St Mary's College, Melbourne (school) explained

St Mary's College, Melbourne
Motto:Latin: Virtus Sola Nobilitas
Motto Translation:Virtue Alone Is Noble
Type:Independent secondary school
Chaplain:Fr. Jerome Santamaria
Chair:Philip Soumilas
Principal:Darren Atkinson
Principal Label1:Deputy Principal
Principal1:Shaun Lancashire
Principal Label2:Director of Students
Principal2:Jen Howard
Enrolment:552
Years:7–12
Yearbook:Loquax Ludi
Colours:Navy blue, light blue, green
Slogan:A School For All
Campuses:Edmund Rice Campus, St Kilda & Presentation Campus, Windsor
Coordinates:-37.8592°N 144.9967°W

St Mary's College (formerly Christian Brothers College, St Kilda) is an independent Catholic co-educational secondary college, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The school was founded in 1878 and is both one of the oldest private schools in Melbourne and one of the only co-educational Catholic schools in inner Melbourne.

Originally founded as Christian Brothers College, St Kilda (CBC St Kilda), and run by the Christian Brothers, the school has long since had a lay teaching and administrative staff; becoming co-educational as St Mary's College in 2021 following the closure of Presentation College Windsor (PCW).

The college is governed by Edmund Rice Education Australia and is also members of Associated Catholic Colleges and Catholic Girls Sports Association of Victoria.

History

St Mary's College was founded as Christian Brothers College St Kilda, a Catholic single-sex boys school in 1878. Its former sister school, Presentation College Windsor, was founded in 1873 as a Catholic single-sex girls school.

Founding & single-sex education

In 1872, the parish priest of St Mary's Parish, Dr James Corbett wrote to the Presentation Sisters and Christian Brothers, calling for their assistance in providing Catholic education in the precinct, following the passing of the Educational Act of 1872 and the establishment of a nearby state school.

The Presentation Sisters arrived in 1873, founding Presentation Convent Windsor (later Presentation College Windsor) and running the pre-existing St Mary's Primary School.

The Christian Brothers arrived in 1878, founding Christian Brothers College St Kilda as well as the former St Mary's Boys School; a single-sex primary school located directly west to the CBC site, which ran until 1986 and is now operated by the co-educational St Mary's Primary School East St Kilda for its Specialist Campus. A plaque commemorating the boys school is located on the building.

Both colleges operated as separate single-sex schools for nearly 150 years, with VCE classes being shared between both colleges since 1991.[1]

CBC was governed and operated by the Christian Brothers until the first lay principal being Mr Gerald Bain-King in 2005, and the college ceding its governance in 2007 to Edmund Rice Education Australia, an organisation that governs schools previously administered by the Christian Brothers in Australia at the time and continues to govern St Mary's College.[2]

PCW was governed by the Presentation Sisters until their closure.[3]

Co-education

In 2019, following the announcement of Presentation College Windsor's closure at the end of 2020, CBC St Kilda announced it would reregister from a single-sex boys school to a co-educational school that would operate across both sites.

On 23 November 2020, CBC St Kilda announced the change of name to St Mary's College Melbourne, beginning operation as a Catholic co-educational college in 2021.[4]

On 2 October 2023, the College announced that the lease on Presentation Campus (owned by the Presentation Sisters) will be terminated in September 2024 to allow more funding to be dedicated to capital works on the Edmund Rice Campus without having to raise tuition fees. These capital works will be constructed from November 2023, and up to the closure of Presentation Campus in September 2024.[5]

Curriculum

St Mary's College offers its senior students the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE).

VCE results 2012–2023[6] !Year!Rank!Median study score!Scores of 40+ (%)!Cohort size
2012195305.3101
2013305284.191
2014179307.291
2015236295.5119
2016268292.6106
2017190305.187
2018147316.7108
2019234295.2116
2020241294.791
2021265293.6130
2022206304.4137
2023150316.4117

Campuses

The two campuses that St Mary's College operates across are adjacent to each other, connected by an overpass across Dandenong Road.

Year levels have a home base at one campus, and utilise specialist facilities, specialist classes, and sport facilities at both campuses.[7]

Edmund Rice Campus

Located on 11 Westbury Street, St Kilda East as the original site of CBC St Kilda, the Edmund Rice Campus is the home-campus for Years 7, 8 and 10.

