ABSTRACT Understandings of architectural education in nineteenth century colonial Australia have generally focused on either formal articles or tertiary institutions. Presented as the official pathways into the profession, this framework has provided a limited viewpoint of the architectural community, concealing the diverse formative experiences of architects. Without a legal mechanism to define who could practice as an architect, the architectural community remained open and porous, with individuals having obtained different levels of education. This professional fluidity created a ready market for architectural education. From the earliest years of European colonisation until the end of the nineteenth century, private and public institutions offered classes in architecture, which provided an alternative pathway into the profession and undermined the apparent dominance of undertaking articles. This process was particularly pronounced in the colony of Victoria, home to Australia’s largest nineteenth century architectural community. This paper argues that examining these alternative avenues for education is critical to understanding the nineteenth century architectural community, the lives of individual architects, as well as the broader aims of colonial society. Ultimately, the localised nature of this education helped promote an Australian design aesthetic and encouraged a divergence from British precedent.