St Aloysius' College
Encyclopedia
St Aloysius' College is an independent
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...

, Catholic
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 boys, located 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....

, a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...

, 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...

.

Founded in 1879 by Fr. Joseph Dalton SJ at St Kilda House, Woolloomooloo
Woolloomooloo, New South Wales
Woolloomooloo is a harbourside, inner-city eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woolloomooloo is located 1.5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney. The suburb is located in a low-lying, former...

, St Aloysius' is conducted by the Society of Jesus as part of a worldwide network of schools and universities which Ignatius of 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...

, the founder of the Order, began in Medina, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...

 in 1548. The College
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

 has an academically selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1,174 students from Years 3 to 12 (8 to 18 years).

St Aloysius' 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), and is the oldest of the six schools which make up the Combined Associated Schools
Combined Associated Schools
The Associated Schools of NSW Inc, most commonly referred to as the Combined Associated Schools , is a group of six independent schools located in Sydney, Australia which share common interests, ethics, educational philosophy and contest sporting events between themselves...

 (CAS).

Foundation

Following the 1877 closure of Lyndhurst College, a Catholic school for boys in Glebe
Glebe, New South Wales
Glebe is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Glebe is located 3 km south-west of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney, in the Inner West region....

, Dr Roger Bede Vaughan
Roger Vaughan
Roger William Bede Vaughan was an English Benedictine monk of Downside Abbey, and the second Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney from 1877 to 1883.-Early life:...

, the second Roman Catholic Archbishop of Sydney
Catholic Bishops and Archbishops of Sydney
Sydney has had a Catholic Archbishop since 1842.-List of incumbents:# John Bede Polding OSB, 1842-1877.# Roger Bede Vaughan O.S.B., 1877-1883.# Patrick Francis Moran, 1884-1911.# Michael Kelly, 1911-1940.# Norman Thomas Gilroy, 1940-1971....

, found himself without a college for boys in the growing Catholic community. Vaughan was being constantly petitioned by the community to find a solution to the problem, and subsequently Fr. Joseph Dalton was sent to Sydney by the Superior, Fr. Cahill in answer to an urgent appeal from His Grace.

Towards the end of 1878 Dr Dalton again returned to Sydney with Fr. Kennedy to seek out a site, first for a city day school and later, if possible, a site for a boarding school
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...

. After much discussion and searching, a property known as "St Kilda House" on the corner of Cathedral Street and Palmer Street in Woolloomooloo
Woolloomooloo, New South Wales
Woolloomooloo is a harbourside, inner-city eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Woolloomooloo is located 1.5 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney. The suburb is located in a low-lying, former...

 was rented at £260 per annum. The property had been built in 1844 by Charles Scott on part of a grant made to John Palmer, purser on the First Fleet
First Fleet
The First Fleet is the name given to the eleven ships which sailed from Great Britain on 13 May 1787 with about 1,487 people, including 778 convicts , to establish the first European colony in Australia, in the region which Captain Cook had named New South Wales. The fleet was led by Captain ...

 ship HMS Sirius
HMS Sirius (1786)
HMS Sirius was the flagship of the First Fleet, which set out from Portsmouth, England, in 1787 to establish the first European colony in New South Wales, Australia. Sirius was wrecked off the coast of Norfolk Island in the Pacific Ocean in 1790....

, it was a Georgian style
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...

 mansion with fifteen rooms. The building has since been demolished.

St Kilda House was blessed by the Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

 and its first 45 pupils admitted on 3 February 1879. By the end of 1879 enrolments had increased to 115.

Darlinghurst

It soon became clear that the school site and its surroundings were not ideal for a College. The students had been experiencing transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...

 difficulties and the children of the local area resented the intrusion of "college boys", expressing themselves accordingly. Subsequently, in September 1883, the College moved to a property known as "Auburn Villa" in Bourke Street, Darlinghurst
Darlinghurst, New South Wales
Darlinghurst is an inner-city, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darlinghurst is located immediately east of the Sydney central business district and Hyde Park, within the local government area of the City of Sydney...

, with classes resuming on 17 September. This property had been purchased from the Iredale family for £6,975, and though the house had just eleven rooms, the area offered considerable advantages. The name "Auburn Villa" was changed on purchase to St Aloysius
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...

, the patron of youth, and a new wing was built shortly after at a cost of £5,000. The building was later demolished to make way for St Margaret's Maternity Hospital
St Margaret's Hospital, Sydney
-History:The hospital was founded by Getrude Abbott in 1893. It was located on Elizabeth Street in Strawberry Hills, and known as the St Margaret's Maternity Home. It was founded "to provide shelter and care for unmarried girls of the comparatively respectable class"...

.

Student numbers grew considerably towards the end of the century. In letters to the Jesuit Superior, Rectors constantly pleaded for more staff, telling of their constant financial struggle to exist.

