A South Australian educator who helped introduce one of the state’s first Montessori kindergartens more than a century ago has been honoured with a new primary school building in the heart of Adelaide.
St Aloysius College officially opened its new Dunlevie Primary Building on Thursday 13 August, marking a significant milestone for the 146-year-old girls’ school and its growing primary years program.
The building was officially opened and blessed by Archbishop Patrick O’Regan, with Sisters of Mercy and representatives from Mercy Education, Catholic Education and the wider College community attending the ceremony. Old Scholar and journalist Sarah Cumming hosted the event.
Honouring a pioneering educator
The new building is named for Sister Teresa Dunlevie, an Adelaide-born educator who attended St Aloysius as a student before becoming the first Old Scholar to lead the College.
Born Ellen “Nellie” Dunlevie in 1884, she studied at Adelaide Teachers’ College and taught for the South Australian Department of Education before entering the Convent in 1913. She later became the first nun in South Australia to gain a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Appointed Headmistress of St Aloysius in 1918, Sr Teresa led the College for 26 years and became known for embracing new approaches to education. Alongside Sr Carmel Bourke, she introduced one of South Australia’s earliest Montessori kindergartens, while new subjects, sporting opportunities and courses responding to students’ interests were introduced during her leadership.
A building designed with students in mind
More than a century later, St Aloysius College Principal Paddy McEvoy said the new building continues that tradition of adapting education to the needs of students.
“In the last 50 years, the numbers of primary students enrolled at SAC have increased significantly, so it was important that we design a building that responds to the needs of our youngest students,” Ms McEvoy said.
“This building supports contemporary pedagogies for early years, with a diverse range of learning spaces and opportunities for collaboration between students of all ages. Staff and student input in the design phase was crucial to shaping this facility, and the excitement of staff and students in this first month of use reflects their ownership of the outcome.”
Designed by Grieve Gillett Architects and Hayball, and constructed by Schiavello Construction, the Dunlevie Primary Building includes flexible classrooms arranged around shared learning commons, sensory and breakout rooms, dedicated STEM and Arts spaces, and a rooftop outdoor play area with garden terrace overlooking the city.
Students were also involved in the design process, working with staff and architects to identify the types of spaces in which they learn and feel most comfortable.
Where history meets the future
The building sits alongside the College’s historic Convent on Angas Street, with architectural features including arches that reference the heritage buildings surrounding it.
At Thursday’s opening, that relationship between old and new was particularly visible: the spire of the century-old Convent was reflected in the expansive windows of the new building as Sisters of Mercy, students and guests gathered in the Dunlevie Courtyard.
“At SAC, we stand on the shoulders of some incredibly talented, innovative and future-focused educators in the Sisters of Mercy,” Ms McEvoy said. “We look forward to continuing their legacy, blazing a trail for Mercy in today’s world and educating girls to believe in themselves, in their own cultural roots and in their strength as women of Mercy.”
Primary students moved into the Dunlevie Building at the beginning of Term 3.
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