Conference
HISTORY
CMS Summer Schools have a long and rich history in Victoria, dating back to the early 1900s. Following the first Victorian CMS Summer School at Healesville in January 1908, which attracted around 200 attendees, subsequent conferences were held in locations including Ballarat, Queenscliff and Cowes. Historical records show that successful Summer Schools were held at Cowes in 1912 and 1913, bringing together supporters to grow in their understanding of God's mission, worship together and encourage one another in fellowship.
For much of the twentieth century, the conference moved between several venues as it continued to grow. From around 1961, Summer Schools were held at the CMS Conference Centre in Belgrave Heights, becoming a much-loved annual gathering for generations of CMS supporters. As attendance increased, the event eventually outgrew the venue and moved to Melbourne, where it operated as a largely non-residential conference using facilities at the Pharmacy College, Ridley College and St Andrew's Hall. Throughout these changes, the conference remained a significant opportunity for Bible teaching, mission engagement and community.
In the early 1990s, CMS Victoria began exploring the possibility of restoring a residential summer conference. After a successful trial at Rawson Village in 1994, a permanent home was found at the CYC Centre in Cowes on Phillip Island. This return to Cowes echoed the conference's early history and marked the beginning of what became known as Summer Under the Son (SUTS). With growing attendance and expanded accommodation over the years, SUTS has become one of Victoria's most significant annual Christian conferences, continuing a tradition of mission focus, biblical teaching and Christian fellowship that spans more than a century.