Kincoppal-Rose Bay, School of the Sacred Heart (Kincoppal-Rose Bay), is an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

early learning,

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Work ...

and secondary

day A day is the time rotation period, period of a full Earth's rotation, rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours (86,400 seconds). As a day passes at a given location it experiences morning, afternoon, evening, ...

and

boarding Boarding may refer to: *Boarding, used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals as in a: **Boarding house **Boarding school *Boarding (horses) (also known as a livery yard, livery stable, or boarding stable), is a stable where hor ...

school, predominantly for girls, located in Rose Bay, an eastern suburb of

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, Australia. Established in 1971 through the amalgamation of the Convent of the Sacred Heart (established 1882) and Kincoppal (established 1909), today the school is non-selective, with a

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to ...

primary school and a girls' only secondary school, catering for approximately 971 students from

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

year 12 Year 12 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is sometimes the twelfth or thirteenth year of compulsory education, or alternatively a year of post-comp ...

, including 150 boarders. Kincoppal-Rose Bay is a member of an international group of schools conducted by the

Society of the Sacred Heart The Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (; ), abbreviated RSCJ, is a Catholic centralized religious institute of consecrated life of pontifical right for women established in France by Madeleine Sophie Barat in 1800. History Madeleine Soph ...

, a Catholic teaching order, established by Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat in France in 1800. The school is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the

Junior School Heads Association of Australia The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia. Officially established in Septem ...

(JSHAA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and is a member of the

Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools The Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools (AHIGS), is an Australian association for independent girls' schools, founded in New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1916 as The Association of Head Mistresses of New South Wales, t ...

(AHIGS).

History

Kincoppal-Rose Bay traces its origins to the establishment of two schools. The first, the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Rose Bay, was founded in 1882. The other was founded in 1909 at Kincoppal, the former Elizabeth Bay residence of prominent Catholic businessman John Hughes. The name "Kincoppal" came from a nearby rock in

Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, commonly known as Sydney Harbour, is a ria, natural harbour on the east coast of Australia, around which Sydney was built. It consists of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove River, Lane ...

that, viewed from a certain position, looks like a horse's head. ("Kincoppal" means "horse's head", the

Anglicisation Anglicisation or anglicization is a form of cultural assimilation whereby something non-English becomes assimilated into or influenced by the culture of England. It can be sociocultural, in which a non-English place adopts the English language ...

of the

Gaeilge Irish (Standard Irish: ), also known as Irish Gaelic or simply Gaelic ( ), is a Celtic language of the Indo-European language family. It is a member of the Goidelic languages of the Insular Celtic sub branch of the family and is indigenous ...

(Irish) words "ceann" (head) and "capall" (horse).) In 1971, the two schools amalgamated at the campus of the

Convent A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

of the Sacred Heart, and became known as Kincoppal-Rose Bay, School of the Sacred Heart. In 1882, five

religious Religion is a range of social- cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural ...

from the

travelled from England on SS Orient to establish a school of the Sacred Heart in

. They selected the residence of Claremont on the

Vaucluse Vaucluse (; or ) is a department in the southeastern French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. It had a population of 561,469 as of 2019.

peninsula in

to begin their task of offering students the educational vision of St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, the founder of their Society. The original building, leased in 1882 and later purchased by the Society of the Sacred Heart, was a private home built in 1851.

Margaret MacRory Margaret MacRory became Mother MacRory (18 December 1862 – 23 May 1931) was an Irish born Australian religious sister of Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. She became the headmistress of the school in Rose Bay, New South Wales, Rose Bay. She ...

arrived in 1885 and she taught at the school. The first permanent school building, completed in 1888, was the five-level central facade. The chapel, by the architect

John Horbury Hunt John Horbury Hunt (1838 – 30 December 1904), often referred to as Horbury Hunt, was a Canadian-born Australian architect who worked in Sydney and rural New South Wales from 1863. Life and career Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, the son of ...

