Celebrating 30 Years of Faith, Learning and Community
This year marks the 30 Year Anniversary of Guilford Young College, a milestone in the story of our community. Since its foundation in 1995 with 575 students, the College has continued to grow and thrive with a wonderfully diverse student community, dedicated staff, established traditions, and enrolments among the highest in its history.
The vision for Guilford Young College can be traced back to its namesake, Archbishop Sir Guilford Young (1916–1988), who was deeply committed to ensuring excellence in education for all. His dream was of a co-educational Catholic college that would provide not only strong academic opportunities, but also a supportive, inclusive, and faith-filled environment where students could flourish.
When the College opened, it drew on the rich traditions of its founding religious congregations – the Sisters of Charity, the Dominican Sisters, the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, the Christian Brothers and the Salesians of Don Bosco. These congregations shaped the College’s ethos of compassion, respect, and integrity, while keeping Christ at the centre of all learning. As the College motto, drawn from Archbishop Young himself, reminds us: “Christ Our Light.”
Last week, the College community gathered in celebration on the Glenorchy campus, joined by our first Principal, Sr Pamela Davis OP and our parish priest, Father Riolo and founding staff member, Brendon Herron.
Meanwhile on the Hobart campus we were joined by Father Smith, founding staff members Brett Stephenson, Rebecca Clifford, and Jo Legosz, who is now Principal!
Students on both campuses marked the occasion by planting a commemorative tree, burying a time capsule, and celebrating with cupcakes and 30 Year Anniversary badges – joyful symbols of continuity and hope for the future.
The College’s 30 Year Anniversary also coincides with a moment of renewal for the wider Church, which, in 2025, celebrates a Jubilee Year with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope, a time for grace through prayer, pilgrimage, reconciliation, and acts of hope. In this spirit, Guilford Young College’s anniversary becomes more than a remembrance of the past – it is a call to the future. Just as Archbishop Young believed that every parent had the right to a Catholic education for their children, the College today remains a place where students are formed not only in knowledge, but also in faith, hope, and compassion, preparing them to make a difference in the world as pilgrims of hope themselves. We will be continuing these celebrations over the coming months with celebrations for past staff, students and family members at Hobart Campus this afternoon, and in November at Glenorchy Campus.
We do hope you can join us! We also hope our current students will join us for the opening of the time capsule in 20 years' time to celebrate our 50 Year Anniversary!
Lisa Herd – Acting Deputy Principal
