It is not every day a school has the pleasure of opening a new building. It was with a sense of ceremony last Friday that St Teresa’s Catholic College held the official opening and blessing of the new Barungam Centre and the refurbished Pinbarren. The Barungam Centre, a lecture theatre holding up to 250 people provides a space for guest speakers, parent evenings and whole cohort presentations. The name Barungam, meaning “listening and learning place” in the Gubbi Gubbi language, was provided by local Gubbi Gubbi, Kabi Kabi Traditional Custodian, Lyndon Davis. The centre features a stunning artwork by Lyndon, highlighting the relationship between the sea eagles and the red mullet season.
The Pinbarren, originally a sports hall that began its life as a half-court under cover area, offers an air-conditioned indoor sports facility with a full-size stage, giving the whole College a place to gather, perform and play sport.
After a Welcome to Country by the Gubbi Gubbi dance troupe, the Archbishop of Brisbane, the Most Reverend Mark Coleridge, celebrated the Opening Mass and Blessing. It was a fitting celebration attended by an array of special guests including Brisbane Catholic Education Executive Director, Ms Pam Betts, founding Principal, Alain Pitot, the builders, architects and several of the top performing students from the 2020 graduating class.
After eight months of digging, building and upheaval, the students are excited about the prospect of these new spaces in the College. Principal, David McInnes is thrilled with the new buildings saying “Both of these high-quality centres provide learning spaces to facilitate the expansion of young minds and hearts. We know they will assist us in transforming educational possibilities for our students.” You can see the new buildings for yourself at the College Open Evening on Tuesday 9th March. With current protocols in place, registration for this event is essential from the College Tours page on the website www.stteresa.qld.edu.au.
