Our story

The idea of a local, independent, Christian school came from a group of parishioners at St John’s Anglican Church, Upper Beaconsfield in 1980. By March 1981 a steering committee was formed, with John McConchie appointed as Chairman.

With considerable local interest in such a school, John McConchie called a public meeting at the Pakenham Hall on 11 March, 1981, attended by around 250 people. This meeting ratified the proposal for an ecumenical, co-educational, low-fee secondary school, along the lines of the Christian Community Colleges already established at Maryborough, Portland, Newhaven and Woodend.

The College was established with the support of three local parishes; St John’s Anglican Church in Upper Beaconsfield, St James’ Anglican Church in Pakenham and Pakenham Uniting Church.

The school officially opened in 1982 with just 34 students and five staff. Frank Millett was the founding Principal until 1988. John McConchie remained as Chairman of the College Board until 1986.

As the local community grew, so did we! By 1988 the College had 388 students and 30 teachers, blossoming to more than 1000 students a decade later. Little Beacons Learning Centre was established in 2007, moving onto the Pakenham Campus in 2013.

A multicampus College

2003 marked the realisation of our vision to become a multicampus College, with the opening of Beaconhills in Berwick. By then we had 190 staff and 1636 students across both campuses. As the College’s international program flourished, in 2019 a modern new boarding residence next to the Pakenham Campus opened. Beaconhills is currently the only school in the Casey/Cardinia region offering boarding.

In 2020 a second Little Beacons Learning Centre opened on the Berwick Campus, making both campuses Early Learning to Year 12. Today the College has around 3000 students.