, was begun in 1897 and completed in 1900. In 1907 Mother Margaret MacRory became the school's head. She would go on to found a college of the University of Sydney. Buildings were gradually added to meet the needs of school, community and novitiate. The

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

was solely a

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of "room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. They have existed for many centuries, and now extend acr ...

until the 1960s, when day students were admitted. The primary day school was located in the main school building until 1951, when an adjoining property was purchased. The building was set up as a primary school and named "Barat-Burn". That building was demolished in 1966 and replaced with the present Junior school. In 1982, the school celebrated the centenary of its foundation and the arrival of the first religious in Australia. To commemorate the occasion, Sister Leila Barlow wrote and published ''Living Stones'', a book reviewing the spirit, tradition and events of the school's first hundred years. Today, Kincoppal comprises a fully co-educational P-6 Junior School for day students, and a Senior School for girls in years 7 to 12, with both day and boarding students attending from metropolitan, rural and international destinations.

Principals

Campus

Kincoppal-Rose Bay is situated on a single

campus A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls. By extension, a corp ...

in suburban Rose Bay, overlooking Sydney Harbour. The school features a mix of 19th century and modern buildings, gardens and fields. Convent of the Sacred Heart Rose Bay

facilities of the school included: *Boarding school Accommodating up to 150 students from Years 7 to 12. Provides

dormitory A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...

-style accommodation with bed/study cubicles for junior boarders and bed-study rooms which accommodate one or several students for senior boarders. Sheldon House, completed in 1998, provides accommodation for Year 12 students. *Chapel A central part of the school and regarded as one of the finest works of famous Architect,

. Used by students, staff and the School community for

Mass Mass is an Intrinsic and extrinsic properties, intrinsic property of a physical body, body. It was traditionally believed to be related to the physical quantity, quantity of matter in a body, until the discovery of the atom and particle physi ...

es,

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

s, weddings and special occasions such as the Vale Mass and the Procession of the

Lantern A lantern is a source of lighting, often portable. It typically features a protective enclosure for the light sourcehistorically usually a candle, a oil lamp, wick in oil, or a thermoluminescence, thermoluminescent Gas mantle, mesh, and often a ...

s. *Harbour Terrace Located above the school

library A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

, this flat roof area has uninterrupted views down Sydney Harbour. Used by students during lunch and recess breaks, and is also the venue for the Vale (graduation) Luncheon. *Hughes Centre Used for assemblies, school productions, concerts, examinations and special events. Equipped with an

auditorium An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens. Auditoriums can be found in entertainment venues, community halls, and t ...

seating approximately 550 in

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

-style, stage, backstage area, audio/visual system, lighting, heating,

grand piano A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...

and risers. *Junior School Learning Centre Incorporating the Junior School Library, an IT Centre and a drop-in independent learning area with access to IT and print resources. *Mary Agnes O'Neil Library Opened 1998. Features separate floors for fiction and research, computer and printing facilities and two seminar rooms. *McGuinness Centre A

gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

nasium with a fully sprung floor. *Maureen Tudehope Centre A multi-purpose centre comprising an auditorium, stage, basketball court, heated indoor pool, fitness centre, dance studio and change room facilities. Used for sporting and recreational activities, whole school assemblies and other special events. *Performing Arts Centre Refurbished in 1998. Used by both Junior and Senior students for orchestral and choral rehearsals and performances. *Santas' Field A sports field for Junior school students. *Sheldon Swimming Pool A 25-metre outdoor pool, situated on the harbour side of the School. *Sports Field Including 5 tennis courts and a large, flat area for competitive

track and field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

events.

Houses

There are four primary houses at Kincoppal Rose Bay, all with aboriginal names. Each year separate junior school and high school carnivals are held for both swimming and athletics, and all students compete for their house. There are house captains in both the junior school and high school, who arrange cheers for the students to participate in. At the carnivals, there is a spirited cup (for house cheers) and a points cup (for the winner of the most sports at the carnival). In house colours, students also participate in inter-house singing competitions. *Tangara – (Blue and white) Meaning 'To go', the mascot for Tangara is the beetle. *Arakoola – (Green and gold) The mascot for this team is the frog; the name means to be in front *Murramai – (Red and green) The mascot for this team is a rabbit, the name is an indigenous word for a crayfish. *Kungala – (Black and gold) The mascot for this team is a tiger, and the name means to shout and listen. The boarding school has three primary houses, each named after a significant contributor to the

. Throughout the school year, inter-house competitions are undertaken, where all girls wear their house shirt. During the first term, an 'In-Weekend' is held, during which all boarders must stay in the boarding house. The first competition takes place here with a trivia night for all boarders from years 7–12, with house points awarded, and a trophy for the winning house at the end of the year. *Duchesne (blue) – St. Rose Philippine Duchesne took the order to the United States. *Barat (green) – St. Madeleine Sophie Barat founded the society. *Stuart (red) – Janet Erskine Stuart, fifth Superior General of the Society of the Sacred Heart, wrote ''The Education of Catholic Girls''.

