St Patrick's Marist College Dundas
Encyclopedia
St Patrick's Marist College Dundas is a systemic Catholic
, co-educational
high school
, located in Dundas
, a Greater Western
suburb of Sydney, New South Wales
, Australia
.
St Patrick's was founded by the Marist Brothers
as a primary school catering for boys on Harrington Street in The Rocks
in 1872, leaving it with the distinction of being the oldest school in Australia under the charge of the teaching Marist Brothers
, and marking the college as Australia's oldest Catholic school. The school moved to its current site in 1962, and today caters for approximately 940 students from Years 7 to 12.
The college
is a school of the Diocese of Parramatta, and is a member of the Association of Marist Schools of Australia (AMSA), and the Metropolitan Catholic Schools.
, led by Brother Ludovic, the founder of the Marist Brothers Province in Australia
, established a parish
school at St Patrick's, Church Hill. The first St Patrick's was a double storied building in Harrington Street, The Rocks
which previously had been St Philip's Anglican School. On 8 April 1872, one hundred and thirty primary boys were enrolled in this first Marist school in Australia. St Patrick's has "the distinction of being the oldest school in Australia under the charge of teaching Brothers". By 1875, Brother Ludovic was also able to open a High School at St Patrick's. This was to be the first popular High School for day boys in NSW since the only secondary schools available at the time were boarding school
s. Over the years, St Patrick's, Church Hill served as a Primary School
, High School
, Intermediate School, Business College and Evening College.
The founding Principal on the Dundas site was Brother Thomas More Davidson. He faced the challenges of setting up the new school with great faith and energy. Despite problems such as bad weather holding up the completion of buildings, 110 boys in Years 4, 5 and 6 commenced classes for Term 1, 1962 in the top floor rooms whilst the builders completed the ground floor. The school was established as a Demonstration Secondary School in 1965 and was named St Patrick's Marist Brothers' Demonstration School. The secondary school, catering for males in Years 7-10 was officially opened on 2 October 1966. The primary school continued at Dundas until 1985 when the last Year 6 class completed their schooling.
1985 marked another historic year for St Patrick's Marist when not only were its first Year 11 students enrolled, but coeducation
was introduced in the senior school. The successful transition was built upon the vision and dedication of Principals Brother John O'Brien, Brother William Selden and Brother Ronald Blyth who guided St Patrick's through years of change in response to the needs of the Catholic communities of Dundas and its neighbouring parishes.
The school was renamed St Patrick's Marist College by Brother Michael Procajlo, when the first co-educational group was enrolled in Year 7 in 1992.
A hall has been situated at the rear of the faculty car park.
A new computer technology and performing arts area has also been built.
A new Multi-purpose Centre has been built up near the basketball courts (La Valla Centre)
Music Centre has been refurbished and including addition of a new classroom
. Its main entrance is located on Kirby Street. The college is centred around the Harrington Courtyard, named in honour of the original locale of the school in The Rocks. There are three main ovals and two basketball/netball courts located to the North of the information/technology wing. The school also contains a covered Senior Yard area, where students from Years 11 and 12 sit at break periods. A Multi-Purpose Centre has recently been completed in 2009, after two years of anticipation since its announced release in 2007.
rose
distribution and The St Vincent De Paul
Christmas
hamper appeal. House captains are selected by their Year 11 peers and are responsible for the six house groups' involvement in the College's swimming and athletics carnivals.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
, co-educational
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, located in Dundas
Dundas, New South Wales
Dundas is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Dundas is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Parramatta.-History:...
, a Greater Western
Greater Western Sydney
Greater Western Sydney is a term used to describe the western region of the metropolitan area of Sydney, Australia. The University of Western Sydney defines Greater Western Sydney as comprising 14 local government areas...
suburb of Sydney, 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...
.
St Patrick's was founded by the Marist Brothers
Marist Brothers
The Marist Brothers, or Little Brothers of Mary, are a Catholic religious order of brothers and affiliated lay people. The order was founded in France, at La Valla-en-Gier near Lyon in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest of the Society of Mary...
as a primary school catering for boys on Harrington Street in The Rocks
The Rocks, New South Wales
The Rocks is an urban locality, tourist precinct and historic area of Sydney's city centre, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the Sydney central business district...
in 1872, leaving it with the distinction of being the oldest school in Australia under the charge of the teaching Marist Brothers
Marist Brothers
The Marist Brothers, or Little Brothers of Mary, are a Catholic religious order of brothers and affiliated lay people. The order was founded in France, at La Valla-en-Gier near Lyon in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest of the Society of Mary...
, and marking the college as Australia's oldest Catholic school. The school moved to its current site in 1962, and today caters for approximately 940 students from Years 7 to 12.
The college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
is a school of the Diocese of Parramatta, and is a member of the Association of Marist Schools of Australia (AMSA), and the Metropolitan Catholic Schools.
Early days at Harrington Street
Arriving in Sydney on 26 February 1872, the Marist BrothersMarist Brothers
The Marist Brothers, or Little Brothers of Mary, are a Catholic religious order of brothers and affiliated lay people. The order was founded in France, at La Valla-en-Gier near Lyon in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest of the Society of Mary...
