Year 12 Past Pupil Talks
The Year 12 students spent their first time together in the new Auditorium, where they were treated to a final dose of Kilbreda’s history, before taking their leave of Kilbreda for the last time in a few short months. During this session, a number of speakers shared memories of Kilbreda in days gone by. I began the process, taking them back to the days of the Bunurong people and to times in the early days of European settlement, when this area was nothing more than a paddock. Balcombe’s Paddock, as it was known, from about 1844 until the arrival of the railway line to Mordialloc in 1881, was a convenient location for Mr Balcombe to spend the night while making the two-day journey with cattle, walking from his property, ‘The Briars’ at Mount Martha, to the markets in Melbourne.
The early days of Mentone and the ill-fated Coffee Palace, led into the establishment by a small, but dedicated group of Brigidine sisters, of St Brigid’s High School, now known as Kilbreda. Our first speaker, Kath O’Connell, nee Kelly, a long time member of our Stewardship Council, told the girls that she had been a student at St Patrick’s Mentone and then, as the eldest of fifteen children, began a tradition at Kilbreda, which will continue in a few years time when her grand-daughters start here. Most of Kath’s sisters, as well as her daughters Kelly, Kerry and Karyn, were students here from the 1950s through to the 90s. Kath recalled the wise counsel of Mother Margaret Mary Bourke, who, taking Kath for a walk to what was then called ‘The farmyard’, where the back oval is now, told Kath that she was not going to go to business school, but was to study teaching at the Brigidine Teachers’ College, Malvern. When Kath went home and informed her parents of this, it was never questioned and proceeded just as Margaret Mary had suggested. The girls also found it funny that, when wearing their sports uniform, students would be asked to kneel in front of their teacher to ensure that their skirt was of the appropriate length. It had to be about an inch from the floor!
Current staff member, Miss Breanna Neighbour, remembered that in the 90s, the school administration was located along the colonnade, in what is now rooms 15-18. She also told the girls of the fairly ordinary red PE uniform of those days and of how students would have to bring it in their school bag and change into and out of it at the start and finish of each class! Miss Neighbour also spoke of the formidable Sr Mary, who was her Principal in her first few years here and how she would appear in the classroom unannounced and students would immediately leap to their feet in a chorus of “Good morning, Sr Mary!” to greet her.
Ms Sutherland read the recollections of former teacher and Stewardship member Grace Coelho, giving us a boarder’s perspective on life at Kilbreda in the 1940s. Grace spoke of the excitement of attending the ball in the Mentone Hall and being allowed to wear make-up and have their hair set! The girls would assemble in the parlour before going across to the Hall, so that the nuns could ensure that their dresses were modest and appropriate. “Certainly no strapless, off the shoulder or low-cut dresses were allowed." Grace’s recollections included “free time on Sundays when we could listen to the ‘hit parade’ on the big wireless, which was in the library, which is now the Principal’s office”. While Grace saw Mother Margaret Mary as strict, she saw that “she developed a sense of pride in us all. Pride for the school, to wear your uniform with pride- clean shoes, well pressed and clean blazers and tunics. Our uniform reflected on the College. When in uniform and in public, our behaviour had to be quiet, gentle and polite. We would stand back for people getting off buses and trains before getting on ourselves”.
Damian Smith
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