, motto_translation = God and Duty , city =

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

, state = Queensland , postcode = 4000 , country = Australia , coordinates = , type = Private, single-sex,

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children and adolescents are given instructions during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compar ...

, denomination =

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Sisters of Mercy The Sisters of Mercy is a religious institute of Catholic women founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley. As of 2019, the institute had about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They a ...

, established = , principal = Catherine O'Kane , colours = Light blue, white, rust
, slogan = , affiliation = Catholic Secondary Schoolgirls' Sports Association , website = , address = 547 Ann Street , enrolment = 1,562 , enrolment_as_of = August 2019 , teaching_staff = 128 (107 FTE) , num_employ = 113 All Hallows' School (AHS) is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

for girls, located in

Fortitude Valley Fortitude Valley (often called "The Valley" by local residents) is an inner suburb of the City of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. In the , Fortitude Valley had a population of 9,708 people. The suburb features two pedestr ...

, close to the central business district of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, Australia. Founded in 1861, the school is a

, having had a

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exten ...

attached to it for many years. It follows in the tradition of the Irish

, and caters for more than 1,550 girls from Years five to twelve. The school was the first permanent home of the Sisters of Mercy in Queensland, and is the oldest surviving secondary school in Brisbane. All Hallows' is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australia, the Australasian Mercy Secondary Schools Association, and the Catholic Secondary Schoolgirls' Sports Association. The school's

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. Mot ...

is in French, ''Dieu et Devoir'' (English: "God and Duty"). This motto was formulated in 1911, 50 years after the school opened. The French language was chosen for the motto on the basis of the strong French influence in the school's early years. Many of the All Hallows' School Buildings have been listed on the

Queensland Heritage Register The Queensland Heritage Register is a heritage register, a statutory list of places in Queensland, Australia that are protected by Queensland legislation, the Queensland Heritage Act 1992. It is maintained by the Queensland Heritage Council. As a ...

. In the 2017

NAPLAN The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a series of tests focused on basic skills that are administered to Australian students in year 3, 5, 7 and 9. These standardised tests assess students' reading, writing, l ...

Year 9 test, All Hallows' was ranked in the top 10 Queensland secondary schools.

History

19th century

The story of the foundation of All Hallows' School must be set against the rudimentary "pioneer" education system and bitter sectarian disputes in Queensland education during the 1850s and early 1860s. According to Johnston, until 1860 "secondary education tended to receive a fairly low priority in state thinking – which was not surprising since the provision of a primary level was so difficult, too difficult to manage". He continues: "There were no state initiatives to provide its own system until 1912. Secondary education, seen as a perquisite of

middle-class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Comm ...

life, suitable for the children of business and professional men and established pastoralists, was allowed to be offered by private and church bodies." Queensland historian

Ross Fitzgerald Ross Andrew Fitzgerald (born in 1944) is an Australian academic, historian, novelist, secularist, and political commentator. Fitzgerald is an Emeritus Professor in History and Politics at Griffith University. He has published forty-three books ...

points out that until well into the twentieth century "the majority of (Queensland Catholics) ... belonged to lower socio-economic groups".

First Catholic secondary school in Queensland

Contrary to the development of most schools, All Hallows' School, as the first Catholic secondary school in Queensland, sought to serve those less fortunate in colonial society while operating under the same legislative framework as the more affluent grammar schools. Serving poorer, often Irish, Roman Catholic, immigrant women in the area of Fortitude Valley, the school did not raise the required subscription for government aid and, in a time of bitter sectarianism within Queensland, the school maintained fierce independence in curriculum from what was seen by many within the Catholic community as attempts by a hostile secular government at interference.

Relocation to Duncan's Hill

In 1863, with pupils and sisters growing in numbers, it was soon realised that a suitable place for a convent must be found. It was envisaged that a small House of Mercy would be established on the site of what would become All Hallows' School. 1 November 1863 saw the transfer of the party from a small structure adjacent to what is now Saint Stephen's Cathedral to 'Adderton House' overlooking the

Brisbane River The Brisbane River is the longest river in South East Queensland, Australia, and flows through the city of Brisbane, before emptying into Moreton Bay on the Coral Sea. John Oxley, the first European to explore the river, named it after the Go ...

from high upon Duncan's Hill.

The Bishop has lately purchased the finest house and situation in Brisbane for a convent. The purchase money is 6,000 – where it is to come from I know not – but I trust God will send it. As soon as we get into it, we are to commence a House of Mercy ... The constant influx of Emigrants renders a House of Mercy desirable but it will not be a big one.

