion and redevelopment of the Peninsula Campus.

Facilities

Major facilities at Peninsula campus complement its teaching and research strengths. In addition to theatres, cafes, restaurants and a major library, the campus is home to the Peninsula Hockey Centre and the Peninsula Education Precinct. Further, Monash and all levels of Australian government are currently in the final stages of planning the $30 million Frankston Regional Aquatic, Health and Wellness Centre, to be located in the north-west corner of the campus.
Monash University is investing $50 million in upgrading the Peninsula campus facilities.
As part of the $138 million Health Futures Hub proposal $21 million is to be spent for specific initiatives including:
The Labor Government will also contribute $21 million for the Health Futures Hub.