That founding spirit still runs through the school. Principal Toni Riordan explains that from the outset, the philosophy of the Sisters centred on intellectual rigor and wholeheartedness. Academic seriousness and genuine care were never separate ideas; they were two sides of the same coin. Nearly a century later, St Aidan’s is widely recognised for both.The school consistently ranks among the top three schools in Queensland for academic outcomes, giving its students access to competitive university pathways in Brisbane, interstate and around the world. Yet, as proud as the community is of results and rankings, the story of St Aidan’s is ultimately one of purpose, values and a deeply human approach to educating girls. A CAMPUS SHAPED BY CHALLENGE – AND CREATIVITY The physical landscape of St Aidan’s is an integral part of its story.The school operates across two sites: the main campus on higher land, accommodating the primary and secondary schools, and Ambiwerra, its playing fields and sporting precinct, located lower along a creek connected to the Brisbane River. In the devastating 2011 floods, this lower land was significantly affected, and the school had to confront a difficult reality. Rather than retreating, St Aidan’s made a bold decision. Five years ago, leadership committed to developing the Ambiwerra playing fields, not by pretending the floods would not return, but by designing for the certainty that they would. This commitment has led to one of the most distinctive master plans in Brisbane’s education sector: a suite of flood-ready facilities that embrace resilience and ingenuity. Last year, the school opened a striking two-court indoor sports centre at Ambiwerra, a building that is both beautiful and highly functional. With its timber floors and trusses, the space feels warm and contemporary, yet it is engineered with flood behaviour in mind. Doors and louvres are designed to open and allow water to flow through. Bleachers are constructed in concrete. Services such as electrical and mechanical systems are positioned on a mezzanine level above the flood line. Even the timber floor has been designed in removable sections so that, with enough warning, it can be lifted ahead of a major flood event. The next stage of the Ambiwerra master plan is an equally ambitious aquatic centre. The plans include an eleven-lane, fifty-metre pool capable of hosting water polo as well as swimming, a learn-to-swim pool, café facilities and change rooms. Again, the 47 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 07, ISSUE 12 ST AIDAN’S ANGLICAN GIRLS’ SCHOOL
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