Our history
The Faculty of Veterinary Science celebrated its centenary in 2009, marking 100 years of educating world-class veterinary science graduates, advancing knowledge through pioneering research, providing world-class postgraduate training and professional continuing education. The School was the first to be established in Australia, and has a proud heritage of innovation in veterinary science.
The Melbourne School of Veterinary Science has an outstanding history. Our challenge is to ensure that the next 100 years are at least as successful. I am confident that with the support of our graduates, the University and our supporters we can inspire and enable the next generation of great minds so that we will achieve this success.
Early timeline
- 1887: Veterinary Surgeons Act passed in December.
- 1888: WIlliam Tyson Kendall, the founder of the veterinary profession in Australia, opens the Veterinary College in Fitzroy as a private veterinary college.
- 1891: The first GMVC certificates were awarded
- 1906: Belle Bruce Reid becomes first female veterinarian in Australia.
- 1909: Act of Victorian Parliament (no.2174) enabled the establishment of the Veterinary School and Veterinary Research Institute at the University of Melbourne—the first university veterinary school in Australia. The first Bachelor of Veterinary Science degrees were awarded that year.
- 1919: Master of Veterinary Science first offered.
- 1928: Veterinary School closes. Veterinary Research Institute remains open until 1991, as they key diagnostic laboratory in Victoria.
- 1963: School of Veterinary Science re-opens, in response to requests from Victoria's small animal industries to the State Government for more locally-trained veterinarians.
- 1966: Werribee Clinical Centre opens (now the University Veterinary Hospital)
- 1967: PhD in Veterinary Science first offered.
The School of Veterinary Science and the University Veterinary Hospital are continuing this proud tradition of excellence in education, research and animal care into the 21st century.
Our mission
- Serving Victorian, Australian and international communities by producing world-class veterinary science graduates, who are able to solve health, welfare and management problems for a variety of domestic species (including food animal, equine and companion animal);
- Advancing knowledge through high-quality research, graduate training and professional continuing education; and,
- Engaging with industry and community groups to advance animal, human and environmental well being.
Roll of Honour
The World War I Roll of Honour board from the original University Veterinary School reminds us of the rich history of the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Melbourne and its predecessor, W.T. Kendall's Melbourne Veterinary College. The Annual Report of the Veterinary Association of Victoria that appeared in the first volume of the Australian Veterinary Journal in 1925 reports that the honour board was erected at the Veterinary School using contributions from members and Association funds. Names on this board include many illustrious figures in veterinary science, both nationally and internationally, who taught or who started their veterinary careers as undergraduates here. Brief biographical profiles and published obituaries, where available, provide us, and particularly today's students, with further appreciation of the history of the profession and the achievements of our alumni.
The Belle Bruce Reid Medal
Belle (Isabelle) Bruce Reid GMVC was the first and only woman to qualify from the Melbourne Veterinary College established by W.T. Kendall in January 1888.
To celebrate the centenary of the School and the contributions made by female veterinarians to the veterinary profession, the University of Melbourne Faculty of Veterinary Science established the Belle Bruce Reid Honour Roll on 28 November 2006. The 100 female veterinarians named on this roll include women who graduated overseas and made their contributions in Australia, and women who graduated from veterinary schools in Australia and made their contributions anywhere in the world.