Concordia College (South Australia)

Concordia College
Location
Highgate, SA Australia
Coordinates	-34.959785, 138.617618
Information
Type	Co-educational Lutheran School
Motto	Fortiter in Re, Suaviter in Modo (Firm in Principle, Gentle in Manner)
Religious affiliation(s)	Lutheran Church of Australia
Established	1890
Chair	Sylvia Andersons (Chairperson) Barry Kahl (Vice Chairperson)
Principal	Mr Paul Weinert, Concordia Campus Mr Michael Paech, St John's Campus
Chaplain	Pastor Dale Gosden
Staff	197
Teaching staff	122
Years offered	ELC-12
Enrolment	1264 (2017)
Average class size	25 Students (Junior & Middle Schools)
Campuses	Concordia, St John's
Colour(s)	Blue, Gold
Yearbook	The Review
Website	concordia.sa.edu.au

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Concordia College at Murtoa, c.1890s

The College at Highgate on opening day, 1905

Gymnasium team in front of the main building, c.1921

Concordia College is an independent and co-educational Lutheran school located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1890, Concordia caters for around 1300 students from ELC to Year 12.^[3] The school has been an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School since January 2001 and offers the IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes. Concordia is a Latin word meaning "harmony".

History

The College's existence is largely due to the vision and enterprise of W. F. Peters, a Lutheran pastor in the Victorian country township of Murtoa, who purchased a private school founded there in 1887 by T. W. Boehm and established it in 1890 as a boys' college and training ground for future pastors and teachers. Lutheran leaders in South Australia recognised that the College was too important to the future of the church for it to remain in a remote country town in Victoria, so Concordia moved to its present Highgate site in 1905. Due largely to the efforts of Pastor P. B. Zweck, Concordia became a Christian co-educational secondary college in 1927, operating under the South Australian District Synod of the Lutheran Church of Australia. Today the College caters not only for Lutheran families, but for all students whose parents are prepared to support the educational program and Christian ethos.

In 2016 Concordia College amalgamated with the neighbouring St John’s Lutheran Primary School to form the new ELC to Year 12 Concordia College.

In 2018 a former Concordia teacher received a 22 month suspended sentence after pleading guilty to one count of communicating with the intent of procuring a child for sexual activity^[4]. The charge was aggravated because she was in a position of authority over her victim at the time^[5].

Campus

Concordia is located on two adjacent campuses in suburban Highgate, five kilometres south of the Adelaide city centre.^[6] The St John's Campus caters for students from Early Learning Centre to Year 6 while the Concordia Campus caters for students in Years 7 to 12. The College grounds feature a combination of historic and modern architecture. At the Concordia Campus, the buildings surround a central grassed quadrangle.

The Concordia Campus includes:

• The Chapel: The most notable of the buildings is the Chapel. The Chapel features a waterfall and fountain visible through a glass wall behind the altar, and a cross with a crown of thorns. The facility doubles as an assembly hall and a performance venue. It is also used for weddings and is made available for performances by local schools which do not have their own performance venue.
• The Suaviter: Named from the school motto, the Suaviter is one of the original school buildings, and was formerly the Chapel. Retaining its stained glass windows, it has been converted into a conference and exhibition/display centre with catering facilities, where students participating in the hospitality curriculum receive training.^[7]
• The Yangadlitya Resource Centre was opened on 29 May 2006 by Mrs Ningali Cullen, possibly the first female indigenous Concordia College student (class of 1954). The College was given permission to use the name "Yangadlitya" (meaning "for the future") by the elders of the Kaurna people, who are the traditional owners of the land on which Concordia stands. The building is of a modern design with bold colours, with facades both to the quadrangle and Winchester street. It recently has also become home to the ICT department, which keeps computers updated.
• Murtoa: A new addition to the school in 2010, this multipurpose building houses a television studio and media-editing suite as well as several multipurpose classrooms. The music centre has also been expanded into the building featuring new practice room space and a large acoustic rehearsal room. Built by Sarah Constructions, it features a modern design similar to the Yangadlitya building, including a skybridge connecting the two buildings. It was named after the town, Murtoa, Victoria, the original location of the school.
• The Hamann Wing:
  • Upstairs: Year 9 and 10 classrooms, the LOTE (Languages other the English) rooms, and an open workspace.
  • Downstairs: Offices and services.
• The Tech Centre: Facilities for woodworking, metalworking, plastics and electronics. (Also has two classrooms.)
• The Gymnasium: One big gym room (used for basketball, netball, volleyball,etc.) which can be split into two, plus a weights room, a classroom, changing rooms, administrative facilities, and a large foyer (with mirrors, which is also used for dance and other activities).
• The Atrium (formerly Maths Centre): Seven classrooms, and a storage room.
• The Nautilus Centre: Opened by His Excellency The Honourable Hieu Van Le AC, 35th Governor of South Australia in 2017, the science building includes laboratories, classrooms and associated offices.
• The Music Centre: Practice rooms, a computer room and an ensemble room.
• The Drama Centre: A configurable performance area with lights, sound and video facilities. The main performance space features a movable seating system enabling it to be used for a wide variety of corporate, drama and musical performances.
• The Canteen.
• Various outdoor sporting facilities: tennis courts, netball courts, ovals, etc.

On 31 October 2016, a new building was opened on Winchester Street containing more classrooms upstairs, as well as several administrative offices, a new Student Services Office and a Year 12 common room downstairs. Some of the Hamann wing and a locker area have been demolished to make way for this project.

Curriculum

Co-curriculum

Students can choose to participate in a range of co-curricular and extra-curricular programs and activities according to their individual interests and abilities. Co-curricular programs and activities offered include national subject competitions, career counselling and work experience, excursions, field camps and instrumental music tuition. Concordia competes in a wide range of interschool sports competitions that include the following sports: athletics, basketball, cricket, cross-country, football, netball, soccer, softball, tennis, swimming and volleyball. Year 7 students have the opportunity to be involved in the SAPSASA sports competition. Other extra-curricular programs include Middle & Senior School choirs, the annual College musical, Big Bands, School Orchestra, Concert Band, Music Ensembles (Concert Vocal, String, Percussion), Chapel music, Chess Club, Debating, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Pedal Prix, Snow Trip, Writers' Club, Mind and Body Club, Electronics Club and House competitions.

House system

As with most Australian schools, Concordia College utilises a house system. There are currently four houses, three named after three of the streets surrounding the College and the fourth, Malvern after the neighbouring suburb.

Students represent their house in a number of activities, including Sports Day, Swimming Carnival and lunchtime house sports. Students earn points for their house through participation in these activities, and the house with the most points at the conclusion of the school year is awarded the House Shield.

Alumni

Some of Concordia's notable old collegians include:

• Australian poet Ernest George Moll
• Ron Nagorcka, contemporary composer, didjeridu and keyboard player
• Errol Wayne Noack, First Australian National Service conscript to be killed in the Vietnam War
• Jay Schulz, Full Forward for Port Adelaide Football Club and previously Richmond Football Club
• James Aish, Midfielder for Collingwood Football Club
• Cameron Bayly, cyclist for OCBC Singapore Cycling Team and Search2Retain Cycling Team

See also

• List of schools in South Australia
• List of Lutheran schools in Australia

References

Further reading

• Leske, E. 1990. Concordia 100 years, Murtoa-Adelaide: a history of Concordia College, Adelaide. Concordia College, Highgate, South Australia. ISBN 0-646-00401-8.

External links

• Concordia College Website