History
ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ College has a rich history as an academic and caring school, encouraging and supporting young people to be successful, independent learners.
Our school was established in 1890 in Murtoa, Victoria as a boys’ college and training ground for future pastors and teachers. Fifteen years later, it moved to the present location of its Year 7 to 12 campus in Highgate, a beautiful leafy suburb just 5km southeast of Adelaide’s CBD. In 1952 and built mostly by volunteers, St John’s Lutheran Primary School opened on the adjacent site. Our College has enjoyed a long and close association with the St John’s Lutheran Church congregation in Unley.
In 2016, ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ College and St John’s Lutheran School joined together as one College, with around 1300 students from ELC to Year 12. In 2023, St Peters Lutheran School, Blackwood, joined the College as a third campus, which caters for students from ELC to Year 6. St Peters Lutheran School was originally opened in 1999, arising out of St Peters Lutheran Church’s desire to serve its local community, and the close association between the Church and our St Peters Campus continues today.
The Heritage Trail was opened in 2015 to commemorate the 125th anniversary of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ College. It captures in stories, memories and pictures the unfolding history of the campus and buildings.
Our College Heritage Centre contains a fascinating wealth of archived material including past magazines, books, photos, uniforms and other school memorabilia. For more information, contact our Community Relations Office or email hello@concordia.edu.au
View Heritage Trail Booklet
Explore stories from our archives
ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ Today
Our Vision
Inspiring and equipping hearts, hands and minds for a world of possibilities
Our Mission
We aim to provide a vibrant education, rich in opportunities, delivered within a caring, supportive environment, empowered by the love of Jesus Christ. We seek to inspire young people to actively engage in lifelong learning, achieve their best and become global citizens who serve with an open heart.
What We Value
- Our compassionate and connected community.
- Serving others in response to the love of God.
- Nurturing high quality teaching and learning.
- Excellence in a spirit of humility and grace.
- Creativity and innovation.
- Caring for the environment as stewards of God’s creation.
- A global perspective shaped by hope and courage.
- Resilience in embracing challenges.
- Our unique heritage.
ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ College Board
The Board is responsible for ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ College’s governance, including administering and controlling the school and managing its assets. It supports the Head of College, provides links to the Church, and ensures that strategic planning and decision making are aligned to our vision and mission.
The composition of our Board follows a detailed analysis of roles and qualifications of individuals. Membership is based on the collective skills, knowledge and experience which will contribute to informed decision-making and effective governance.
As part of their role, members of the College Board serve on the following committees:
- Education
- Finance
- Gender Equity
- Governance
- Ministry
- Old ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ns' AssociationÂ
- Policy, Risk and Compliance
- Property
Current Board Members
Dr Loyd R Fyffe
Chairperson
Loyd was appointed in 2019, becoming Chair in January 2020. He also serves on the Governance and Finance Committees and is the Education Liaison.
Loyd has over 40 years’ experience in Lutheran Schools across Australia in teaching, pastoral, and leadership positions, including five principalships. Among his more recent roles, Loyd served as Deputy Director of Lutheran Education SA/NT/WA, where he was responsible for providing leadership, management and support to communities of learning across South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
Loyd has a Doctorate of Education and a Graduate Diploma in Theology, as well as other qualifications, and is a Member of the Australian College of Educators and an Accredited Member of the Australian Council of Educational Leaders.
Mark Borgas
Vice Chairperson
Mark Borgas was appointed in 2019 and chairs the Property Subcommittee.
Mark's background is in electrical and electronic engineering and he has over 30 years' experience in telecommunications. He spent the last 20 years working in Satellite Communications, providing connectivity to cruise ships, drilling rigs, and other remote locations around the world. He is now involved with various businesses as a director, mentor and investor and does some handyman work in his spare time.
Mark is an old scholar of ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥. His four daughters also attended the school.
Bruno Bellon
Bruno was appointed in 2020. He also serves on the Finance Committee and is a Director of Fortiter Investments Pty Ltd, the investment entity for the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ Foundation.
