Whilst Deutsche Schule Melbourne only commenced operating as a school in January 2008, the school can look back on a vibrant and exciting history.

Foundation

In November 2004, the then Principal of the German International School Sydney, Klaus Steinmetz, decided to visit Melbourne and initiate debate about a similar school in Victoria. The Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany invited interested members of the German speaking community to a presentation, held in a space provided by the Victorian State Government high above Collins Street. More than 100 guests listened to a very engaging Klaus Steinmetz who had a simple message: Given Melbourne’s sizable German speaking community, there should be a good potential for a German International School in Victoria. It only takes a small group of interested and driven individuals to establish such an organisation.

Interest and excitement grew in a number of participants and a subsequent meeting to create a school association was scheduled for a few weeks later. Held in the Church Hall of German-Lutheran Trinity Church in East Melbourne an initial board was elected and the establishment of the school had begun. During the first year, much of the work focused on establishing the association’s constitution, understanding parents’ needs and characteristics of the market for German-English bilingual education. Further steps included establishing a vision and educational model for the school and commencing the search for the site. Partnership agreements with the German-Lutheran Trinity Church as well as the German-Catholic St. Christopherus Parish were established. They provided stability and start-up funding for the new school.

Premises

Initial plans were to establish the school at the former St. Ignatius Primary School on Richmond Hill with as many as 50 students in the school’s first year, 2007. However, after lease negotiations failed and key individuals of the school association’s board relocated internationally at the end of 2006, the start of the school appeared uncertain again. Fortunately, momentum to set up the school did not cease. After a lease for a building on the campus of former St. Joseph’s College in North Fitzroy had been signed and regulatory approval from the VRQA had been received, the way was cleared for the school to commence operations in 2008.

School starts

In the first year a class of 15 students from a wide range of backgrounds have started to ‘live and learn two cultures’. Even during the first term of school amazing success in terms of acquisition of the initially ‘weaker’ language has been achieved. The foundation of a great and growing school has been laid…