Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta
Encyclopedia
Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta (OLMC), is a private
, Roman Catholic
, day school
for girls, located in Parramatta
, a western suburb
of Sydney, New South Wales
, Australia
. It is adjacent to St. Patrick's Cathedral
.
Established in 1889 in the Mercy tradition, and based on the Gospel values of mercy
and justice
, the college
caters for approximately 1,030 students from years 7 to 12.
OLMC is affiliated with the Combined Catholic Colleges, the Catholic Girls Secondary Schools Sporting Association, the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia, the Australasian Mercy Secondary Schools Association (AMSSA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), and an affiliate member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
(AHIGS).
from Callan, County Kilkenny
, Ireland
. The Sisters of Mercy were invited to come run a Catholic school in Paramatta. Mother Mary Clare Dunphy led the sea voyage from Ireland to Australia in 1889. They opened the school on its present site in January 1889, with seven high school
students and Mother M. Alacoque Kavanagh as the founding Principal. Previous to this the school had been ministered by the Sisters of Mercy from North Sydney
and was known as 'St Mary's High School'. The school had both a co-educational primary school and a girls' high school. Subjects taught included: English
, Latin
, Modern language
s, Mathematics
, Singing
, Elocution
, Physical Culture
, Freehand and Geometrical Drawing, Painting
, Music
, Needlework
and Woodcarving.
Within the first two years the school was extended along Villiers Street, and three students sat for and passed the Civil Service Entrance Examination. A student of the College was awarded the Trinity College Colony Medal for piano in 1894.
In 1892, the College accepted its first boarder
and by 1899, a new wing was built along Villiers Street to accommodate the increasing number of classes and boarders. In 1911 there were 101 pupils enrolled at the College but by the mid 1920s this had almost trebled. Today the school population exceeds 1000 students.
OLMC was one of the first schools in New South Wales to be registered for the Bursary Endowment Act in 1913, which introduced the more competitive exam orientated approach to education of the Intermediate
and Leaving Certificate years. The first group of students sat for the Leaving Certificate in 1914.
In 1922, Dorrie Murphy convinced Mother Francis Kearney to support the foundation of an Ex-students' Association
. As well as being a way of maintaining school friendships, the Association raised funds for the charitable works of the Sisters. Dorrie is also credited with penning the words of the school song
, "The Alma Mater" to the tune of a popular beer hall
song, which is still sung by students and ex-students today. The tradition of the Ex-students' Association was extended in 2004 when the OLMC Parramatta Alumnae was created. This was a direct result of the incorporation of the College and the appointment of a Board of Directors in 2002 by the Trustees of the Sisters of Mercy Parramatta.
By 1929, the expansion of the school led to the erection of a new building
in order to accommodate the 150 borders and 200 day pupils. This building has been named 'The Brigid Shelley Building' in recognition of one of the early Sisters. Further expansion has taken place over the years as more land has become available. Major building occurred in 1939, 1967 ('Francis Kearney Building', 1969 'Catherine McAuley Library and Hall') and 1994 ('Martha O’Sullivan Technology Wing'). There has also been refurbishment in recent years. The Hall was refurbished and named 'The Edith Angel Hall' in 2006 in recognition of the leadership of Sr Edith Angel during the 1960s. A Master Plan which includes building works began in 2007.
In 1955, the primary school was to phased out and the boarding school closed at the end of 1974. This was to help the College update its facilities for the implementation of the Wyndham Scheme. This new education policy made the subject of Science
compulsory for all students to the end of Year 10, and introduced another year to the high school program so that it now covered six years instead of five.
In 1996, the College was set alight by the same arson
ist who set fire to Saint Patrick's Cathedral
minutes before. The fire in the school was discovered in time and put out with little damage done. Within a few days of the fire the Prime Minister
, Paul Keating
, came to view the ruins of the Cathedral
. Girls from the College were on the lawn
s of the front garden
in order to see him and he went over to speak to them, standing on the fence to do so. The images of this meeting were shown through the media
across the country.
In 2002, the college was incorporated
and the first Board of Directors
was appointed, with Geraldine Star as the first College Chair
. In 2004, Kitty Guerin was appointed the eighth principal of the College
In 2010 a new building is being constructed - the Janet Woods Building, named after a former Principal of the College and Science teacher, Sister Janet Woods. The building will provide facilities in Science, Food Technology and Hospitality, and a Library, Senior Study and Canteen.
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church in Australia
The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Pope.Australia is a majority Christian but pluralistic society with no established religion. There are approximately 5.1 million Australian Catholics . Catholicism...
, 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 Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, a western suburb
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...
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...
. It is adjacent to St. Patrick's Cathedral
St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta
St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Parramatta and the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
.
