Trinity Catholic College, Dunedin: Difference between revisions

Kavanagh College
Address
Rattray Street, Dunedin
Information
Type	Secondary (Year 7-13)
Motto	Ipsa Duce (Latin: 'With Her As Our Guide')
Established	1989
Ministry of Education Institution no.	536
Principal	Paul Ferris
School roll	918
Socio-economic decile	8
Website	www.kavanagh.school.nz

Kavanagh College is a Catholic Secondary school in Dunedin, New Zealand.

It has 900 students and was founded in 1989 as a merger between St Pauls High School (formerly named ,firstly, Christian Brothers School and then, Christian Brothers High School), Moreau College (a school for girls which was itself an amalgamation of St Dominics College and St Philomena's College) and St Edmunds School (a primary and intermediate schoool for boys).

The founders of the school were the Dominican Sisters, Sisters of Mercy and the Christian Brothers. Kavanagh College has the longest tradition of consistent Catholic Education for one site, its Rattray St location.

The first Principal was Brother Jury, a Christian Brother who left the role in 1991.

Kavanagh College has four main blocks of classrooms: the Mercy Block, the Dominican Block and the Bodkin Block, along with the Science block. Kavanagh is located near the centre of Dunedin and close to many facilities including the Otago Polytechnic which is opposite and the University of Otago.

History

Kavanagh College has its origin in seven different schools. These are: a school operated by lay persons and attached to St Joseph's Church (later St Joseph's Cathedral), Dunedin; St Dominics College for girls; St Philomena's College for girls; Moreau College for girls; Christian Brothers School for boys and its successors, Christian Brothers High School and St Pauls High School; and St Edmunds School (a primary and intermediate schoool for boys).

St Joseph's School

The Otago settlement was established in 1848 and had an overwkelmingly Presbyterian character. There were very few Catholic there. However, in March 1861 gold was discovered at the Lindis Pass and Gabriel Read made public his successful discovery of gold at Tuapeka in June. The situation dramatically changed. Every steamer reaching Poert Chalmers or Bluff was packed with would-be miners, many of whom were Catholics. Accordingly Bishop Viard, (Bishop of Wellington in which Dunedin was located at that time, appointed Father Delphin Moreau SM, who had visited Otago in April 1859, to be its first resident priest. Mass was said in the courthouse until St Joseph's Church was completed in July 1862. In 1864 the Catholic population of Otago was estimated at over 15,000; chapels (many of them rough and ready ) sprang up in the diiggings and main towns, and schools came into existence. The Dunedin school was opened in 1863. "When the old wooden Provincial Government buildings were replaced by new brick ones, the former were sold. Father Moreau secured soem of them for his school. One large room was put on the side of the Rattrey Street gully, below the church. It was divided into two parts - one for the boys and one for the girls. Other parts of hte buildings were used as a coach house and stables. In 1864, the boys at the school were taught by Mr Shepherd and the girls were taught by Miss Campion. In 1870 Mr Shepherd still taught the boys and the girls were taught by Miss Conway. "Father Moreau took a great interest in the schools and was constantly among the children in the playground, always wearing his cassock which was green with age; he knew every child and was loved by them all. His hope was to obtain brothers and nuns to staff his schools."

Significant Alumni

• Ti'i Paulo - 9 Caps Crusaders Super 14
• Andrew Boyens - 15 Caps Toronto F.C. MLS

Culture

The Company

'The Company' is the school's drama group. They work together to put on the end of year Pantomime. They also (every 3 years) travel to Australia to perform.

KTVN

KTVN, or Kavanagh Television Network is a small group of Kavanagh College students that work technically within the school and help with the musicals and other shows. The team is lead by James Sutton and Hamish Edh, who have been involved with KTVN since their first year at Kavanagh. The KTVN website can be found here.

Musicals

Kavanagh College students are invited every year to get involved with the musical. It is a different musical everywhere, 2007's one being 'The Boyfriend'. Kavanagh have done many shows, like 'Godspell', 'West Side Story', and 'Fame'.

References/Sources

• A G Butchers, Young New Zealand, Dunedin, Coulls Somerville Wilkie Ltd., Dunedin, 1929.
• Sister Mary Augustine McCarthy, O.P. Star in the South: The Centennial History of the New Zealand Dominican Sisters, St Dominic's Priory, Dunedin, 1970, p. 31.</