King's College, Warrnambool
King's College, Warrnambool, is an independent coeducational Christian school located in Warrnambool, Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1986 and is owned by the Presbyterian Church of Victoria. It provides classes from Kindergarten through to Year 12.
| King's College | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| |
44 Balmoral Road Warrnambool , Victoria , 3280 Australia | |
| Coordinates | 38°21′42.6″S 142°30′22.2″E |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent, co-educational |
| Denomination | Presbyterian |
| Established | 1986 |
| Founder | Neil Benfell |
| Status | Open |
| Principal | Allister Rouse |
| Deputy principal | Michael Tucker |
| Staff | 60 |
| Years offered | Kinder to Year 12 |
| Gender | Co-educational |
| Enrolment | 410 (2013) |
| Houses | Knox, Luther and Calvin. |
| Colour(s) | Navy and maroon |
| Slogan | Faith, Knowledge & Wisdom in Christ |
| Song | Jesus is our King Forever |
| Communities served | Warrnambool and District |
| Website | kings |
Campus
King's College has one campus, located in Warrnambool. It is set on a large site (14 hectares).
History
In 1983 members of the Presbyterian church in Warrnambool began discussing the possibility of establishing a school for the large Christian community. After a lot of prayer and planning, the school was registered in August 1984 as 'Warrnambool Presbyterian School Ltd'. The following year the Balmoral Road location was purchased for $93,000. It was, at that stage, just empty paddocks on the outskirts of town.
In 1986, King's College opened, using a small room they had rented in town. There were 19 students. The following year they moved to the Balmoral Road site, where some portable classrooms were set up and the first building (a toilet block) constructed. There were 26 students that year.
1990 saw the appointment of King's College's first principal, Peter Bosker. There were 106 students enrolled that year. Bosker served as principal for 3 years and Neil Benfell took over. Benfell was not new to the school, however, as the founding of the school is largely attributed to him.
In 1997, King's College began to offer preschool classes, and in 1998 they began to branch into secondary schooling. This involved an initial class of year 7s in 1998, who became the first of each year level as they progressed through. This meant that the first year 12's graduated from King's College in December 2003.
Ian McKay took over as principal from 2011 to 2016, when Neil Benfell retired after serving the college for almost two decades.
Governance
Warrnambool Presbyterian School Ltd. is the not-for-profit company that owns King's College. The company is part of the Warrnambool Presbyterian Church. The members of the school council function as the directors of the company: twelve members who serve a three-year term (although many serve multiple terms and have been council members for decades). These members are appointed by the elders of the Warrnambool Presbyterian Church, and while they may choose people who are not Presbyterians, members must affirm the Presbyterian Church of Victoria's statement of faith, and uphold their doctrines. All staff members are also expected to affirm and teach according to this.
Other Information
- There were initially two school houses: Loch Ard (blue) and Napier (yellow) – both historical shipwrecks in the local area. In 2011 these were replaced by three houses: Calvin (red), Knox (purple) and Luther (blue). These are named after men who were historically significant in the Protestant Reformation, John Calvin, John Knox, and Martin Luther, a nod to the school's Presbyterian faith.