History

St Joseph’s College first opened its doors in 1965 as one of a series of regional colleges which the Melbourne Catholic Education Department were building in strategic parts of the Archdiocese.

Father Colin Miller, Parish Priest of Ferntree Gully at the time, was a great devotee of St. John Bosco and keen supporter of the Salesians. He was a driving force behind the project to build St Joseph’s College and for it to come under the care of the Salesians. A strong Salesian presence is still an integral part of the College today.

The College was built on land belonging to the Ferntree Gully parish and with 56 students studying Form 1 (Year 7 today) it was little more than a corridor flanked by three classrooms, a small office and a storeroom. Each year the College facilities grew and more year levels were added to cater for the many students travelling from the surrounding parishes.

Through the years the College has continued to expand and diversify to include a wide range of innovative programs and curriculum for boys from Years 7 to 12.