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Kilbreda 60 Years Ago
1965 was significant at Kilbreda for many reasons. Firstly, the school population passed 1,000 students for the first time, maintaining that number for almost 50 years. Secondly, it was the final year of Mother Margaret Mary鈥檚 39 years as Principal. It saw the building and opening of St Brigid鈥檚 Chapel under the guidance of Superior Mother Stephanie O鈥橬eill and the Delany Wing, currently Science Rooms 29 – 32, with the help of a Federal Government Science Grant.
The year also saw the hiring of Kilbreda鈥檚 first administrative staff member, Mrs Helene Chugg, who remained at Kilbreda until 1971. She remembered that she 鈥溾��was the secretary and also taught oral French and piano. As time went on I ended up doing all the secretarial work and I dropped the rest. I didn鈥檛 do the salaries. Mother Consuelo Metcalf did. Any girls who misbehaved were put in my office. Very often girls who were sick also鈥�. Helene鈥檚 memories also included watching television with senior girls in 1969 as the US astronauts landed on the moon. The employment of a retired nursing sister, Sr Catherine Halliday, as matron in 1965 lessened further the onerous duties the sisters had long undertaken.鈥� 1
1 A View from the Tower, p105
Damian Smith
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