| McAuley Catholic College | |
| Motto: | To Know Wisdom |
| Religious Affiliation: | Australasian Mercy Secondary Schools Association |
| Principal: | Kate Thomson |
| Chaplain: | Joseph Holloway |
| Location: | , Northern Rivers, New South Wales |
| Country: | Australia |
| Pushpin Map: | Australia New South Wales |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 250 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in New South Wales |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Grades Label: | Years |
| Staff: | ~60 |
| Colours: | Maroon and navy |
McAuley Catholic College is an independent Roman Catholic co-educational day school located just outside Grafton in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, Australia.[1] [2] It is located on Gumbaynggirr land.[3]
The College is affiliated with the Australasian Mercy Secondary Schools Association (AMSSA)[4] and is administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lismore.
The school was founded in 1990 as, as an amalgamation of St Mary's College, St Aloysius' College and Holy Spirit College. It was named after Catherine McAuley founder of the Sisters of Mercy.
| Name | Term start | Term end | Time in office | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Mullins | 1990 | 1995 | years | ||
| 2 | James McDougall | 1996 | 2001 | years | ||
| 3 | Gerald Crooks | 2002 | 2008 | years | [5] | |
| 4 | Leon Walsh | 2009 | 2015 | years | [6] | |
| 5 | Mark O'Farrell | 2016 | 2018 | 3 years | [7] | |
| 6 | Aaron Beach | 2019 | 2019 | 1 years | [8] | |
| 7 | Kate Thomson | 2020 | Incumbent |
In 2016 the school received media coverage when during an assembly, principal Mark O'Farrell shared an image of a man holding a sign reading "peace on earth" while standing behind his daughters and wife, who were gagged and tied up.[9] Parents and students complained about the image to the school and an apology was later given.