St. Louis School, Claremont, Western Australia
Encyclopedia
St. Louis School was a Catholic boys’ school in Claremont, Western Australia
, between 1938 and 1976.
. It opened on 23 May 1938 in Claremont
in the western suburbs of Perth
, on the site of the former Hinemoa Homestead which had been sold to the Catholic Church in 1932. The homestead building was used for the Junior School, while new buildings were erected to house the Senior School, the Jesuit community, and the boarders.
The School was named after Aloysius Gonzaga
, an early Jesuit saint, also known as Luís de Gonzaga. Its motto was “Altiora Peto” (“I seek higher things”).
The Jesuits ran the School until 1971, when it was handed over to the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth. Archbishop Lancelot Goody appointed a School Council chaired by Judge John Lavan
to manage the School.
St. Louis School amalgamated with the Loreto Convent
girls’ school to form John XXIII College, which opened in 1977.
The site of St. Louis School is now occupied by the St. Louis Retirement Estate, which has preserved the old homestead building.
Until the mid-1960s, the year grades were named after levels in the traditional Jesuit curriculum: Elements, Rudiments, Grammar (I and II), Syntax (I and II), Poetry and Rhetoric.
Inititally there were three houses named after the Jesuit saints: Gonzaga
(blue), Kostka (green) and Xavier
(red). A fourth house Loyola
(white) was introduced in 1976 to ease the almalgamation with Loreto Convent which already had a fourth house.
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
, between 1938 and 1976.
History
St. Louis School was a Catholic boys’ school founded by the Jesuits – their only school in Western AustraliaWestern Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It opened on 23 May 1938 in Claremont
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
in the western suburbs of 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....
, on the site of the former Hinemoa Homestead which had been sold to the Catholic Church in 1932. The homestead building was used for the Junior School, while new buildings were erected to house the Senior School, the Jesuit community, and the boarders.
The School was named after Aloysius Gonzaga
Aloysius Gonzaga
- Early life :Aloysius Gonzaga was born at his family's castle in Castiglione delle Stiviere, between Brescia and Mantova in northern Italy in what was then part of the Papal States. He was a member of the illustrious House of Gonzaga...
, an early Jesuit saint, also known as Luís de Gonzaga. Its motto was “Altiora Peto” (“I seek higher things”).
The Jesuits ran the School until 1971, when it was handed over to the Catholic Archdiocese of Perth. Archbishop Lancelot Goody appointed a School Council chaired by Judge John Lavan
John Lavan
Sir John Martin Lavan was a former judge in the Supreme Court of Western Australia.He was educated at Aquinas College, Perth and Xavier College and joined Lavan and Walsh in 1934, where he remained until 1969....
to manage the School.
St. Louis School amalgamated with the Loreto Convent
Loreto Convent, Claremont
Loreto Convent was a Catholic convent which operated as a girl's school in Claremont, Western Australia between 1901 and 1976.-History:Loreto Convent was founded by the Catholic Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1901, following their purchase of the Osborne Hotel in 1987.In 1963 the senior...
girls’ school to form John XXIII College, which opened in 1977.
The site of St. Louis School is now occupied by the St. Louis Retirement Estate, which has preserved the old homestead building.
House system
St. Louis School enrolled boys from ages nine to seventeen, both day pupils and boarders.Until the mid-1960s, the year grades were named after levels in the traditional Jesuit curriculum: Elements, Rudiments, Grammar (I and II), Syntax (I and II), Poetry and Rhetoric.
Inititally there were three houses named after the Jesuit saints: Gonzaga
Aloysius Gonzaga
- Early life :Aloysius Gonzaga was born at his family's castle in Castiglione delle Stiviere, between Brescia and Mantova in northern Italy in what was then part of the Papal States. He was a member of the illustrious House of Gonzaga...
(blue), Kostka (green) and Xavier
Francis Xavier
Francis Xavier, born Francisco de Jasso y Azpilicueta was a pioneering Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He was a student of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and one of the first seven Jesuits, dedicated at Montmartre in 1534...
(red). A fourth house Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola
Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation...
(white) was introduced in 1976 to ease the almalgamation with Loreto Convent which already had a fourth house.
Notable alumni
Former pupils of St. Louis School are known as Old Louisians. Notable alumni include:- Robert FrenchRobert FrenchRobert Shenton French, AC is Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy....
, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia - John Toohey, former Justice of the High Court of Australia
- Michael Barker, Judge of the Federal Court of Australia
- Robert Mazza, Judge of the District Court of Western Australia
- Philip McCann, Judge of the District Court of Western Australia
- Mark Trowell, Queen’s Counsel, Western Australia
- Mark McKenna, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost, University of Notre Dame Australia
- D’Arcy Holman, Professor of Public Health, University of Western Australia
- Bernie Lynch, rock musician (EuroglidersEuroglidersEurogliders were an Indie pop band formed in 1981 in Perth, Western Australia, which included mainstays Grace Knight on vocals and Bernie Lynch on guitar and vocals. The band was originally formed by Bernie Lynch and Amanda Vincent under the name Living Single. After almost a year, Grace Knight...
) - Tony BuhagiarTony BuhagiarAnthony Francis "Tony" Buhagiar is a former Australian rules footballer who played in the Victorian Football League ....
, Australian Rules footballer - Greg FlynnGreg FlynnGreg Flynn is a novelist whose debut book The Berlin Cross received positive reviews nationally when released in December 2005.Reviews of The Berlin Cross...
, novelist - Professor Allan FelsAllan FelsProfessor Allan Fels is an Australian economist, lawyer and public servant. He was most widely known in his role as chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission from its inception in 1995 until 30 June 2003...
, former Chairman of the Australian Competition and Consumer CommissionAustralian Competition and Consumer CommissionThe Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is an independent authority of the Australia government. It was established in 1995 with the amalgamation of the Australian Trade Practices Commission and the Prices Surveillance Authority to administer the Trade Practices Act 1974... - Ben Lochtenberg, Rhodes ScholarRhodes ScholarshipThe Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
, Western Australia (1954) - John McCosker OAM Warrant Officer RAAF 37Sqn C130E Aircrew 1967-1991