Loreto Kirribilli
Encyclopedia
Loreto Kirribilli is a Roman Catholic
, day school
for girls, located in Kirribilli
, a Lower North Shore
suburb of Sydney, New South Wales
, Australia
.
Established at Milsons Point
in 1901, Loreto has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1,050 girls from Kindergarten
to Year 12.
The school
is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA), the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), and is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
(AHIGS).
Loreto Kirribilli is one of many school's around the world established by the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Loreto Sisters, founded some 400 years ago by Mary Ward
.
Its Sydney sister school
is Loreto Normanhurst
, and there are five other Loreto schools across Australia, in Melbourne, Ballarat
, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth
, as well as other international schools such as St Mary's Shaftesbury
and Saint Mary's Ascot in the UK.
(founded 1892) to "Kunimbla", a house in Milsons Point
. In 1907, increasing enrolments necessitated a move to "Fern Hill", a house in Upper Pitt Street, and in 1907 to the current site in Carabella Street.
"Elamang", a home owned by early settler James Milson (1785-1872), was purchased in 1907 with the financial assistance of Sarah Heaton, mother of Sr. Philomena Heaton ibvm, a founding member of the Kirribilli community. This purchase allowed for boarders
and an increase in day students. Adjacent properties were purchased of the years, including "Coreena" (previously owned by Alfred Milson) in 1921, "The Hermitage" in 1924, Thoms in 1952, and "Araluen" in 1975. The Loreto Kirribilli Chapel
Tower was the highest point on the Kirribilli Peninsula for many years, and remains a landmark dominating the skyline when viewed from Neutral Bay
. Once the junior school, The Hermitage, was demolished in 1936 to make way for a playing field
and tennis court
s, and "Coreena" was replaced in 1961 by the present junior school. Government funding in the 1960s allowed for the building of St Joseph's wing, including science
rooms and a library
. This was also an era of significant growth in student numbers.
The boarding school began its phasing out period in 1968, following an explosion
which destroyed St Mary's (Thoms). Loreto's last boarding students left in 1972. In 1980 "Araluen", which had previously been a music centre, was extended to provide accommodation for the Loreto Sisters, and the community areas in the "Elamang" building were converted for use as staff rooms, general school administration and music.
Loreto sporting teams participate in competitions run by a number of associations, including the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA) for primary students, and the Catholic Girls' Secondary School Sports Association (CGSSSA), and Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association
(IGSSA) for those in the secondary school.
Sports offered to junior students include: Athletics
, Basketball
, Cricket
, Cross country
, Equestrian
, Gymnastics
, Hockey
, Netball
, Rowing
, Skiing
, Soccer, Softball
, Swimming
, Tae Kwon Do, Tennis
, Tildesley Shield Tennis, and Touch football
.
to facilitate school based competitions and activities. The school currently has four houses:
There are a number of inter-house events during the year. These include the athletics carnival, swimming carnival, drama festival, dance night and Music Festival which is held annually at the Sydney Town Hall
in June.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, day school
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...
for girls, located in Kirribilli
Kirribilli, New South Wales
Kirribilli is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located three kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area administered by North Sydney Council...
, a Lower North Shore
North Shore (Sydney)
The North Shore is an informal term used to describe the primarily residential area of northern metropolitan Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The term usually refers to the suburbs located on the north shore of Sydney Harbour between Middle Harbour and the Lane Cove River, up to...
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...
.
Established at Milsons Point
Milsons Point, New South Wales
Milsons Point is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of North Sydney Council....
in 1901, Loreto has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1,050 girls from Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to Year 12.
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...
is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
Junior School Heads Association of Australia
The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia , is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia....
(JSHAA), 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).
Loreto Kirribilli is one of many school's 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
Mary Ward may refer to:* Mary Ward , 1585 - 1645, foundress of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, an order of Roman Catholic nuns...
.
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 Normanhurst
Loreto Normanhurst
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....
, and 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....
, as well as other international schools such as St Mary's Shaftesbury
St Mary's Shaftesbury
St Mary’s School, located in a rural setting near Shaftesbury, Dorset, England, is a Catholic boarding and day school which welcomes girls from all Christian denominations. Its mission is "to educate each individual to the highest standard through fostering traditional values in the spirit of the...
and Saint Mary's Ascot in the UK.
History
Loreto Kirribilli was founded in 1901 following the move of the day school of Loreto RandwickRandwick, 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...
(founded 1892) to "Kunimbla", a house in Milsons Point
Milsons Point, New South Wales
Milsons Point is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of North Sydney Council....
. In 1907, increasing enrolments necessitated a move to "Fern Hill", a house in Upper Pitt Street, and in 1907 to the current site in Carabella Street.
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...
and an increase in day students. Adjacent properties were purchased of the years, including "Coreena" (previously owned by Alfred Milson) in 1921, "The Hermitage" in 1924, Thoms in 1952, and "Araluen" in 1975. The Loreto Kirribilli Chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
Tower was the highest point on the Kirribilli Peninsula for many years, and remains a landmark dominating the skyline when viewed from Neutral Bay
Neutral Bay, New South Wales
Neutral Bay is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Neutral Bay is located 5 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council....
. Once the junior school, The Hermitage, was demolished in 1936 to make way for a playing field
Playing field
A playing field is a field used for playing sports or games. They are generally outdoors, but many large structures exist to enclose playing fields from bad weather. Generally, playing fields are wide expanses of grass, dirt or sand without many obstructions...
and tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, and "Coreena" was replaced in 1961 by the present junior school. Government funding in the 1960s allowed for the building of St Joseph's wing, including science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
rooms and a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
. This was also an era of significant growth in student numbers.
