In 1946, a missionary couple named Jack and Dorothy Smith established a mission station at Ranmawot, 3 km south of Ranwadi. A small primary school was established here, although the site proved too small, and in 1955 work began on building a new school at the old Ranwadi site, under the leadership of Owen Jones, a teacher newly arrived from Ballarat, Australia. The school was gradually developed there under a succession of missionaries, including Frank Beale (1957), Fred Reynolds (1958–1959), Jack Edwards and his wife (1959–1968) and Beth Clapp (1969–1970). The school originally took only boys, but under Mr & Mrs Edwards girls began to be admitted.