WHEN Dr Lyn Bishop first opened Sheldon College in 1997, it was little more than a temporary classroom set-up at the Pine Lodge Equestrian Centre.
While 55 acres nearby had been purchased, Dr Bishop said her fight with the New Schools Commission to secure approval for the college meant the site’s development was delayed until after the school year began.
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“The advice being given to me was to wait another 12 months, but I couldn’t bear the thought of being unemployed for 12 months,” she said.
“In those early days our school existed in the boots of our cars.”
Two decades on, Dr Bishop’s drive to overcome the obstacles blocking the establishment of Sheldon College has paid off – the site along Taylor Road has been transformed into a school with 200 staff catering to 1600 students, enrolled in childcare through to senior high school.
“Those early struggles now seem so far behind us, but they serve to remind us that problems and challenges are the very things that advance us,” she said.
While staff, students, alumni and families recently celebrated the school’s 20th anniversary at its annual bush dance, the College Coo-ee, a school spokeswoman said special events throughout the year would help continue the celebrations.
To find out more, visit sheldoncollege.com.
