1890s to 1930s - North Gippsland School of Mines (Sale) and the Bairnsdale District School of Mines and Industries are established.

1940s to 1970s - Bairnsdale Technical School incorporates the School of Mines and Industries, and offers co-education for female students.

1986 - Bairnsdale School of Mines and the Sale and Bairnsdale Technical School amalgamate to create the East Gippsland Community College of TAFE. The College is planned as a multi-campus community institute designed to be flexible and responsive in order to meet the geographic, demographic and socio-economic challenges of the region.

1987 - Dairy farm on Aerodrome Road, Sale purchased to relieve pressure on TAFE students who have been sharing premises with the Sale Technical School.

1988 - First social and community services programs offered, and Victorian Certificate of Education offered via telematics. 1990 Sale campus relocates temporarily to ‘Drome Rd’ pending refurbishment of the newly acquired National Safety Council property at West Sale (Fulham).

1992 - Primary Industries School created by the amalgamation of the TAFE Rural Studies Department with the Sale and Bairnsdale branches of the Victorian College of Agriculture and Horticulture (McMillan).

1993 - In partnership with RMIT University, East Gippsland TAFE offers a B Nursing from Sale and first year of B Business from Bairnsdale.

1995 - Community College becomes the East Gippsland Institute of Technology. Its commercial (SEATS) and maritime training (Seamec) arms are established, and the Koori Unit becomes a specialist unit in its own right.

1996 - First international linkages are formed with Weifang City Council (Shandong Province, China) and the first intake of Division 1 Nursing commences at Bairnsdale.

1997 - Forestech campus in the Colquhoun State Forest at Kalimna West, and the Flexible Learning Centre in Sale open. 2000 National graduate satisfaction survey ranks East Gippsland TAFE as the highest quality provider in Victoria.

2002 - New building no. 2 opened at Bairnsdale, and government selected measures ranks East Gippsland TAFE as Victoria’s highest performing TAFE Institute.

2003 - In partnership with RMIT University, East Gippsland TAFE delivers the 3-year B Commerce.

2004 - Education centre on Bullock Island at Lakes Entrance opens as home for Seamec and aquaculture research facility for RMIT University.

2005 - Aviation training commences and the Equine Study Centre opens at ‘Drome Rd’.

2006 - Specialist Trade Centre opened at Bairnsdale West. The old automotive training building is refurbished for hospitality training, and includes the Oaktree Restaurant. Bairnsdale’s outdoor sculpture is commissioned to celebrate the Institute’s 20th anniversary.

2007 - TAFE Work Safety Centre opened at Sale and the first aero skills apprentices graduate.

2008 - East Gippsland TAFE is awarded ‘Gold’ status for training excellence and becomes the only Victorian TAFE Institute to be recognised as an outstanding training organization under the Australian Quality Framework Excellence Criteria.

2009 - The Australian Technical Colleges at Sale and Bairnsdale are amalgamated with East Gippsland TAFE and form the Institute’s G-TEC campuses.

2010 - In partnership with Deakin University, East Gippsland TAFE delivers the Associate Degree of Arts, Business and Sciences. All main campuses are linked via broadband, with wireless connectivity to internal networks and the internet.

2011 - In partnership with University of Ballarat, East Gippsland TAFE delivers the B Business at Sale.

On 16 November East Gippsland TAFE announced its new name - Advance TAFE.