St Mary MacKillop College held the blessing and opening of its newly-refurbished and newly-named Moira Najdecki Theatre at the Padua Campus today.

Past Principal Moira Najdecki was present as the guest of honour to witness the College recognise her contribution as leader of the school between 2004 and 2006.

The blessing of the facility was conducted by College Chaplain Fr James Antony, while the official opening was performed by Ross Fox, the Director of Catholic Education. Together with Principal Michael Lee, they spoke about the opportunities the upgraded facility would provide as well as the legacy and impact of Moira’s leadership.

Other guests included past staff of the school, visitors from Catholic Education, Thursday Architecture, members of Projex, performing arts staff, the College Executive, members of the SRC, and past Director of CE, Geoff Joy.

The event provided students with a rare opportunity to perform, and the socially-distanced audience were treated to singing, music, and dance routines.

The refurbishment of the theatre was long overdue but the finished product was well worth the wait. With 316 new seats, a sprung dance floor, wider wings and storage, an overhaul of light and sound, hearing augmentation, new disability access, fire safety, and acoustic refinement, the new facility provides students with a modern space to showcase their talents in the area of performing arts. Mr Lee joked that the highlights of the facility were the red and black carpet (the colours of his beloved Bombers), and what he described as ‘the most expensive signage in education’.

The College looks forward to the opportunity to show off its new facility when live performances resume – hopefully sooner rather than later!