The Ballarat Christian College ’Yesterday Until Today’ publication takes you on the journey of BalCC from commencement in 1985 until today. We hope you enjoy reading and learning more about our College.
Since 1985 a dedicated team of teachers, office staff, students and parents have helped develop Ballarat Christian College into what it is today.
The College is a testimony to God’s goodness in Ballarat. What once began as 22 students has grown to over 360 students who use a range of facilities to learn in a God-centred environment to reach their God-given potential.
BalCC 1985 - 1990
A small group of parents met in the early 1980s with a view to establishing a Christian school in Ballarat. Eventually, a steering committee decided to commence in 1985 with one teacher. Under the leadership of inaugural Principal Mr Winston Broad, 22 students began their schooling at Carmel Christian Community School, with assistance from Mrs Rosemary Lindner in the infant section. The school adopted ‘Serve one another in love’ as the school motto in 1988. The school was hosted on the grounds of the Carmel Welsh Presbyterian Church, meeting first in the Bethel Hall, before modular buildings were purchased and installed on adjacent land leased from the church. Toward the end of the first five-year period, land was purchased in Vickers Street Sebastopol. Works were undertaken, including the building of the initial brick staffroom and toilet block. Near the end of 1990, the modular buildings were transported up from Carmel Welsh and sited where they are today.
Founding Families
We would like to pay tribute to the first families who sent their children to Carmel Christian Community School as pioneer students.
The ‘Brief History of the School’ written to celebrate the tenth anniversary in 1995 lists the fifteen families whose twenty two children made up the students who began at the school in February 1985. These families are:
Doeland
Easton
Forte
Gamble
Hawkins
Horwood
Lindorff
May
McCandlish
Paine
Parsons
Rasmussen
Sheen
Taylor
BalCC 1991 - 1995
The new site at Vickers Street was opened for the start of the 1991 school year. Later that year, the school’s name changed to Sebastopol Christian Community School, to better reflect its new location. An elected School Council of parents responsible for prayer support, fellowship activities and fundraising, was formed. Mr Terry Pert commenced his seven-year tenure as Principal in 1992, which was to be the longest tenure up to that point of time. In 1994, seven representatives of seven churches joined with parents to expand and consolidate a playground and school kitchen.
LARGE ENOUGH TO LEARN SMALL ENOUGH TO CARE
BalCC 1996 - 2000
Carmel/Sebastopol Christian Community School attempted to expand their education offering into secondary schooling, but without success. After the second attempt in 1998 failed to gain necessary funding support from the Commonwealth, a small group of parents turned to Christian Schools System to commence a separate Christian secondary school. In 1999, Ballarat Christian College commenced with 22 students enrolled in Years 7 and 8, leasing the former Seventh-Day Adventist Primary school at 11-13 Yarrowee Street. Mr Peter McNamara was the first Principal, supported by a small teaching staff and very supportive parents and friends. At the end of 2000, the inaugural Board Chair of the Carmel/Sebastopol Christian Community School, Mr Neville Hawkins, handed over the reins to Pastor Rob Bailey, who served in that capacity until the merger of the two schools.
BalCC 2001 - 2005
These five years were busy and exciting years in both schools, but possibly the major focus was on the secondary college as it grew and expanded towards offering a full Year 7 to 12 education. Midway through 2001 Dr John Fisher became Principal and it was evident that there was no longer sufficient space for all the classes at the original site. Land was leased from the Primary School and modular buildings installed. For one year the secondary school operated across the two campuses, before fully locating to the site next to the Primary School.
In 2003 the first Year 12 students graduated with their Victorian Certificate of Education. Mr Geoff Gay was Principal from the beginning of 2004 through until Term 3 2005, during which time secondary enrolments grew to just under 100 students. During the latter part of this period, discussions commenced between the two schools about the possibility of merging. By the end of this period, the two school Boards had unanimously agreed to merge the two schools, and that Mr Kerry Hutton would arrive in Term 2 in 2006 to assume the Principalship of both schools leading to the formalisation of the merger.
