If you’ve been around a place long enough, you are often said to be a ‘part of the furniture’. But when someone names a particular seat after you, that’d be going too far, but more on that later. Some parts of Kilbreda’s furniture include Danny McConnell, who was on staff from the 60s well into the 2010s. Before him, someone I’m researching at the moment was Delia Martin from the class of 1918, who was on staff from the 30s to the 70s and, of course, Mother Margaret Bourke, who ‘was Kilbreda’, was here from the 1920s until 1965, with a short stint in the 1910s.

But, prior to all those wonderful people, was someone revered by all in the first half of last century, Mother Vincent Brennan. Mother Vincent was not one of our pioneers, but came here in 1905, so she’s a pioneer minus a few months in my book.

Mother Vincent was professed at Tullow in 1881, having been a parlour boarder there, showing talent in languages, music and painting. As a teacher, her forte was piano, but she also enjoyed painting, carving and needlework. My grandmother told me that the chair in which I used to sit having lunch with Sr Maree in the archives, was one of a number carved and upholstered by Mother Vincent. Sr Maree would admonish people coming into the archives and daring to sit in ‘Damian’s chair!”

Vincent was among the pioneers at Echuca in 1886, where she remained for a number of years before being made first Mother Superior at Rochester. Then in 1905, she came to Mentone, where she remained until her death, an amazing 40 years later! Following the death of M. Benedict in 1913, she took over as Superior here until 1915. “She was a splendid teacher, and men and women in various parts of the country- many of them up in years themselves- still look back on the days when this energetic and capable young Irish Nun presided over their classroom.”

In 1931, a group of past pupils gathered (see below) to celebrate her Golden Jubilee and in 1947, they had a sound system installed throughout the college in her memory. Early pupils were taught piano in a small vestibule leading on to Mentone Parade, between what are now the offices of the Principal and Business Manager. Eddie Trait, a great supporter of Kilbreda over many years and editor of the Mordialloc City News, wrote of her thus: “The News ventures the opinion that she is probably one of the most outstanding people to have lived and died in the municipality”.

Damian Smith
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