Founded 1945
80 Years of Plus Ultra
From 56 boarding students on land in Brisbane's western suburbs, to Queensland's largest Lutheran school. Eight decades of faith, community, and ever-higher ambition.
1945
Year Founded
56
First Boarding Students
1,900+
Students Today
80
Years of Excellence
Ross Roy House
The original 1945 building still stands on the Indooroopilly campus today — a living symbol of the college’s remarkable continuity.
“A school which should do much good for the Church and the Country.”
W.C. Schneider, Founding Headmaster, 1945
The Beginning
A School Born of Faith and Vision
In February 1945, fifty-six boarding students arrived at a property on Harts Road in Indooroopilly — the western suburbs of Brisbane — and St Peters Lutheran College opened its doors for the very first time. The Courier-Mail noted it as ‘the first Lutheran secondary school in Queensland.’
The United Evangelical Lutheran Church had acquired the property to serve the spiritual and educational needs of Lutheran families across Queensland, many of whom lived in rural areas and had no access to quality secondary schooling. The campus centred on Ross Roy, a gracious home originally built for tea merchant Daniel Collings, which became the heart of early college life. Luther House was constructed soon after by voluntary labour from the community — an act of faith and determination that set the tone for everything that would follow.
The founding headmaster, W.C. Schneider, envisioned a school that would ‘do much good for the Church and the Country.’ In the eight decades since, St Peters has honoured that founding vision while growing into one of Queensland’s leading co-educational independent schools.
What is perhaps most remarkable is the continuity. The very land where those 56 students began their education is the same 21-hectare campus that more than 1,900 students call home today. Ross Roy House still stands. The values remain unchanged. And the ambition — Plus Ultra, ever higher — has never dimmed.
Our Heritage
Lutheran Education: A Living Tradition
St Peters was founded by the Lutheran Church of Australia — a church community that has always placed enormous value on education. Martin Luther himself insisted that every person, regardless of background, deserved access to learning. That conviction is woven into the DNA of St Peters.
Lutheran education is not a seminary education. It is not about producing theologians or limiting students to a narrow worldview. It is about forming whole, purposeful, compassionate human beings — people who think critically, act ethically, and serve their communities with generosity and conviction.
At St Peters, this plays out in daily chapel, in the chaplaincy team that supports students through difficulty, in the service learning program that takes students into their communities, and in the culture of care that pervades every corner of the college. It is practical, lived, and deeply human.
St Peters today is governed by the Lutheran Church of Australia Queensland District and is part of Lutheran Education Australia — a national network of schools educating more than 40,000 students across the country. Within that network, St Peters stands as the largest Lutheran school in Australia, carrying its heritage with pride and purpose.
What Lutheran Education Means at St Peters
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The Dignity of Every Person
Each student is uniquely made, uniquely gifted, and unconditionally valued. This is not simply policy — it is conviction.
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The Pursuit of Truth
Lutheran schools have always championed intellectual rigour. St Peters encourages students to ask hard questions, think carefully, and seek wisdom.
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A Call to Serve
Education at St Peters is not only for personal advancement. It prepares students to contribute meaningfully to society and to care for those around them.
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Community and Belonging
A Lutheran school is a community in the fullest sense — where staff, students, and families are known to one another and look out for each other.
Welcoming All Families
St Peters is a welcoming school. We enrol students and families of all faiths, backgrounds, and beliefs. We do not require families to hold Lutheran or Christian convictions to benefit from and contribute to the St Peters community. We ask only that every member of our community respects our values and treats others with the dignity they deserve.
Eight Decades of Growth
Key Milestones in Our History
From a single building with 56 students to two campuses, 1,900 enrolments, and eight decades of Plus Ultra — here are the moments that shaped St Peters.
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1945
College Founded
The United Evangelical Lutheran Church opens St Peters Lutheran College with 56 boarding students on land in Indooroopilly, Brisbane. Ross Roy House is the first and only building. The Courier-Mail calls it “the first Lutheran secondary school in Queensland.”