In popular culture

Kincoppal-Rose Bay has been used as a set for a number of films including '' Looking for Alibrandi'' and ''

Our Lips Are Sealed "Our Lips Are Sealed" is a song co-written by Jane Wiedlin, guitarist of the Go-Go's, and Terry Hall, singer of the Specials and Fun Boy Three. It was first recorded by the Go-Go's as the opening track on their album '' Beauty and the Beat'' (1 ...

''. The school has also featured in numerous television series', including '' Spirited'' and ''Spyforce''.

Notable alumnae

* Natalie Adams, Supreme Court judge * Genni Batterham, filmmaker and artist * Patricia Bergin, Supreme Court judge *

Samantha Armytage Samantha Armytage (born 4 September 1976) is an Australian journalist and television presenter. She was previously co-host of the Seven Network's breakfast television program ''Sunrise (Australian TV program), Sunrise'' from 2013 to 2021 alon ...

, journalist and

Seven Network Seven Network (stylised 7Network, and commonly known as Channel Seven or simply Seven) is an Australian commercial free-to-air Television broadcasting in Australia, television network. It is owned by Seven West Media, Seven West Media Limited, ...

news presenter * Nikki Gemmell, author * Peggy Kelman OBE, pioneer

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

* Paulette McDonagh, Phyllis McDonagh and Paulette McDonagh early Australian film makers who were educated as weekly boarders at the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Elizabeth BayADB
Retrieved 7 November 2017. *

Princess Michael of Kent Princess Michael of Kent (born Baroness Marie-Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz, 15 January 1945) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, who is a grandson of George V, King George V. Prince ...

(born Baroness Marie Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz), a member of the

British Royal Family The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...

and an

author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...

* Helen de Guerry Simpson, Australian novelist (also attended

Abbotsleigh Abbotsleigh is an independent Anglican Pre-school education, early learning, primary, secondary Day school, day, and Boarding school, boarding school for Single-sex school, girls located in Wahroonga, on the Upper North Shore (Sydney), Upper N ...

) * Lucy Hughes Turnbull, wife of

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as Liberal Party of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party an ...

; former Lord Mayor of Sydney (2003-2004); company director; writer (also attended

Frensham School Frensham School is an independent non-denominational comprehensive single-sex preschool, primary, and secondary day and boarding school for girls, located at Mittagong, in the Southern Highlands region of New South Wales, Australia. Es ...

) * Gai Waterhouse,

horse trainer A horse trainer is a person who tends to horses and teaches them different disciplines. Some responsibilities trainers have are caring for the animals' physical needs, as well as teaching them good behaviors and/or coaching them for events, which ...

businessperson A businessperson, also referred to as a businessman or businesswoman, is an individual who has founded, owns, or holds shares in (including as an angel investor) a private-sector company. A businessperson undertakes activities (commercial ...

and former actress

Notable staff

* Hamid Reza Mobarrez, swimming coach *

Leila Waddell Leila Ida Nerissa Bathurst Waddell (born Leila Ida Bathurst Waddell, 10 August 1880 – 13 September 1932), also known as Laylah, was an Australian violinist who became a Scarlet Woman of Aleister Crowley, and a powerful historical figure in ...

, musician

References

External links

Kincoppal-Rose Bay website
{{Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia schools, state=autocollapse Girls' schools in New South Wales Boarding schools in New South Wales Educational institutions established in 1882 Catholic secondary schools in Sydney Catholic boarding schools in Australia Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools Junior School Heads Association of Australia Member Schools Catholic primary schools in Sydney Sacred Heart schools Former convents in Australia Rose Bay, New South Wales John Horbury Hunt buildings Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia 1882 establishments in Australia