Established in 1889 in the Mercy tradition, and based on the Gospel values of mercy
Mercy
Mercy is broad term that refers to benevolence, forgiveness and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social and legal contexts.The concept of a "Merciful God" appears in various religions from Christianity to...
and justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
, the college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
caters for approximately 1,030 students from years 7 to 12.
OLMC is affiliated with the Combined Catholic Colleges, the Catholic Girls Secondary Schools Sporting Association, the Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia, the Australasian Mercy Secondary Schools Association (AMSSA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), and an affiliate 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).
History
The College was founded by a group of Mercy sistersSisters of Mercy
The Religious Order of the Sisters of Mercy is an order of Catholic women founded by Catherine McAuley in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831. , the order has about 10,000 members worldwide, organized into a number of independent congregations....
from Callan, County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny
County Kilkenny is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Kilkenny. The territory of the county was the core part of the ancient Irish Kingdom of Osraige which in turn was the core of the Diocese of...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. The Sisters of Mercy were invited to come run a Catholic school in Paramatta. Mother Mary Clare Dunphy led the sea voyage from Ireland to Australia in 1889. They opened the school on its present site in January 1889, with seven 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....
students and Mother M. Alacoque Kavanagh as the founding Principal. Previous to this the school had been ministered by the Sisters of Mercy from North Sydney
North Sydney, New South Wales
North Sydney is a suburb and commercial district 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 and is the administrative centre for the local government area of North Sydney...
and was known as 'St Mary's High School'. The school had both a co-educational primary school and a girls' high school. Subjects taught included: English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Modern language
Modern language
A modern language is any human language that is currently in use. The term is used in language education to distinguish between languages which are used for day-to-day communication and dead classical languages such as Latin, Attic Greek, Sanskrit, and Classical Chinese, which are studied for...
s, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, Elocution
Elocution
Elocution is the study of formal speaking in pronunciation, grammar, style, and tone.-History:In Western classical rhetoric, elocution was one of the five core disciplines of pronunciation, which was the art of delivering speeches. Orators were trained not only on proper diction, but on the proper...
, Physical Culture
Physical culture
Physical culture is a term applied to health and strength training regimens, particularly those that originated during the 19th century. During the mid-late 20th century, the term "physical culture" became largely outmoded in most English-speaking countries, being replaced by terms such as...
, Freehand and Geometrical Drawing, Painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, Needlework
Needlework
Needlework is a broad term for the handicrafts of decorative sewing and textile arts. Anything that uses a needle for construction can be called needlework...
and Woodcarving.
Within the first two years the school was extended along Villiers Street, and three students sat for and passed the Civil Service Entrance Examination. A student of the College was awarded the Trinity College Colony Medal for piano in 1894.
In 1892, the College accepted its first boarder
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 by 1899, a new wing was built along Villiers Street to accommodate the increasing number of classes and boarders. In 1911 there were 101 pupils enrolled at the College but by the mid 1920s this had almost trebled. Today the school population exceeds 1000 students.
OLMC was one of the first schools in New South Wales to be registered for the Bursary Endowment Act in 1913, which introduced the more competitive exam orientated approach to education of the Intermediate
Intermediate Certificate
The Intermediate Certificate was a certificate awarded in Australia for the successful completion of three years of high school. This was at around age 14 — what is called Year 9 today. Currently students in New South Wales can leave school at age 15. Apparently this has been the case since...
and Leaving Certificate years. The first group of students sat for the Leaving Certificate in 1914.
In 1922, Dorrie Murphy convinced Mother Francis Kearney to support the foundation of an Ex-students' Association
Alumni association
An alumni association is an association of graduates or, more broadly, of former students. In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools , fraternities, and sororities often form groups with alumni from the same organisation...
. As well as being a way of maintaining school friendships, the Association raised funds for the charitable works of the Sisters. Dorrie is also credited with penning the words of the school song
School song
A school song, alma mater, school hymn or school anthem is the patronal song of a school. In England, this tradition is particularly strong in public schools and grammar schools.-Australia:*Melbourne High School - Honour the Work...
, "The Alma Mater" to the tune of a popular beer hall
Beer hall
A beer hall is a large pub that specializes in beer. Bavaria's capital Munich is the city most associated with beer halls; almost every brewery in Munich operates a beer hall...
song, which is still sung by students and ex-students today. The tradition of the Ex-students' Association was extended in 2004 when the OLMC Parramatta Alumnae was created. This was a direct result of the incorporation of the College and the appointment of a Board of Directors in 2002 by the Trustees of the Sisters of Mercy Parramatta.
By 1929, the expansion of the school led to the erection of a new building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
in order to accommodate the 150 borders and 200 day pupils. This building has been named 'The Brigid Shelley Building' in recognition of one of the early Sisters. Further expansion has taken place over the years as more land has become available. Major building occurred in 1939, 1967 ('Francis Kearney Building', 1969 'Catherine McAuley Library and Hall') and 1994 ('Martha O’Sullivan Technology Wing'). There has also been refurbishment in recent years. The Hall was refurbished and named 'The Edith Angel Hall' in 2006 in recognition of the leadership of Sr Edith Angel during the 1960s. A Master Plan which includes building works began in 2007.
In 1955, the primary school was to phased out and the boarding school closed at the end of 1974. This was to help the College update its facilities for the implementation of the Wyndham Scheme. This new education policy made the subject of Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
compulsory for all students to the end of Year 10, and introduced another year to the high school program so that it now covered six years instead of five.
In 1996, the College was set alight by the same arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
ist who set fire to Saint Patrick's Cathedral
St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta
St Patrick's Cathedral, Parramatta is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Parramatta and the seat of the Catholic Bishop of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
minutes before. The fire in the school was discovered in time and put out with little damage done. Within a few days of the fire the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
, Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
, came to view the ruins of the Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
. Girls from the College were on the lawn
Lawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
s of the front garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
in order to see him and he went over to speak to them, standing on the fence to do so. The images of this meeting were shown through the media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
across the country.
In 2002, the college was incorporated
Incorporation (business)
Incorporation is the forming of a new corporation . The corporation may be a business, a non-profit organisation, sports club, or a government of a new city or town...
and the first Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
was appointed, with Geraldine Star as the first College Chair
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
. In 2004, Kitty Guerin was appointed the eighth principal of the College
In 2010 a new building is being constructed - the Janet Woods Building, named after a former Principal of the College and Science teacher, Sister Janet Woods. The building will provide facilities in Science, Food Technology and Hospitality, and a Library, Senior Study and Canteen.
Principals
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1889–1908 | Mother Mary Alacoque Kavanagh & Mother Mary Clare Dunphy |
| 1909–1933 | Mother Mary Frances Kearney |
| 1934–1945 | Mother Mary Alphonsus Stanley |
| 1946–1964 | Sr Mary Gonzaga Stanley |
| 1965–1977 | Sr Edith Angel |
| 1978–1989 | Sr Janet Woods |
| 1990–2004 | Sr Ailsa Mackinnon |
| 2004– | Mrs Kitty Guerin |
Notable alumni
- Helena CarrHelena CarrHelena Carr is an Australian businesswoman and the wife of former Premier of New South Wales, Bob Carr. As of 2004, she had extensive holdings in Australian printing corporations, making her a millionaire.-Early life:...
(née John) – businesswoman - Kate McKenzie (née McGee) – Group Managing Director of TelstraTelstraTelstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
wholesale; former Director General of NSW Department of Commerce, Group Manager of WorkCover, and Deputy Director General of NSW Cabinet office - Sheila CassidySheila CassidyDr. Sheila Cassidy is an English doctor, known for her work in the hospice movement, as a writer and as someone who, by publicising her own history as a torture survivor, drew attention to human rights abuse in Chile in the 1970s.-Early life:Cassidy grew up in Sydney, and attended the Our Lady of...
– human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
activist; arrested and tortured in ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
in the 1970s - Alison MegarrityAlison MegarrityAlison Patricia Megarrity , a former Australian politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Menai for the Australian Labor Party between 1999 and 2011....
– ALPAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member for MenaiElectoral district of MenaiMenai is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Melanie Gibbons of the Liberal Party of Australia. Currently, it is the only state seat in the state of New South Wales to have always been represented by a woman.-Members for...
in the New South Wales Legislative AssemblyNew South Wales Legislative AssemblyThe Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney... - Katia TiutiunnikKatia TiutiunnikKatia Tiutiunnik is an Australian violist, scholar and composer. She is of Russian, Ukrainian and Irish descent.-Education:...
– composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media... - Rosemary GoldieRosemary GoldieRosemary Goldie AO was an Australian Roman Catholic theologian.Goldie was the first woman to serve in an executive role in the Roman Curia; she was undersecretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity from 1967 until 1976...
- Australian Roman Catholic theologian and the first woman to serve in an executive role in the Roman CuriaRoman CuriaThe Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Catholic Church, together with the Pope... - Michelle RowlandMichelle RowlandMichelle Anne Rowland , an Australian politician, is a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the seat of Greenway representing the Australian Labor Party. At the 2010 Australian federal election, Rowland won the seat for Labor following the 2009 electoral distribution, making...
- ALPAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member for GreenwayDivision of GreenwayThe Division of Greenway is anAustralian Electoral Division in New South Wales.The division was created in 1984 and is named for Francis Greenway, an ex-convict who became a prominent architect in colonial Sydney....
in the Australian House of RepresentativesAustralian House of RepresentativesThe House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
See also
- List of non-government schools in New South Wales
- Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta