Kilvington Centenary
Welcome to the Kilvington 2023 Centenary page. Here we will bring you events, news and updates on all things relating to Kilvington’s 100th birthday.
Oh, what a night! – the Kilvington Centenary Gala
Bianca Lapins, Community Relations Officer
Towards the end of Term 3, our School community joined together in true 1920s style to celebrate and commemorate 100 years of Kilvington.
Merrimu Reception in Murrumbeena was transformed into a stunning and glamorous ‘Great Gatsby’ style setting, with guests embracing the Roaring Twenties theme with vigour, and dressing up in a wonderful array of outfits and 1920s flourishes.
Guests were welcomed to the Gala by the stunning Gatsby Girls and with jazz entertainment, generously provided by Kilvington Instrumental Music Teacher, Chris Higgins, and students Ethan Russell and Daniel Vanston.
As The Baker Boys Band started their first musical set, our guys and dolls made their way into the Grand Ballroom where the party really got started. Everyone enjoyed the goodie bags, the photobooth, the food, the drinks, a performance by the Gatsby Dancers, and, of course, the dancing!
Congratulations to Wendy McManamny and Adam Power, who were named our best dressed attendees, and to all the winners of the amazing raffle.
A huge thank you to Kilvonian and current parent, Yvette Gray, who was our emcee for the evening and led us through the program of events.
Finally, a massive thank you to everyone who attended and helped to make the Gala a wonderful celebration of Kilvington’s 100 years in existence. We hope you enjoyed the evening as much as we did!
Thank you to our supporters
We are incredibly grateful to the following organisations who helped to make the Kilvington Centenary Gala a celebration to remember - Fletchers Real Estate Ormond, My First Career, 78 Degrees Distillery, Bob Stewart, Mediterranean Greek Tavern, Platform 1 Café, Sofitel Melbourne on Collins, Charlotte Dalton Wines, I Like That, Hallmark, L’Oreal, Bounce Glen Iris and FX Entertainment.
A super special shout out to the Kilvington PFA for their fabulous support of the event. Thank you so much - you’re the bee’s knees!
Centenary Time Capsule
On Friday 6 October, a special ceremony was held in Kilvington’s Centenary Garden involving the placing of a Time Capsule deep in the soil to be unsealed in 2048.
Principal Rob French, supported by Junior School Co-Captains, Jiawei Chen and Oliver Sey, and Senior School Co-Captains, Diya Matthew and Felix McShane, shared with the audience of Years 4 and 10 students and Walsh Club alumni, details of the items to be placed in the capsule.
Academic Dean of Visual Arts, Rosie Busutill, and Year 4 Classroom Teacher, Francis McGinley, worked tirelessly over the past two terms to collate material from ELC through to Year 12 students. This included special messages to our 2048 Kilvington community and photos of current facilities, events and experiences.
Our Walsh Club alumni (students who graduated more than 50 years ago) also offered special mementos from Kilvington past to include in the capsule. On top of the lot was a letter from Mr French which will be read in 25-years-time.
A smoking ceremony was conducted by David Tournier from the Boonwurrung Sea and Land Council giving the service a memorable touch.
Many thanks go to the Maintenance Team, Frank, Pete, Gary and Bernard, for the creation of the sturdy capsule and garden and preparing the plot for where our Centenary Time Capsule will reside for a quarter of a century.
Centenary Concert video
Our entire Kilvington community came together to celebrate the School’s 100th anniversary in concert at Hamer Hall in August.
It was a spectacular night of song, dance, orchestras and instrumentals, plus honouring Kilvington legend Patsy Venn.
Please find the link to the Centenary Concert video here. There’s sure to be a highlight that peaks your interest!
Then and Now
1988 vs today. Our technology may have shrunk, but the growth of our students' minds remains constant, transcending the decades.
Centenary key resources
Below you can find key resources on our Centenary including links to a special Centenary website and the event schedule for the year.
CENTENARY WEBSITE
Visit our Centenary website to learn more about our history, view archive photographs and documents and read about some of the incredible things our former students are doing!
CENTENARY MERCHANDISE
We have created a range of merchandise to mark the occasion of our 100th birthday! You can purchase here.