Galatians 5:13
BalCC 2006 - 2010
In Term 2 2006 Mr Kerry Hutton commenced as Principal of both the Primary and Secondary schools. Although still two separate legal entities, Mr Hutton immediately set about bringing the operation of the two schools together. By the time the merger was officially affected in January 2007, the ‘new’ school was operating effectively as a single school with around 160 students and a teaching staff of 20. The College began to gain a reputation as a viable alternative for parents desirous of their children gaining a quality education that not only was the equal of other Ballarat schools, but also offered a Christian distinctive as a normal part of its curriculum. The physical presentation of the school began to change during this time as the College’s Master Plan was implemented. The first step in this plan involved constructing a substantial building to house administration, a new Science and Art facility, and a spacious staff centre. This building was completed and dedicated in November 2008. With the announcement of the Federal Government’s ‘Building the Education Revolution’ program the College, with Master Plan in hand, was successful in obtaining funding to build a $2 million Multi-Purpose Centre. Construction commenced in June 2009 with the dedication of the new facility in May 2010.
Kerry Hutton
Principal
2006-2015
During his time as Principal at BalCC Mr Kerry Hutton was instrumental in the building and establishment of our Main Administration Building, Trade Training Centre, Multi-Purpose Centre and Lower Secondary building (formerly Middle School building), along with the purchase of additional land that saw the College ovals developed. He also helped mould the two separate schools into one Prep-Year 12 College helping to unify the staff and students and follow the vision of being a truly Christ-centred College that allows students to reach their God-given potential.
Mr Hutton passed away in late December 2022 after a short illness. A commemoration service was held at Ballarat Christian College for Mr Hutton on the 8 August 2023. During the service it was announced that the Multi-Purpose Centre would be renamed the Kerry Hutton Centre, as an acknowledgement of the College community’s gratitude for the vision, energy and commitment Mr Hutton showed during his time as Principal at BalCC.
BalCC 2011 - 2015
Development works continued around the College with Stage 1 of the Middle School Complex (now known as the Lower Secondary Wing) being opened in 2012, and the Trade Training Centre in 2013.
BalCC 2016 - 2020
During this period student enrolment numbers were consistently around 300, with over 60 staff employed. In January 2016 Mr Michael Stewart commenced as the College’s Principal, serving for three years. Mr Stewart was instrumental in the establishment of a Learning Enhancement Centre and the improvement of the College’s presentation. In 2016 the College committed to a Strategic Plan (20172020) and commenced a revision of the campus Master Plan. Stage 2 of the Middle School Complex (now known as the Lower Secondary Wing) was completed in mid-2016 and officially opened by Senator Jane Hume. Mr Ken Nuridin (formerly Head of Primary) commenced as Principal in Term 2 of 2019. In November 2019 the Neville Hawkins Wing was officially opened. The $1.4 million Primary Wing consists of five classrooms (Prep-Middle Primary), a storeroom/office, a dedicated LOTE classroom and toilets. During the opening speeches Principal Ken Nuridin said “BalCC would not exist today were it not for the vision, commitment and hard work of the pioneers who commenced the College thirty-five years ago and of the familiar phrase “we stand on the shoulders of those who went before”. City of Ballarat Councillor Samantha McIntosh, BalCC Board Chairman Ross Coventry and Neville Hawkins officially opened the building and cut the cake. The classrooms were open for visitors to tour before the official ceremony and morning tea, with several past Principals and teachers attending the opening.
Ken Nuridin
Ken’s connection with Ballarat Christian College goes back to 1993, when his eldest daughter commenced at the College in Year 1. Ken began teaching here ten years later as the Year 5/6 teacher, then the Prep/1 teacher in 2005-06, followed by the Year 3/4 class in 2007. By this time the Primary School had merged with the Ballarat Christian College (Secondary) and Ken had taken on the role of Primary Coordinator, then Head of Primary (later Junior School) before becoming Principal in 2019. In later years Ken has taught throughout Secondary, including Lower Secondary HASS and Year 12 History (Revolutions) and Year 11 Business Management.
MOVING FORWARD
BalCC 2021 - Today
Improvement works continued around campus with the upgrade of the creek area to have more green space and seating areas, the installation of a Fitness Hub in the Secondary school and the commencement of Café 6:8 in mid-2023. On 8 August 2023 the Multi-Purpose Centre was renamed the Kerry Hutton Centre, following the passing of former Principal Kerry Hutton in late December 2022 after a short illness.
As we move forward into the future, the College community - staff, students, parents and friends - recognises the pioneering work done by the dedicated effort of a few in the early 1980s and late 1990s to bring about the establishment of the current primary and secondary schools.
