St Clare's College, Waverley
Encyclopedia
St Clare's College is an independent
, Roman Catholic, day school
for girls, located at Waverley
, in the Eastern Suburbs
of Sydney, New South Wales
, Australia
.
Established in 1884 by the Poor Clare Sisters
, St Clare's has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 500 girls from Year 7 (12 years old) to Year 12 (18 years old). The college
is a school of the Archdiocese of Sydney
, and is affiliated with the Catholic Girls Secondary Schools Sporting Association (CGSSSA), Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC), and is an affiliate member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
(AHIGS). St Clare's is a member of Alliance of Girls’ Schools (Australasia).
, commenced with 20 students in 1884.
St Clare's College is unique in that it remains established on its original site and continues under the governance of the Poor Clare Sisters, entrusted to St Clare's College Limited.
. The school currently has four houses, through which students compete in a range of sporting and non-sporting activities. They are:
The students earn points for their house through participation in these activities, and the house with the most points at the end of the school year is awarded the 'Babicci Shield'. The Babicci is named after Sister Pauline Babicci, former Mother Abbess of the Poor Clares. The colours of the Houses were decided in consultation with the students at the time the House system was devised. The school also features a tutorial program, whereby each student is assigned to a tutorial in their House, in an attempt to win the annual House Babicci Shield.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, Roman Catholic, 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 at Waverley
Waverley, New South Wales
Waverley is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Waverley is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council....
, in the Eastern Suburbs
Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)
The Eastern Suburbs is a general term used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the east and south-east of the Sydney central business district in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Eastern Suburbs can refer to the suburbs within the local government areas of Woollahra, Waverley, Dover...
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 in 1884 by the Poor Clare Sisters
Order of Poor Ladies
The Poor Clares also known as the Order of Saint Clare, the Order of Poor Ladies, the Poor Clare Sisters, the Clarisse, the Minoresses, the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, and the Second Order of St. Francis, , comprise several orders of nuns in the Catholic Church...
, St Clare's has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 500 girls from Year 7 (12 years old) to Year 12 (18 years old). The college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
is a school of the Archdiocese of Sydney
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.Erected in 1842 and directly responsible to the Holy See, the Archdiocese is responsible for the suffragan dioceses of Armidale, Bathurst, Broken Bay, Lismore,...
, and is affiliated with the Catholic Girls Secondary Schools Sporting Association (CGSSSA), Combined Catholic Colleges (CCC), and is 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). St Clare's is a member of Alliance of Girls’ Schools (Australasia).
History
Government funding of Church schools ceased with the passage of the Public Education Act in 1880. This created a dilemma for the Waverley Franciscan Friars in their responsibility of providing a Catholic education for the increasing number of Catholic children in the you and developing colony. six Poor Clare Sisters travelled from the Keady Convent in Dublin to lay the foundation stone for St Clare's College. " The school, which had been built by the Franciscan FathersFranciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
, commenced with 20 students in 1884.
St Clare's College is unique in that it remains established on its original site and continues under the governance of the Poor Clare Sisters, entrusted to St Clare's College Limited.
Principals
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1884 – 1888 | Sr M. Teresa Lawless |
| 1889 | Mother Anthony Watters |
| ? | Sr Francis Maloney |
| 1921 – 1935 | Sr M. Leontia Reid |
| 1936 – 1963 | Mother Gabriel Claverie |
| 1964 – 1982 | Sr Carmel O'Sullivan |
| 1983 – 1985 | Mr Geoffrey Newcombe |
| 1986 – 1987 | Mrs Elizabeth Brogan |
| 1988 – 1997 | Sr Janet Heath |
| 1999 – 2003 | Mrs Kitty Guerin |
| 2004 – 2006 | Ms Catherine Rae |
| 2007 | Acting Principal – Sr Louise Hume (ofm) |
| 2008 – Present | Ms Marie Therese Hirschhorn |
House system
As with most Australian schools, St Clare's utilises 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...
. The school currently has four houses, through which students compete in a range of sporting and non-sporting activities. They are:
- Claverie(Black and Red)
- Deakin (Dark Blue and Light Blue)
- Keady (Green and Gold)
- Reid (Brown and Gold)
The students earn points for their house through participation in these activities, and the house with the most points at the end of the school year is awarded the 'Babicci Shield'. The Babicci is named after Sister Pauline Babicci, former Mother Abbess of the Poor Clares. The colours of the Houses were decided in consultation with the students at the time the House system was devised. The school also features a tutorial program, whereby each student is assigned to a tutorial in their House, in an attempt to win the annual House Babicci Shield.
Notable alumnae
- Imelda RocheBill and Imelda RocheBill and Imelda Roche AO are Australian business persons who established Nutrimetics International Pty Limited in 1968.-Early career:The couple met in a supermarket in 1956 and started in business selling lamps door-to-door.-Nutrimetics:...
AOOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
- Co-Chairman of the Roche Group; Immediate Past ChancellorChancellorChancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of Bond UniversityBond UniversityBond University is a private university located in Robina, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It is also the first private university established in Australia...
; Founder of Nutrimetics; Recipient of the Centenary MedalCentenary MedalThe Centenary Medal is an award created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the Centenary of Federation of Australia and to honour people who have made a contribution to Australian society or government...
2003