Mother Vincent Whitty Mother Mary Vincent Whitty, R.S.M., (3 March 1819 – 9 March 1892) was an Irish religious sister known for her work in the colony of Queensland. She was a leading figure in the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy, both in Ireland and in its ...

marvelled at the position of the new house in a way that many visitors to the school have done since 1863. Writing to Ireland with news of the move to Duncan's Hill she stated:

I wish I could give you an idea of the beauty of the situation of this house. The view of the river from the Balcony is lovely and in the distance the thick bush, is here and there cleared away, with the town at one side of the River, it certainly is very beautiful.

Adderton House

Adderton House was constructed in 1858 by

John Petrie John Petrie (15 January 1822 – 8 December 1892) was a Scottish-born politician, architect, stonemason and building contractor in Brisbane who became the city's first Mayor. Private life John Petrie was born 15 January 1822Toowong Cemetery ...

for George Fullerton.

St Ann's Industrial School

St Ann's Industrial School was opened on 15 July 1894 by the

Governor of Queensland The governor of Queensland is the representative in the state of Queensland of the monarch of Australia. In an analogous way to the governor-general of Australia at the national level, the governor Governors of the Australian states, performs c ...

Henry Wylie Norman Field Marshal Sir Henry Wylie Norman, (2 December 1826 – 26 October 1904) was a senior Indian Army officer and colonial administrator. He served in the Second Anglo-Sikh War, the campaign against the Kohat Pass Afridis, the suppression of the ...

. Its purpose was to provide a home and education to neglected or delinquent girls. It was designed by architect F. D. G. Stanley. In the 1940s it was partially converted to a boarding house for young women working in the Brisbane central business district or studying at the

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

. In 1964 it was remodelled as classrooms for the All Hallows' School.

House system

All Hallows' has a mixed age house structure. Every student and staff member belongs to one of the eight houses which are named after people or places within the history of the school. Each house is given a color. * Adderton – green, named after Adderton House, the first building on the school grounds. * Coolock – blue, named after the house in Ireland where Catherine McAuley lived. * Gorry – gold, named after Queensland born Mercy Sister Jane Gorry. * Loretto – pink, named after long serving school principal Sister M. Loretto Flynn. Principal: 1916, 1933–1959. * McAuley – silver, named after the founder of the Mercy Sisters,

Catherine McAuley Catherine McAuley, RSM (29 September 1778 – 11 November 1841) was an Irish Catholic religious sister who founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831.Austin, Mary Stanislas"Sisters of Mercy."''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Ap ...

. * Mercedes – orange, pronounced as per the Spanish word for 'Mercy'. * Tighe – purple, named after the first enrolled student at AHS, Annie Tighe. * Whitty – red, named after the first principal of AHS,

Notable alumnae

Former students of All Hallows' are known as "Old Girls"; they may elect to join the Past Pupils' Association. *

Thea Astley Thea Beatrice May Astley (25 August 1925 – 17 August 2004) was an Australian novelist and short story writer. She was a prolific writer who was published for over 40 years from 1958. At the time of her death, she had won more Miles Franklin ...

, author and novelist *

Fran Bailey Frances Esther Bailey (born 21 May 1946) is a former Australian politician. She is a member of the Liberal Party and served in the House of Representatives from 1990 to 1993 and 1996 to 2010, representing the Division of McEwen in Victoria. Sh ...

, member of the House of Representatives,

Parliament of Australia The Parliament of Australia (officially the Federal Parliament, also called the Commonwealth Parliament) is the legislature, legislative branch of the government of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch (represented by the ...

. *

Verity Barton Verity Mary Barton (born 6 August 1985) is an Australian politician. She was the LNP member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for Broadwater from 2012 to 2017. She defeated Peta-Kaye Croft at the 2012 state election and was re-elect ...

, LNP member of the

Legislative Assembly of Queensland The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembl ...

for Broadwater *

Isabella Bliss Isabella Bliss (born 1 April 1998) is an Australian woman from Queensland, notable for winning ''Junior MasterChef Australia'' (series 1) in 2010. ''Junior MasterChef Australia'' Bliss entered the first season of Junior MasterChef Australia ...

, winner of ''

Junior MasterChef Australia ''Junior MasterChef Australia'' (known colloquially as MasterChef Kids) is an Australian competitive cooking game show. It is a spin-off of '' MasterChef Australia'', itself an adaptation of the British show ''MasterChef'', and featured contesta ...

'' in 2010 * Caitlin Cronin, Australian rowing team (Olympics) *

Ellen Fanning Ellen is a female given name, a diminutive of Elizabeth, Eleanor, Elena and Helen. Ellen was the 609th most popular name in the U.S. and the 17th in Sweden in 2004. People named Ellen include: *Ellen Adarna (born 1988), Filipino actress *Ellen A ...

