AVILA’S 40-YEAR HISTORY TIME LINE
1964
October 15, Feast of Saint Teresa of Avila. Meeting of local parish priests - Father Ryan (Glen Waverley), Father Curley (Mount Waverley), Father Hennessy (Syndal), and Father Creed (Jordanville) - to discuss the establishment of Avila College
1965
Sister Patricia Carroll (Sister Adrian), Principal
Avila College commenced with an intake of Form I and Form II students in portable classrooms in the grounds of St Leonard's Catholic Primary School, Glen Waverley
Teaching staff comprised Sister Patricia and Kate Biggs (Sister Anselm)
Construction of buildings at the Charles Street campus, Mount Waverley, underway
Enrolment of 111 students
1966
School commenced at Charles Street
Avila registered as a Junior Secondary School
Form 3 introduced
First section of building, the South Wing (current Middle School), completed
First school sports, Pinewood Oval
187 students
1967
North Wing (current Senior School) completed
Form 4 introduced
286 students
1968
Science laboratories A and B completed, since demolished
Form 5 introduced
380 students
1969
First Matriculation class at Avila, consisting of 13 students, graduates.
West Wing (current Junior School) completed
430 students
1970
Sister Patricia Carroll completed her term as Principal
Avila registered as a full secondary school
Logos, first College magazine
474 students
1971
Sister Raymonde Taylor, Principal
Formation of Avila College Council - Mr Terry Roche is first Chairman
STC established with Angela Vanin as first President
Library completed - blessed by Cardinal Knox and opened by the Honourable Billy Snedden
516 students
1972
Form I enrolments increased to 160 girls
611 students
1973
Sister Raymonde Taylor completed her term as Principal
Avila won the Inte school Swimming shield.
Eucharistic Congress - Avila students performed liturgical dance
Addition of two new classrooms to West Wing
New classroom, staffrooms and Home Economics room commenced in South Wing
701 students
1974
Sister Josepha Dunlop, Principal
School song, Ecclesiae Filia, composed by student Kerrie Flynn with music by Head of Music, Mrs Joyce Haslam
Native gardens started by Mrs Pat Hall and Mrs Judy Lester
Avila won the Presentation Interschool Athletic Sports for the first time. A ‘stunning’ achievement
First glossy school magazine, edited by Bernadette O’Dwyer
Avila entered for the first time in the Catholic Schools’ Drama Festival with a student production co-produced by Elizabeth McInerney and Anne Brennan; start of an unbroken tradition of student-produced plays. Mary O’Hea was named Best Actress of the Festival.
Third Science Laboratory completed
Curriculum included Home Economics, Italian and Indonesian
751 students
1975
Bernadette O'Dwyer first student rep on College Board
Concept of Junior, Middle and Senior schools introduced
Interschool Swimming shield retained by Avila
'Walk for Warmth' walkathon raises nearly $7,000 for gas heating throughout the school
Honour Board erected in North building
787 students
1976
Avila won every debate in Inter school Debating Contest
Catholic Schools Drama Festival: Avila awarded 2nd Best Play; Best Actress; and Best Student Production
Avila won Inter school Athletics Sports
20 adult women undertook HSC studies at Avila
848 students
1977
Mellica’s Mission launched
Appointment of Ms Patricia Ryan as Deputy Principal
Chris Milsom won Julia Flynn Memorial Prize and also in Victorian finals for Plain English Speaking Competition. Catholic Schools’ Drama Festival: Best Actress; 2nd Best Play
First Avila revue
866 Students plus nine adult HSC students
1978
Mellica Campbell passed away
Ruth Abbey won Julia Flynn Memorial Prize
Special Mass in Holy Family Hall to celebrate Avila Day
Catholic Schools’ Drama Festival: Best Student Production; Best Actress and 2nd Best Play
Music room and fourth Science Laboratory completed
888 students
1979
Avila won Inter school Athletics sports by more than 80 points
