Cardijn College spreads over three Catholic coeducation campuses in Adelaide's southern vales suburbs from 1984
Cardijn College's administration area, college entrance and roundabout was developed by Michael Dahl (2000-2003) one of series of principals who added aspects to the growth of the coeducational Catholic R-12 three-campus school in Adelaide's Southerm Vales suburbs from 1984.
Image couresy Cardijn College
Cardijn College entered its 40th year as a Catholic Reception-Year 12 coeducational school with three campuses and 2,000 students in the southern vales suburbs of the Adelaide metropolitan area.
The college was established in 1984 as a joint project between the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools and the Catholic church parishes of Noarlunga Downs, Willunga and Morphett Vale. Its three campuses were Gallilee at Aldinga, offering Reception to Year 9 education; Marian at Noarlunga Downs, Year 7 to 12; Marcellin at Christie Downs, focused on extensive vocational education and training for students in Years 10 to 12 and beyond.
In the Marist tradition, with patrons Cardinal Joseph Cardijn and saint Marcellin Champagnat, Cardijn’s first principal, brother Walter Smith, in 1983 led college, with just 102 students, into developing its six stages.
Stage 1 was the library resource centre, two classrooms and an Art-Technology Centre. In 1985, the Romero building opened with \ six classrooms, home cconomics centre, drama space and physical education change rooms. Next, the Science block brought four laboratories and a canteen area.
In 1987, the Chisholm/MacKillop building was completed along with Lombard and administration building in 1988, as enrolments reached 900. Brother Smith ended his tenure as principal in 1988 to pursue missionary work in Pakistan.
Jeff Croser, deputy from the college’s first day, was appointed principal in 1989, developing Cardijn’s house system.He became Cabra College principal in 1993, the year after the college had introduced South Australian certificate of education courses. Viano Jaksa, principal from 1994, made Cardijn a regional focus school for information technology and developed a futures pan in 1997. In 1999, Jaksa was appointed as a consultant at the Catholic Education Office.
Brother John Pill, St Michael’s College principal, was seconded as principal from 1999-2000, reorganising subject coordinators into a learning area coordinators team. The five house leaders were designated as student development coordinators. Michael Dahl, former principal of St John’s College, Whyalla, was appointed principal in 2000. His focus on infrastructure included the gymnasium and redeveloping the administration area, college entrance and roundabout in 2003. Mr Dahl also reviewed college administrative procedures and marketing before moving as principal Consultant to the Catholic Education Office in 2004.
Dr Paul Rijken, principal from 2005, had been deputy principal of St Aloysius College, Adelaide city, and was a founding teacher, as the physical education coordinator, from Cardijn’s first day in 1984. He retired in 2022 with Steve Byrne as seventh principal of Cardijn College in 2023. beginning of 2023.