Milsons Point

Across Sydney Harbour, the Society of Jesus had taken control of the parish of St Mary's, 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...

. A small, stone church in Jeffrey Street
Jeffrey Street
Jeffrey Street or Jeffreys Street, Kirribilli is famous as one of the most popular vantage points for views of the city of Sydney, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House...

, Kirribilli built in 1863 by Congregationalists, Wesleyan
Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia
The Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia is a Christian denomination with its origins in Wesleyan Methodism. It is the organizational name for The Wesleyan Church in Australia.-Background and formation:...

s and Anglicans had fallen into disuse due to lack of a congregation. This church was purchased by the Jesuits in 1880 to serve the district of 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...

 and Milsons Point, but the priests at North Sydney were finding it difficult to attend to their large parish. His Eminence, Cardinal Moran, then Archbishop of Sydney, urged the Jesuits to move the College from Bourke Street to a site near the church in order to give regular service to the Catholics of the area.

In 1902, a property adjoining the church was rented for £225 and a few years later purchased for £4,500. The area was small - about three quarters of an acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...

, however the building, with crenellated tower and lace iron balconies, was set in picturesque surroundings and featured an uninterrupted view of the Harbour. St Aloysius' College officially commenced classes here on 2 February 1903, with less than 50 students.

Before long enrolments again increased and additional accommodation became an urgent need. A wooden building was hastily erected, housing classroom
Classroom
A classroom is a room in which teaching or learning activities can take place. Classrooms are found in educational institutions of all kinds, including public and private schools, corporations, and religious and humanitarian organizations...

s and study hall until it was replaced in 1907-1908 by a three-storeyed brick building later known as the "Junior School". As student numbers increased, additional rooms again became necessary and in 1913-1914 a new wing was constructed on the eastern side of the original residence. In 1916 a property opposite the College, known as "Wyalla", came on the market. Money was eventually borrowed and Wyalla became the "Senior School".

In the early 1920s, a property off Sailors Bay Road, Northbridge
Northbridge, New South Wales
Northbridge is a suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Northbridge is located 7 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Willoughby....

, was purchased as a site for much needed playing fields. This property remained undeveloped due to the lack of excavating and levelling techniques and machinery at the time. Had this plan materialised, it would today be a very valuable asset, however it was sold in 1939 and provided finance for the purchase of some market gardens in Tyneside Avenue, East Willoughby, which forms the current College Sports Ground.

The war years
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 brought a significant drop in numbers, and the College was forced to pile sand bags to prevent blasts from anticipated Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese bombs, and strong, wooden fortifications were constructed to prevent roofs collapsing. Following the war, the number of pupils increased more rapidly than the development of accommodation, and by the late fifties it was clear that a major decision on the College's future was no longer avoidable. There appeared to be only three available options: one was to close down the College gradually, an unpopular choice, however, had it proved to be the only possible one, the machinery was ready to implement it; The second was to find another suitable site in the vicinity and to make a fresh start. No site comparable with the present one was available, and subsequently part of the Jesuit owned property in Pymble
Pymble, New South Wales
Pymble is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pymble is located north-west of the Sydney Central Business District in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council....

 was suggested as a possible location. The financial commitment involved in such a move was more than the College could carry. An invitation came from Archbishop Eris O'Brien to move the College to Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...

 where 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) and financial assistance were available, however after much debate this offer was turned down; The third possible option was to stay at Milsons Point and to re-develop the site. The representative of the Jesuit General, Fr. John McMahon, who was then visiting Australia, and the Provincial Superior, Fr. Jeremiah Hogan, favoured this option as being in the best interests of the Catholic community and of the College.

In 1961, with the help of Mr G J Dusseldorp, the co-operation of the Commonwealth Bank and the support of Fr. Hogan, the College began the task of rebuilding. The limitations of the site and the fact that existing buildings could not be demolished beforehand, restricted the Rector, Fr. John Casey, in his plan and the architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...

, Mr Robert Metcalfe, in his design. In approximately ten years, with the support of the College community, four stages of building were completed.
To celebrate its centenary in 1979, the College began the fifth and final building stage. This building, housing administration
Academic administration
An academic administration is a branch of university or college employees responsible for the maintenance and supervision of the institution and separate from the faculty or academics, although some personnel may have joint responsibilities...

, entrance gates, canteen, 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...

, study room, community rooms, and classrooms, was opened in 1981. Despite the completion of this stage, there was still insufficient room to house the College. For some years, assisted by the proposal of building the Harbour Tunnel
Sydney Harbour Tunnel
The Sydney Harbour Tunnel is a twin-tube road tunnel in Sydney, Australia. The tunnel was completed and opened to traffic in August 1992 to provide a second vehicular crossing of Sydney Harbour to alleviate congestion on the Sydney Harbour Bridge....