The site was originally established by the Christian Brothers in 1878.

Presentation Campus

Located on 187 Dandenong Road, Windsor as the original site of Presentation College Windsor, the Presentation Campus is the home-campus for Years 9, 11 and 12.

The Year 9 Nobilitas Program is operated on this campus in the Rahilly Centre.

The site was originally founded by the Presentation Sisters in 1873.

Presentation Campus will close in September 2024.

Houses

The St Mary's College houses were established in 1955 in honour of previous principals of CBC St Kilda.[8]

!Houses!Colour!In Honour Of!Motto
CorbettBr J. P. CorbettPrincipal 1878–1881Latin

Macte Virtutem (Strive with virtue)

McMahonBr R. A. McMahonPrincipal 1930–1936Latin

Ad magorem Dei gloriam (Do all things for God's greater glory)

O'SheaBr J. C. O'SheaPrincipal 1887–1902Latin

Quem timebo (Whom shall I fear)

TevlinBr J. S. TevlinPrincipal 1909–1919Latin

In oruce glorior (I will glory in the cross)

Principals

An honour board of all previous headmasters of St Mary's College is located in Logue Hall, Edmund Rice Campus.

!Years!Name
1878–1881Rev. Br. J. P. Corbett
1881–1885Br. T. R. Hughes
1885–1887Br. B. J. Morgan
1887–1891Br. D. F. Bodkin
1891Br. D. F. O'Donoghue
1891–1895Br. J. B. Nugent
1895–1897Br. J. L. Ryan
1897–1903Br. J. C. O'Shea
1903–1906Br. T. S. Carroll
1906–1909Br J. F. Fogarty
1909–1919Br. J. D. Tevlin
1919Br. J. M. Fagan
1919–1921Br. J. S. Turpin
1921–1924Br. J. K. O'Neill
1924–1930Br. J. M. Fagan
1930–1936Br. T. A. McMahon
1936–1942Br. W. B. Crennan
1942–1945Br. J. V. Coghlan
1945–1948Br. B. G. Rooney
1948–1949Br. G. C. Davy
1949–1953Br. W. B. Crennan
1953–1954Br. F. J. Levander
1954–1960Br. J. V. Goghlan
1960–1966Br. R. G. McCartney
1966–1972Br. F. I. McCarthy OAM
1972–1978Br. R. M. Miller
1978–1984Br. P. L. Chapman
1984–1987Br. P. W. Dowling
1987–1993Br. P. E. Noonan
1993–2005Rev. Br. Roger A. Cripps
2005–2019Mr Gerald Bain-King
2020–2023Mr Terry Blizzard
2023Mr Michael Lee
2024–presentMr Darren Atkinson

Sport

St Mary's College is a founding member of the Associated Catholic Colleges (ACC) and a member the Catholic Girls Sports Association of Victoria (CGSAV).

ACC premierships

St Mary's College has won the following ACC premierships.[9]

Notable alumni

The arts, media and entertainment
Business
Government, law and military
Sport

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Our History and Traditions St Mary's College . 2023-04-22 . www.stmaryscollege.vic.edu.au.
  2. Web site: Edmund Rice Governance St Mary's College Melbourne . 2023-04-22 . www.stmaryscollege.vic.edu.au.
  3. Web site: 2020-07-31 . PCW Melbourne - School Leadership . 2023-04-22 . 31 July 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200731151857/http://www.pcw.vic.edu.au/index.php/about-pcw/school-leadership . bot: unknown .
  4. News: Carey, Adam . Heffernan, Madeleine . 'Part sadness, part joy' as historic inner-city Catholic schools merge . . 23 November 2020 . 30 June 2021.
  5. Web site: 6 October 2023 . St Mary's College set to close Windsor Presentation campus . Herald Sun.
  6. Web site: Trend of St Mary's College by VCE results. 2023-12-17. bettereducation.com.au.
  7. Web site: Our Campuses St Mary's College . 2023-04-22 . www.stmaryscollege.vic.edu.au.
  8. Web site: 2017-03-04 . History . 2023-04-22 . 4 March 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170304124639/http://cbcstkilda.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=6 . bot: unknown .
  9. Web site: Premiers & Champions – Associated Catholic Colleges. 2021-02-02. en-AU.