News

The Tenison Woods College community is excited about gathering for a celebration of journey and legacy on Friday 12 April, 2024. We will gather to formally open and bless recent building developments by The Most Reverend Patrick O’Regan DD, Archbishop of Adelaide.  These developments include:

• Early Learning & Community Centre extension

• MacKillop Reception Community Centre

• MacKillop Junior School Building

• Gilap Wanga Middle School precinct - (Ngula wangingi mraata ba wanginyi) Learning Community including the Poplars Inclusion Unit

These formal openings and blessings offer us an opportunity to acknowledge the story of Catholic Education in Mount Gambier on Boandik land, that dates back to Father Julian Tenison Woods and Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop with her Sisters of St Joseph in the 1860’s.  We also celebrate the contribution of the Sisters of Mercy from 1880 and the Marist Brothers from 1931. As we reflect on the many iterations of Catholic Education in Mount Gambier we celebrate the passion as well optimism of communities and their commitment to the development of their young. During the 1980’s, a period that was characterised by high interest rates and some years of recession, challenged the enrolments at Tenison College, inspiring an enthusiastic group of parents to marshal their forces and volunteer their talents to build what is now known as the Barrie Holmes Stadium. This allowed Tenison to compete with facilities being offered at other Mount Gambier Schools. Such expansive approach and hopefilled commitment to serving the families of our region has seen the amalgamation of Saint Paul’s Primary School and Tenison College to create Tenison Woods College.  Such service has extended to the creation of Out of School Hours Care facilities and an Early Learning and Community Centre. On 12 April we are not just celebrating the opening of further buildings at Tenison Woods College, but we are celebrating a charism of service to our community; a charism that expresses the legacy of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Father Julian Tenison Woods, Venerable Catherine McAuley and Saint Marcellin Champagnat.  Such charism inspires us all to be teachers and all to be learners, with an inquisitive respect for God’s creation, that inspires us to never see a need without doing something about it.  Our stewardship of self, others and the environment is characterised by a hearth side by side ministry that meets others at their journey point, and through love and connection we work with compassion for social justice. This is our story, our legacy and our charism that will be richly celebrated when we gather next week