, led by Brother Ludovic, the founder of the Marist Brothers Province in 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 a parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
school at St Patrick's, Church Hill. The first St Patrick's was a double storied building in Harrington Street, The Rocks
The Rocks, New South Wales
The Rocks is an urban locality, tourist precinct and historic area of Sydney's city centre, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located on the southern shore of Sydney Harbour, immediately north-west of the Sydney central business district...
which previously had been St Philip's Anglican School. On 8 April 1872, one hundred and thirty primary boys were enrolled in this first Marist school in Australia. St Patrick's has "the distinction of being the oldest school in Australia under the charge of teaching Brothers". By 1875, Brother Ludovic was also able to open a High School at St Patrick's. This was to be the first popular High School for day boys in NSW since the only secondary schools available at the time were 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...
s. Over the years, St Patrick's, Church Hill served as a Primary School
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
, High School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, Intermediate School, Business College and Evening College.
Transition to Dundas
With diminishing numbers of residents in the inner city, it was decided to move the campus to Dundas in 1962 The new site retained much of the traditions and customs of the old St Patrick's, thus forging a strong link with the original school at Harrington Street. A number of students also made the move from Harrington Street to Dundas.The founding Principal on the Dundas site was Brother Thomas More Davidson. He faced the challenges of setting up the new school with great faith and energy. Despite problems such as bad weather holding up the completion of buildings, 110 boys in Years 4, 5 and 6 commenced classes for Term 1, 1962 in the top floor rooms whilst the builders completed the ground floor. The school was established as a Demonstration Secondary School in 1965 and was named St Patrick's Marist Brothers' Demonstration School. The secondary school, catering for males in Years 7-10 was officially opened on 2 October 1966. The primary school continued at Dundas until 1985 when the last Year 6 class completed their schooling.
1985 marked another historic year for St Patrick's Marist when not only were its first Year 11 students enrolled, but coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
was introduced in the senior school. The successful transition was built upon the vision and dedication of Principals Brother John O'Brien, Brother William Selden and Brother Ronald Blyth who guided St Patrick's through years of change in response to the needs of the Catholic communities of Dundas and its neighbouring parishes.
The school was renamed St Patrick's Marist College by Brother Michael Procajlo, when the first co-educational group was enrolled in Year 7 in 1992.
Recent developments
A new information technology wing was recently completed.A hall has been situated at the rear of the faculty car park.
A new computer technology and performing arts area has also been built.
A new Multi-purpose Centre has been built up near the basketball courts (La Valla Centre)
Music Centre has been refurbished and including addition of a new classroom
Campus
The school is located on the corner of Kirby Street and Kissing Point Road in Dundas, a suburb of Western SydneyWestern Sydney
Western Sydney is a major region of Sydney, Australia. It has a number of different definitions but one consistently used is the region composed of the 11 councils which until recently were all members of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils:* Auburn Council* Bankstown City Council*...
. Its main entrance is located on Kirby Street. The college is centred around the Harrington Courtyard, named in honour of the original locale of the school in The Rocks. There are three main ovals and two basketball/netball courts located to the North of the information/technology wing. The school also contains a covered Senior Yard area, where students from Years 11 and 12 sit at break periods. A Multi-Purpose Centre has recently been completed in 2009, after two years of anticipation since its announced release in 2007.
Extracurricular and special programs
The school is involved in a number of co-curricular activities. These include:- Representative sportSportA Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
- College sports program, swimming classes & surf lifesaving classes
- Debating and public speakingPublic speakingPublic speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
- College musicals
- Tournament of the Minds
- Duke of EdinburghThe Duke of Edinburgh's AwardThe Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
program - First AidFirst aidFirst aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
course - National competitions
- Annual skiSkiA ski is a long, flat device worn on the foot, usually attached through a boot, designed to help the wearer slide smoothly over snow. Originally intended as an aid to travel in snowy regions, they are now mainly used for recreational and sporting purposes...
trips - Marist solidarity programs
Students
There are approximately 940 students enrolled at St Patrick's Marist College. Upon enrolment at the College, students are divided amongst six homeroom groups: Chavoin, Edwin, Ludovic, Mackillop, Paul and Xavier - each named after a significant Marist individual.The Student Representative Council (SRC)
Students have the option of involvement in the Student Representative Council (SRC), from class captains in all years to the college captain in Year 12. St Patrick's has a prefect body elected from the Year 11 students by students and teachers to promote student welfare and organise popular social and sporting events, with some of the most significant of these being the organisation of the Valentine's DayValentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
distribution and The St Vincent De Paul
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international Roman Catholic voluntary organization dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need. Active in England & Wales since 1844, today it continues to address social and material need in all...
Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
hamper appeal. House captains are selected by their Year 11 peers and are responsible for the six house groups' involvement in the College's swimming and athletics carnivals.
Community and parental involvement
Several avenues exist for parents to be involved in the College. These include:- The Parents and Friends Association
- The various 'working bees'
- Canteen serving
- Parent information evenings, and
- Parent/ Teacher interview evenings
See also
- List of non-government schools in New South Wales
- Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta
- Marist BrothersMarist BrothersThe Marist Brothers, or Little Brothers of Mary, are a Catholic religious order of brothers and affiliated lay people. The order was founded in France, at La Valla-en-Gier near Lyon in 1817 by Saint Marcellin Champagnat, a young French priest of the Society of Mary...