THE University of Melbourne and Monash University have announced a joint initiative to establish a new education and research hub at Point Nepean.
The Point Nepean Research and Education Field Station is a partnership with the Australian Government, who is investing $17 million, alongside $5 million from each university.
The $27 million development will create a nationally significant centre focused on climate science, coastal environments, and cultural heritage. It will serve as a hub for research, teaching, and public programs and will include a short-stay accommodation building for up to 50 visitors.
University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Cassidy said the vision is to bring together students to work on research and teaching, particularly in areas relating to biodiversity and adaption to climate change.
“We want to utilise the local knowledge within the community, but also the amazing ecosystem that you have here, the marine environment, and get to do good research and do good teaching,” Cassidy said. “I think one of the real visions is we’ll be able to bring students down in large cohorts with the ability to combine traditional scientific teaching in the laboratory area with the local environment.”
The universities have partnered with the Australian Government and consulted with Traditional Owners. Cassidy said deep respect for the site’s cultural significance was central to each step of the project.
“We can combine Traditional knowledges with our significant investment, research strengths and education expertise to deliver positive impact to our communities across Victoria, Australia and the world,” he said.
Cassidy said they hope to work with local communities and that residents of the peninsula will be able to use the space as well.
“For the university, there’ll also be great engagement with the community as we’ll be able to use the collaborative areas and it’s got places for people to stay to become more embedded and more engaged with the community,” he said.
Monash University Provost and Senior Vice-President Professor Tim Dunne said they believe the new hub will allow for valuable opportunities to address global challenges.
“The Point Nepean Research and Education Field Station allows us to further embed ourselves socially, culturally and economically within our local communities, which will be critical to this mission of achieving positive, generational change,” Dunne said.
Both universities have undertaken measures to protect and manage the cultural heritage of the site under the approved Cultural Heritage Management Plan, which was developed in close consultation with the Bunurong Land Council Aboriginal Corporation.
The centre will be developed using an existing heritage building, with construction on the development set to begin this month at Point Nepean. It has an expected completion date of 2028.
First published in the Mornington News – 5 May 2026
