St Aidan's Past Students

𝗦𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗘𝗸𝗸𝗮 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻'𝘀!

Did you ever enter your schoolwork in the Royal Queensland Show? We would love to know. St Aidan's has a long and proud history at The Ekka and looking back through our archives, the results are extraordinary.

Silver certificates for homemade camembert in 2008 and blue-vein cheeses stealing the show in 2012 and 2013. St Aidan's really does love their cheese!

Champion School in the Education on Show section for an incredible seven years in a row from 2010 to 2016, with students from Kindergarten to Year 7 racking up the highest aggregate points across all classes.

Our little Year 3 students recently enjoyed a magical Rural Discovery Day patting sheep, milking cows and packing fresh strawberries straight from the farm.
This year our Marie Curie Club scientists continued the tradition entering the cheese making and kombucha competitions with outstanding results.

As our very own Louise McGuire once said, quoting Helen Keller
"Alone we can do so little. Together we can do so much."

Were you one of our Ekka cheese makers or competition entrants? Drop your memories in the comments!

𝐀 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐰𝐧: 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐌𝐜𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐧

Melissa McLean (1994) has taken home a Logie Award for Best Factual and Documentary Program, taking to the stage alongside Leigh Sales to accept the award on behalf of The Assembly and its journalism students.

Melissa's work with The Assembly is about so much more than television. It reflects a commitment to inclusion, training and representation, and to giving emerging journalists the opportunity and platform they deserve. This Logie is recognition of that work, and of the many people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make it happen.

To see a St Aidan's alumna standing on that stage, championing the next generation of journalists and storytellers, is a proud moment for our community. Melissa, we are so proud of you and everything you stand for.

𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝟮𝟳 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟵𝟯𝟵 – 𝟭𝟯 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

It is with a heavy heart that we share the news of the passing of Sister Gillian SSA yesterday morning.

All within the immediate and wider communities of SSA Schools, St Margaret’s and St Aidan’s will share the grief of her passing.
Sister Gillian was professed on 22 July 1995. She led the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Advent briefly in 2006/2007 and again from 2017 to 2023 after Mother Eunice stepped down. In her usual humble fashion, Sister Gillian insisted that she still be referred to as Sister, in honour of Mother’s longstanding leadership of the order. In 2023, under the new constitution of the SSA, Sister Gillian became co-leader of the order with Sister Gillian Moses and Sister Jan Crombie.

It is a blessing that Sister Gillian, in recent years, lived to see the restoration of the Sisters Chapel and the renovation and repurposing of Community House at St Margaret’s. With great vision, together with Sister Sandra, she instigated changes to the SSA constitution, which meant that the SSA will continue to live out their ethos in innovative ways, holding firm to their commitment to the spirituality and leadership of women and girls.

Sister Gillian was named Patron of St Margaret’s on St Margaret’s Day in 2022. When interviewed on that day, she emphasised how deeply linked her identity was to the community of the SSA and her pride in representing this community. An ordained priest since 1999, Sister Gillian very much enjoyed this aspect of her role and particularly relished the ministry at Crows Nest.

Whenever she could, Sister Gillian attended St Aidan’s and St Margaret’s school events, especially enjoying the wonderful musical performances by both schools. She was a faithful attendee at St Aidan’s annual Ascension Day celebrations and in recent weeks, Sister Gillian attended the 2026 St Margaret’s Day celebrations and the reunion weekend.

Sister Gillian’s familiar and gentle presence, her quiet strength, her deep faith and her enduring service to the SSA and to St Margaret’ s and St Aidan’s will be greatly missed but forever remembered.
Once known, we will advise the community of funeral arrangements. Today, at St Aidan’s, the Angelus Bell will ring at midday, as is tradition, and a minute’s silence will be observed, in honour of Sister Gillian’s life of service.

Please keep Sister Gillian, her three children, the Society of the Sacred Advent and all who loved her in your prayers at this time.
Rest eternal grant to her, O Lord, and let light perpetual shine upon her.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻 — 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂, 𝗭𝗼𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗿𝗿!

Today we had the absolute pleasure of welcoming home one of our very own past students for our Leading Ladies session. Zoe Burr (2001), Brand and Marketing Lead at Paralympics Australia, gave our students the most honest, inspiring and genuinely brilliant conversation about her career journey, from her early days in advertising to leading national brand strategy on one of Australia's most exciting sporting stages ahead of Brisbane 2032.

