Loreto Normanhurst
Encyclopedia
Loreto Normanhurst is a private
, Roman Catholic, day
and boarding school
for girls, located in Normanhurst
, a suburb on the upper North Shore of Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
.
Established in 1897, Loreto has a current enrolment of approximately 900 students from Year 7 to Year 12, including 180 boarders, and is the second largest girls' boarding school in New South Wales. In 2006, the school
was named among the top ten innovative schools in Australia.
Loreto is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales (AISNSW), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), and is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
(AHIGS).
The school is one of many around the world established by the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Loreto Sisters, founded some 400 years ago by Mary Ward
, and its Sydney sister school
is Loreto Kirribilli
. There are five other Loreto schools across Australia, in Melbourne, Ballarat
, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth
.
in 1892, establishing a school in rented premises at Randwick
. Within five years, the school had grown significantly, and a separate school for the boarders was deemed necessary. Mother Gonzaga's prayers for an appropriate site were answered during a visit to Sydney in 1896, as Mother Oliver explained:
This land was purchased, and the foundation stone for the new convent
was laid on 28 February 1897 by Cardinal Moran. The school opened late in 1897 as "Loreto Convent, Hornsby" with 15 boarders, many of them girls who had come from Randwick.
Although primarily a boarding school at this time, Loreto did accept a small number of day students from the local Hornsby
area, including some young boys. Enrolments grew over the following decades, however the war
s and depression
proved difficult times. Following World War II
, the surrounding shire developed and day girl numbers began to equal that of boarders, gradually overtaking them to the present situation where there are many more day girls than boarders.
. The school currently has eight houses, which play an important role in the pastoral programme at the school. They are:
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, Roman Catholic, day
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
and boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for girls, located in Normanhurst
Normanhurst, New South Wales
Normanhurst is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Normanhurst is located 23 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of Hornsby Shire.-History:...
, a suburb on the upper North Shore of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Established in 1897, Loreto has a current enrolment of approximately 900 students from Year 7 to Year 12, including 180 boarders, and is the second largest girls' boarding school in New South Wales. In 2006, the school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
was named among the top ten innovative schools in Australia.
Loreto is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales (AISNSW), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), and is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
The Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools , is an association for private girls' schools, based in North Ryde, in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(AHIGS).
The school is one of many around the world established by the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Loreto Sisters, founded some 400 years ago by Mary Ward
Mary Ward (nun)
The Venerable Mary Ward, I.B.V.M., was an English Catholic Religious Sister who founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Loreto Sisters...
, and its Sydney sister school
Sister school
The term sister school has several meanings:*a definite financial commerce between two colleges or universities*two schools that have a strong historical connection...
is Loreto Kirribilli
Loreto Kirribilli
Loreto Kirribilli is a Roman Catholic, day school for girls, located in Kirribilli, a Lower North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
. There are five other Loreto schools across Australia, in Melbourne, Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
History
Mother Gonzaga Barry led the Loreto nuns to Sydney from Ballarat, VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 1892, establishing a school in rented premises at Randwick
Randwick, New South Wales
Randwick is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Randwick is located 6 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Randwick...
. Within five years, the school had grown significantly, and a separate school for the boarders was deemed necessary. Mother Gonzaga's prayers for an appropriate site were answered during a visit to Sydney in 1896, as Mother Oliver explained:
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
was laid on 28 February 1897 by Cardinal Moran. The school opened late in 1897 as "Loreto Convent, Hornsby" with 15 boarders, many of them girls who had come from Randwick.
Although primarily a boarding school at this time, Loreto did accept a small number of day students from the local Hornsby
Hornsby, New South Wales
* Highest Maximum Temperature: 42 °C* Lowest Maximum Temperature: 4.9 °C* Warmest Month: January* Coolest Month: July* Highest Precipitation: February* Lowest Precipitation: July-Notable residents:...
area, including some young boys. Enrolments grew over the following decades, however the war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
s and depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
proved difficult times. Following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the surrounding shire developed and day girl numbers began to equal that of boarders, gradually overtaking them to the present situation where there are many more day girls than boarders.
