Founded in Faith
Acknowledgements
Dandenong Town Hall, where the St Mary’s school concert was held in 1916 to accommodate the large audiences that had outgrown the school building.
State Library of Victoria, H32492/1330

Acknowledgements

Putting together this history has involved the contributions of many. Our thanks go to those who shared their stories and memories with us during interviews: Faye Chandley, Father Anthony Guelen, John (Jack) Kelly, John Kelly, Sister Joan Kennedy, Tom Lindeman, Moira Phyland, Rosemary Tesoriero and Greg White.

Together, Greg White and Tony Dalton have driven this project with enthusiasm and dedication. They have spent time reading drafts, providing feedback, answering questions and hunting for material. Without their commitment this history would not have been written.

Researching the history of a school founded in 1912 has not been an easy task. Original sources are limited, but we are fortunate to have had access to the 75 year history of the school written by local resident George Thompson 25 years ago. This has been very helpful and, together with accounts by various students, teachers and Presentation Sisters, has informed a large part of the story.

We are grateful to the Presentations Sisters of Victoria and archivist Sister Diana Gabel for providing access to their archival collection, to Maria Evans at St Mary’s Parish and to Faye Chandley and Rosemary Tesoriero for kindly supplying material from their personal collections.

Our thanks are extended to Lynda Patullo at Green Poles Design, whose creative skills transformed our manuscript into a beautiful book, to Lisa Mayo at Sauced Out for creating this wonderful website, and to our colleagues at Way Back When, Sarah Rood and Lucy Bracey, who read and commented on the history and helped create the audio documentaries.

Katherine Sheedy and Fiona Poulton
Way Back When Consulting Historians

Sources

List of sources used in compiling the history of St Mary's Primary School.