Faith, Courage and Compassion shape Kolbe Catholic College's new Mickleham Campus
June 9, 2026

A new chapter in Catholic education is unfolding in Melbourne's growing north. In May 2026, Kolbe Catholic College officially opened and blessed its new St Catherine of Bologna Campus in Mickleham - a milestone that reflects both the extraordinary growth of the region and the enduring mission of Catholic education to form young people in faith, courage and compassion.

A college built for a growing community 


Founded in 2008, Kolbe Catholic College is a co-educational secondary college serving families across Melbourne's north under Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS). The College's established Greenvale campus supported approximately 1,269 students in 2024, and demand has continued to grow strongly. 


The new Mickleham campus welcomed its first Year 7 cohort of 156 students at the start of 2026, and the response from families has been immediate. More than 700 applications have already been received across both campuses for Year 7 in 2027, a clear signal of the trust families are placing in Kolbe. Over time, the St Catherine of Bologna Campus will grow into a full Years 7 to 12 secondary college. 

The need for new infrastructure is backed by the numbers. Mickleham's population is projected to grow from approximately 17,500 residents in 2021 to more than 66,000 by 2041, with the wider Hume municipality expected to welcome more than 140,000 additional residents over the same period. 


Principal Nick Scully says the response has exceeded expectations.

"The response to our new Mickleham campus has been phenomenal... From the very beginning, our vision has been to create a welcoming, future-focused Catholic school where young people can flourish academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually." 


Principal Nick Scully
Kolbe Catholic College, Mickleham

Grounded in a rich Franciscan heritage 


The new campus draws its identity from two remarkable saints. Kolbe Catholic College takes its name from St Maximilian Maria Kolbe, whose life of courage, sacrifice and unconditional love continues to shape the College's mission, encouraging students to live the Gospel authentically and serve others with generosity and hope. 


The naming of the Mickleham campus carries its own significance. St Catherine of Bologna was a 15th century Franciscan mystic, writer and artist, recognised as the patron saint of artists and creativity. Her life and spirit inform the campus' strong focus on Performing and Visual Arts, while reflecting the Franciscan values of community, humility and care for others that sit at the heart of the College. 

At the official blessing, Fr Dishan Candappa, Kolbe's Custodian of Mission, prayed that the new school would be "a place of peace and hope" where students are guided by "wisdom, kindness and courage" in the service of others.

Faces of Humanity

Portraits of people from around the globe
Button

Sands of Time

Button
View more

Designed for learning, belonging and creativity 


The campus has been thoughtfully designed to support contemporary learning and student wellbeing. Twelve purpose-built learning neighbourhood classrooms and a central administration hub form the heart of the campus, alongside a dedicated Visual Arts building, and specialist pavilions for Music, Drama, Food Technology and Materials Technology. 


A large, covered Futsal Court creates opportunities for year-round sport and recreation, while beautifully landscaped pathways and gardens connect the campus - all centred around a preserved 200-year-old tree that has become a defining symbol of the campus' connection to place, history and community. 

Supporting the mission


CDF was pleased to support Kolbe Catholic College in bringing this vision to life, providing a $30 million loan to help fund the construction of the new Mickleham campus. It is the kind of project that sits squarely at the heart of what CDF exists to do - empowering Catholic communities to build the infrastructure they need to grow, serve families, and form the next generation in faith. 


As the St Catherine of Bologna Campus takes root, it will do so as more than a collection of buildings. It is a place of belonging, formation and opportunity, where young people will be encouraged to discover their gifts, deepen their faith, and contribute to the world around them with courage, compassion and hope. 

Faces of Humanity

CDF’s Milton Balasz with Kolbe College business manager Nick Rule

Button

Sands of Time

Master Plan of Kolbe Catholic College's St Catherine of Bologna Campus in Mickleham

Button

Your savings can do more than grow. By opening an account with CDF Community Fund, you can earn a competitive rate of interest while empowering Catholic organisations like Kolbe Catholic College to build, serve, and grow. It's a greater return than money alone. Learn more and apply today.

Share this article:

Related articles

A Legacy of Learning Continues at Avila College

September 4, 2026
At the heart of Avila College’s Mount Waverley campus, a new learning space is taking shape - one that carries six decades of educational tradition into an exciting new chapter. The St Teresa Library was formally blessed and opened in July, marking the completion of the final stage of the College’s current master plan and creating a contemporary new hub designed to support learning, connection and opportunity for generations of Avila students. Supported by a $9 million CDF loan, the project represents a significant investment in the future of this Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) secondary school for girls, which educates almost 1,100 students from Years 7 to 12. A Future Focused Heart for the College

The Invoice Looks Real. The Bank Details Aren't

August 25, 2026
Australians reported 481,523 scams in 2025 , with 274,577 reports involving financial losses totalling $2.18 billion . Behind those numbers are scams that are becoming increasingly difficult to spot. For organisations, one of the most convincing can begin with something as routine as an invoice. Invoice fraud is becoming increasingly sophisticated. The email may come from a supplier you know. The invoice may look exactly like previous ones. The amount is correct, the project is familiar, and the message may even sit inside a genuine email thread. The only thing that's changed is the bank account. That one change can redirect thousands of dollars into a cyber criminal's hands. How it happens Invoice fraud, also known as payment redirection fraud, is a common form of Business Email Compromise (BEC). Criminals gain access to a real email account - through phishing, stolen credentials, malware or a data breach - then quietly monitor it. They learn who approves payments, how invoicing cycles work, and wait for the right moment to intercept a genuine transaction and simply change the bank details. Because nothing else changes, it's very hard to spot. Example of What a Scam Looks Like

70 Years of Building, Serving and Growing: Celebrating CDF's Anniversary

By Hillaria Juliana • August 19, 2026
In 1956, a priest with a vision and a community with faith came together to solve a problem. Catholic schools across Melbourne were overflowing. Families were growing. Government funding for Catholic education was simply unavailable. And so Fr James Wall, later honoured with the title 'Father of the Funds', established what he called the Schools Provident Fund (SPF): a new way for the Catholic community to pool its resources, invest in its future, and care for one another. The very first school funded through that vision was Sacred Heart Parish Primary School in Preston, Victoria, which opened in 1957 and became an instant success, laying the framework for what would follow. The movement spread across Australia and New Zealand, growing from a solution for Catholic schools into a broader vehicle for funding parishes, hospitals, aged care and social services. Seventy years later, that vision is very much alive.
More

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.