Bruno has over 30 years' experience in banking and finance, having worked for major Australian banks and the South Australian Government Financing Authority. He is currently Head of Treasury Finance and Operations for the Australian Gas Infrastructure Group. He has previously served as a Director of the Financial Services Institute of Australasia, a not-for-profit membership association for financial services professionals in Australia and New Zealand.
Bruno has a daughter, Ava, currently attending ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ College, and his wife, Bridget, is a former collegian of the school.
Bruno has a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Adelaide and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Reverend Richard Fox
Richard was appointed in 2019 as the LCA SA/NT Pastor representative and serves on the Ministry Committee.
Richard is a pastor of the Lutheran Church of Australia and is currently the director for Lutheran Media. He also served as the Business Manager for Lutheran Community Care in South Australia and as a parish pastor in Waikerie, South Australia, which included serving as the Waikerie Lutheran School pastor.
Richard has two daughters at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ and a long family legacy in the school. Richard’s wife, Kate, is an old scholar and his great grandfather was one of the 12 pastors who were first ordained at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ on the 12/12/1912.
Richard has a Bachelor of Theology and a Bachelor of Ministry from Australian Lutheran College.
Dr Kerrie Swain
Kerrie was appointed in 2019 and is the Board Representative on the Old ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ns' Association Committee.
Kerrie is currently working as a GP at a local medical practice. She is also contracted to provide medical services to the Australian Defence Force at RAAF Base Edinburgh. Kerrie has over 25 years' experience in general practice with special interests in women’s health and antenatal care. Kerrie has previously worked in hospitals, general practice, teaching and supervisory roles, and for the Royal Flying Doctor Service providing outreach services for women’s health to rural and remote communities.
Kerrie is a member of St John’s Lutheran Church. She is married to Nicholas and their two sons attend ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥.
Rina van Schalkwyk
Rina was appointed in 2020.
Rina’s background is in law and she spent five years working in South Africa as a lawyer in the National Defense Force. More recently, while living in the United States before relocating to Australia, she made a career change to counselling.
Rina is now involved with the National Redress Scheme as Counsellor at Victim Support Service, a Redress Support Service Provider, providing counselling and support to adult survivors of child sexual abuse in their engagement with the Redress Scheme. She recently began to facilitate training sessions for Blue Knot Foundation - National Centre of Excellence for Complex Trauma, and she also operates a private counselling practice. Rina has interests in the areas of mental health, wellbeing, and ethics.
Rina is a member of St John’s Lutheran Church. She is married to an old scholar, Brink, and their two children also attended ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥.
Aden Miegel
Aden was appointed to the Board in 2022 and is a member of the Policy, Risk and Compliance Committee.
Aden is an experienced environment and planning lawyer at Norman Waterhouse Lawyers and prior to that worked as an in-house lawyer for a large private company.
In addition to his legal degree, Aden also has a Bachelor of Finance from the University of Adelaide.
Aden has two sons who attend ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ College and in his spare time plays the occasional match for the Old ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ns' Cricket Club.
Dianne Eckermann
Dianne joined the Board in 2022 and chairs the Policy, Risk and Compliance Committee and is also a member of the Governance Committee. With a background in education, firstly with the South Australian Education Department and then with Lutheran Education from 1988, she has served as a teacher, a Head of School and a Principal. Her teaching career also included 15 years as a teacher at ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ College.
Most recently, Dianne was Director of Leadership with Lutheran Education Australia (LEA). She has a Master of Education and is a graduate of the Lutheran Education Australia (LEA) Millennial Principals’ Project.
Dianne's three children attended ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ College and were the third generation of the Eckermann family to do so.
Useful Links
Strategic Instructional Model
ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵֱ²¥ College School Performance Report 2023
Child Safe Policy, Child Safe Policy DefinitionsÌý²¹²Ô»åÌýChild Safe Adult Code of Conduct
Complaint Policy
Respectful Relationships Policy
Student Health, Safety and Wellbeing: Sexual Harassment Policy
Whistleblower Policy