Our School - History

St Mary’s has a long history dating back to 1848. Our story and traditions have been shaped by the Ursuline sisters, the Patrician brothers and the De La Salle brothers. St Mary’s is the oldest school in the Armidale Diocese, established by lay people in 1848. The Ursuline Sisters arrived in 1882 and maintained a presence in the school until 2001.

The Patrician Brothers established a boys’ primary school on the site from 1889 until 1897. Later in 1906 the De La Salle Brothers reestablished the boys’ primary school and taught there until 1972. The school has been under lay administration since 2001.

St Angela Merici was the founder of the Ursuline Sisters. The St Mary’s buildings are named after St Angela, St Ursula and St Anne. The school crest is common to Ursuline schools as is the motto:“Serviam” Generations of families have been educated at St Mary’s.