School banner made by Mrs Irene Ho (teacher)
Catholic Schools’ Drama Festival: Best Student Production; 2nd Best Play
891 students
1980
Ms Patricia Ryan, Principal
Specialist block blessed and officially opened by the Most Reverend Frank Little, Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne, and Sir Billy Snedden, Member for Bruce
Tracksuit introduced as part of the sports uniform
Avila third in the State Surf Life Saving competition after the Victoria Police and Mentone Boys Grammar teams
Year 11 student Maria Robbins, winner of Waverley area Lions Club Youth of the Year award
Avila father and friends night with Collingwood coach Tom Hafey, test cricketer Max Walker and television entertainer Paul Jennings. First men-only function at Avila
701 students
1981
Dr John Edmonds, Avila Board Chairman
Avila hosted Interschool Athletics Sports
Olympic Gym club started
Avila's first annual House Drama Festival
1982
400th anniversary of the death of Saint Teresa of Avila
Official dedication of Saint Teresa's garden
Nagle won Inter house Swimming Sports
Senior corridor and classrooms carpeted
First of many Garden State awards won by Avila between 1982 and 1988
Catholic Schools’ Drama Festival; Best Student Production and Best Actress to Louise Hall
1983
Avila College in Action for Christ (ACAC) started
Sport - individual and championship medals introduced for girls who win most points for their sports house
Central Australia trip
Introduction of blue windcheaters for Year 12s
State Garden Awards, regional winner
Commercial Department ‘typathon’ raised $1800 for new equipment
First Mazenod-Avila musical,The Witness
1984
Six Apple 2C computers bought for the Maths Department. College Board agreed to purchase six more computers for a specialist computer room
Bali trip
Avila wins Inter school Swimming Carnival
Avila branch of St Vincent De Paul Society launched
Work experience introduced at Year 10
State winner of the State Garden Awards
1985
Terry Roche Resource Centre - Library and Lecture Theatre - blessed and officially opened by the Most Rev Frank Little, Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne
Godspell - second musical to be produced at Avila
Red Cross Door Knock - Avila's first external fund raising activity. Students raised $1,020, the most by any Waverley group
Avila won Interschool Swimming and Aths carnivals
New sports uniform
Garden State awards, regional winner.
New tuckshop
1986
Mr Dennis Stanton, Avila Board Chairman
Introduction of compulsory wearing of bike helmets
Avila won Interschool Aths Carnival for second year
Avila Day - Archbishop Frank Little planted rose for peace at Avila
Bus trip to Sydney to see Cats; Canberra trip
First trip to Italy departed December 29
State Garden awards, regional winner
1987
Mrs Maureen Thompson, Principal
First Creative Arts Festival on June 16
Friends of Avila Music (FOAM) started
Knitting squares for Herald Blanket Appeal
Avila 1st, Inter school Swimming, Division 1; and first in Inter school Athletics
Gold/Silver at Victorian Schools Relay Champs
Avila won Vic. Senior Schoolgirls’ Netball Champs
Lavender walk planted
State Garden awards, regional winner
1988
Avila boasted 15 networked computers plus seven
Apple 2Cs
Inaugural swim meet with Mazenod
Catholic Schools’ Drama Festival: Avila won Best Student Production
Champion school and host of SCSA athletics carnival
State Garden awards, regional winner
1989
Silver Jubilee Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Principal celebrant, Sir Frank Little, Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne.
25th Catholic Schools' Drama Festival: Best Student Production Award and Best Actress Award to Christine Gallagher
Hockey team disbanded.
1990
25th anniversary year. Avila time capsule buried in garden adjacent to Junior School. To be opened in 2015
Delwynne Peterson and Avila Science students enjoyed first foray into the internet via Deakin Uni. internet account.
