On 28 November 2003, the Hon. Alan Carpenter MLA, the Minister for Education and Training, announced a $26 million plan to improve educational opportunities in the Town of Kwinana. The project would see the development of a Years 7 – 12 education campus. The new campus, forming an academy of education and training would have a range of specialist academic, vocational and pastoral care programs.

Following Minister Carpenter’s announcement, a Memorandum of Understanding was developed that committed key organisations to establishing relationships that would enhance the learning opportunities for all youth in the local community. Parties to the Memorandum of Understanding were: Department of Education and Training, Challenger TAFE, Murdoch University, Kwinana Industries Council, and the Town of Kwinana.

In 2004, the Implementation Committee for the Kwinana Re-development Project was assigned the responsibility of investigating and proposing a name for the new educational facility. During 2005 – 2006, the Implementation Committee engaged in a Nomenclature process to propose a new name. At the conclusion of the process Gilmore College was identified as the preferred name for the new institution. The name selected gave recognition to the original school that was built on Gilmore Avenue. Furthermore, Thomas Peel brought 162 settlers, in 1829, on the Gilmore. Many of these original passengers settled in the local region.

On 22 March 2006, the Hon. Ljiljanna Ravlich MLC, the Minister for Education and Training, endorsed the new name.

Taylor Robinson Architects were appointed to design the new school. The design for the new campus comprised two sub-schools: a Middle School (Years 7 – 9) and a Senior School (Years 10 – 12). Shared facilities to cater for a variety of vocational interests included: state of the art performance facilities that includes acoustically isolated recording music studios, green room, sprung floor dance space and retractable out seating for large audiences; modern, fully equipped food science, human development and textile studios; mechatronics studio; graphics studio; visual arts suites; capacity for horticulture; library; gymnasium; and industry standard materials technology suites to cater for the Kwinana Industries Council courses.

The building construction phase commenced during Semester 2, 2006. The major part of the building program was completed by January 2008. During this phase, the existing school remained occupied until the new facilities were completed. The Arts building was completed by the end of March 2008. The Senior School facilities were completed in May 2008.

Gilmore College opened at the beginning of Term 1, 2008 with Years 7 – 9 on the new campus. Students from Years 10 – 12 remained on the former school site until June 2008 when they transferred to the new Senior School facility.

Gilmore College was officially opened on 29 August 2008 by the Hon. Mark McGowan MLA, Minister for Education and Training.