, motto_translation = Truth , established = , streetaddress = 253 Franklin Street , city =

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

, state =

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, postcode = , country = Australia , coordinates = , type = Independent day school , religion =

Catholicism 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 ...

, denomination =

Dominican Sisters The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of Cal ...

, principal = Clare Nocka , campus_type =

Suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...

an , enrolment = , enrolment_as_of = , gender = Girls , grades_label = Years , grades =

Reception Reception is a noun form of ''receiving'', or ''to receive'' something, such as art, experience, information, people, products, or vehicles. It may refer to: Astrology * Reception (astrology), when a planet is located in a sign ruled by another p ...

–

Year 12 Year 12 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England and Wales, Northern Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is sometimes the twelfth year of compulsory education, or alternatively a year of post-compulsory educa ...

, colours = Navy blue, gold & white , homepage = St Mary's College is a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

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 ...

primary and secondary school for girls located within the "square mile" of the city of

History

At the request of

Laurence Sheil Laurence Bonaventure Sheil OFM (24 December 1815 – 1 March 1872) was an Irish Franciscan friar, who served as the third Roman Catholic Bishop of Adelaide. Born in Ireland, he was educated at St Peter's College, Wexford, and at the Francisca ...

, then the Bishop of Adelaide, St Mary's College was initiated by the

, who arrived from the Dominican Convent in Cabra, Ireland, as missionaries. The foundation stone was laid in 1868. The

Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, often called the Josephites or Brown Joeys, are a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Mary MacKillop (1842–1909). Members of the congregation use the postnominal initials RSJ (Religious Sist ...

provided primary education for students from the lower socioeconomic status, while the Dominican Sisters took responsibility for middle-class girls from both Catholic and other religious backgrounds whose parents could afford post-primary education.

Academics

Approximately 800 girls attend the school in classes from Reception (age 5) to year 12 (age 17-18). The school offers a "Year 13" program for students who wish to obtain their Stage 2 SACE (Year 12) over two years.

Houses

The school has four sporting houses, in which the students are positioned at the commencement of their enrolment at St Mary's. St Marys, St Dominics, St Catherines, and St Thomas each compete in annual sports days and swimming carnivals.

Extracurricular activities

St Mary's supports many charities and selects Year 11 students to attend pilgrimages annually. One is called the "Lands Trip," led by Robert Napoli, Learning Area Co-Ordinator for Religious Education. The Lands Trip selects 6 - 8 girls to travel into the

APY Lands Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara, also known as APY, APY Lands or ''the Lands'', is a large, sparsely-populated local government area (LGA) for Aboriginal people, located in the remote north west of South Australia. Some of the aṉangu ...

to visit an Aboriginal community and experience the literacy of some

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

. This pilgrimage started in 2008 and is renowned for being tough on the emotions and physical abilities of the students embarking on this trip. The other pilgrimage is to Vietnam. In 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 St Mary's College and Christian Brothers College students combined to participate in a Pilgrimage to Vietnam. The primary focus of the Pilgrimage is on giving service and working with orphaned, disabled children in the Phu My Orphanage in the Thi Nghe District, Saigon. The Orphanage, is operated by the Sisters of St Paul de Charters, where they provide care for over 300 children. While at the Orphanage, students participate in a range of activities and are immersed in the day-to-day operation of the Orphanage.

Campus

The campus also contains: * Four buildings containing classroom, computer, science, art and home economic facilities: the Boylan, Moore, Catherine and Kavanagh buildings * Gymnasium * Playground for Junior School * Veritas Lawns and Convent Lawns * Tennis courts * Transportable classrooms * The Performing Arts Centre College * The restored Chapel and Convent The school also shares a campus with St Patrick's Catholic Church and resides next to the Archbishop's House on West Terrace. The school borders three streets, the front-facing Franklin Street, the west side along

West Terrace West Terrace is a populated place in the parish of Saint James, Barbados. The National Cultural Foundation of Barbados is located in West Terrace. See also * List of cities, towns and villages in Barbados This is a list of cities, towns and ...

, and the back facing

Grote Street Grote Street is a major street running east to west in the western half of Adelaide city centre, in Adelaide, South Australia. It is on the northern border of Chinatown and the Adelaide Central Market, and is a lively centre for shopping and r ...

Notable alumni

Alex Chidiac Alexandra Carla Chidiac (born 15 January 1999) is an Australian international soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Racing Louisville in the NWSL and for the Australia national team. Early life and education Chidiac was born in Sydney, N ...

, Matildas football player

References

External links

St Mary's College website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's College, Adelaide Educational institutions established in 1869 Girls' schools in South Australia Catholic secondary schools in Adelaide 1869 establishments in Australia Dominican schools in Australia Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia