Mater Christi College

Mater Christi College is an independent Roman Catholic secondary school for girls located in the eastern Melbourne suburb of Belgrave, Victoria, Australia.

Mater Christi College
Address
28 Bayview Road

Belgrave
,
Victoria
,
3160

Australia
Coordinates37°54′38″S 145°21′33″E
Information
TypeIndependent secondary day school
Religious affiliation(s)
Established1963 (1963)
PrincipalMary Fitz-Gerald
Grades7–12
GenderGirls
Enrollment>850
Color(s)Purple, blue, green and orange     
Websitematerchristi.edu.au

History

Mother Mary Olivera, Superior General of the Good Samaritan Order of the Catholic Church declared in 1962, “Let’s build a boarding school on top of the hill in Belgrave".[1] Subsequently, the school was founded by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan religious order in 1963 outside Belgrave, overlooking the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria. Six Good Samaritan Sisters initially instructed 62 female students, offering an academic education, "based on the principles of Benedictine values".[2] The site chosen in 1962 consisted of grounds which contained Heathermont, a c1920s guest house.[3] The new brick-built wing parallel to Heathermont Avenue contained a "beautiful little chapel" adjoining the pioneer nuns' convent. Sunny Siesta was on the 90 degree turn at the top of Bayview Road.[4][2]

Although initially envisaged as a small day and boarding school, the rapidly growing population in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne saw Mater Christi College grow, and today there are more than 850 girls enrolled at the college, including students from several Asia-Pacific countries. In 1989, a boarding house was attached to the college. It closed in 2015.[5] An international student program operates at the college, using homestay families to house the girls paired with an on-campus English and preparation program. Mater Christi offers a range of subjects to suit students and is designed so that students undertake studies from all areas of learning at Years 7 to 12. Students are then able to select from a wide range of VCE units.[6][7][2]

Facilities

Facilities at Mater Christi College include:

  • Full WiFi Campus
  • MacBook and iPad Program
  • Contemporary learning spaces
  • Science Labs
  • Library/Learning Commons
  • Chapel
  • Arts Studios / photography and ceramics
  • Technology (textiles) centre
  • Two indoor halls with full sized basketball courts
  • An outdoor track and field training area
  • Industry standard hospitality / food technology centres
  • Outdoor tennis courts
  • Dance Studio
  • Restaurant/cafe

Notable alumnae

References
  1. "Mater Christi Student Guide - Our Story" (PDF). materchristi.edu.au: 2. Retrieved 15 December 2020. When Mother Mary Olivera, Superior General of the Good Samaritan Order of the Catholic Church declared in 1962, “Let’s build a boarding school on top of the hill in Belgrave,”....
  2. "Informed, Compassionate, Creative: Mater Christi College: a School of Good Samaritan Education Celebrating 50 Years 1963-2013". Mater Christi College, Belgrave. 2013. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  3. "Heathermont guest house - later the site of Mater Christi College, Belgrave". Images of Yesteryear. 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
  4. Keane, M. (20 March 2013). "Fire and all it brings to mind". catholicreligiousaustralia.org.au. Retrieved 19 November 2018. Margaret Keane is a Good Samaritan Sister who worked in secondary education for most of her active ministry. She was at Mater Christi College, Belgrave during one time of serious fires, and remembers being evacuated to a cricket oval and not able to return to the convent until morning.
  5. Atkinson, J. (8 September 2015). "Mater Christi College forges ahead with multimillion-dollar development plan". Herald Sun. Retrieved 23 August 2019. The upgrade also proposes a new boarding house for the school’s international students but Ms Fitz-Gerald said it would only go ahead if on-campus accommodation proved a better option for students (The college's boarding house closed at the end on 2015)
  6. "Teaching & Learning at Mater Christi College". Mater Christi College, Belgrave. 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2019. Since 1989, we have welcomed and supported students of all religions and cultural backgrounds through the challenging and rewarding experience of studying overseas in a second language....The framework for our Year 7 to 10 curriculum is provided by the International Baccalaureate Organisation’s (IBO) Middle Years Program (MYP).
  7. "Mater Christi College, Belgrave". Retrieved 19 February 2019. Boarding facilities - mixed
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