Loreto Education Across Generations

But the Collins-Goulding family’s connection goes beyond Carolyn’s side of the family. John Collins’ grandmother and great-aunts all attended Loreto Mary’s Mount Ballarat, as did his mother and sisters. John’s sister was Sr Jennifer Collins ibvm, who passed away at the end of 2022. Sr Jennifer was a much-loved and admired teacher at Loreto Toorak. A greataunt, Catherine Molloy, also became a Loreto nun, and his cousin, Patricia, became a Loreto Sister named Sr Veronica Brady. John himself began his education at Loreto, Dawson Street Ballarat.

For many families, giving their daughters a Loreto education is a rite of passage, passed down from generation to generation. Such is the case with the CollinsGoulding family, whose connection to Loreto spans more than a century.

Catherine Goulding (Kenna), grandmother of Carolyn Collins (Goulding, 1955), was a student at Loreto Mary’s Mount Ballarat in the 1880s. Carolyn’s mother, Lorna Dureau, also attended Mary’s Mount, along with her older sister Phyllis and younger sister Edna. After leaving Mary’s Mount, Phyllis went on to have a daughter, Elizabeth Cahill, who became Captain of School at Loreto Toorak in 1944. Elizabeth’s daughter, Alexandra McKenzie, also attended Loreto Toorak, graduating in the Class of 1970.

Lorna was Head of School at Mary’s Mount; she later married John Goulding and had three daughters: Gillian, Carolyn, and Jane. All three attended Loreto Toorak, with Gillian achieving the distinction of Prefect and Dux of School. Carolyn herself was a Prefect and a member of the Class of 1955. Jane, the youngest of the three sisters, graduated from Loreto Toorak in 1957.

Carolyn went on to marry Dr John Collins, who taught at Loreto Toorak for many years. Their daughter, Catherine Collins, continued the family tradition by attending Loreto Toorak in the Class of 1994. Catherine married Eugene Ferla, and their daughter, Florence, recently began her journey in Year 7.

Carolyn treasures a book of Mary Ward’s famous sayings, including her favourite: “Do good and do it well”. She knows that her granddaughter Florence, the fourth generation Loreto student on her side of the family and the fifth on John’s, will benefit from the extensive opportunities a Loreto education brings.

As Carolyn reflects on her family’s deep connection to Loreto, she recognises the importance of Mary Ward’s legacy and the great tradition of education for women that she started. For families like the CollinsGoulding, that tradition continues to thrive at Loreto Toorak.

Above left: (L-R) Florence Ferla, Catherine Ferla (Collins, 1994), and Carolyn Collins (Goulding, 1955)

Cathy always wanted to be a teacher and, after leaving Loreto Toorak, studied a Bachelor of Teaching, majoring in Physical Education. Teaching jobs were scarce in the late 1980s, yet Cathy was fortunate to secure a teaching position in Wangaratta. This was her dream job, teaching fulltime and playing sports most days of the week.

Years later, while teaching in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Cathy applied for a position in Rathfarnham. When hearing the news of being the successful applicant, she burst into tears, feeling as though she was coming home. During her teacher years at School, Cathy taught in both Rathfarnham and the Senior campus and is always thrilled to bump into former students and hear of their journey post-School.

Cathy and her husband, Chris, have raised four children; when they were younger, the juggle of raising her family whilst teaching part-time was stressful, as Cathy was keen to be involved in the kindergarten and school communities. Despite the busyness and stress, Cathy looks back on those years with fondness and the happiest of memories.

In 2014, Cathy was accepted into a groundbreaking course at ACU, Safeguarding Children and Young People against Institutionalised Sexual Abuse. She went on to complete a Master’s in Education, Student Wellbeing. Whilst studying, she became a Deputy Principal and then was appointed as Principal at her current school, St Mary’s Primary School, St Kilda East.

Cathy recalls feeling inspired by Mary Ward, who said, “Women in time to come will do much”. The importance of bringing about change through education had a huge impact on her. At the heart of Cathy’s Loreto Toorak experience, both as a student and teacher, was the importance of relationships and connections, illustrated regularly by the example of Mary Ward.