At the heart of Avila College’s Mount Waverley campus, a new learning space is taking shape - one that carries six decades of educational tradition into an exciting new chapter.
The St Teresa Library was formally blessed and opened in July, marking the completion of the final stage of the College’s current master plan and creating a contemporary new hub designed to support learning, connection and opportunity for generations of Avila students.
Supported by a $9 million CDF loan, the project represents a significant investment in the future of this Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) secondary school for girls, which educates almost 1,100 students from Years 7 to 12.
A Future Focused Heart for the College
Replacing the College’s former 1980s administration building, the St Teresa Library occupies a central position within the campus and has been designed as much more than a traditional library.
Its open and accessible design brings together library and research resources, IT support and other student services, while providing flexible spaces for collaborative learning, quiet study, research and access to digital technologies.
Connections between the building and surrounding landscape help create an inviting environment where students can move between different ways of learning, working and connecting.
Avila College Principal Dr Michelle Cotter said the project represented a major undertaking for the College and an important investment in its students.
"The construction of the St Teresa Library was a significant undertaking and a major investment. The support and partnership of CDF throughout the project helped us bring our vision to life and has enabled us to create a future-focused facility that will enhance learning, foster connections and serve our school community for many years to come."
Dr Michelle Cotter
Principal, Avila College
St Teresa at the Heart of Avila
Named in honour of the College’s patron, St Teresa of Avila, the first woman to be recognised as a Doctor of the Church, the new library connects Avila’s rich history with its vision for the future.
Founded in 1965, Avila College draws inspiration from the spirituality of St Teresa and the Presentation tradition established at the school by the Presentation Sisters. Their commitment to education for girls was shaped by the legacy of Nano Nagle and a belief in the transformative power of education.
From an initial enrolment of 110 students and two full-time staff, Avila has grown into one of Victoria’s largest Catholic secondary schools for girls.
Across more than six decades, its Mount Waverley campus has similarly evolved from portable classrooms and paddocks into a modern, green and technology enabled learning environment.
The St Teresa Library is the latest chapter in that story.
Its purpose reflects Avila’s values of Faith, Vision, Action, Justice, Daring, Community and Compassion, providing a place where students are encouraged to be curious, pursue knowledge, share ideas and have the confidence to think, dream and dare.
A Library of Learning, Love and Belonging
The significance of the new library was perhaps best captured by Avila’s students themselves.
As part of the Blessing and Opening, Year 7 students Audrey and Nikki shared poems they had written about what the new space means to them and their peers.
Audrey described it as “a place so full of love and life, a home to precious stories”, while Nikki called the library “the warm, bright heart of Avila” and a place “where every girl finds space to think, to dream, to dare.”
Their words capture something that bricks, bookshelves and technology alone cannot: the sense of belonging and possibility that a well designed learning environment can create.
A Place for the Next Chapter
The Franciscan story extends across the entire Cobblebank Campus. From the landscaped cloister at its centre to the Tau Cross featured throughout each building, every element has been designed to reinforce the College's Catholic identity.
Buildings named Assisi, Greccio, San Damiano and La Verna each tell part of the Franciscan story, inviting students to encounter the values of faith, contemplation, creativity, peace and service throughout their daily lives.
A Partnership Investing in the Future
More than a new building, the St Teresa Library is a place for ideas, discovery and connection, carrying Avila’s rich educational tradition into its next chapter.
As students make the space their own, it will continue to reflect the College’s belief in the potential of every young woman and the power of education to open new possibilities.
For CDF, supporting Avila College in bringing this vision to life is exactly what our partnership with Catholic schools is about; helping create the spaces where young people can learn, belong and flourish."
Your savings can do more than grow. By opening an account with CDF Community Fund, you can earn a competitive rate of interest while empowering Catholic schools like Avila College, Mount Waverley to build, serve, and grow. It's a greater return than money alone. Learn more and apply today.
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CDPF Limited, a company established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, has indemnified the Catholic Development Fund ABN 15 274 943 760 (the Fund) against any liability arising out of a claim by investors in the Fund. In practice, this means your investment is backed by the assets of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Fund is required by law to make the following disclosure. Investment in the Fund is only intended to attract investors whose primary purpose for making their investment is to support the charitable purposes of the Fund. Investors’ funds will be used to generate a return to the Fund that will be applied to further the charitable works of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Dioceses of Sale and Bunbury. The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or regulation by ASIC. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor expects or at all and investments in the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification statement may be viewed here or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.
