On April 14, 1901, the foundation stone was laid for the Beaudesert Convent School, now known as St Mary’s Catholic Primary School.
Four months later, on August 19, the school officially opened its doors.
Fast forward 125 years, generations of staff, students and the wider community are preparing to celebrate the milestone with three special events honouring the school’s rich Mercy tradition and long-standing place in Beaudesert’s history.
The festivities will begin on August 19 with a school celebration day, featuring a mass led by former parish priest Father Bernie Gallagher, old-fashioned lunchtime games and the unearthing of the school’s 100-year time capsule buried in 2001.
On August 22, the community is invited to a free self-guided historical walk and morning tea from 10am to 2pm, offering visitors the chance to reconnect with former students, staff and families while viewing memorabilia showcasing the school’s past and present.
That evening, a gala dinner from 6pm will celebrate the school’s history and future.
Ticket information is available on the St Mary’s School Facebook page.
Assistant Principal Anita Mugridge said the anniversary was an opportunity to celebrate the enduring legacy of Mercy education.
“Mercy education continues to be a living tradition that helped students learn well, live with purpose and lead with heart,” she said.
“For us, being a Catholic school and part of the Mercy schooling tradition, it’s important we remember those traditions and celebrate those things so we can keep moving forward in a positive way.”
As part of the anniversary celebrations, the school is calling on past students, staff and community members to contribute photographs, stories and memorabilia to help document the past 25 years of the school’s history and include items in a new 125-year time capsule.
“We’re trying to capture a wider audience to let them know that this is on and for their contributions to create our memorabilia,” Anita said.
“We’ve got some great history collected up to our 100 years, so we’re trying to focus on the last 25 and starting to build a picture of that as well.”
Bookings are essential for all events.
For more information or to contribute memorabilia, contact St Mary’s office on 5541 2005.
