The Victorian Institute of Engineers (VIE) was founded in 1883 in Melbourne, Victoria Australia.
[2] the Railway engineer Robert Watson was the first president of the institute, while other presidents included William Charles Kernot, Joshua Thomas Noble (Noble) Anderson, James Alexander Smith and John Monash.
[3] The purpose of the institute was for the creation of '...an Association where the Civil, Mechanical, Marine, Hydraulic, Mining, Agricultural, Gas, Electric, and other branches of Engineering not so enumerated will be represented, papers read, and all matters connected with these branches be discussed with a view to mutual improvement, and the cultivation of friendly relations between the Members of the different branches of the profession of Engineering'.
Members were engaged in general engineering in any of its branches, and Junior Members, between the ages of 17 and 21, were students at the University or apprenticed or articled in any branch of engineering.
[5] The Proceedings of the Victorian Institute of Engineers from 1883-1948 have been digitised, funded by Engineering Heritage Victoria, and are searchable online through University of Melbourne, Library, Digitised Collection.