She spoke with such openness about what it really takes to build a career with purpose the courage, the curiosity, the lessons learned along the way and left every student in the room with plenty to think about.

Zoe, thank you for giving your time so generously and for coming home to St Aidan's. You are everything our Leading Ladies program is about ambitious, warm, purposeful and utterly inspiring.

To our wonderful students who came along keep asking the big questions. Your future is as bright as you make it.

Service to Community - It’s Always Been Who We Are

Does this feel familiar? Share with us any memories you have of the spirit of the community service that has been woven into the fabric of St Aidan’s for generations.

From Sister Caroline Amy’s first act of service in Brisbane in 1892 to the bake sale on the lawn in 2026, some things never change.

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗻𝗮𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻’𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Thank you to Imogen McCluskey for an inspiring session with the student leaders of The Advent, our student-led literary journal. Her insights into filmmaking, creativity and following your passion encouraged students to think boldly about their own futures.

As Tempest, Editor-in-Chief of The Advent, reflected:
“Imogen was absolutely fantasmagorical; bright, engaging and inspiring. She showed us just how far creativity, determination and a dream can take you.”

We are incredibly grateful to have Imogen mentoring and supporting the next generation of creative voices.

Read here for more:
https://alumni.staidans.qld.edu.au/news/default-general/59/59-Award-Winning-Filmmaker-Imogen-McCluskey-Inspires-Student-Leaders-of-The-Advent

𝗪𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗬𝗼𝘂!

Are you a past student with exciting news to share? We are putting together our next edition of The Huddle and would love to celebrate life's biggest moments with you.

Whether it is a new arrival, a wedding, an engagement, or sadly the passing of a fellow past student or loved one, we want to make sure every milestone is acknowledged and celebrated. Send your news to us by Monday 11th August at: [email protected]

Please don't be shy. this is your community and these are your moments. We would be honoured to share them with you.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝘄 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗖𝘂𝗽 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀!

We love a good throwback here at St Aidan's and this one is extra special. On the last Friday of Term 2 we hosted our annual Andrews Cup Round of Applause, celebrating all of the incredible sporting achievements and friendships built throughout the Semester.

Seeing our current athletes come together to celebrate each other is always such a highlight and looking back at these photos from years gone by, it is wonderful to see that the spirit of friendship, competition and pride in representing St Aidan's has never changed.

And speaking of history — did you know?

The Class of 1966 were trained with great enthusiasm by the beloved Mrs Common and the previous year St Aidan's had been runners up overall. What a team!

The Class of 1975 came third in the athletics, and we are thrilled to have the sports hat of athletics captain Shaunagh Kellaway safely preserved in our archives. A wonderful piece of St Aidan's sporting history!

The Class of 1993 placed third overall and second in the Percentage Cup a fantastic result and one their team should be enormously proud of!

To our past students who competed in the Andrews Cup during your time at school, we would love to hear your memories. Drop them in the comments below.

We congratulate all of our current athletes and extend our warmest thanks to the Sports Department for making this such a special occasion.

𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁 𝗔𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻'𝘀 𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲!

How's this for an extraordinary story to share with our wonderful alumni community.

Three of our incredibly talented current students Ruby L, Elliot O and Lana S along with their brilliant Trombone Tutor Ms Amelia Lane, recently joined over 600 trombone players at the Ipswich Spark Festival for a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Together they took part in the World's Largest Trombone Ensemble Record Attempt, performing the iconic "Seventy-Six Trombones" by Meredith Wilson as part of Ipswich City Council's official bid for Guinness World Record ratification!

It is such a joy to see the arts alive and well at St Aidan's and to know that our students are out there making music history on the big stage. We couldn't be more proud!

To our past students who were in the music program during your time at school this one's for you. The tradition of extraordinary musical talent at St Aidan's is very much continuing!

Well done to Ruby L, Elliot O and Lana S, along with our wonderful Trombone Tutor Ms Amelia Lane, who joined over 600 trombone players at the Ipswich Spark Festival for the World's Largest Trombone Ensemble Record Attempt Performance.

Together they performed "Seventy-Six Trombones" by Meredith Wilson as part of Ipswich City Council's bid to have the attempt officially ratified by the Guinness Book of World Records.

What an incredible experience to be part of music history in the making. We are proud of our talented musicians for representing St Aidan's on such a big stage.