Stella Maris College (Manly)

Stella Maris College is an independent Roman Catholic high school for girls, located on the northern end of Manly Beach in Manly, on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1931 by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan,[2] the College provides a religious and general education in the Benedictine tradition for approximately 900 girls from Year 7 to Year 12 from the surrounding area and from overseas. Stella Maris is a day school so international students board with homestay families in the local area. In recent years governance of the College has passed to Good Samaritan Education, established by the Sisters for the continued canonical oversight of all the Congregation's schools.

Stella Maris College
Location
Manly, Northern Beaches, Sydney, New South Wales

Australia
Coordinates33°47′12″S 151°17′09″E
Information
TypeIndependent single-sex secondary day school
MottoLatin: In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus
(In all things may God be glorified)
Religious affiliation(s)Sisters of the Good Samaritan
DenominationRoman Catholic
Patron saint(s)Saint Benedict of Nursia
Established1931 (1931)[1]
Sister school
Educational authorityNew South Wales Department of Education
Oversight
PrincipalElizabeth Carnegie
Staff~125
Grades7-12
GenderGirls
Enrolmentc. 900
Campuses
  • Main Campus, Eurobin and Iluka avenues
  • Benedict Campus, Pittwater Road
Campus typeSuburban
Colour(s)Maroon and bottle green   
AffiliationsAssociation of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools; Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia; Association of Independent Schools NSW
Websitestellamaris.nsw.edu.au

History

In 1857 Archbishop Polding founded the first Australian order of nuns, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict. The sisters had been looking for a home to look after the growing number of orphaned and neglected children, and in 1880 they heard of a good sized estate at Manly, then unoccupied and in disrepair. It proved an ideal spot and in 1881 was blessed as the Star of the Sea Convent and the Good Samaritan Sisters moved in and set up a school for them.[1]

The sisters taught normal school subjects up to the age of 14, then trained the girls in skills that would enable them to earn a living – mostly sewing and laundry. In 1886 the Parramatta orphanage, owned by the government but run by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, was closed and the Sisters at Manly took in additional charges. In the very early years the Sisters also conducted a small day school for neighbourhood children and a boarding school ‘for high class ladies’ on the site.[1]

In 1910 the orphans were moved to other more rural sites due to the development of Manly, principally to what is now Mater Dei Special School in Camden, and the Sisters took over the running of St Mary's school in Whistler Street.[1]

In 1930 the original house was demolished and the present-day Convent and single-storey school were built and the College re-opened the following year with an intake of thirty-three pupils from Kindergarten to Intermediate Certificate, and was a co-educational primary school and a girls’ high school. The primary school was gradually phased out and by 1944 Stella Maris was purely a high school for girls.[1]

The last Good Samaritan Principal left the school at the end of 1995, and in 1997 the Convent was handed over for College use.

Since then there have been a number of extensions and developments to accommodate the approximately nine hundred students who study there today.

In 2004 new buildings were opened comprising a theatre, dance studio, drama studio, fitness centre, music practice rooms, and new classrooms. In 2012 the new Benedict Campus opened on Pittwater Road, and in 2018 the Scholastica building comprising Science laboratories, a new library and staff work space was opened.

Past Principals
  1. Sr Sabina Shinnick (1931-1934)
  2. Sr Joseph Fanning (1935-1940)
  3. Sr Dolores Carroll (1941-1944)
  4. Sr Colombiere Connors (1945-1947)
  5. Sr Luigi Walker (1948-1949)
  6. Sr Colette Egan (1950-1954)
  7. Sr Sheila Murphy (1955-1964)
  8. Sr Hermenegild Johnson (1965-1969)
  9. Sr Philomena Gallagher (1970-1975)
  10. Sr Consilio (Noela) Bunn (1976-1981)
  11. Sr Marcella (Marilyn) Kelleher (1982-1993)
  12. Sr Lia Van Haren (1994-1995)
  13. Allan Coman (1996-2005)
  14. Kerry Stirling (2006-2008)
  15. Mary Ryland (2009) (Acting)
  16. Vicki Comerford (2010-2014)
  17. Elizabeth Carnegie (2015- )

Extra-curricular activities

Stella Maris offers a comprehensive extra-curricular program, according to student demand and teacher/coach availability. The College encourages all students to embrace new challenges through participation in familiar and not-so-familiar activities, including:[3]

  • Dance Company and Ensembles
  • Da Vinci Decathlon, Maths Olympiad and other external competitions
  • Drama Ensembles
  • Debating
  • Duke of Edinburgh International Award
  • Music bands, choirs, ensembles at every skill level
  • Spectra Science Club, Art Club, Book Club and a range of other clubs
  • Alpha Youth Group, Writers' Group
  • Diverse team and individual sports at all levels of representation from inter-school to National and International

Social Justice

Stella Maris College students are taught a strong sense of social justice and commitment to supporting the local and global community. Firstly, the College supports the charitable works of the Good Samaritan Sisters in Kiribati, the Bacalod Kinder School in the Philippines, Mater Dei School in Narellan, the Melbourne Women's Shelter and Santa Teresa Mission in Central Australia. Secondly, the students raise funds, donations in kind or volunteer for LifeLine, Bear Cottage, the Northern Beaches Women's Shelter, Pink Hope (a charity started by a former Stella student about breast cancer education and fundraising), St Kieran's GIFT Cook Off, Legacy, St Vincent de Paul Society, Mike Pawley's Happy Days Village school in Cambodia, an SCR Group clothing collection and Caritas Australia's Project Compassion.[4]

The College also encourages empathy and solidarity by highlighting issues through events like Harmony Day, RUOK Day, Reconciliation Week and International Women's Day, usually through guest speakers and assemblies. The students also have a MAD social justice group who are encouraged to be very proactive in 'Making a Difference'.[4]

House system

Prior to 2013 students belonged to one of four Houses: Rosaria (Green), Carmel (Blue), Fatima (red) and Lourdes (yellow). The Houses were so-named as a reference to the fervent Marian devotion of the Sisters. As the student body grew in number, the decision was made that from 2014 the number of Houses would be increased, making the Houses more manageable for the student House Captains. Stella Maris College now has eight houses, each named after women who have made a significant contribution to the College or to Australian society in general:[5]

House nameHouse colour
ChisholmWhite In honour of Caroline Chisholm, 19th century advocate of female immigrant welfare.
MacKillopGreen In honour of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia's first saint.
BashirOrange In honour of Marie Bashir AD CVO, first woman Governor of NSW.
NoonuccalPurple In honour of Oodgeroo Noonuccal, formerly Kath Walker, prominent Indigenous activist and writer.
SmithYellow In honour of Shirley Smith AM (Mum Shirl), a committed advocate for Indigenous Australians.
EganBlue In honour of Sr Colette Egan, longest serving Sister at the College.
ShinnickRed In honour of Sr Sabina Shinnick, first Principal of Stella Maris College from 1931 to 1934.
WoodPink In honour of Dr Fiona Wood AM, inventor of spray on skin for burns victims and 2005 Australian of the Year.

Stella Women Making a Difference
  • Commander Bernadette Alexander RAN, Commanding Officer HMAS Penguin[6]
  • Marian Baird AO, Sydney University Professor of Gender & Employment Relations[7][8]
  • Krystal Barter, founder of Pink Hope charity[9][10]
  • Dr Michelle Crockett OAM, awarded for services to medicine[11]
  • Katherine Edney, artist, Archibald Prize finalist[12][13]
  • Kiri English-Hawke, author and Olympic rower[14]
  • Bronte Halligan, Olympic water polo[15]
  • Nancye Hayes AM, musical theatre, stage and screen actress, singer, dancer, choreographer and director[16]
  • Genevieve Lemon, stage, movie and tv actress and singer[17]
  • Angela Pearman, ABC newsreader and barrister[18]
  • Roxy Rogan, conservationist and documentary film maker, founder of Wild Education[14][19]
  • Claire Van Vuuren, Women in Hospitality[20] founding board member, head chef and co-owner of Bloodwood Restaurant, Newtown[21][22]
  • Kym Wilson, actress and tv presenter[23]

See also

References
  1. "Stella Maris College school history". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  2. "Sisters of the Good Samaritan official site". Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  3. "Stella Maris College Something for Everyone". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  4. "Stella Maris College Social Justice". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  5. "2013 College Yearbook". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  6. "1987 College Yearbook". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  7. "2019 Newsletter Issue 28" (PDF). Stella Maris College Manly. Stella Maris College. Archived from the original on 27 February 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  8. "Sydney University Official website". Sydney University. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  9. "'The Good Oil' Issue Sept 2015". Good Samaritan Sisters. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  10. "Pink Hope official site". Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  11. "1981 College Yearbook". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  12. "2019 Newsletter Issue 17". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  13. "Katherine Edney official site". Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  14. "2012 College Yearbook". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  15. "2014 College Yearbook". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  16. "Nancye Hayes Official website". Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  17. "1976 College Yearbook". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  18. "1975 College Yearbook". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  19. "Wild Education official site". Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  20. "Women in Hospitality official site". Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  21. "1993 College Yearbook". Stella Maris College. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  22. "Bloodwood official site". Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  23. "Daily Telegraph 2015". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
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