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1950s
Day School Established
A day student program is established alongside the original boarding school, opening the college to Brisbane families who do not require residential accommodation. Enrolments grow steadily through the decade.
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1968
Chapel Completed
The Chapel of St Peter is completed, designed by renowned architect Karl Langer in his distinctive modernist subtropical style. The Chapel was later listed on the Queensland Heritage Register in 2012 alongside Ross Roy House.
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1973
Lower Primary School Built
Rising enrolments drive the construction of a Lower Primary school at Indooroopilly, extending St Peters into full Prep–Year 12 co-education for the growing Brisbane community.
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1976
Ironbark Outdoor Education
After a successful pilot in 1974–75, the Ironbark Outdoor Education program near Crows Nest becomes a permanent feature of the Year 9 curriculum — a five-week residential challenge program that becomes one of the most distinctive experiences in Queensland independent schooling.
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1983
Duke of Edinburgh Program
St Peters introduces the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program, providing students with a structured framework for developing resilience, leadership, and community service beyond the classroom.
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1990s
IB Diploma Programme
St Peters is authorised as an IB World School to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, providing an internationally recognised academic pathway for senior students alongside the Queensland Certificate of Education.
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2008
Springfield Campus Opens
St Peters opens a second campus at Springfield in Brisbane’s outer southwest, initially serving Prep to Year 8 families. The Springfield campus expands to a full Kindergarten–Year 12 school, broadening the St Peters community significantly.
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2013
Performing Arts Centre
The Performing Arts Centre opens at Indooroopilly, providing world-class facilities for St Peters’ internationally renowned music program and the performing arts community that has grown across eight decades.
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2017
Tim Kotzur Appointed Head
Mr Tim Kotzur is appointed the seventh Head of College in the school’s history, bringing more than two decades of experience in Queensland independent and Lutheran education. He leads the development of Plus Ultra 2025, the college’s strategic intent.
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2024
Centre of Learning and Innovation
The Centre of Learning and Innovation (CLI) opens at Indooroopilly, a state-of-the-art learning environment designed to support inquiry-based, student-centred education for the 21st century.
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2025
80th Anniversary Year
St Peters marks 80 years of Lutheran co-education in Queensland. The college records its largest-ever IB cohort, with a median ATAR of 90.5, and the Girls’ swim team claims their 13th consecutive QGSSSA Aggregate Championship.
St Peters Today
Queensland's Largest Lutheran School
Eight decades of Plus Ultra have built something remarkable — a school where academic excellence, whole-person formation, and genuine community come together.
1945
Year Founded
1,900+
Students Prep–Year 12
2
Campuses
80
Years of Lutheran Education
Who We Are
A Leading Co-educational Independent School
St Peters Lutheran College Indooroopilly is a Prep to Year 12 co-educational day and boarding school set on a 21-hectare campus at 66 Harts Road, Indooroopilly in Brisbane's western suburbs — the same land the college has occupied since 1945.
We are the largest Lutheran school in Queensland and one of the largest co-educational independent schools in the state. Our sister campus at Springfield serves the city's southwest, and our Ironbark campus at Crows Nest provides the setting for our iconic outdoor education program.
St Peters is a member of both QGSSSA (girls' sport) and AIC (boys' sport), ensuring our students compete at the highest levels in Queensland school sport. We are an IB World School, offering the IB Primary Years Programme and IB Diploma Programme alongside the standard QCAA pathway.
- QGSSSA member school
- AIC member school
- IB World School (PYP + IBDP)
- Lutheran Education Australia
- Day and boarding school
- Queensland Heritage-listed chapel
Notable Alumni
Ariarne Titmus (Olympic gold medalist), Mollie O’Callaghan (Olympic gold medalist), Shane Gould (Olympic swimmer), Noel Pearson (lawyer and Aboriginal activist), Sigrid Thornton (actress), and Pita Taufatofua (Olympic athlete).