Cabra Dominican College

History

In 1868, seven Dominican sisters were invited by the Bishop of Adelaide to visit the South Australian city. The sisters opened a day and boarding school in Franklin Street in inner-Adelaide. The school was moved to the current location in the suburb of Cumberland Park in 1886. At the time, the southern suburbs where Cumberland Park is located, was largely uninhabited farmland. The school was named after Cabra, Dublin, the mother house of the Dominican sisters in Ireland.

The foundation for the original Cabra building was first laid in March 1885. By the end of the year, the northern and western wings of the main building were established. The school officially opened in February 1886, with a total of nine sisters caring for 37 boarders and 3-day girls. There were an additional 71 girls in the intermediate school and most of these lived in South Australia. The school grew to over 93 boarders and 232-day pupils in the early 1950s. In 1978, the college itself began accepting boys. In 1999, the boarding school closed after over 110 years.

Veritas Magazine

Since the establishment of the College, the Veritas Magazine has been printed annually and distributed to staff, families, and old scholars at the end of every year. Veritas captures a snapshot of the College for that year incorporating contributions from staff and students.

Buildings

The largest building on the college grounds is the original convent that was built in 1885. A large proportion of the ground level houses the college admin staff, including the college principal. The home economics kitchen and classroom are also located within the ground level as is the college boardroom.

Opened in 2017, the newly developed St. Catherine's Wing saw the old music rooms become 4 multipurpose classrooms split across the upper two levels of the convent. The St. Catherine's Wing is home to Kavanagh house.

The eastern side of convent houses the St. Bridget's wing which includes a multitude of various music rooms and facilities. It is the namesake of St. Brigid's Square on the west of the wing, a common gathering area which is used for student-held handball matches during the morning and breaks. It is notoriously difficult to play on due to its size.

The Aquinas building, which has been torn down and in the process of being rebuilt, was a two-storey building located at the front of the college. The ground floor of the building had various science laboratories including specialised facilities for chemistry, physics, and biology. On the second level of the Aquinas building, some 15 multipurpose classrooms were located. Aquinas was home to Moore House.

8 Temporary classrooms have been installed at the back of the school, replacing the general use classrooms in the previous Aquinas building

Originally a science laboratory, Aquinas Theatre used to be one of three dedicated dance and drama spaces that the college offers. At times it was often used to hold year level or house assemblies but has been removed as part of the Aquinas project, to be replaced with a larger auditorium.

The Notre Dame cluster of buildings comprises the staff room, various staff offices, and the General Science Lab which was mainly used for students in Grade 7, but has been renovated to accommodate the removal of the labs in the former Aquinas building

Logo

The Coat of Arms of Cabra Dominican College has changed once or twice since the school's foundation in 1886. The design of the Escutcheon (shield) in the logo is based on the arms of the Dominican Order. The shield is divided evenly into eight gyrons, alternating sable and argent. These colours, more commonly called black and white, are the armourial colours of the Guzmán family, Guzmán being the family name of Saint Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order. The black and white Cross in the centre of the shield was worn by the knights of the Order of Calatrava, a family of which St Dominic's mother was of. At each end of the cross is a stylised fleur-de-lis, called a 'Flowering of the Cross', which represents purity. The symbol above the shield (the crest) is a Five-pointed star, which is placed in memory of the star seen on St Dominic's forehead during his baptism. The motto below the shield is Latin text reading Veritas, which literally translates to 'Truth'. This is in reference to the role of a Dominican, which is to preach the Truth of God.

House System

In 2017, the school's house system underwent a significant transformation. The four houses, which were previously utilised exclusively for Sports Day, were replaced with a new structure where each house functions more independently. Unlike the pre-2017 arrangement, where students were grouped by year level, the current system designates specific areas of the school to each house. For example, the northernmost building on campus, formerly allocated to senior students for home classrooms and lockers, is now designated as the home of Moore House. This building is named "Aquinas" in honor of Saint Thomas Aquinas.

Each house is overseen by two key staff members known as 'House Leaders' who provide guidance and support to students throughout their time at the college. Additionally, each house has a student leadership team, which includes two peer-elected senior House Captains from Year 12. They are supported by Year Level House Captains, representing students from Years 7 to 11.

The four houses are named after Dominican nuns who originally traveled from Ireland to Australia to establish the school. They are as follows:

Boylan

Named after Mother Mary Columba Boylan, O.P., who was sent to South Australia in 1875 to assist the sisters following the passing of Teresa Moore. She played a crucial role in managing the boarding school and later oversaw the completion of a full college in 1886. The house colors for Boylan are dark blue and light blue, known as "double blues."

Kavanagh

Named after Mother Mary Catherine Kavanagh, O.P., who assumed leadership of the college following the passing of Columba Boylan. She identified strongly with the Dominican tradition, as did many of the other sisters, which contributed to her reputation as a strong leader. The house colors for Kavanagh are green and gold.

Moore

Named after Mother Mary Teresa Moore, O.P., who led the founding group of Dominican sisters in establishing the college in 1868. As the first Prioress of St. Mary's Franklin Street, she oversaw the construction of a small girls' boarding school. The house colors for Moore are red and white.

Murphy

Named after Mother Mary Catherine Murphy, O.P., who served as an assistant to Teresa Moore. She played a vital role in helping the sisters overcome the challenges they faced, particularly following the excommunication of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop in 1871. The house colors for Murphy are purple and orange.

Sports Day

Since 2006, the school has hosted an annual Sports Day, which was restructured in 2017 alongside the introduction of the modern house system. Students have the opportunity to participate in a range of sports, with both victories and participation contributing to their house’s overall score. Some larger-scale or time-intensive events are held in advance of the main day.

On Sports Day, students are encouraged to forgo the standard school uniform in favor of attire that reflects their house colors. This is one of the few occasions when students are permitted to attend school in non-uniform clothing.

Two major awards are presented during the event. The Main Cup, the most prestigious prize, is awarded to the house that accumulates the highest total points. The Spirit Cup is presented to the house that demonstrates the greatest sportsmanship and enthusiasm, including outstanding chants.

Notable alumni

Jason Gillespie – Australian cricketer

Brodie Grundy – AFL footballer

Orianthi Panagaris – singer

Margaret White – First female judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland

Robyn Layton – Judge