St Monica's High School Administration Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Monica's College - Sr Cecilia Building |
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St Monica's High School Administration Building, 1996
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| Location | Abbott Street, Cairns City, Cairns, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1939–1945 (World War II) |
| Built | 1941 |
| Architect | Vibert McKirdy Brown |
| Architectural style(s) | Modernism |
| Official name: Sister Cecilia Building, St Monica's College | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 1 July 1997 |
| Reference no. | 601748 |
| Significant period | 1940s (historical) 1940s (fabric) 1941–ongoing (social) |
| Significant components | office/administration building, fencing |
| Builders | VW Doyle |
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The St Monica's College Sr Cecilia Building is a special heritage-listed building in Cairns City, Australia. It is part of a catholic school called St Monica's College. The building was designed by an architect named Vibert McKirdy Brown and built in 1941 by VW Doyle.
This building was once known as St Monica's High School. For many years, it was used as the school's main office. Today, it has classrooms where students learn. The building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on July 1, 1997. St Monica's College is the oldest school in the Cairns area. It has two buildings that are listed as heritage sites: the Sr Morrissey Building and the Sr Cecilia Building.
Contents
The Story of St Monica's High School Building
The St Monica's High School building, now called the Sr Cecilia Building, was built in 1941. It was made for the Sisters of Mercy in Cairns. This two-story building is made of strong reinforced concrete. It was designed by Vibert McKirdy Brown, an architect from Cairns, and built by VW Doyle.
How the School Started
Almost 50 years before this building was made, in 1892, the Sisters of Mercy from Cooktown helped St Monica's School in Cairns. The school had very few students, only 19. Three sisters moved to Cairns and encouraged Catholic families to send their children back to St Monica's. By 1894, there were 80 students, and by 1900, over 100.
The sisters taught primary school subjects. They also offered extra classes for older girls in French, drawing, painting, sewing, and music.
Growing Needs for a High School
In the 1930s, the school started teaching girls at the high school level. Even though a new St Monica's Church-School was built in 1927 after a big cyclone, it was hard to teach high school subjects. There were no classrooms made specifically for older students.
Cairns grew a lot during the years between World War I and World War II. By the late 1930s, a proper high school building was urgently needed at St Monica's. The Sisters of Mercy bought land next to St Joseph's Convent in 1922. Architect VM Brown was hired to design the new high school building there. An old boarding house on the land, which the Sisters used for music lessons, was taken down before construction began.
Building During Wartime
Construction on St Monica's High School started in January 1941 and finished by late August. It cost about £5,000. The plans were approved before the Australian Government put rules in place during World War II. These rules limited building projects that cost over £3,000.
Bishop John Heavey officially opened the new High School on Sunday, August 31, 1941. Students and Sisters started using the building the very next day.
Modern Design and Features
The new building was seen as a great addition to Cairns' architecture. It was built in the Moderne style, which meant it had clean, simple lines and not many decorations. The entire building, including the floors and roofs of its deep verandahs, was made of reinforced concrete.
On the ground floor, there were two large classrooms, a main entrance hall, and a back entrance with a cloakroom. The classrooms could be divided into two smaller rooms using folding doors. A staircase from the entrance hall led to a central hall on the upper floor. This floor had 12 small rooms for pianos, which were soundproofed. These rooms also had glass windows so teachers could watch students. The building was designed so that more sections could be added later, and even a third floor.
Changes Over Time
In the late 1960s and early 1970s, St Monica's School grew and became a high school only for girls. The 1941 building was not extended as planned. Instead, new high school buildings were built behind it. The original 1941 building was updated and became the school's administration center. In 1989, the ownership of the property was transferred from the Sisters of Mercy to the Diocese of Cairns.
What Does the Building Look Like?
The St Monica's High School building is a two-story concrete building. It has a rectangular shape and is set back from Lake Street. It has a fibrous cement hipped roof. Three sides of the building have reinforced concrete verandahs that have been closed in with aluminum windows.
The building has wide, horizontal concrete hoods with rounded corners above the verandah openings. These hoods make the building look very horizontal. There are also small decorative edges, called cornices, around the building at the roof and first floor levels.
The main entrance in the middle is special. It has stepped piers (like tall, flat columns) on each side that go up to the roof. At the top, there's a stepped wall with a small cross. Below this, on the first floor, there's a large cross design. On each side of this cross, you can see the words "ST MONICA'S - HIGH SCHOOL." The solid railings on the first and ground floors have striped patterns. These are placed between concrete piers that hold up the verandahs and stick out above the roof.
The original fence along Lake Street is still there. It's a low concrete wall with evenly spaced piers and "Cyclone" chain mesh panels. There are also two concrete gateposts that line up with the entrance door.
Inside, the ground floor has two large classrooms. A central hall divides them and leads to a small back porch and cloakroom. A staircase at the end of the hall goes up to the first floor. After 1949, the room on the left of the entry on the first floor became a science room. It had wooden, semi-circular tiered seating and benches. It stayed this way until at least 1970.
Why is it a Heritage Site?
The St Monica's High School Administration Building was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on July 1, 1997. This means it is important for several reasons:
A Look into Queensland's Past
This building shows how Catholic high school education for girls grew in Cairns since 1941. It also shows how Cairns was rebuilt between the two World Wars, right up until 1941. During this time, Cairns became the main port for Far North Queensland, and its city center was largely rebuilt. The building also shows how reinforced concrete was used for construction in Cairns, as it was thought to be stronger against cyclones.
Together with St Monica's Old Cathedral, these buildings form an important group that shows the history of the Catholic Church and Catholic education in Cairns.
A Great Example of 1940s Design
Even though parts of the building have been updated for offices, it still looks much like it did originally. It's a great example of tropical architecture from the 1940s, built in the popular and modern Moderne style. Its reinforced concrete construction was considered more cyclone-proof than brick. It's also a good example of how non-government schools were designed back then.
Beautiful and Important to Cairns
Along with the nearby St Joseph's Convent and Bishop's House, the St Monica's High School Administration Building is part of a group of buildings from before 1945. Even though they are in different styles, they are all similar in size, materials, and layout. These buildings, both alone and together, make Cairns look special and help tell the city's history.
Special Meaning for the Community
This building is very important to the local Catholic community. It represents the work of the Sisters of Mercy in providing high school education for girls in Cairns during the mid-20th century.
Connected to Important People and Groups
The building is a good example of the work of Cairns architect VM Brown. It is also important because of its strong connection to the Sisters of Mercy, who helped expand Catholic education in far north Queensland.
