Located just 25km from Melbourne CBD, Mt Atkinson is part of the broader Melton growth corridor in Truganina, which sits within the fast-developing Western region of Victoria. While birth rates have declined across the state in recent years – this region remains an outlier with one of the highest birth rates in the state, averaging 23 babies born each day.
The boom in population has corresponded to an increased demand for schools, early learning centres and community services in the grassroots estate. Meeting the needs of the community is St Marianne Cope Catholic Primary School which is set to open in 2026. The new education precinct will not only house the new school, but also a MACSEYE Children’s Hub, delivering faith-based learning and early years education to growing families. This state-of-the-art development will be supported by a $10.6 million loan from CDF.
Fr Alex Clemente, Parish Priest St Anthony of Padua Parish, Melton South, recently led the blessing and sod-turning ceremony for the new Mt Atkinson education hub site, joined by key stakeholders including Foundation Principal Jackie Byrne, MACS Executive Director Dr Edward Simons, and MACSEYE CEO Heather Finlayson. The event marked a significant milestone for Catholic education in the Truganina area, which will now feature six Catholic primary schools and two Catholic college campuses to support local families.
The new school is named in honour of St Marianne Cope, a courageous 19th-century Franciscan sister who devoted her life to caring for people with Hansen’s disease (leprosy) in Hawaii. Canonised in 2012, St Marianne’s legacy of compassion, courage, and service remains a powerful inspiration for this new school community - one that seeks to nurture the same spirit of care and welcome.
St Marianne Cope Catholic Primary School is expecting to welcome 126 students in its opening year, with enrolments forecast to grow to 536 students by 2030. The school will be co-located with an integrated Children’s Hub, operated by MACSEYE, that will provide:
- Three- and four-year-old kindergarten programs
- Outside school hours care (OSHC)
- Shared spaces for planning, consultation, and community engagement
Designed with flexibility in mind, the Hub’s shared facilities will be made available for Parish, School, and community events outside of service hours—fostering a sense of connection and making the Hub a true centre for local families.
This project forms part of MACSEYE’s commitment to open 12 new Catholic kindergartens by 2029, building on its current network of early years programs across Victoria.
“CDF have been an invaluable partner and supporter of MACSEYE. They continue to demonstrate interest and care in everything we’re doing, deliver us with modern easy banking solutions, and back it up with good old-fashioned customer care and service. As our partner, they have joined the collective commitment to exceptional care and education for young children.”
Heather Finlayson, Managing Director, MACSEYE
The completed school campus will include:
- 13 general learning areas
- A dedicated space for specialist subjects
- Two car parks
- A bike shed, two basketball courts, a soccer field, a playground, and a sandpit
As one of the first purpose-built, co-located Catholic children’s hubs in metropolitan Melbourne, St Marianne Cope represents a forward-thinking model of education - offering a seamless journey from early years through to primary school within a Catholic context. Designed to strengthen family ties, support faith formation, and provide high-quality care and education from the very beginning, 2026 will bring a new era of Catholic education to Mt. Atkinson, Victoria.
If you’d like to help CDF continue supporting the growth of Catholic communities, you can put your faith into action by investing in the CDF Community Fund. Not only will you earn a competitive rate of interest, but your savings will help finance projects like St Marianne Cope Catholic Primary School, and enable Catholic organisations to continue the work the Gospel calls us all to do.
Learn more and apply today.
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CDPF Limited, a company established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, has indemnified the Catholic Development Fund ABN 15 274 943 760 (the Fund) against any liability arising out of a claim by investors in the Fund. In practice, this means your investment is backed by the assets of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Fund is required by law to make the following disclosure. Investment in the Fund is only intended to attract investors whose primary purpose for making their investment is to support the charitable purposes of the Fund. Investors’ funds will be used to generate a return to the Fund that will be applied to further the charitable works of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Dioceses of Sale and Bunbury. The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or regulation by ASIC. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor expects or at all and investments in the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification statement may be viewed here or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.
