Pedare: A Rich Heritage
Our Founding Parishes
The vision for the establishment of Pedare Christian College in the Golden Grove area came from the local Anglican parishes of Tea Tree Gully and Modbury and the Uniting Church parishes of Tea Tree Gully and Golden Grove.
The motivation for the founders was a recognition that we live in an age when education is focusing increasingly on “whole of life” skills rather than just the traditional technical skills of the formal academic curriculum.
Since such teaching can only have meaning within an assumed foundation of beliefs and values, it is increasingly important that there be available to parents the option of an education for their children in a Christian values environment.
The Golden Grove Campus
In 1984 Delfin Management Services, who were developing the land in the Golden Grove area in association with the Urban Land Trust, and were planning a “Joint Schools” project for the area, contacted the Pedare foundation planning committee to see if Pedare was interested in joining the scheme, which would also include a Catholic College and a State High School. Pedare agreed, and the proposal went forward.
A Past is Reborn
The name “Pedare” was given to a vineyard established by the Tolley family on Ladywood Drive, Modbury. It was a name formed from the first two letters of the names of the three sons of Mr Leonard J Tolley, Peter, David and Reginald. Although the site for the College was originally planned to be on the Tolley vineyard land at Modbury, the present location in Golden Grove was subsequently decided upon following the decision to participate in the Joint Schools project.
As recognition to our past pioneers, the name Pedare was chosen for the new College, which became Pedare Christian College. Today, we maintain a small section of the original vineyard at our Surrey Farm Campus.
Photo courtesy of the City of Tea Tree Gully council.
Another link with the history of the region is expressed through the names of the College communities, which came from farms that originally occupied land on or adjacent to the present College site. They are: Brooklyn, from Brooklyn Villa Farm; Eldergreen, from Elder Green Farm; Greenwith, from Greenwith Farm; Hillcott, from Hillcott Farm and Surrey, from Surrey Farm.
Our College Begins
The College opened its doors in 1986 with 90 students in Years 7 and 8. By 1990 the College had grown to accommodate all secondary levels of education (Years 8 to 12) together with a single Year 7 class.
During 1991, the Board decided to expand the College to include a Primary Campus, with the primary component commencing in 1993 on a nearby site on Bicentennial Drive, Golden Grove.
At the commencement of 2005, the year 6 and 7 classes moved to the Surrey Farm Campus therefore establishing Middle Schooling on the one Campus. With this move, the identities of the three sub-schools were achieved, with the Junior Schooling Campus at Bicentennial Drive, and Middle and Senior Schooling at Surrey Farm Campus.
On 1 November 2005, a 20 year Celebration Ceremony was held in the College Chapel and time capsules were blessed and buried and the College’s past and present successes were remembered.
Today, our R-12 College provides quality education to approximately 1100 students, servicing the north-eastern suburbs of Adelaide.
College Governance
Pedare is an Anglican and Uniting Church School. The College is independent and non-systemic, that is, it is not a part of a system of schools such as those of the Catholic and Lutheran Churches in South Australia. However, the College is affiliated with other Anglican schools through membership of the Anglican Heads Group, The Uniting Educational Ministries Commission and with other independent schools through its membership of the Association of Independent Schools of South Australia.
Founding and Supporting Churches
Founding and supporting church websites or contact details are provided:
- St Luke's Anglican Church - Modbury
- St Wilfrid's Anglican Church - Tea Tree Gully
- Tea Tree Gully Uniting Church - Banksia Park
- Golden Grove Uniting Church - One Tree Hill Rd, Golden Grove. Phone: (08) 8289 2624
- The Journey Christian Church - Golden Grove
- St Mark's Anglican Church - Cnr The Golden Way & Wynn Vale Drive, Wynn Vale. Phone: (08) 8289 4003.
