Saint Patricks College is an Australian

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

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single-sex secondary

day school A day school — as opposed to a boarding school — is an educational institution where children and adolescents are given instructions during the day, after which the students return to their homes. A day school has full-day programs when compa ...

for

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located in Campbelltown in south-western Sydney,

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

. Established in 1840, it was the first school built by private enterprises in New South Wales and provides a religious and comprehensive education for approximately 850 students from

Year 7 Year 7 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is the seventh full year (or eighth in Australia) of compulsory education and is roughly equivalent to grade 6 in the United ...

to Year 12, in the traditions of the

Sisters of the Good Samaritan The Congregation of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, colloquially known as the "Good Sams", is a Roman Catholic congregation of religious women commenced by Bede Polding, OSB, Australia’s first Catholic bishop, in Sydney in 1857. The congreg ...

. The current principal is Sue Lennox.

History

St Patrick's College was established in 1840. It was the first school built by private enterprise in the colony of New South Wales and was the result of the initiative of the Catholic people of the Campbelltown area in association with the priest responsible for the district, Fr Gould. This original school was built on three acres of land donated by Mary Sheil, wife of Dennis Sheil and daughter of local pioneer, William Bradbury and named St Patrick's. The original building still stands today and is now known as ‘Quandong’, which houses the Campbelltown Historic Exhibition, Tourist Information Centre and the St Patrick's museum. Teachers from the general community staffed this early St Patrick's until 1887 when the Sisters of the Good Samaritan assumed responsibility for the school. In 1888, after the completion of the new St John's church in Cordeaux Street, a convent and school was established at the 'old’ St John's ‘on the hill’ building and took its name from the original St Patrick's at ‘Quandong’. The final change in location came in 1970 when St Patrick's moved from ‘old’ St John's to its present location. This site was originally a Preparatory School for Boys named St John's or "Westview" and was also conducted by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan. From 1970 until today the College has continued to grow and now has an enrolment of over 730 students from Years 7 - 12.

Curriculum

Vocational Education - VET Business Services, Hospitality - Kitchen Operations

Facilities

*Tennis/Netball/Running Courts *Football Oval *Top Oval *Mary Sheil Function Centre *Caroline Chisholm Art Complex *Helen Foley Centre *Westview Building *Therry Wing *PE Lab *Library *Science Labs *Computer Labs

Student life

The school's annual activities include: *Combined Dances between Saint Patricks College and St Gregorys College *Musical, Combined between Saint Patricks College and St Gregorys College *Senior Trivia Night *PACMAN- Performing Arts Challenge *Saint Patricks Day Cross Country *Saint Patrick’s day *Saint Benedict’s day *Mass *Year 12 Formal

Co-curricular

Yearly co-curricular activities: aerobics, circuit, pump, spin and body combat fitness classes, indoor rock climbing, yoga, dance, ten-pin bowling, tennis, competitive aerobics, martial arts and gymnastics. It is also a compulsory part of activities that all Year 10 students participate in a self-defence course.

Social justice

*Environmental Council *St Vincent de Paul *Ministry Outreach *Goodooga Immersion

Sport

*Activities *Swimming Carnival *Cross Country *Macarthur Independent Schools Association Sport MISA *Athletics Carnival *Eat it Work it Move it

House system

There are four

houses A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

, each named after a significant female figures to Australia: *Chisholm - Yellow House, Named after

Caroline Chisholm Caroline Chisholm (born Caroline Jones; 30 May 1808 – 25 March 1877) was a 19th-century English humanitarian known mostly for her support of immigrant female and family welfare in Australia. She is commemorated on 16 May in the calendar of ...

, known for her involvement with female immigrant welfare in Australia. *Lyons - Blue House, Named after Dame

Enid Lyons Dame Enid Muriel Lyons (née Burnell; 9 July 1897 – 2 September 1981) was an Australian politician who was the first woman elected to the House of Representatives and the first woman to serve in federal cabinet. Prior to her own political ca ...

, known for being the first women to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives and being the first women appointed to the federal Cabinet. *Kenny - Green House, Named after

Elizabeth Kenny Sister Elizabeth Kenny (20 September 1880 – 30 November 1952) was a self-trained Australian bush nurse who developed an approach to treating polio that was controversial at the time. Her method, promoted internationally while working in Austra ...

, known for being an unaccredited nurse who promoted a controversial new approach to the treatment of poliomyelitis. *Gilmore - Red House, Named after Dame

Mary Gilmore Dame Mary Jean Gilmore (née Cameron; 16 August 18653 December 1962) was an Australian writer and journalist known for her prolific contributions to Australian literature and the broader national discourse. She wrote both prose and poetry. Gi ...

, known for being an Australian socialist poet and journalist.

Associated schools

St Gregory's College, Campbelltown , motto_translation = What you sow, so shall you reap , established = , type = Independent single-sex and co-educational comprehensive and specialist primary and secondary day and boarding school , specialist = Agricultural sch ...

*John Therry Catholic High * Mount Carmel Catholic College *Magdalene Catholic High

Other Good Samaritan schools

The College is a sister school to other Good Samaritan schools in Australia and overseas - St Marys Star of the Sea College (Wollongong NSW), Mater Dei School (Camden, NSW), Mount St. Benedict College (Pennant Hills NSW), Stella Maris College (Manly NSW), Rosebank College (Five Dock NSW), St. Scholasticas College (Glebe NSW), Mater Christi College (Belgrave VIC), Santa Maria College (Northcote VIC), Lourdes Hill College (Hawthorne QLD), Seiwa Junior and Senior High School (Sasebo Japan), and Kinder School (Bacolod, Philippines).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Patricks College, Campbelltown Catholic secondary schools in Sydney Educational institutions established in 1840 Girls' schools in New South Wales Campbelltown, New South Wales 1840 establishments in Australia Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia