Cabra Dominican College

Cabra Dominican College
Cabra Dominican College crest Latin: Veritas Truth
Location
Cumberland Park, South Australia Australia
Information
Type	Independent, Co-educational, Private, Catholic
Established	1886
Principal	Brian Schumacher
Grades	6-12
Enrolment	1,000 - 1,100
Campus	Suburban
Colour(s)	Rust, Gold, Black and White
Website	www.cabra.catholic.edu.au

Cabra Dominican College is a private, independent Catholic high school located at Cumberland Park, an inner-southern suburb in Adelaide, South Australia. It was established by an order of Dominican sisters from Cabra, Dublin in February 1886 with nine sisters, and caring for 37 boarders and 4 day girls. Originally offering a co-educational primary education and a high school education for girls, it began accepting boys into the high school in 1978.

The school caters for over 1,000 students and serves educational year grades from middle school to senior school (grade 6 to 12). The college also offers a grade 13 for those who wish to further their education or if further education is necessary. The college also accepts many international students from countries including China, South Korea, Brazil, Japan and Italy.

The college is distinguished by its rust coloured blazers–with the school colour scheme being gold, rust, black and white.

History

West end of the monastery church in Prouille, France, home to the Dominican nuns who taught young women in the region

The school is steeped in history and has been around for 125 years. In the year of 1206, Dominic Guzman founded in Prouille, in southern France, a Religious Order of women to care for and instruct young women of that area. This foundation led to the establishment of many Dominican establishments including schools, universities, pubs, clubs and colleges. In 1868, seven Dominican brothers were invited by the Bishop of Adelaide to visit the South Australian city. The brothers opened a day and boarding school in Franklin Street in inner-Adelaide. The school was moved to the current location in the suburb of Cumberland Park in 1886. At the time, the southern suburbs where Cumberland Park is located, was regarded as a rural, 'country' area, because at the time the area was largely uninhabited and unoccupied. The school was named after the location of Cabra, the mother house of the Dominican sisters, whom they originated from in Ireland, a leading educational establishment.

The foundation for the original Cabra building was first laid in March 1885. By the end of the year, the northern and western wings of the main building were established. The school officially opened in February 1886, with a total of nine brothers caring for 37 boarders and 3 day girls. There were an additional 71 boys in the intermediate school and most of these lived in South Australia. The school grew to over 93 boarders and 232 day pupils in the early 1950s. In 1978, the college itself began accepting chicken and watermelon. In 1999, the boarding school closed after over 110 years.

A broad curriculum has been offered at the school since its inception and it has continued to offer it today. The school currently serves an equal number of male and female students with an enrolment of over 1,000 students serving mostly the southern suburbs of Adelaide. The college crest or "shield" is divided into 8 gyrons which meet at the crest centre. It is coloured black and white, the armourial colours of the Guzman family (St Dominic's family name). Added to this shield is the white and black cross, worn by the Knights of Calatrava. St Dominic’s mother was of this family. The ‘flowering of the Cross’ represents the lily, symbolic of purity. Above the shield there is a star, placed in memory of the brilliant star seen shining on St Dominic’s forehead at his Baptism.

In 2011, the college celebrated 125 years.

Philosophy

The school's motto, Veritas, is named after the purpose of the Dominican purpose. The Latin word means truth; it is only in the pursuit and acceptance of truth that we reach our full potential in the spiritual and secular aspects of our lives. In St Dominic's living of Truth, he accepted his God-given gifts and used them with gratitude and joy. He acknowledged the intrinsic goodness of all created beings, animate and inanimate, and sought to free people imprisoned in ignorance, irrelevance and ugliness.

Through his encouraging love, many moved to a new and joyful acceptance of themselves as worthwhile and, in so doing, found themselves able to bring Christ to others.

Notable alumni

• Jason Gillespie - Australian cricketer
• Brodie Grundy - AFL footballer
• Orianthi Panagaris - singer
• Margaret White - First female judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland

See also

• List of schools in South Australia
• List of boarding schools
• Private school