AMillicent school will mark 125 years in 2024 since it was founded by a Catholic religious order.
Nuns from the Sisters of Mercy order founded St Anthony’s School in Millicent in 1899 and taught continuously at the school until 1981.
The last teaching nun was Sister Margaret Abbott who was an old scholar of the school when it was known as the Convent of Mercy.
Sister Margaret was the school’s principal from 1978 until 1981.
Nowadays, the original colonial-era convent is called Mercy House and it is the base for the school’s administration.
Festivities will begin with a whole school mass on February 2.
A major celebration for the past and present families, friends, old scholars and associates of the St Anthony’s School community will take place on a gala weekend from October 18-20.
As part of the upcoming celebrations, the school is creating a 125-year Commemorative Walk.
Everyone connected to the school in any way over the last 125 years is invited to purchase a named brick that will be added to the special 125-year Commemorative Walk.
There are several options available and the closing date for purchasing a brick is December 15.
The new 125-year Commemorative Walk will be unveiled at the same time as the two new classrooms in 2024.
Construction of the additional classrooms began last month and it is a project involving the school, Dycer Constructions, Edge Architects and Catholic Education South Australia.
The expansion required the demolition of a 1980 addition which had created a staff room, staff toilets, book room, principal’s office, entrance foyer and secretary’s office and had subsequently been modified.
The two new classrooms will adjoin a classroom which was erected in 1949 as the infant school.
Among the notable old scholars of St Anthony’s have been Supreme Court judge Michael White, ABC journalist Leah MacLennan, Australian netballer Natalie Medhurst and barrister Darcy Stratford.
Arguably its most prominent former teacher is Andrew Balkwill who later played AFL with Carlton and is now principal of Mercedes College in Adelaide.
The position of school board chairperson has been held by the likes of David Walshaw, Greg Bell, Maureen Brennan, David Wallis, Peter Scanlon and Jim Noonan.
For much of its history, St Anthony’s School offered both primary and secondary education.
