Amity College celebrated three decades of education, faith-inspired service and multicultural community building, honouring the pioneers whose sacrifices transformed a modest community vision into a thriving educational institution serving thousands of students across NSW.
The event marked Amity’s 30th anniversary on Saturday 19 September 2026 with a major celebration at its Prestons Campus in south-west Sydney, bringing together founders, past and present board members, educators, alumni, students, parents, community leaders and representatives from all levels of government.
The anniversary, themed “30 Years of Inspiring Generations”, looked beyond buildings and academic milestones to tell the story of people whose extraordinary generosity and voluntary service helped establish an educational institution that began with just 32 students in 1996.
Today, the College community comprises more than 2,692 students, over 1,500 families and more than 70 nationalities across four campuses, while more than 2,300 students have graduated over the years, according to the anniversary presentation.
The College’s official history records that its founding body, now Galaxy Foundation, was established in 1994 by members of Sydney’s Turkish community seeking to contribute to Australian society through education.
Land at Prestons was purchased in 1995 and Sule College opened in February 1996 with 32 children from Kindergarten to Year 3.
A story of sacrifice
One of the most moving aspects of the anniversary program was the recollection of the sacrifices made by ordinary families to establish the school.
Founders recalled visiting more than 400 Turkish families to raise funds for the Prestons property.
One young man donated $7,000 he had saved for his wedding and postponed the marriage, while an elderly, unwell man in Wollongong donated $5,000 he had saved by growing and selling vegetables from his backyard.
His message to the founders was simple: “Please educate our young children. They should know their values.”
An anonymous letter dated 18 August 1994, read during the anniversary program, provided another glimpse of the community spirit behind the project.
Its writer, unable to make a large financial contribution, donated $50 together with personal possessions including clothing and jewellery.
The beginnings were equally humble. Early educational activities were conducted in a garage before classrooms were rented at Auburn Girls High School.
When the idea of establishing a permanent school was first proposed, founders recalled being told: “Are you crazy? You have no money. How could you open a school? It’s impossible.”
The Prestons site itself was initially bushland without proper infrastructure. Volunteers cleared and guarded the grounds and prepared portable classrooms under tight deadlines to satisfy education inspectors.
From those beginnings, enrolments expanded dramatically—from 32 students in 1996 to 282 the following year and 387 in 1998. The Illawarra campus followed in 1999 and Auburn in 2001.
‘Custodians for a season’
Welcoming guests, Amity College Executive Principal Hassan Dagli described the anniversary first and foremost as an occasion for gratitude.
“It is my great privilege to welcome you to this celebration of thirty years of Amity College. While tonight is certainly a celebration, for me it is first and foremost an occasion of gratitude.”
He paid tribute to the visionaries, founders, staff, parents, students, volunteers and supporters who had contributed their time, expertise, resources, encouragement and prayers over three decades.
Mr Dagli also remembered pioneers who had passed away, saying their legacy continued through the people and generations benefiting from their sacrifices.
Perhaps the strongest message of his address concerned stewardship rather than ownership.
“None of us owns an institution like Amity. We are simply its custodians for a season. Our responsibility is to preserve its values, strengthen its foundations, and pass it forward to those who follow.”
Looking to the next generation, he acknowledged that technology, opportunities and challenges would continue to change, but said the College’s fundamental purpose remained constant: “To nurture young people of knowledge, character, compassion, and service. Young people who will contribute positively to their communities and to humanity.”
From Sule to Amity
As the student population became increasingly diverse, the institution itself evolved.
In 2013, Sule College became Amity College, with “Amity” representing friendship, peaceful relations and belonging.
The College’s published history says the change followed consultation as its community expanded beyond its original Turkish-Australian base.
The school describes Amity as meaning “friendship; peaceful harmony and mutual understanding”.
That multicultural identity was reflected during the anniversary celebrations when students declared during a cultural presentation: “Different languages, different cultures, one school, one family… 30 years together we stand. Different journeys hand in hand.”
Honouring those who built the College
The anniversary program itself was structured as the unfolding Story of Amity, moving through the Vision, Foundation, Expansion, Maturity and Legacy phases.
Founding members and early staff were acknowledged alongside former and current principals, distinguished alumni and students.
The program also featured the original Sule College Song, the Amity College Song, cultural performances and an Illawarra Primary dance.
Former Liverpool MP Paul Lynch recalled his experience with the College and praised the community behind it.
“This was a project where people were not just committed, but they were incredibly well organised… Congratulations on 30 very impressive years.”
The celebration also highlighted the emergence of a genuinely multi-generational institution, with former students describing parents who had taught at the College and families whose children and grandchildren have subsequently attended.
Amity now operates at Prestons, Illawarra, Auburn and Leppington campuses, with the main Prestons campus comprising primary, girls’ high school and boys’ high school sections.
Its growth over three decades gives particular resonance to the anniversary theme: “Thirty years ago, a vision was planted. Today, its impact lives on through generations.”
The evening concluded by describing Amity’s 30 years as more than a history of campuses and programs, but “a story of vision, service, friendship, belonging and generations connected by a shared purpose.”
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