6 February 2023

Padua College, Mornington, has begun its 125th anniversary by taking staff through the college’s past and present.

At the beginning of the school year, the college’s 400 staff members took a special tour of the Mornington Peninsula, visiting locations significant to the story of the school over the last 125 years. Each bus had a tour guide sharing stories of past identities and moments in the college’s history.

Travelling past the original site of the college near Mills Beach, the first stop was St Macartan’s Parish church. Fr Jude Johnson celebrated Mass for staff and parishioners, including Trish Duryea who spoke of her 70-year connection with Padua College. This was followed by a stop at the college’s Rosebud campus, where long-serving staff member and past student, Anne-Marie Wilkinson, spoke with her usual humour of the beginnings of the campus.

Last stop of the day was the Tyabb campus located on the Western Port side of the Peninsula, with staff hearing from past principal and current Mercy Education CEO, Christopher Houlihan, on the planning and beginnings of the campus close to 10 years ago. A great day of staff bonding and storytelling was had.