Other secondary schools

In each state, several other secondary schools were founded by the Sisters of Charity but were later closed or were handed over to another religious congregation. Those that remained 'Charity schools' until taken over by the Catholic Education Office in the last part of the 20th century, included:

New South Wales

1883	St Mary's Concord
1892	St John's Auburn
1895	St Mary's High School Hurstville
1896	Mt St Patrick's High School Paddington
1901	Mt St Mary's College (boarding and day), Katoomba
1913	St Thomas' High School Lewisham
1913	St Mary's Cathedral High School (Commercial College added, 1925; transferred to Paddington, 1967)

Victoria

1931	St Philomena's Scholarship School, Essendon
1967	Sancta Sophia Glenroy

Sisters of Charity Colleges

On January 1, 1993, the four Colleges that remained under the care of the Sisters of Charity were incorporated, and are now governed by a Board of Directors. The incorporation of our institutional works was undertaken so that the Sisters of Charity in Australia could make a continuing and distinctive contribution to the mission of the Church in the healing and teaching ministries.

These four Colleges are:

St Vincent's College Potts Point (NSW)
St Columba's College Essendon (Victoria)
Catholic Ladies' College Eltham (Victoria)
Mt St Michael's College, Ashgrove (Queensland)

Since 1994 there has been in place an annual program of Formation Seminars for all the Directors of the four colleges. The Sisters of Charity Education Council (SCEC) is responsible for these seminars which are held annually over a weekend on a rotating basis in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The seminars have been a very significant factor in giving College Board Directors a sense of the history, tradition and mission of the Congregation. They provide a wonderful opportunity each year for Board Directors and senior College staff to gather together and they have ensured that these 'young' Boards have developed a sense of self confidence and direction.

In 2003, we introduced a new focus into these seminars by giving emphasis to our Ignatian heritage, what this might mean in our College spirit and curriculum and how it might contribute to the functioning of the Board especially in its meetings and decision making. For this purpose, we ran a series of individual seminars for Board directors, Principals and executives assisted by the Loyola Institute at Pymble. This has provided us with a solid base on which to build in the years ahead.

Secondary education has gone through extraordinary changes in the last decade of the Twentieth Century. The explosion of technology, the complexity of the industrial climate, the financial dependence on State and Commonwealth funding, and the enormous social pressures facing adolescents are but a few of the realities and challenges which secondary schools face. Only a solid understanding of, and commitment to, our spiritual heritage will ensure that our Colleges can assist our students to become young women of competence, compassion and commitment who can take their place in our Church and our World.