Kilbreda College

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Kilbreda College
Fortiter et Suaviter
(Latin: "Strength and Kindliness")
Established 1904
School type Independent, Roman Catholic, Secondary
Principal/
Headmaster		 Mary Stack
Location Mentone, Victoria, Australia
Campus Mentone
Enrolment {{{enrolment}}}
School colours Red, Green and Fawn
Homepage kilbreda.vic.edu.au

Kilbreda College is a Roman Catholic girls secondary school in Mentone, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1904 and is administered by the Brigidine Order. In 2004 Kilbreda celebrated its centenary.

Contents

[edit] Origins of the School Building

The original façade of the building was built by the Royal Coffee Palace Company Limited. It was opened in November 1887 and was known as the Mentone Coffee Palace. The Coffee Palace was the social centre of the town, situated on the corners of Mentone Parade, Florence Street and Commercial Road. It is also near Mentone station (formerly known as Balcombe Road Station until 1884) and is surrounded by the local shops.

In the 1890's due to competition with Mentone Hotel and the Depression, the Coffee Palace could no longer be run. In 1894 it fell into the hands of the Mercantile Bank of Australia, and the name of the building was changed to Como House.

After this the Coffee Palace was only used occasionally for varying purposes.

The Brigidine Sisters bought the Coffee Palace in mid-July 1904 for a bargain price of £2,050, considering the actual cost of the building and furniture, excluding land, was £25,500.

[edit] A Brigidine Convent

On the 7 August 1904 the Brigidine Convent School was officially opened and blessed by Archbishop Thomas Carr, and classes began the next day.

On opening, the school had 3 pupils enrolled in the Convent School and 25 pupils enrolled in St. Patrick's Parish Primary which was located in the Church. The school also began taking boarders in 1905. Boarders and students of primary school age have been phased out since, the final primary class being in 1978.

In the 1930's the school's name was changed to Kilbreda College, the name coming from the Gaelic Cill - church or community and Breda - Brigid. Therefore Kilbreda means Church or Community of Saint Brigid.

[edit] Principals

The Colonnade provides access to four of the six year 11 homerooms.
The Colonnade provides access to four of the six year 11 homerooms.
  • Mother Margaret Mary Murphy 1904-1915
  • Mother Berchmans Foley 1916-1926
  • Mother Margaret Mary Bourke 1927-1965
  • Sister Barbara Mathews 1966-1971
  • Sister Rus Kennedy 1972-1973
  • Sister Marietta Rea 1974-1978
  • Sister Rosemarie Joyce 1979-1980
  • Sister Catherine Kelly 1984
  • Sister Mary Dalton 1985-1995
  • Mrs Carmel Smart 1995
  • Sister Angela Ryan 1981-1983/1996-1999
  • Sister Helen Toohey 1999-2006
  • Ms Mary Stack 2007

[edit] Kilbreda's Core Values and Symbols

St. Brigid's cross
St. Brigid's cross

Most Brigidine schools follow the same core values, motto and school symbols.

The Brigidine Schools' symbols are:

  • Brigid's Cross -The kind of cross St. Brigid used when teaching about the Catholic faith. It is made from woven reeds.
  • The Oak Tree - St. Brigid's monastery in Tullow, is called Kildare. Kildare meaning 'the church of the oak'. Many Brigidine schools grow an oak tree from an acorn taken from one of the oak trees in Tullow.
  • The Lamp of Learning - represents the light of Christian faith
  • School Badge - was designed by the Irish College of Heraldry. The large cross of diamonds is taken from the badge of Bishop Daniel Delany, the Bishop who founded the Brigidine Sisters in 1807. The middle diamond contains an image of the lamp of learning, and the image of St. Brigid's cross is contained in the top section.

[edit] Houses

As the school expanded Kilbreda developed school houses and as more students joined the school the number of houses increased. The housing system was started on the 2nd of May 1934 with the three houses:

In 1945 the house Lourdes was added to the housing system making the houses:

1963 saw the addition of two more teams, Alacoque and Delany. So the houses present in 1963 were:

  • Kilbreda - green
  • Lisieux - red
  • Padua - fawn/white
  • Lourdes - gold
  • Alacoque - light blue - to honour Mother Alacoque Bourke, the founder of the convent school
  • Delany - dark blue - to honour Daniel Delany, the founder of the Brigidine Sisters.

These school houses were kept till 2006 when they were changed to:

  • Brigid - green - named after one of the patron saints of Ireland.
  • Kildare - blue - means "place of the oak". It is where Brigid established her first monastery.
  • Delany - gold - Bishop Daniel Delany refounded the Brigidine Order in 1887 to help educate the community.
  • Tullow - red - where Bishop Daniel Delany refounded the Brigidine order.

[edit] Uniform

Since its opening, Kilbreda's uniform has changed a number of times. The latest change was made in 2004 when the long kept 'Candy Striper' summer uniform was replaced. It was named so because of their resemblance to the candy striper uniform, Kilbreda's having white, grey and red vertical stripes. The new dress is green with green and red pin stripes in a tartan like pattern.

There was no adjustment made to the winter uniform, also known as the 'Christmas Tree'. The winter uniform consists of fawn tights or knee high fawn socks, a green and red tartan skirt, fawn shirt and a bottle green tie, jumper and blazer with brown shoes.

[edit] Facilities

A view of Kilbreda's chemistry and biology laboratories from within the school atrium
A view of Kilbreda's chemistry and biology laboratories from within the school atrium

[edit] Activities for students

Students at Kilbreda are encouraged to participate in a wide range of activities.

[edit] VCE, VET and VCAL subjects available to Kilbreda's Students

Signpost in carpark
Signpost in carpark

It is compulsory for all Kilbreda students to study Religious Education and English or Literature for their entire duration at Kilbreda.

[edit] Kilbreda's Sister Schools

There are numerous schools in Australia that fall under the same Order as Kilbreda. Below is a list of the Australian Brigidine schools:

[edit] Skipping Girl

The Vinegar Skipping Girl Sign in Abbotsford
The Vinegar Skipping Girl Sign in Abbotsford

The Skipping Girl Sign used by the vinegar brand was originally modelled on Catherine Minogue, later Sister Felicitas, a teacher of Kilbreda. Her brother made the original sketch, sent it in for a competition, won, and the image was used for the brand.

[edit] Books About Kilbreda College

  • A View from the Tower Kilbreda 1904-2004, Margaret Underwood

[edit] References

  1. Margaret Underwood, 2004, A View from the Tower Kilbreda 1904-2004, Kilbreda College, Melbourne
  2. Kilbreda College, online, http://www.kilbreda.vic.edu.au, retrieved on 5th Feb. 2007
  3. The Brigidine Sisters, online, http://www.brigidine.org.au, retrieved on 12th Feb. 2007

[edit] See also

[edit] External links