SAPPHIRE Coast Anglican College is celebrating its 20th birthday this year.
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Here's a look back at the story and images of its establishment and growth.
IN SEPTEMBER 1992, a group of Christian parents held a public meeting in Bega to gauge community interest in starting a Christian school.
The goal was to establish a school in which every aspect of philosophy, policy and practice would reflect a Christian world view, and create a learning community in which students would have the opportunity to explore how Christian faith permeates throughout one’s life.
Within 14 months, Bega Valley Christian College opened in 1994 as a Christian parent-controlled school on premises originally built to be an export abattoir in the early 1970s.
The school was managed by an association of parents and governed by a board of local Christian parents, committed to building a college that would both nurture and challenge young men and women in the Bega Valley.
The motto of the college at that time was “Knowledge – Wisdom – Service”.
This encapsulated the idea that the knowledge students acquire would develop wisdom that would lead to constructive service in the community.
The founding principal was Geoff Bowser, and founding teachers were Ron Mackenzie and Kim Sinclair.
In its first year, 1994, the college had 36 primary students in two classes.
By 1995, there were 80 students, including 25 Year 7 students who launched the secondary school.
For several years from 1995 there were an additional 100 students annually, reaching a maximum of more than 600.
The first Year 12 class at the college was in 2000.
A second primary campus was based in Pambula and served that community from 1996-2011.
Mr Bowser was followed by Stephen Webb (2003-04) as principal before Campbell Stewart (2005-08) oversaw the transition from BVCC to Sapphire Coast Anglican College.
The governance of Bega Valley Christian College was transferred to the Anglican Diocesan Schools Council of Canberra-Goulburn in 2007.
During this period of change, the majority of staff remained at the school, providing a sense of continuity.
In 2009, the South Coast Anglican Schools Group was created to allow the Anglican Diocesan Schools Council to manage two colleges simultaneously under one governing board - Sapphire Coast Anglican College at Bega and St Peter’s Anglican College at Broulee.
Tony Horsley (2009-13) was appointed executive principal over the two colleges.
The colleges have continued to establish themselves in their respective communities on the Far South Coast.
Andrew Duchesne, who has been a staff member since 2003, was appointed head of college in 2011 and is the current principal.