Principals
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1935 – 1938 | M. Eulalia Hyland |
| 1939 | M. Joseph Michael Ritchie |
| 1940 – 1942 | M. Judith Sullivan |
| 1942 – 1943 | M. Thomas Farley |
| 1943 – 1945 | M. Antoinette Hayden |
| 1946 – 1956 | M. Rosario North |
| 1957 – 1964 | M. Miriam Nowotny |
| 1965 – 1967 | M. Josephine Little |
| 1968 – 1970 | Sr Jeanne Cover |
| 1971 – 1975 | Sr Deirdre Rofe |
| 1976 – 1981 | Sr Maureen Saunders |
| 1982 – 1988 | Sr Dian Stuart |
| 1989 – 1993 | Sr Denise Demarchelier |
| 1994 – 2008 | Dr Leoni Degenhardt |
| Term 2 2008 – | Ms Barbara Watkins |
House system
As with most Australian schools, Loreto Normanhurst utilises a house systemHouse system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
. The school currently has eight houses, which play an important role in the pastoral programme at the school. They are:
| House | Colour | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Aston | Purple | Named after Aston Lodge which became the first Loreto school in Sydney in 1892. Built in 1865 by John Watkins, and designed by Edmund Blacket, it is now part of the Emanuel School in Stanley Street, Randwick. |
| Barry | Yellow | Named after Mother Gonzaga Barry who led the first group of Loreto sisters to Australia from Ireland Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... in 1875. She began the first Loreto school in Ballarat, Victoria, and soon after followed that with schools in other states. |
| Kendall | Aqua | Named after Mother Evangeline Kendall IBVM, a teacher and art critic Art critic An art critic is a person who specializes in evaluating art. Their written critiques, or reviews, are published in newspapers, magazines, books and on web sites... , who contributed profoundly to Loreto Normanhurst from 1948 until her death in 1996. Mother Evangeline is buried in the school's bush cemetery. |
| Kuring-gai | Orange | Named after the Kuring-gai people Kuringgai Kuringgai is a name referring to an Indigenous Australian people of New South Wales.... who first cared for the land on which the school is located. |
| Maye | Maroon/Pink | Named after Sister Kevin Maye, who came from Ireland to Ballarat in 1920, and shortly after to Normanhurst. She is buried in the school's cemetery. |
| Mornane | Green | Named after Mother Stanislaus Mornane who began at Loreto Ballarat Loreto College, Victoria Loreto College is a Roman Catholic secondary school for girls in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia.-History:It is one of many Loreto schools distributed over the world. The school was founded in 1875 by the Loreto Sisters as their first foundation in Australia. Since then it has become one of seven... in 1876. Here she met Mother Gonzaga Barry and other pioneering Loreto nuns who had come from Ireland the year before, and subsequently, in 1879, she joined them as the first Australian to become a member of the order. In 1916 became Superior at Loreto Normanhurst, moving in 1924 to Loreto Kirribilli as Superior. Her last years were spent in the Normanhurst community, and upon her death in 1943 she was buried in the Loreto Normanhurst cemetery. |
| Mulhall | Red | Named after Mother Stanislaus Mulhall, one of the women who laid the foundations of the Loreto tradition in Australia. Mulhall worked as the Mistress of Novices for 30 years, and was largely hidden from most people. |
| Ward | Blue | Named after Mary Ward Mary Ward (nun) The Venerable Mary Ward, I.B.V.M., was an English Catholic Religious Sister who founded the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Loreto Sisters... , foundress of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary (IBVM). Born in England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... in 1585, she travelled across the continent founding schools in many countries. |
Notable alumni
- Jenny BrockieJenny BrockieJenny Brockie is an Australian journalist and documentary-maker, currently working as the host for the SBS program, Insight.Brockie has spent more than twenty years in broadcasting, reporting both nationally and internationally for ABC current affairs programs including Four Corners and...
– Broadcaster - Catherine LivingstoneCatherine LivingstoneCatherine Brighid Livingstone is an Australian businesswoman, having held influential positions in some of the country’s major industry players including the , Macquarie Bank and Telstra....
– Chair of TelstraTelstraTelstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/big-task-for-telstra-chair/story-e6frgamo-1225793402560, former CEO of Cochlear - Jessica McNameeJessica McNamee-Career:McNamee is best known for her leading role of Sammy Rafter in the award winning and top rating television series Packed to the Rafters. Before this she also appeared in the television soap opera Home and Away as Lisa Duffy playing the love interest of real life good friend Rhys Wakefield's...
– Actor Home and Away, Packed to the Rafters, Dancing with the Stars - Clare MartinClare MartinClare Majella Martin is a former Australian politician. She is the current CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service . A former journalist, she was elected to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in a shock by-election win in 1995...
– CEO of ACOSS, former Chief Minister of the Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions... - Zoe NaylorZoe NaylorZoe Naylor is an Australian actress as well as journalist, presenter, MC, model, voice-artist and producer.-Early life:...
– Actor - Emma Simkin – SBS journalist and reporter
- Kimberley StarrKimberley StarrKimberley Starr is a novelist who moved to Australia as a young child. She began her education at the Armidale Demonstration School, moving on to Garran Primary School, and Padua Catholic High School, ACT , before completing her secondary education at Loreto Normanhurst...
– Novelist - Monica TrapagaMonica TrapagaMonica Trapaga is an Australian entertainment presenter, jazz singer and actress, best known for her work on the Australian series Play School. Trapaga appeared on Better Homes and Gardens from 1997-2003 in segments related to decorating. She worked as a presenter on the children's television...
– Singer and TV presenter.
See also
Further reading
- Meagher, F. 1997. Loreto Normanhurst: A Century of Memories 1897-1997. Allen & Unwin: St. Leonards, NSW. ISBN 1-8644835-3-9.
- Emilsen, S. and Callaghan, M. 2006. A School With Spirit: Loreto Kirribilli. Alliance Distribution Service. ISBN 9781741149227.