Much more though, we are all aware of and thankful for, God’s hand on both predecessor schools, and His enabling of the hundreds of people who have played a part in realising the vision of education with a Christian distinctive in Ballarat.
The College’s commitment to good stewardship, as an important aspect of its Christian duty, has resulted in various programs, structures and buildings which are environmentally responsible. With assistance from both Australian and Victorian governments, Ballarat Christian College is building a practical yet attractive facility to enable it to educate and nurture the children in its care.
The collections can be worn all year around and are interchangeable within each collection, and are a combination of contemporary updates, existing uniform items and the introduction of new uniform items.
For more information about our uniform, please go to our website: balcc.vic.edu.au/college-life#uniform
Emily Lanyon - Graduating Class of 2013
My time at Ballarat Christian College was a positive experience before I launched into the crazy world of university and career. Professionally, the subjects I chose were successful in getting me into the field I wanted and set me up for a positive start as a marketer. Business Management, Visual Communications and Psychology all assisted in my studies at RMIT.
Personally, the Christian environment at BalCC set me up well for combatting the world of university and work, making sure I stayed connected in Christian spheres throughout university. The knowledge I gained about the Christian worldview at BalCC meant I could make sense of life beyond school and could connect with people from all worldviews and walks of life.
Ross GraduatingWeightman Class of 2014
The leadership roles I fulfilled at BalCC helped me to take on bigger roles in the wider community, such as captaining the Youth League Miners team, coming back to BalCC to coach the Bullets Basketball team in 2015 and 2016 and running coaching clinics for basketball. Although your time at school is brief, make the most of your time there because it’s so important and will lay the foundations for your future.
Emily Ridge - Graduating Class of 2019
My time at BalCC was encouraging as teachers would always walk past and greet you with a smile. I loved being at a faithbased school, as this not only strengthened my worldviews as a Christian to be ready for the challenges ahead, but it also helped me to achieve the education I needed to follow into my passion of being a teacher. During my time at university, I have stayed connected to my fellow teachers and students, which has blessed me with the opportunities of coming back to the College for the third placement in my course.
It has been a privilege to come back and see the constant growth that the College has experienced and the continuing improvements that will benefit the College facilities and grounds for the staff and future generations of the College. During my placement at the College, I have been able to spend time in the Lower Primary classrooms, where there were abundant resources that I could use and incorporate into my teaching practice. I was blessed with so much support and it has been amazing to enjoy all the new improvements that the primary school has to offer! It has also been wonderful to observe the values that the College upholds in all learning and teaching moments.
COLLEGE FACILITIES
Administration
The Main Administration Building was constructed and opened in 2008. As well as housing the general administrative functions of the College, this purpose-built building includes Science Classroom/Lab and preparation area, Food Technology Kitchen, Canteen, and Conference Room.
Primary & Neville Hawkins Wing
Our Primary School is predominately housed in its own precinct, whilst having access to facilities across the larger College campus. We provide a safe, stimulating learning space and an inclusive environment within our Primary classrooms; with both outdoor and undercover play areas. Student engagement and positive and co-operative indoor and outdoor behaviours on the College campus are prioritised.
In 2019 a $1.4 million Primary Wing consisting of five classrooms (Prep-Middle Primary), a storeroom/office, a dedicated LOTE classroom and toilets was erected. This building was named the ‘Neville Hawkins Wing’ in recognition of the contributions made to BalCC by former Board Chair and Director, Neville Hawkins.
Neville Hawkins
1984 - 2000
Founding Chair
Neville Hawkins was the inaugural Board Chairman of the Steering Committee for Carmel Christian Community School in 1985 and remained on the board until 2000 and served the school in many ways in the first ten years of the school’s existence. As the Lay Pastor of Carmel Welsh Presbyterian Church, he was the Chairman of the Interim Board from 1984 to 1987 at which time the school became an incorporated association, and he took on the role of President of the Incorporated Association Board of the school. Throughout the first 15 years of the school, he was also Administrator, Bursar, Groundsman, and above all a visionary! All of this was done in a voluntary capacity.
