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Great consternation was felt at Kilbreda when the iconic willow tree, which had long been a fixture of the playground, was to be removed to make way for a new state of the art library. Such was the feeling evoked that a number of poems appear in the 1971 Annual lamenting its loss. Mother Barbara also left Kilbreda after 17 years on staff, the last six as Principal. She was replaced by Pius Kennedy, who spent two years as Principal, but remained at Kilbreda.

The modern library on stilts which replaced it, though, was well received, planned on stilts to allow for a shaded area underneath, where students could eat lunch. Even better, was that a Commonwealth Government Department of Education and Science Grant helped to finance half the cost of the project, which was opened in 1972. Around this time, the Esso service station, which was located where the Mary Dalton Hall now stands, was purchased and by Easter 1973, the Ladies Auxiliary had begun running a tuckshop therein. The space around it was used for a decade as a staff carpark until the building of the hall in the mid 80s.

In 1973, Kilbreda was excited by the visit of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who had come to Australia for the 40th Eucharistic Congress. Mother Teresa attended Mass on the oval of St Patrick’s Mentone and then joined the sisters in the Convent for afternoon tea.

Sr Perpetua, the Provincial, instigated a new model of leadership in the larger Brigidine schools. The school was divided into four sections, each with a Principal with Sr Marietta as the overall coordinator. Sr Roch, former College Captain, left OLA to be Principal of the primary school, Sr Catriona Devlin, Sr Christina Byrne and Sr Pius Kennedy were Principals of the Junior, Middle and Senior Secondary Schools. The model was to be tried and evaluated in 1974 and was evidently deemed a success as it continued throughout Sr Marietta’s years as Principal from 1974-78.

Plans were also in place to reduce the boarding school to use the former dormitories as classrooms. St Michael’s, the current office area, became the boarders’ recreation room and St Lucy’s became a community room for the sisters. St Agnes, next door, now Mrs Nash’s office, was the TV room. With the phasing out of the Primary School, Dean Fraser of St Patrick’s (uncle of current staff member, Carmel), gave permission for Kilbreda’s very last First Communion to be celebrated in the College Chapel. This coincided with several sisters being appointed special ministers in local parishes and at Kilbreda.

In 1975, plans were drawn up to glass-in part of the undercroft under the library to serve as a multi-purpose room called ‘The Glasshouse’, which remained so until the 1990s. One side, where rooms 70-72 are now, was used for sporting activities and the other was what was referred to as ‘The Meeting Room’ until such  time as the current Meeting Room came into being. 1976 saw the Old Grotto removed. Page 252 of the Convent Annals records that “the Boarding School of Kilbreda has closed officially now, though a couple of girls will be living here during the school terms on school days. These are final year students who wish to complete their education at Kilbreda”.

In 1977, former Kilbreda boarder, Sports Captain 1952 and College Captain 1953, Sr Maria Guinan, was elected Provincial - “We feel very honoured that one of our Past Pupils is now our Provincial Superior”. 1978 saw Sr Marietta leave Kilbreda as Coordinator (Principal) and Convent Superior.

Reunions to celebrate Kilbreda’s 75th anniversary occurred in 1979 drew record numbers of Past Pupils. In July, the community was informed by Maria and her team that the sisters were to be relocated to various residences in nearby suburbs so that the former Coffee Palace, which had served for 75 years as the Brigidine Convent Mentone, would be converted for school use. Mr Graham Giulieri, father of Clare, Catherine and Elizabeth, offered his services free of charge to assist with the planning and to supervise the construction. When permits were granted on November 10, the annalist (probably Sr Kieran) records that “mortar, bricks and dust began falling in all directions!”

Mr Danny McConnell organised a very successful walkathon in 1979, a tradition which continued for many years. HSC students in 1979 travelled to Tasmania, Year 9s to Harrietville and Year 8s to Millgrove. Kilbreda won the InterBrigidine Sports for the second year running in what was reportedly a ‘massacre’, and Mother General, Sr Adrian, happened to be in Melbourne from Ireland to present the trophy, which ended its days in Kilbreda Archives.

Aforementioned Maria Guinan csb had boarded at Kilbreda from Years 10 to 12 in 1951-53. As 1952 Sports Captain, Maria (then Leone), was asked to write a message in the autograph book of her classmate, Pauline Connolly, now Stevens, the mother of current staff member, Louise.

“I cannot find a truer word,

Nor fonder to address you,

No song or poem that I have heard,

Is sweeter than ‘God Bless You”.

Maria’s profession as a Brigidine sister took place in 1957 at Malvern. She was sent first to Rochester, where she expected to stay 6 months, eventually leaving there nearly ten years later. During this time, she studied Arts by correspondence, majoring in RE and English, but also studying French and Psychology. She then moved to Echuca for one year, before taking study leave for one year to finish her degree. She then returned to Echuca, this time as Principal, before spending six years in Beechworth, where she was Convent Superior.

In 1977, Maria travelled to Ireland for the General Chapter meeting and on her return spent six years as Provincial, based at Malvern. In 1983, Maria again attended the General Chapter and this time was asked to join the General Council, which saw her living for the next six years in Black Rock, a suburb of Dublin.

On her return to Australia in 1989, Maria went first to Horsham and then to Ararat, where she stayed twelve years. She returned to Melbourne and was on the Provincial Council, before moving to Springvale, where she spent six years. Maria’s final post was as Coordinator of St Brigid’s house in Malvern for three years, where she is still a member of the community.

Damian Smith

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