St Columba's College, Essendon

Last updated

St Columba's College
Stcolumbacrest.jpg
Location
St Columba's College, Essendon
,
Coordinates 37°45′27″S144°54′51″E / 37.7574°S 144.9143°E / -37.7574; 144.9143
Information
TypeCatholic all-female secondary
Motto Latin: Fidelis et Fortis
(Faithful and Strong)
Established1897;126 years ago (1897)
FounderMother Ursula Bruton
HeadmistressRita Grima
Grades7–12
Enrolment~970
Colour(s)Green, navy blue and gold    
Affiliations Roman Catholic, Sisters of Charity
Website www.columba.vic.edu.au

St Columba's College is an all-female Roman Catholic secondary school in Essendon, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. It is one of four Sisters of Charity of Australia educational establishments, with St Vincent's College, Potts Point, Mt St Michael's College, Brisbane, and Catholic Ladies College, Eltham.

Contents

History

After taking responsibility for St Monica's Parish Primary School in Moonee Ponds in 1896, Mother Ursula Bruton (died 1899) [1] purchased the property at 139 Buckley Street to provide secondary education for the girls from St Monica's. She believed that this was needed so that young women could take their rightful place in society. Mother Ursula was the first principal and named the school St Columba's.

Columba was an Irish saint and a great scholar, who lived in the sixth century. The college motto chosen was "Fidelis et Fortis" meaning "faithful and strong", and the shield with its crown and dove reflected the Sisters of Charity's crest and Columba's name ("colm cille" meaning "church dove" in Irish). The first classes were held on 13 July 1897 for 47 students.

The initial educational program provided a broad and liberal education for young women and in 1900 presented its first candidates for matriculation.

Current houses

The seven Houses and their associated colours are:

Previous houses

The eight Houses and their associated colours were oreviously:

Notable alumnae

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sisters of Mercy</span> Religious order

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 has about 6200 sisters worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations. They also started many education and health care facilities around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nellie Melba</span> Australian opera singer

Dame Nellie Melba was an Australian operatic lyric coloratura soprano. She became one of the most famous singers of the late Victorian era and the early 20th century, and was the first Australian to achieve international recognition as a classical musician. She took the pseudonym "Melba" from Melbourne, her home town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church in Australia</span> Overview of the role of the Catholic Church in Australia

The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Holy See. From origins as a suppressed, mainly Irish minority in early colonial times, the church has grown to be the largest Christian denomination in Australia, with a culturally diverse membership of around 5,075,907 people, representing about 20% of the overall population of Australia according to the 2021 ABS Census data.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Mary's College, Hobart</span> Single-sex, day school in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

St Mary's College is a Kindergarten to Year 12 Catholic, day school for girls, located on the northern city fringe of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Vincent's College, Potts Point</span> School in Potts Point, New South Wales, Australia

St Vincent's College, is an independent Roman Catholic single-sex secondary day and boarding school for girls, located in Victoria Street, Potts Point, an inner-city suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

The Presentation Sisters, officially the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, are a religious institute of Roman Catholic women founded in Cork, Ireland, by the Venerable Honora "Nano" Nagle in 1775. The Sisters of the congregation use the postnominal initials PBVM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney</span> Hospital in New South Wales, Australia

St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney is a leading tertiary referral hospital and research facility located in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Though funded and integrated into the New South Wales state public health system, it is operated by St Vincent's Health Australia. It is affiliated with the University of Tasmania College of Health and Medicine and the University of New South Wales Medical School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Street, East Sydney</span> Street in Sydney, Australia

Victoria Street is a suburban street located in the inner eastern suburbs of Sydney, in the City of Sydney local government area of New South Wales, Australia. From south to north, Victoria Street goes through the suburbs of Darlinghurst, Potts Point and the locality of Kings Cross. It is 1.6 kilometres (0.99 mi) in length. In the section in Darlinghurst, the street is one-way, from north to south only.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sisters of Charity of Australia</span> Congregation of religious sisters in Australia

The Sisters of Charity of Australia, or the Congregation of the Religious Sisters of Charity of Australia, is a congregation of religious sisters in the Catholic Church who have served the people of Australia since 1838. Sisters use the post-nominal initials of RSC.

Edwin Cuthbert Hall (1874–1953) was an Australian physician and philanthropist who through a bequest funded the Edwin Cuthbert Hall Chair of Middle Eastern Archaeology within the Department of Archaeology at the University of Sydney. In 1973, the Hall Bequest was the second largest donation to the University after the Power Bequest.

The Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia is a non-profit organisation that promotes the education of girls in single-sex girls' schools, and promotes the image of, and support the development of, girls' schools in Australasia.

Amy Vera Ackman, known as Mother Giovanni was an Australian hospital administrator and one of the Sisters of Charity.

Mother Geraldine Scholastica Gibbons was an Irish-Australian nun, founder and first superior of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.

Anne Daly or Mother Mary Berchmans was an Irish-Australian superior general of the Sisters of Charity of Australia and founded numerous hospitals in Australia, as well as being active in education.

Brigid Mary Magdalen McGuigan (1842–1923), known by her religious name Sister Mary Francis, was an Australian nun, school teacher and principal who became superior general of the Sisters of Charity of Australia. She made a significant contribution to education and nursing in Australia, establishing and staffing schools and hospitals throughout New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

Mary Healy, better known as Mother Gertrude, was a member of the Sisters of Charity of Australia and hospital administrator. She made significant contributions to the development of St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney and St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne.

Mary John Baptist De Lacy, was an Irish-born Sister of Charity, and one of the first religious sisters to come to Australia. She was one of five Sisters of Charity who arrived in Sydney in 1838 to serve poor women convicts. She founded and managed the St. Vincent Hospital in Woolloomooloo. She lived in Australia until 1859, when she returned to Ireland, spending her final years in the Sisters of Charity Mother House in Dublin.

Mary Catherine Bruton (1862–1937) was the superior-general of the Sisters of Charity of Australia from 1924 – 1936 and also served as an educator and a hospital administrator. She was better known as Mother Canice.

References

  1. "Family Notices". Age (Melbourne, Vic. 1854–1954). 6 November 1899. p. 1. Retrieved 5 July 2020.