A Bold Blueprint for Girls’ Education: The Master Plan Journey at St Columba’s College

At St Columba’s College, our learning environment is more than just the backdrop to education, it is a vital expression of who we are and what we believe in. Every pathway, classroom, and shared space speaks to our vision: to guide faith-filled discernment and empower learners who are compelled to action, in our hope for a just world.

In recent years, we have embarked on a journey of long-term, future-focused planning to ensure our physical environment supports and strengthens our mission. Our Master Plan was officially launched in 2021, a bold and thoughtful framework for the transformation of our single-campus site over the next few years.

A significant milestone was reached in early 2020 with the acquisition of 145 Buckley Street, the last remaining property along the College’s frontage. This purchase fulfilled a long-held vision of the College community, dating back to 2003 when the planning to expand the College’s physical footprint began, with the first of four Buckley Street property acquisitions. This final acquisition opened up new possibilities for learning, growth, and connection, signaling not just an expansion of our physical space, but the commencement of a new chapter in St Columba’s story.

With the appointment of Hayball Architects later that year, a collaborative Master Planning process commenced, grounded in educational best practice, demographic analysis, and stakeholder consultation. By mid-2021, the Master Plan was finalised, including approval for the development of a state-of-the-art STEAM building at the corner of Buckley and Lorraine Streets. This facility would later be named the Foxford Innovation Centre, and in 2025, its opening marked the realisation of the first major stage of our current Master Plan.

The Foxford Innovation Centre is more than a new building; it is a physical embodiment of our values, a space designed to inspire cross-disciplinary thinking, foster student agency, and elevate innovation in teaching and learning. Its completion also demonstrates our community’s shared commitment to reimagining the future of education in a rapidly evolving world.

Our Master Plan, however, is not only about facilities; it’s about people, purpose, and promise.

It is shaped by essential questions:

• How do we ensure our spaces reflect and support our Vision for Learning, Teaching and Wellbeing?
• What kinds of learning experiences do we want to make possible in the decades ahead?
• How can we build a campus that promotes inclusion, sustainability, and a deep sense of belonging?

The Master Plan and Building Committee, a sub-committee of the College Board, plays a central role in this journey. Its primary responsibility is to steward the Master Plan over time, aligning physical development with our strategic priorities and educational philosophy. The Committee also oversees each stage of planning and delivery, supported operationally by the Project Control Group.

Together, these teams ensure that capital works are not only financially sustainable and well-governed, but deeply connected to our long-term vision. Strategic intent, risk management, and stakeholder consultation are all part of a holistic planning model, one that honours our past, while building for the future.

At the heart of it all is leadership.

The role of the Principal and College Leadership is not simply to manage construction timelines or oversee architectural drawings,  it is to be the storytellers of our future. They give voice to a vision of learning that is courageous, creative and deeply human. In doing so, they invite every student, family, staff member and stakeholder to see themselves in that future, as contributors to a collective legacy.

This is why our Master Plan is not a static document. It is a living, evolving blueprint for possibility. As our world changes, so too will the needs of our learners, and our plan is designed to adapt in response.

At St Columba’s College, we believe that well-considered spaces can inspire great learning; that connection to place fosters identity, purpose and community; and that our built environment should reflect the hope and ambition we hold for every student.

We’re not just building facilities, we’re building the future of girls’ education, one stage at a time.

Rita Grima
College Principal