History 1897 -1979
In 1887 Sir Henry Parks laid the foundation stone to what was to be the “Hospital on the hill”. The Governor, Lord Carrington, on August 29, 1889 opened the hospital splendidly situated on the hill one mile and a half north east of the town. It included an isolation ward which is no longer in existence.
By 1909 another hospital was opened in the township and the original property came to be used as an “Aboriginal Girls’ Training home”. In many cases young Aboriginal girls were removed from their homes and families and placed there until they were older teenagers.
It remained a “girls/welfare home” until 1975 when this type of institution was finally closed under the legislation of the Whitlam Government. In 1979 the land was obtained from the “Aboriginal Lands Trust of New South Wales”.
In 1979 the “Old hospital / Girls home” then be came the property of the Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship and was and is still used to better equip Aboriginal men and women for Christian leadership.
1979 – Today
After the Aboriginal Evangelical Fellowship took over the “old hospital/girls home” the place was converted to a Bible college for Aboriginal people from right across Australia.
Over the years of operation the college has trained many Aboriginal, non Aboriginal, and international students. It has also had many people who caught the vision of training students and volunteered their time to be principals, deans, cooks, and farm / property managers. We give thanks to the Lord for the people who served in those areas.
As the college was founded on faith, and experiencing Gods hand of provision on very level from student fees to new buildings being built to funds to run the place. God has been good. One thing that is acknowledged, and that is if it is Gods creation He will certainly provide and meet all needs for the running of the place.
It must be said that at times our faith has been tested in trusting God and it has taught both the staff and students that God is a big God who provides according to His plan and purpose, for His will to be achieved.
We also want to acknowledge those staff and students who served and studied at Bimbadeen and have now gone home to be with the Lord. We thank God for them in their service and time in training for Him.
Bimbadeen has had its fair share of challenges and trials, where at times we thought the place was even going close, but God had different plans, The College is going strong with renewed sense of direction and Gods amazing blessing on the place.
