History of St Vincent's College

St Vincent's Grotto

Brief extracts of St Vincent’s College, Potts Point taken from the work of Sr Joan Jurd RSC, Sr Catherine O’Carrigan RSC and the Sisters of Charity Archives.

"The number of pupils averages 129 weekly. As the object of the Sisters of Charity is to meet the needs of that portion of the youthful community of our city who require a religious, solid and useful education, no pains are spared by the Sisters in charge of the school to impart such to them. The system includes Reading, Spelling, Dictation, Grammar, Geography, Maps, Writing, Arithmetic and Needlework. The Christian Doctrine is the first morning lesson and the children receive religious instruction each day." That goal remains our commitment.

Government Aid under the Denominational Schools Act of 1848 was sought in 1861.

After State Inspectors visited the school and reported on the efficiency of the teachers and the number of pupils, S.M. Aloysius Raymond was appointed head teacher with a government salary.

The Inspector’s report was still very encouraging in 1863 and larger schoolrooms were recommended. As a result a separate school building was erected at the back of the convent and the lnfants School was built on the site of Sir Charles Nicholson’s stables.

It was during 1869, when S.M. Francis McGuigan who had succeeded S.M. Aloysius Raymond in 1865 in the Primary School and when S.M. Teresa Gannon was in charge of the Infants School, that the Secretary of the Council of Education whilst visiting England commented:

"The singing of the children in the Victoria Street Roman Catholic School surpassed all I heard at the Borough Road or at any other school in England."

The school continued to prosper, the teachers’ salaries were raised and pupil teachers were received and trained. They too were paid by the State, but had to receive lessons from the Sisters after school.

When St Vincent’s Hospital moved from ‘Tarmons’ to its present position at the other end of Victoria Street in Darlinghurst, a high school was opened.

After the passing of Parkes’ Education Act, when the salaries of teachers in denomination schools were withdrawn religious congregations such as the Sisters of Charity were asked to make new foundations and take over a number of the schools previously staffed by lay teachers. Providentially, several highly qualified teachers entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity.

Mother Mary Aikenhead rsc foundress of the Sisters of Charity

In 1879 Archbishop Vaughan advised the Sisters to seek from the Holy See permission to open secondary schools where fees would be charged. This was necessary because the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity had been founded in Ireland by Mother Mary Aikenhead for the service of the poor, especially the sick poor. At that time and for many years after, only the wealthy in Ireland had the opportunity of secondary education.

In May 1882 St Vincent’s College was opened and Sister Mary Ursula Bruton became the first principal.

Carrying on the Sisters’ philosophy and tradition, Ms Caroline Duhigg, the first lay Principal, commenced at the College in 1994.

Ms Duhigg has responded to the many challenges of her role. On 28 May 1995 the Visual Arts Gallery and Studios in memory of Sr Baptist Whyte RSC were blessed by the College Chaplain Fr John Moran and officially opened by Sr Clare Nolan RSC.

At the same time a Vision and Statement of Mission was proclaimed and a new Master Plan for the Day School was launched.

The next stage of the Master Plan was achieved on 16 August l998, when the newly restored and refurbished Garcia Centre for Performing Arts and Languages was blessed by the College Chaplain Fr Gerard Moore and officially opened by Sr Maria Cunningham RSC, thus providing access once more to this valuable educational resource.