The Tower 

Renovation of an Icon

Kilbreda’s well known and much-loved Tower has been receiving some essential care over the last few months. 

The iconic architectural structure at the front of the College began life as the Mentone Coffee Palace in 1887 and was erected close to the rail connection to attract visitors from Melbourne. Sir Matthew Davies, a wealthy member of Victoria's Parliament, built the Palace as part of a plan to develop Mentone as a fashionable resort. He hoped the economic boom would bring land buyers to Mentone and the large, ornate Coffee Palace was a symbol of his optimism.

But the Davies dream was doomed to failure. In the early 1890s, Davies, along with many others, went broke in the severe bank crashes and economic depression. The Mercantile Bank, which funded the Davies building, took it over; however, it fell into disrepair. It was in 1904 that the Brigidine sisters were approached to open a primary and secondary school and purchased the property with the assistance of generous benefactors, to become what is now known as Kilbreda College. 

If you had passed by the College over the last few months you would have seen the scaffolding that was erected to begin the essential works on the Kilbreda Tower. The works included the replacement of bricks and repointing of the brickwork, replacing of windows and the repairing of the internal staircases and balcony door and the replacing of the damaged slate tiles at the peak of the tower.

The scaffolding is coming down this week, with the works set to be completed in the coming weeks, by which time the ‘grand old lady’ of the Mentone Shoping Village will once again look proudly out at the bay and surrounding suburbs. 

Andrea Halliday

Director of Development and

 Community Relations

College Plaques 

Would you like to have your name placed on an individual plaque which is displayed in the College Tower among many other past pupils - a lasting memento of your time at the College? 

We are currently taking orders for plaques which are brass, measure 11 cm x 7 cm and are $25 each.  

Simply complete the order form below - 

Then send the order form (with cheque or credit card details) to:

Kilbreda College

118 Mentone Parade

Mentone VIC 3194

Denise Leonard (née Morrissey) 

Chair

Kilbreda Past Pupils’ Network Committee