Award winning kindergarten

What began as a vision to give an existing Island home a new life has become an award-winning kindergarten for the Phillip Island community.

Phillip Island Kindergarten has been named the winner of the Small Commercial Build category at the recent Eastern Region Building Awards, recognising a project that carefully brought together the character of the original home with the needs of a contemporary kindergarten.

At the heart of the project was a simple idea: to create a place for children that felt warm, familiar and connected to the community around it.

"From the very beginning, retaining the authenticity of the original house was central to the vision. Rather than erase its history and start again, we wanted to work with what was already there - preserving its character and creating a kindergarten that felt as though it genuinely belonged within its neighbourhood," said D'Lene Johnson Director of Phillip Island Kindergarten.

Located at 39 Dunsmore Road, Cowes, Phillip Island Kindergarten was developed within the footprint and character of an existing island home that had itself been relocated from Surf Beach in 1964. More than six decades later, the house has been given another chapter in its Island story.

Natural light, open and connected spaces, visibility and safety were carefully considered alongside the way children move, play, explore and learn throughout their day.

The result is a contemporary kindergarten that has retained the warmth and familiarity of a home.

"This was important to us. The environments in which young children spend their time matter," said D'Lene.

"Children need places where they can feel comfortable and connected, but also curious, capable and confident to explore. We wanted to create spaces with warmth and character rather than lose the qualities that made the original home unique.

"The success of the transformation is also a reflection of the people who brought the vision to life," she continued.

"Excelcon delivered an outstanding standard of workmanship and finish, carefully balancing the character of the original home with the quality, detail and functionality required of a contemporary kindergarten.

"The attention to detail throughout the build has allowed the original character of the property to remain visible while giving the building an entirely new purpose."
Phillip Island Kindergarten opened in January 2026, offering three - and four-year-old Funded Kindergarten and a long-day-care model.

Operating from 8am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, the model provides families with the flexibility of longer days while maintaining a strong and genuine kindergarten education led by qualified Early Childhood Teachers and Educators.

"Receiving this award is a wonderful acknowledgement of the vision, design and craftsmanship behind Phillip Island Kindergarten," D'Lene said.

"But perhaps the greatest measure of the building's success is much simpler - a kindergarten that still carries something of the feeling of a home."

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