CHOOSING A SITE
Where would Werribee’s new Lutheran school be established? The undertaking of finding a suitable site was driven by the South West Corridor Taskforce (later named the School Development Team). On one documented expedition, on 7 February 1993, a bus provided by Christ the Lord’s congregation was used to transport the taskforce members to inspect suitable sites in the Werribee area. Out of six alternatives, two were taken into serious consideration. The first possibility was a 100-acre block on the corner of Tarneit and Dohertys Road, while the second was along Point Cook Road. Writing in JOY magazine in March 1993, Taskforce member Kathy Stolz noted that there was “concern about how far [the corner of Tarneit and Dohertys Road] would be from St Philip’s” and that there would be “some difficulty in securing the land [along Point Cook Road].” Ultimately, both these options were deemed unsuitable. In June 1994, a local real estate agent contacted builder and SDT member, John Belani, to recommend Lot 2 Tarneit Road, Tarneit. “I personally like it. If I may suggest everybody should inspect it,” John reported back to his fellow SDT members. By mid-1994, the following sites had been identified as potential locations for the new school: Ȩ Lot 2 Tarneit Road, Tarneit Ȩ Lot 6 Hogans Road, Tarneit Ȩ Ballan Road, Werribee Ȩ NS corner Davis and Sayers Road, Tarneit Ȩ 99 Palmers Road, Truganina When choosing which site to purchase, the SDT considered the cost per acre, the availability of services, road access, absence of contamination, future public transport access and flood zoning. It was also important that the land was north of the highway, accessible to Werribee and not close to any other schools. In August 1994, St Philip’s and Christ the Lord held a special meeting to formally endorse the purchase of Lot 2 Tarneit Road, Tarneit (which we now know as 580 Tarneit Road). Surrounded by farmland, the 10- acre plot of land was, according to architect, Verne Ziersch, “ideally suited to the establishment of a school, being in a semi-rural area with sufficient space for playgrounds, buildings and first class sporting facilities.” A service was held on 27 November 1994 to celebrate and give thanks for the land. Two years later, a ground-breaking service was held on 29 September 1996 to “thank God and ask for His blessing on the building, and preparation work yet to be done.” The hymn chosen for this occasion opened with the words, “It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing.” These lyrics have proven somewhat prophetic for GNLC, which has truly grown from a ‘spark’ into a thriving College sharing God’s love with hundreds of families in the western suburbs.
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