History of Crossways

The gospel of Jesus Christ will continue to inform all that we do at Crossways.

The land surrounding Crossways Lutheran School was inhabited by Indigenous people from the Wiringu, Mirning, and Kokatha groups, long before European settlement and descendants of these original inhabitants still live here today.

As early as 1858, farmers saw the potential for producing wool in the Ceduna area. A small settlement sprung up at Denial Bay where the first church in the area was built in 1897 – the Bethlehem Lutheran Church. At the same time, a school was established in the church. At the turn of the century, a mission movement was begun at Koonibba with strong support from the Denial Bay congregation. A church was also built there, followed by a school and a children’s home in 1903.

The Denial Bay School continued until 1914 when with the outbreak of World War 1, it was seen as a ‘German’ school and subsequently closed by the government. Koonibba escaped this treatment as it was seen rather as an Aboriginal school.

In 1980, in response to desire from both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in and around Ceduna, a Lutheran based school investigative committee was set up. The parish council accepted the recommendations of this committee and agreed to establish a school, with an opening date of February 1983.

On February 7, 1983, the dream came true, a complete staff with classrooms full of children, albeit with builders still on site and working bees operating in the background. Crossways Lutheran School was dedicated on June 5, 1983, with five classrooms and 111 children.

In 1996, parents encouraged the school council to consider the move towards developing a Middle School to cover Year 6 to Year 9. In 2005, the Middle School also included learning for students to Year 10. In 2008, there were about 160 children in the school who were Indigenous and non-Indigenous.

Today, the student population is predominantly an Indigenous one. Many changes have taken place at the school over the past ten years including a new building extension in the Junior School along with an undercover canopy area. None of the changes across time have altered the goal of the school which is to provide an excellent education in a Christ-centred community.

In all things, the gospel of Jesus Christ will continue to inform all that we do at Crossways.