, investigations were undertaken to see if it was possible to again move. In 1991 a decision was reached to purchase the Milsons Point Primary School and to develop a Junior School Campus. Construction of the Junior School Campus commenced in 1992, and in 1993 it was blessed and opened.
In order to provide more space for the College, the Jesuit community left the main building for a community house in Jeffrey Street
Jeffrey Street
Jeffrey Street or Jeffreys Street, Kirribilli is famous as one of the most popular vantage points for views of the city of Sydney, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House...

 in 1995. The top two floors were renovated to accommodate Year 12, while renovations for a new Senior School on the Wyalla site took place. At the commencement of the school year in 1997, the Senior School, accommodating Years 11 and 12 was opened and blessed by the Governor-General of Australia
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...

, Sir William Deane
William Deane
Sir William Patrick Deane, AC, KBE, QC , Australian judge and the 22nd Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:William Deane was born in Melbourne, Victoria. He was educated at Catholic schools including St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill and at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in...

, the provincial of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Daven Day S.J. and the Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, Right Reverend David Cremin DD.

Head of school

In the early days, Jesuit Colleges were headed by a Rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...

, who was also a Superior of the Jesuit Community. The Rector was assisted by a Prefect of Studies, who attended to the day-to-day running of the school, especially concerning the curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...

 and discipline
Discipline
In its original sense, discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order –...

. In the Australian Province, the 1970s saw the role of Headmaster become separated from that of Superior. Rectors and Superiors normally have a fixed term in canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...

 of six years; Headmasters' terms are indefinite. In 2003, the structure returned to the older dispensation, with the title of Prefect of Studies replaced with Principal.

Years Rector
1879 Fr Joseph Dalton SJ, Founder
1880 – 1889 Fr Daniel Clancy SJ
1890 – 1893 Fr Charles Morrough SJ
1893 – 1903 Fr Christopher Nulty SJ
1903 – 1910 Fr Thomas Fay SJ
1910 – 1916 Fr Patrick McCurtin SJ
1916 – 1921 Fr John Forster SJ
1921 – 1930 Fr Francis Xavier O'Brien SJ
1930 – 1937 Fr Austin Kelly SJ
1937 – 1939 Fr Noel Hehir SJ
1939 – 1944 Fr Thomas Hehir SJ
1944 – 1948 Fr Francis Xavier O'Brien SJ
1948 – 1949 Fr John Casey SJ
1949 – 1954 Fr Donald Roset SJ
1954 – 1961 Fr John Casey SJ
1961 – 1968 Fr Vincent Conway SJ
1968 – 1973 Fr Thomas O'Donovan SJ
Halted and renewed in 2003 Headmaster replaced position
2003 – 2010 Rev. Fr. Ross Jones SJ
2011 – Fr Peter Hosking SJ
Years Headmaster
1974 – 1977 Fr Gregory Jordan SJ
1978 – 1985 Fr Robert Bruce SJ
1986 – 2003 Fr Anthony Smith SJ
Years Principal
2003 – Present Rev. Fr. Chris Middleton SJ


Jesuit education

St Aloysius' College is conducted by the Jesuit Order and is part of a worldwide network of approximately 1000 Jesuit primary and secondary schools and universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

. The first school was commenced by St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Order, in 1548.

A Jesuit education stresses the acquisition of skills and techniques in a purposeful and balanced perspective. While emphasis is placed on the development of intellectual and mental skills, attention is also given to other aspects of personal formation, such as character, attitudes, values and social interaction.

The aim of a Jesuit education is as follows:
Its brother schools
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...

 include Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview and Loyola College, Mount Druitt in Sydney, Saint Ignatius' College, Adelaide
Saint Ignatius' College, Adelaide
The College has two campuses, the Junior school and Early Childhood Centre in Norwood and the Senior campus in Athelstone.Saint Ignatius' College is part of the international network of Jesuit schools which began in Messina, Sicily in 1548...

 in Athelstone
Athelstone, South Australia
Athelstone is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Campbelltown. It was established in the 19th century but has only became part of suburban Adelaide in the second half of the 20th century....

 and Xavier College in Melbourne.

The Master Plan

Renovations of St Aloysius College are currently underway, in these renovations the Junior School has been completely renewed, with the addition of a new carpark and playground, and various other changes; while in the Senior School, a whole extra wing is being added to Wyalla, amongst other things.

Alumni

Alumni of St Aloysius' are known as Old Boys, and may elect to join the school's alumni 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...

, the St. Aloysius' College Old Boys' Union (SACOBU). For a list of notable St Aloysius' College alumni, see List of Old Boys of St Aloysius' College.

See also


Further reading

  • Strong, D. 1997. The College By the Harbour: The History of St. Aloysius' College. Hale & Iremonger, Sydney. ISBN 0868066206.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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