© Brisbane Catholic Education, St Kieran’s (2023)
History
The turrbal people were the original inhabitants of Brighton and surrounding areas. They call the land 'Warra,' meaning 'a stretch of water.'
Saint Kieran
Our patron saint, St Kieran of Clonmacnoise (also know as St Kieran the Younger), was born c. 516AD in Connacht, Ireland. His life is reflected throughout the school and his legacy of lifelong learning is integral to the values of the St Kieran's community. St Kieran was blessed with a vision of a great tree which led him to begin his own monastry, to which brothers from all over Ireland came to study.
Our School
© Brisbane Catholic Education, St Kieran’s (2023)
In 1959 after many efforts by parish priest Father Tom Armstrong to establish a school at Brighton, the Canossian Sisters agreed to provide two nuns, to run a school in the parish. This was to be one of the first schools in Australia run by the Italian order of Canossian nuns. On February 2nd 1960 classes began in the presbytery under rather difficult conditions with 72 children in Grades 1 and 2. Mother Mary Conti and Mother Mabel De Souza travelled daily to Brighton on public transport from Canossa House, Gregory Terrace.
The existing church was lifted and moved to accommodate the building of classrooms underneath and the church itself took on the role of school during the week as desks were moved in after Mass on Sunday. In 1963 the convent was built and the sisters took up residence. They were to continue teaching for another nine years and then worked in the parish until 1987 when the time came for them to work in another community.
In 1966 the existing school was built to accommodate high school students but this was to close down after only one year due to economic reasons.
The first lay principal was Ray McNamara followed by David Greig, Ken Hall, Mike Lalor, Charlotte Robinson, Marissa Clark and Margaret Tomov. Each one in turn made improvements to the facilities. Over the last ten years major refurbishments throughout have made the school a modern and inviting learning environment.
Ben Gray, the current principal, continues to lead the work of providing a contemporary quality Catholic education to our students.
