Our Past Principals

From the Archives

With such a wonderful response to a bit of history in last newsletter, I thought I’d continue the theme this time. With the appearance of our new Principals  at last week’s assembly, it is timely to look back at our past Principals.

Last year we thanked Miss Mary Stack for her service to Kilbreda as a teacher and Principal, before she moves on to the next stage in her life. Mary completed most of her schooling in England, before coming to Australia and completing her final three years of secondary education in Manly, NSW. Mary’s teaching association with the Brigidines began at Kilmaire in Hawthorn, where she taught from 1986-9, during which time she completed a degree in Theology. Mary was then appointed Principal of St Augustine’s College, Kyabram, which had been founded by the Brigidines in 1919. Mary came to us in 1998 and for many years taught Humanities and RE among other things. While at Kilbreda, she undertook further studies in Wellbeing and Education Law. Mary was an innovative Curriculum Coordinator and Assistant to the Principal, employed by Sr Angela Ryan and working mainly with Sr Helen Toohey, before taking the reins when Helen departed to become Provincial of the Victorian Province in 2007.

One hundred years before, our founding Principal, Mother Margaret Mary Murphy, was in charge of what was then known as St Brigid’s High School. Educated at the Echuca Convent, she entered the novitiate in 1896 and was professed three years later. While Principal, her sister Kathleen Murphy was one of her charges, boarding at Mentone from 1906-11. Kathleen became Mrs Myers, mother of Sr Mary Myers csb. Margaret Mary Murphy established the tone of the school in its infancy, opening a boarding school in 1905. Later Mistress of Novices and Victorian Provincial, she died at Malvern in 1948.

Mother Berchmans Foley took over in 1916. She and her brother, who later became the Bishop of Ballarat, were born in Ireland and were cousins of Archbishop Mannix. She was professed in 1891 and was at one point Mistress of Schools. After completing her Principalship in 1926, Berchmans remained at Kilbreda and the following year wrote a beautiful letter to my grandmother on the death of her mother: “I suppose you will have to take over the responsibilities of house-keeping, Mary. It is now that a careful upbringing by a good Christian mother will stand to you. I shall always expect to hear good accounts of you. With deepest sympathy and promising a daily remembrance in prayer.” Berchmans died in 1942.

Margaret Mary Bourke returned to Kilbreda as Principal in 1927, overseeing the building of the Colonnade, St Benedict’s Wing. She remained for 39 years before leaving to become secretary to the Provincial in 1966. I have written a detailed account of her on the Kingston Historical Website at the following link. 1

During the last few years of her time, Margaret Mary was assisted by Sr Barbara Matthews, a talented science teacher, who then took on the running of school in 1966. Barbara employed current staff member, Mr Danny McConnell in 1969. Barbara was a physics teacher like Danny and was happy to teach the theory and leave the practical aspects to him. Barbara was a past pupil of Kildara, Malvern and completed her training in the state system, joining the Brigidines at the age of 21. When she died in 1996, Sr Canisia wrote of her, “At Kilbreda, where her many duties in administration and teaching made her a very busy person, she invariably found her way to recreation, relating  easily to older and younger members and was always a bright and cheerful presence.”

Pius Kennedy, who was Principal in 1972-3, was a boarder at the Beechworth Convent. Wanting to be a music teacher, she joined the Brigidines at the age of 25. Pius studied, as did Margaret Mary Bourke, at Melbourne University and served as Principal of many Brigidine schools, as well as being Provincial for six years. Pius was founding Principal of Killester and returned there later in life, working cheerfully in the library. The Kennedy Hall was named after her in 1987. She died in 1999 aged 98.

Marietta Rea was born in Adelaide and was professed at Malvern in 1953. As Kilbreda’s Principal from 1974-8, she oversaw the phasing out of the primary classes and the boarding school under a new model of leadership where she was known as School Coordinator with four Principals at Primary, Junior, Middle and Senior Secondary.  “Sr Marietta, being a physical fitness fanatic herself, employed Louise Young after school to improve the boarders’ athletic capabilities”. 2  Marietta spent her final years at Clayton and died in December 2007.

Rosemarie Joyce was a past pupil of Kilbreda finishing in 1963. She was professed in 1966 and came to Kilbreda in 1973. She was Principal of the Senior School in Marietta’s time and was Principal from 1979-80. In her 1980 Principal’s Report she noted that as a past pupil she had a fondness for her Alma Mater and would always remember all in the Kilbreda community with a sense of appreciation. She returned as Provincial to open the Delany Building in 2005.

Angela Ryan was twice Principal. Firstly from 1981-83 and from 1996-99. A member of the Kilbreda Matric class in 1955, she was professed in 1958. Angela left half way through 1983 to become Victorian Provincial and was replaced briefly by her deputies, Frank Fitzgerald and Adrian McGee. Angela introduced pastoral care involving Year 12 students and girls in other year levels which was praised by parents at the time. After leaving Kilbreda, Angela became Executive Officer of the National Committee for Professional Standards in the Catholic Church from 2000 until 2012.

Catherine Kelly was born and educated in Tullow, Ireland. Catherine challenged senior students to strive to take a significant role in society. A talented English and Literature teacher, she arrived in Australia in 1954 and joined the Brigidines in Melbourne, being professed at Malvern in 1957. She studied at the Brigidine Teachers’ College in Malvern and taught at Christ College and the Yarra Theological Union for many years. Catherine was Kilbreda Principal in 1984 filling the role until the arrival of her great friend Mary Dalton, who was on sabbatical prior to coming to Kibreda. In the last decades of her life, Catherine was a coordinator with Brigid Arthur of the Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project, based at Albert Park. At her Rosary in March this year, numerous asylum seekers spoke lovingly of the way Catherine had helped them in their efforts to settle in Australia.

Mary Dalton was born in Horsham in 1939 and educated by the Brigidines and later at Melbourne University. She was Principal at Wangaratta and then went to Killester and later Adelaide. She taught English, Australian History and RE and returned to Kilbreda as Principal in 1985. The Hall, which now bears her name, was opened that year. Mary died in 1995 and at her funeral Mass at Mordialloc, Catherine Kelly delivered the eulogy. An article about Sr Mary also appears on the Kingston website at the following link.3

Mrs Carmel Smart, nee Grundy, completed her Matric at Kilbreda in 1967. She began teaching at her old school in the 1980s and took on leadership roles as Year Level Coordinator, Careers Counsellor and Deputy Principal under Sr Mary. When Mary was diagnosed with cancer, Carmel and Denise Leonard took on greater leadership in the College with Carmel assuming the role of Principal from late 1994 and throughout the 1995 school year. Carmel left Kilbreda in 2007 and spent a number of years at De La Salle in Malvern, where she coordinated the Work Experience and Careers Programs.

Helen Toohey took over after Angela Ryan’s second stint as Principal. Born at Benalla, she too was educated by the Brigidines and was professed at Malvern in 1965. Coming to Kilbreda as Sr Peter in the early 1970s, she returned to Kilbreda in 1999 after a lengthy period as Principal of Killester. Helen was central to the celebration of Kilbreda’s Centenary in 2004, before taking on the leadership of the Victorian Province in 2007, overseeing the celebrations of the Brigidine Bicentenary.

As mentioned at the beginning, Mary Stack came as our 13th Principal in 2007, following Helen Toohey.

This year we welcomed Teresa Lincoln and Nicole Mangelsdorf as the fourteenth and fifteenth women to oversee the running of our dear old school. As to which is the fourteenth and which the fifteenth, I’ll leave them to decide.

Damian Smith 

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