The College of Domestic Science was founded in 1906 with a young teacher,
Annie Mabel Sandes, as its superintendent. She was appointed in June and the college opened in October. She taught classes in the day and in the evenings and ran all aspects from establishing curriculums, building maintenance and marking examinations. It was not until 1911 that the college began to train domestic science teachers although the college's students had already been selling the meals that they cooked to raise funds for the college. Sandes had her wages increased only after she resigned in protest, but she was also given additional responsibilities. When she left in 1916 to marry, the local paper lauded her contributions. During the 1920s,
Melbourne businessman
Sir William McPherson donated £25,000 (
≈ A$2.3 million in 2023) towards a college of
domestic science exclusively for women; which was named in honour of his wife Lady Emily McPherson. Sir
William McPherson was a former Treasurer of Victoria and he was later Premier. The building opened in 1927, and was designed by then state architect Evan Smith, in simplified
Neo-Grec architecture and
Beaux-Arts style. In 1941
Ruby Gainfort was made the acting principal and she was noted for championing the skills that the college was creating while also supporting both students and teachers during wartime. She stayed until 1946. The Ethel Osborne Wing opened in 1950, and was designed by then state architect
Percy Everett. The building was awarded the second ever
Victorian Architecture Medal in 1930 known at the time as the RVIA Street Architecture Medal.
Opening The college, on the corner of
Russell Street and
Victoria Street adjacent to the
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, was officially opened on 27 April 1927 by the
Duchess of York (later
Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother), during a royal visit to Australia by her and her husband, the
Duke of York (later
George VI.)
The Age newspaper later estimated that a crowd of 5,000 people and dignitaries gathered outside the new college, with a guard of honour formed by students from schools as far afield as
Ballarat and
Bendigo, to witness the Duchess officially open the college with a
gold key and unveil a
commemorative plaque and bust of Lady McPherson:
Dr Ethel Osborne, who had invited the Duchess to open the college, then presented her with the first
diploma issued by the college stating that the Duchess "had set all Australians an example of home life". Upon accepting the diploma, the Duchess thanked Dr Osborne and said "it will always be a delightful memento but one of which I am afraid I am not worthy!". ==Present college building==