The boarding school began its phasing out period in 1968, following an explosion
Explosion
An explosion is a rapid increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases. An explosion creates a shock wave. If the shock wave is a supersonic detonation, then the source of the blast is called a "high explosive"...
which destroyed St Mary's (Thoms). Loreto's last boarding students left in 1972. In 1980 "Araluen", which had previously been a music centre, was extended to provide accommodation for the Loreto Sisters, and the community areas in the "Elamang" building were converted for use as staff rooms, general school administration and music.
Principals
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1920 – 1925 | Sr Gareth Gardener |
| 1925 – 1929 | Sr Phillipa Hen |
| 1932 – 1937 | Sr Garcia La Guerta |
| 1938 – 1942 | Sr Candice Forlay |
| 1942 – 1948 | Sr Judi Dench |
| 1949 – 1954 | Sr Emilian Cowden |
| 1955 – 1956 | Sr Miriam Nowotny |
| 1957 – 1958 | Sr Jude Lane |
| 1959 – 1965 | Sr Angela Quill |
| 1966 – 1969 | Sr Juliana Coughlin |
| 1970 | Sr Noni Mitchell |
| 1971 | Sr Anne Anderson |
| 1972 – 1981 | Sr Jeanne Cover |
| 1981 – 1985 | Sr Mary Wright |
| 1986 – 1992 | Sr Margaret Honner |
| 1993 – 1999 | Sr Anne Kelly |
| 1999 – Present | Janet freeman |
Music
Students are encouraged to join musical ensembles such as the Orchestra, Choir, Flute Ensemble,Concert Band, Stage Band or Chamber Strings Group. Private instrumental or vocal tuition as electives, is also available.Sport
Junior School Heads Association of Australia
The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia , is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia....
(JSHAA) for primary students, and the Catholic Girls' Secondary School Sports Association (CGSSSA), and Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association
Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association
The Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association , was established in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, in 1922 with five founding members, all of them independent Protestant girls' schools....
(IGSSA) for those in the secondary school.
Sports offered to junior students include: Athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, Basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, Cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, Equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
, Gymnastics
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
, Hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, Netball
Netball
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Its development, derived from early versions of basketball, began in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women's Basketball ...
, Rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, Skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
, Soccer, Softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, Swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, Tae Kwon Do, Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, Tildesley Shield Tennis, and Touch football
Touch football (rugby league)
Touch is a field sport also known as Touch Football, or in some countries as Touch Rugby. Touch is overseen worldwide by the Federation of International Touch . Touch has traditionally been played in Australia and New Zealand but the sport has expanded internationally and features many regional and...
.
Houses
As with most Australian schools, Loreto has 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...
to facilitate school based competitions and activities. The school currently has four houses:
- Barry - Gold
- Heaton - Green
- Milson - Red
- Ward - Blue
There are a number of inter-house events during the year. These include the athletics carnival, swimming carnival, drama festival, dance night and Music Festival which is held annually at the Sydney Town Hall
Sydney Town Hall
The Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral...
in June.
Notable alumnae
- Miranda DevineMiranda DevineMiranda Devine is an Australian columnist and writer noted for her conservative stance on a range of social and political issues. Her column, formerly printed twice weekly in Fairfax Media newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald and The Sun-Herald, now appears in the News Limited Daily Telegraph with...
- Conservative columnist - Clover MooreClover MooreClover Moore , is an Australian politician, the Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney and an independent member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the electorate of Sydney. Moore is the first publicly elected female Lord Mayor of Sydney. Prior to the 2007 NSW state election, she...
- Independent Lord Mayor of Sydney - Phoebe TonkinPhoebe TonkinPhoebe Jane Elizabeth Tonkin is an Australian actress and model. She is best known for portraying Cleo Sertori in H2O: Just Add Water and Fiona Maxwell in Tomorrow, When the War Began...
- Actress in H2O: Just Add WaterH2O: Just Add WaterH2O: Just Add Water, also known as H2O, is an Australian television programme for children, pre-teens and teenagers, that is filmed on location at Sea World and other locations on the Gold Coast...
and Tomorrow, When the War Began (film)Tomorrow, When the War Began (film)Tomorrow, When the War Began is a 2010 Australian adventure film written and directed by Stuart Beattie and based on the novel of the same name by John Marsden. The film is produced by Andrew Mason and Michael Boughen. The story follows Ellie Linton, one of eight teenagers waging a guerrilla war... - Joan HartiganJoan HartiganJoan Hartigan Bathurst was a female tennis player from Australia.-Early life and education:...
- Tennis Player, Wimbledon finalist - Amelia Farrugia - Opera singer
- Tamsin Carroll - Actress
Further reading
- Emilsen, S. and Callaghan, M. 2006. A School With Spirit: Loreto Kirribilli. Alliance Distribution Service. ISBN 9781741149227.
- Meagher, F. 1997. Loreto Normanhurst: A Century of Memories 1897-1997. Allen & Unwin: St. Leonards, NSW. ISBN 1-8644835-3-9.
See also
- List of non-government schools in New South Wales
- Head of the River (New South Wales)Head of the River (New South Wales)The Head of the River rowing regatta refers to two New South Wales school rowing competitions, one for boys and one for girls.-NSW Schoolboy Head of the River Regatta:...