Mr Hawkins dealt with the many obstacles that seemed to be put in the way of the school as it sought to establish itself on the Carmel site and also later on the Vickers St site, and his vision made it possible for the school to grow beyond its early days at Carmel and to develop the Vickers Street site as a base for future expansion. In 2019 the newly erected Primary Wing was named the ‘Neville Hawkins Wing’ in recognition of the contributions made by him to the College over many years. The Hawkins family were also one of the founding families in 1985.
COLLEGE FACILITIES
Secondary
Our Secondary students are provided with an educational setting that allows them to grow in their personal and intellectual development. At this time in their lives students have a great desire for identity and independence, and the necessary support is given to them as they progress through their secondary years.
Students are guided along a path to self-confidence that allows them to develop personal value systems by which they may become thoughtful members of local communities and the world at large.
In April 2013 Stage 1 of the Middle School Complex (now known as the Lower Secondary Wing) was completed with two classrooms. A further two classrooms and toilet facilities were completed during Stage 2 in 2016 and now houses our Lower Secondary school students. The building also provides a covered area between the classrooms for students to shelter from the weather if needed.
COLLEGE FACILITIES
Kerry Hutton Centre
Our Kerry Hutton Centre (KHC) contains a full basketball and netball court, change rooms and offices, catering facilities, and a large mezzanine area. The main downstairs area of the KHC is used for sporting activities, College assemblies and chapels, programs and events including our annual Primary Concert, Art & Technology Show, and Celebration Evening.
The mezzanine area provides additional learning space for Performing Arts and can also be used for smaller College functions and events.
COLLEGE FACILITIES
Trade Training Centre
Our Trade Training Centre was purpose built in 2013 with funding from the Australian government, and is the only TTC in the Ballarat district.
The TTC building offers:
• Sheet metal, machining and fabrication sections
• A Fashion Design studio
• A separate classroom for theory sessions
• A preparation room, equipped with industrial machining equipment
• Material storage areas
• An external construction yard for large projects
The TTC is a light and bright space that features safety zones, dust extractors, and fantastic heating. The College offers a range of VCE, VCE VM (Vocational Major) and VET subjects for students from Year 9-12.
Brendan Thomas
Graduating class of 2016
My time at Ballarat Christian College was phenomenal. The caring teachers helped me become a person of integrity, dependability, passion, and faith. Ballarat Christian College was not just a school, not just an education, but it was also a community. I loved having a great relationship with fellow students and teachers. The teachers constantly encouraged me not only in my faith, but also towards my education, making sure that they helped me achieve and steer me towards what I was passionate about.
I loved the range of co-curricular activities that the College hosts, especially the energy breakthrough team, South Star Warriors.
I joined the team in Year 7 and loved attending the after-school programme, building, modifying, and engineering the trikes to race at races around Australia. South Star Warriors was a massive influence on me and sparked my interest in engineering and metal fabrication.
COLLEGE FACILITIES
Learning Enhancement Centre
Our Learning Enhancement Centre (LEC) is a purpose-built space supporting the learning needs of many students throughout the College. The LEC is a hub providing targeted assistance for students with additional needs, extension groups, students requiring literacy and numeracy support, and our gifted and talented program, ‘Elev8 & Extend Learning Program’.
COLLEGE
Creek & Play Areas
The College has developed a main playing field, oval, cricket pitch, hard court and basketball courts. Adventure playgrounds, giant chessboard and cubby houses offer a variety of creative play opportunities for students. Various lawn and green areas provide comfortable and safe passive areas for the enjoyment of students, parents and staff.
The Creek, a “built” natural environment provides our students with opportunities for learning and investigation, as well as a green space for students to enjoy during class and break times.
Established in 2023 Café 6:8 provides a hospitality and catering space for the whole College, as well as being an integral part of the Year 9 Micah 6:8 program.
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 (NIV)
Alongside the core curriculum Year 9 students participate in Micah 6:8, a program designed to build resilience and life skills; it encompasses subjects such as Careers and Health & Physical Education (HPE), as well as tying in with the requirements for The Duke of Edinburgh Award - Bronze. During the program students focus on areas such as resilience, mental health, life skills, voluntary service, and physical recreation skills.
The program runs one day each week and involves the Year 9 students working in groups to run Café 6:8, mentor Primary students, work in the College Garden, and participate in outside work. As part of the program students obtain certificates in Food Safety, First Aid, Job skills and Barista and Café skills.