Avila Science students grew tomato seeds for NASA project
Launch of Environment Club by Meeghan Bell
Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme introduced
1991
STC raised $2,900 for Rosie's Café
Avila students joined Kidcafe, a global communication project based in Norway. Kidcafe allowed students all over the world to discuss, via email, interests and cultures
Avila students also joined KidPeace, a forum for students to discuss issues of world peace and the effects of war
Italy trip
Avila community raised $285,000 worth of Coles dockets for computer campaign, for a Macintosh computer and printer
Final outdoor assembly in quadrangle
Susan Puohotaua Orchestra Award introduced
1992
Sister Joan Marshall, the last of Presentation Sisters at Avila, retired
Past Board Chairman, Dr John Edmonds passed away
Presentation Wing and Music School, blessing and official opening and naming
Indonesia trip
Avila offered evening computer courses
Victorian Netball Champions - junior and senior teams
Andrea Aprico won return trip to Rome in La Fiamma essay competition. More than 1200 entries received
Stephanie Smyth, Year 9, 2nd in National Cross Country
Avila's first group of Duke of Edinburgh graduants
Two students top state in Ag/Hort and Business Management
1993
Avila won SCSA Division 1 Athletics Carnival
Italy trip
Year 8 participated in worldwide Kidlink, talking to students all over world through Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
Avila students joined an American teacher, to experience first-hand accounts of space shuttle launches at Cape Canaveral
Avila College included in a Time Magazine article
TAFE course, Advanced Certificate in Horticulture, introduced
Avila’s first Premier’s Award
1994
Mr Angelo Rincovitch, Avila Board Chairman
Introduction of Tertiary Entrance Ranking (TER) study scores
Launch of Radio AV - Year 12s weekly music over PA
Benefit concert for Rwanda - $4,000 raised
Trips to Indonesia, Canberra and Northern Territory
Sick bay converted to darkroom
Two Premier’s awards for academic excellence in 1994
1995
October, Ms Filomena Salvatore, Principal
Public Speaking Captain Catherine Rossouw captained Victorian team in National Schools competition
August 15, 9 am. Service to commemorate the announcement of world peace by Prime Minister Ben Chifley, at the same time and on the same day as in 1945 Ceramic artist-in-residence, Fiona Murphy
Senior team wins Australasian & Victorian Schoolgirls Netball championships
Four Premier’s awards for academic excellence in 1995
1996
Ag/Hort and Food Technology centres and Year 9 area officially opened
Avila students joined the global Schoolhouse and began to communicate using a CU-See Me camera to see and chat with students around the world.
Australasian Netball champions - senior team
Phasing in of new uniform
Rebecca Nash (Class of 1988) won $40,000 Dame Joan Sutherland Singing Award, $45,000 Australian Music Award, and Herald Sun Aria.
Two Premier’s awards for academic excellence in 1996
1997
Reconciliation Group started
Avila Maths Engineering team won Metropolitan Division of Tournament of the Minds
1998
Karen Niemiec and Carwyn Bradley Memorial Walk - $7,000 raised for Anti-Cancer Council
Four period day introduced - 80 minutes each period
Year 9 students entered the AT&T Virtual Classroom Competition and produced a global magazine in collaboration with St Georgen in Austria and Midorigaoko Junior High School in Japan
Avila's aerobics teams won gold and bronze at nationals
Two Premier’s awards for academic excellence in 1998
Avila Day Mass - St Patrick's Cathedral
1999
First full-colour yearbook
Taekwondo introduced in Year 9 PE program
Premier’s Award for academic excellence in 1999
2000
Mr Henry Mallia, Avila Board Chairman
Avila musicians and singers feature prominently at Jubilee Masses for 70,000 school children at St Patrick’s Cathedral
Three Premier’s awards for academic excellence in 2000
Fifteen daughters of past students in Year 7
2001
Administration, Science and Senior School facilities
officially opened
Inaugural Reynolds' Sports Day
Avila's aerobics teams won gold and bronze at nationals.
Three Premier’s awards for academic excellence in 2001.
2002
Monash University cited Avila as a leader in uni. transition.
Avila Day Mass - St Patrick's Cathedral.
Reconciliation Group raised $6000 for Arrernte people.
Inaugural Sportswoman of the Year Award evening
Launch of Social Justice Group
Two Premier’s awards for academic excellence in 2002.
2003
Staff team entered and completed 100 km Oxfam Walk
Avila Circus Troupe launched
2004
Blessing and official opening of refurbished Art Centre, Music School and Year 9 area
Doorways launched, featuring student writing and artwork
Avila hosted Schools Aids Day
Former Avila student Margaret Pratt (nee Whitty, 1975) 2004 Olympic torch bearer
France trip
2005
40th anniversary year
Ms Filomena Salvatore passed away on November 13
Deputy Principal (Student Welfare), Ms Liz Gleeson appointed Acting Principal
Sister Josepha Dunlop passed away on June 24
Mrs Caryl Finnegan, first female Chairperson of Avila Board
About 1,000 people attended 40th anniversary celebration and history display on February 25
Two Premier’s awards for academic excellence in 2005
Commencement of new lecture theatre complex, Bunjil Creation Centre
Visit to Santa Teresa Mission in the Northern Territory
Malaysia and Italy trips
Avila receives Victorian Independent Education Union's award for Best Practice in Equal Opportunity.
1,085 students