Initially, the Parish Priest of Browns Plains approached the Director, Brisbane Catholic Education, to assist in and sponsor the establishment of an ecumenical primary school within the Jimboomba area. The Parish Priest indicated the Catholic community’s desire to establish an ecumenical school in partnership with the local Anglican, Lutheran and Uniting communities.

Emmaus Primary School opened in 2002 as an ecumenical school fostering Christian unity. It initially started with Preschool to Year 4 students and went on to enrol Year 6 and 7 students at the beginning of 2003. The Primary School had an enrolment of over 400 students by the beginning of 2006. Master planning allowed for options, depending upon growth, to extend to a three stream primary component.

A Working Party for the provision of secondary schooling in the Beaudesert Shire concluded its work in June 2003. A proposal was put to the Executive Director, Brisbane Catholic Education, for the provision of a secondary component to be constructed on the site of, and to the east of Emmaus Primary School. The recommendation was put to the Catholic Education Council, and then forwarded to Archbishop John Bathersby for final approval. Subsequently, BCE Executive decided that the secondary component of the College would be ecumenical. The College will continue the tradition of strong community orientation under the guidance of the Pastoral School Board.

The proposed secondary component of the College was to enrol Year 8 students in 2006, extending to Year 12 by 2010. The College now has three streams of primary students and five streams of students in the secondary school.

In 2005 the school became known as Emmaus College and is a master planned, coeducational, P-12 ecumenical College.

It has flourished with a student population now exceeding 1,500.

© Brisbane Catholic Education, Emmaus College, 2023​​