Billanook College was founded in 1980 by a group of committed local parents who wanted to establish a co-educational primary and secondary school in the outer east of Melbourne. Billanook was the name given to the site by the local Wurundjeri people, and the motto “Growing and Caring” was chosen to reflect the values and attitudes of the founding families and the local community. Billanook College is set on 15 hectares of sweeping green lawns and natural bushland. The Junior Learning Centre, Primary, Middle and Senior Schools are situated on both sides of Brushy Creek and are linked by the Billanook Bridge. The natural environment makes it a beautiful place to learn.
Facilities: Billanook facilities include a Junior Learning Centre which incorporates the Early Learning program, Primary School, Year 7 building, Year 8 building, Year 9 building and Senior School buildings. All buildings are designed with communal centre spaces to engender a sense of community. Billanook College offers a multipurpose gymnasium; Leigh Speedy Centre for Science, Technology and Arts; the Dame Phyllis Frost Support Education Centre catering for highly able students and those who have specific learning or social/emotional needs; The Alan Ross Centre incorporating a 500-seat auditorium, the Old Market Theatre — a purpose-built and flexible performance space for traditional and experimental theatre — and studio; a multi-purpose Performing Arts Centre and Media Centre with a fully digital sound-recording studio; a dedicated Science Centre; a Viticulture Skill Centre and vineyard; campus-wide learning laboratories for interactive study; a Hospitality Centre; giant chess boards in delightful garden settings.
Curriculum: Billanook offers a comprehensive selection of VCE subjects, including traditional core subjects and a huge range of VET training courses for students who want a TAFE and VCE qualification. The school promotes physical, personal and social learning in health, physical education, personal learning, interpersonal development, civics and citizenship. There is also discipline-based learning in the Arts, English and Language, the Humanities, Mathematics and Science, as well as inter-disciplinary learning Creativity and Technology and Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The school also offers a flexible, dynamic timetable that allows students to progress beyond their chronological age. Academic scholarships are offered for students entering Year 7. Dame Phyllis Frost Bursaries are offered to students new to the college and entering Years 10 or 11.
Sport: Billanook is a member of EISM (Eastern Independent Schools of Melbourne) Sports Association for inter-school sports. A wide range of sports is offered including athletics, swimming, football, touch football, cricket, softball, volleyball, table tennis, hockey, basketball, soccer, golf and lawn bowls. There is also a large range of recreational activities including aerobics, walking, gymnastics, squash, archery, tenpin bowling and trampolining.
Extra-curricular activities: These include camping adventures, surfing, skiing/snowboarding, tennis lessons, music ensembles, choirs, band, debating, photography, national and international exchange, science club, technology club, homework club and chess coaching.
Student welfare programs: Billanook has an outstanding reputation for its focus on pastoral care. The pastoral care program, which is based on mutual respect and a clear understanding of the rights and responsibilities of each member of the community, is central to the acquisition of knowledge and skills. The program aims to develop students as happy, well-rounded, confident and motivated learners with a strong sense of self.