Celebrating 60 years of ‘strength and gentleness’
News
When school resumes at Kildare College early next year there will be a buzz in the air as South Australia’s only college in the Brigidine tradition celebrates 60 years of educating and empowering young women.
The significant milestone in the school’s rich history will be centre stage at the college’s opening Mass at which specially designed anniversary pins will be blessed.
Throughout the year, the college will invite old scholars and the school community to a series of events where they can reconnect, reminisce and celebrate the past.
“As we celebrate 60 years, we honour the vision of the Brigidine Sisters and the thousands of young women who have walked through our doors,” said principal Tina Neate.
“Six decades ago, a courageous group of Brigidine Sisters answered a bold call and embarked on an adventure into the unknown, an adventure that would leave a legacy and shape the future for generations of young women.”
At the invitation of Archbishop Matthew Beovich, the Brigidine Sisters founded Kildare College in 1966 with just 32 students and one teacher, Sr Moira Broderick csb.
“Today, Kildare College is a thriving learning community of more than 780 students, continuing the Brigidine tradition of hospitality, compassion, and courage,” Mrs Neate said.
“Over its history, Kildare College has evolved to meet the needs of a changing world while remaining true to its values”.
In its earliest years, the college consisted of a single building known as the Hall, alongside the chapel and the convent where the Brigidine Sisters lived. The convent, now the administration building, housed the Brigidine Sisters and their bedrooms until 1990.
Sr Moira fondly remembered those early days when she returned to the college in 2023. Reflecting on the college’s humble beginnings, she told students: “We dared to dream and always said ‘we can do this’.”
Recent years have seen the opening of the Brigidine Centre in 2019 and the Tullow Centre in 2022, state-of-the-art facilities that support innovation and creative learning.
The curriculum has also transformed alongside society, moving from traditional subjects such as sewing and typewriting to a diverse range of contemporary offerings including dance, woodwork and ‘café culture’ which give students the freedom to discover their passions and develop skills for the future.
The college’s next stage will see the construction of the $18.5m Lightbridge Centre in 2026, a performing arts and wellbeing centre set to open in 2027. It will feature a 500-seat theatre, an outdoor café and a dedicated wellbeing centre.
In preparation for the build, the college recently farewelled the original 1966 building, the Hall, with a joyous celebration to honour its significance.
The Lightbridge Centre sparks a full circle moment. In 1967 the college won the Youth Drama Competition at the Festival of the Arts, igniting a passion for performing arts that has endured for decades.
Mrs Neate said the college’s motto, Fortiter et Suaviter, Strength and Gentleness, had guided generations of students, inspired by the legacy of St Brigid of Kildare who established Ireland’s first monastery for women in the 5th century.
“This spirit of innovation and inclusion remains at the heart of Kildare’s mission today – a mission that began with six women and now lives on through generations of empowered young women following in their footsteps,” she said.
“This milestone is not just about reflecting on our past – it is about embracing the future with courage, creativity and hope”.