, journalist * Diane Fingleton, first female Chief Magistrate of Queensland *

Teresa Gambaro Teresa Gambaro (; born 29 November 1958) is a former Australian politician. She served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1996 to 2007 and 2010 to 2016, representing the Liberal Party. She was a parliamentary secretary in the How ...

, LNP member of House of Representatives,

* Macy Gardner, netballer *

Tahli Gill Tahli Gill (born 8 September 1999) is an Australian curler who resides in Brisbane. She currently skips her own team and plays mixed doubles with partner Dean Hewitt. Career Gill started curling at age 11. Her mother Lynette is also a curler ...

, Australian curling team (Olympics) *

Grace Grace Ignazia Graziella "Grace" Grace (née Farfaglia; born 12 August 1958) is an Australian politician from the state of Queensland. She has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for the seat of McConnel and its predecessor seat, ...

, ALP Queensland Minister for Education * Dr Beth Hamilton, Director of Ubuntu Through Health and Queensland Rhodes Scholar 2018 *

Ernestine Hill Ernestine Hill (21 January 1899 — 21 August 1972) was an Australian journalist, travel writer and novelist. Life Born Mary Ernestine Hemmings in Rockhampton, Queensland, she attended All Hallows' School in Brisbane, and then Stott & Hoa ...

(1899–1972), journalist, travel writer, novelist *

Marguerite Houston Marguerite Houston (born 11 July 1981) is an Australian former lightweight rower. She is an Australian national champion, an Olympian and two-time World Champion. She contested state representative events (firstly for Queensland and later for S ...

, Australian rowing team (Olympics) *

Miranda Kerr Miranda May Kerr (; born 20 April 1983) is an Australian model and businesswoman. Kerr rose to prominence in 2007, as one of the Victoria's Secret Angels. Kerr was the first Australian Victoria's Secret model and also represented the Australia ...

, model *

Mary Emelia Mayne Mary Emelia Mayne (31 December 1858 – 12 August 1940), was an Australian philanthropist. Early life Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, Mary Emelia Mayne was the second youngest of five children of Irish parents, Patrick Mayne, a butcher ...

(1858–1940), philanthropist *

Maxine McKew Maxine Margaret McKew (born 22 July 1953) is a former Australian Labor politician and journalist; she was the Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in the First Rudd Ministry and the F ...

, ALP member of the House of Representatives seat of

Bennelong Woollarawarre Bennelong ( 1764 – 3 January 1813), also spelt Baneelon, was a senior man of the Eora, an Aboriginal Australian people of the Port Jackson area, at the time of the first British settlement in Australia in 1788. Bennelong serv ...

* Kateena O'Gorman, barrister and Queensland Rhodes Scholar 2003 *

Sarina Russo Sarina Russo is the founder of The Sarina Russo Group. Early life Russo migrated to Australia from Sicily with her family in 1956, and attended St Stephen's Primary School and All Hallows' School. Career She worked as a legal secretary and as ...

, entrepreneur *

Grace Sewell Grace Sewell (born 8 April 1997), known professionally as SayGrace (formerly Grace), is an Australian singer and songwriter. She is best known for "You Don't Own Me", a cover version of the 1963 Lesley Gore song, produced by Quincy Jones, Parker ...

, singer and songwriter * Tracey Wickham, Australian swimmer (Olympics and Commonwealth Games)Swimming
", ''All Hallows School''. Retrieved 16 January 2013.

Historic images

File:Jane gorry.jpg, Sister Jane Gorry, first Queensland-born Mercy sister File:Mother Catherine McAuley.jpg, Mother

– founder of Mercy Order File:All Hallows Brisbane students c. 1890.jpg, Class with their Mercy Sister teachers in 1890 File:1902 from kangaroo pt.jpg, Main Street, Kangaroo Point, looking north across the Brisbane River to All Hallows' School, Duncan's Hill. The architect for the main building was

Andrea Stombuco Andrea Giovanni Stombuco (1820-1907) was an Italian-born Australian sculptor and architect. Many of the buildings he designed are listed on the heritage registers in Australia. Early life Andrea Stombuco travelled widely and was involved in vari ...

. File:Dodge Lane 1915.jpg, 1915 photograph of the staff of Austral Carriage Works shows the facade of what is now beneath the Claver Theatre and Consilo Aquatic Complex. This facade is heritage listed and provides part of the All Hallows' School Boundary Street fence line.

References

Sources * * * *

External links

*
Official site of the Mercy Heritage Centre based at All Hallows'
{{Authority control Girls' schools in Queensland Catholic secondary schools in Brisbane Educational institutions established in 1861 Sisters of Mercy schools 1861 establishments in Australia Fortitude Valley, Queensland Ann Street, Brisbane History of Brisbane Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia