HISTORYOF CATHOLIC REGIONAL COLLEGE - NORTH KEILOR

Theestablishment of Catholic Regional College North Keilor grew from the need toprovide a Catholic Co-educational Secondary School in the area. The vision camefrom Father John O'Reilly and this led to discussions with Bishop JosephO'Connell and the Parish Priests of the area. There were already two Year 7 -10Catholic Regional Colleges in St Albans and Melton and Father John O'Reilly,Mr. John Kennedy and Sister Sylvia Williams (first Principal of CatholicRegional College St. Albans) saw the need to build a third Year 7-10 College inNorth Keilor. In 1980 negotiations began to purchase the land upon whichCatholic Regional College North Keilor now stands.

Inmid 1981 the first Principal (Mr. Bernard Dobson) and Vice Principal (Sr.Veronica Lonergan) were appointed. Enrolment applications were received andeight staff were appointed. Sister Veronica Lonergan retired in 2002 after 65years in Catholic schools around Victoria, the last 20 with us at CatholicRegional College North Keilor. Sister died in June 2005, aged 88. The annualYear 10 Leadership Award is named after Sister Veronica Lonergan.

Inthe beginning, not everything ran according to plan and problems arose when theschool building was not commenced until January 1982, only a month before theCollege was due to open! This problem was overcome with the co-operation of thenewly completed Sydenham Campus. When the College opened in February 1982 itoccupied three classrooms and a small office area at Catholic Regional CollegeSydenham. Despite not having its own building the College began successfullyand quickly developed an identity and tradition of its own. The students andstaff commenced their first day at the North Keilor site on the 10^thof August 1982. This day is now celebrated annually as "Establishment Day"

Turningto the past for inspiration, the names of the three (eventually six) Home BaseGroups were chosen:

DOWNINGafter Keilor's first Parish Priest between 1854 and 1862 - Father MatthewDowning;

MOOREafter Father James Moore Parish Priest between 1862 and 1875 under whosedirection St. Augustine's Church was eventually completed and blessed onSunday, November 15, 1863;

NELANafter the last resident Parish Priest of Keilor, Father Denis Nelan;

Thefourth group was named GOOLDafter Archbishop Goold, the first Bishop of Melbourne from 1848 to 1886, underwhom the Parish or "mission" of Keilor was founded.

Whena fifth group was required in 1996, it was fitting that it be named LONERGANin recognition of the contribution of Sister Veronica Lonergan, not only to CRCNorth Keilor, but to Catholic Education over more than sixty years.

In1998, a sixth class was added for the first time and named in honour of FatherJohn O'REILLY,the man whose vision it was to provide Catholic secondary education in thisregion.

SportingHouses took the names of our local parish churches: Augustine - RED, MacKillop(Originally Carmel) - GREEN, Paul - YELLOW and Christopher - BLUE.

On1st December, 1985, Bishop Joseph O'Connell officially blessed and openedCatholic Regional College North Keilor. Over time many new buildings andspecialist classrooms were added to cater for the increased enrolments. Ourmost recent and significant addition to the College was the Chapel, which wasofficially opened on Establishment Day 2008.