Scarred victim-survivors of alleged historical child sexual abuse at a notorious Melbourne school will be able to share their stories after a long-running fight.
The Victorian government has moved to set up a special board of inquiry into allegations surrounding Beaumaris Primary School in Melbourne's southeast in the 1960s and 1970s.
At least three former staff are believed to have been involved in what Premier Daniel Andrews described as vile, evil and incredibly damaging abuse towards students.
"This is principally a truth-telling process and one that is about providing people with that certainty that they are heard, they are believed," he said on Wednesday.
"That is an important part of healing, it's an important part of justice."
The inquiry will establish an official record of the school's victim-survivors and examine abuse by staff members, who also worked at other government schools.
About $4.5 million is being set aside to support victim-survivors and run the inquiry, which could be expanded to investigate instances of historical abuse at other schools.
"This is not in any way diminishing the experience of anybody at any other school," Mr Andrews said.
"But the circumstances at Beaumaris Primary School all those decades ago are unique given there were multiple victims, multiple offenders, multiple predators at the one time."
An apology to abused former students will be delivered separately from one previously promised to Victorian care-leavers for all forms of abuse in institutional settings.
Kathleen Foley SC, a member of the Victorian Law Reform Commission, will head the inquiry and deliver a final report by the end of February.
Details on how victim-survivors can submit stories will be released in coming weeks.
The upcoming inquiry won't cut across victim-survivors or their families' ability to pursue financial claims through the courts or national redress scheme.
Mr Andrews expressed regret some Victorian agencies and departments had not been model litigants in the past.
Former Beaumaris Primary School student Glen Fearnett, who was allegedly abused by a teacher in the 1970s, said he felt compelled to speak out on behalf of three victim-survivors who are no longer alive.
"It was a little bit of a challenge to get to this point - it feels like we had to jump up and down and shout," he said.
Fellow victim-survivor Tim Courtenay, who gave evidence to the federal Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, admitted the Victorian inquiry was a long time coming.
"Today's given me the confidence to speak about the impact it's had on me," he said.
Local Liberal MP and shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell has long lobbied government to take action and said the inquiry's scope must be widened to all state schools.
"We know child sexual abuse is not isolated to one location," he said.
The inquiry must also examine the unforgivable practice of moving known predators from school to school, said Shine Lawyers' abuse law expert Alyssa Lewis.
"Far from solving the problem, Victoria's education department simply exposed more vulnerable children to abuse," she said.
An 82-year-old Queensland man who taught at the Beaumaris school was last week charged with 26 counts of indecent assault in the 1960s and 1970s.
He is expected to face court on July 7.
1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)
National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028
Lifeline 13 11 14
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)
