St Mary's Primary School, West Melbourne
| St Mary's Primary School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
|
West Melbourne, Victoria Australia |
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| Coordinates | 37°48′22″S 144°57′9″E / 37.80611°S 144.95250°ECoordinates: 37°48′22″S 144°57′9″E / 37.80611°S 144.95250°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established | circa 1855 |
| Grades | 1-8 |
St Mary's Primary School was a Roman Catholic school located in West Melbourne and was part of the parish of St Mary Star of the Sea, West Melbourne. The parish complex included a school for boys and one for girls each using the same or similar school name. The school opened around 1855 and operated from a stone building, built in 1854, which served as both church and school. It is thought to be one of the earliest parish schools established in Victoria (Australia)
Following the discovery of gold in Victoria in the 1850s and the granting of statehood to the Colony, the population of Melbourne rose quickly from 177 at the time of settlement in 1836 to 80,000 in 1854 and just seven years later that figure had risen to 140,000. The needs of the ever-expanding population led to the establishment of places of worship, hospitals and schools. In 1854 a simple single aisled stone church, consisting of a nave and chancel, was constructed on land granted to the Catholic Church in West Melbourne. This building, known as St Mary's Star of the Sea, was to serve a dual purpose as a church on Sundays and a school during weekdays. Although a new, much grander church was opened in 1900, the old church remained in use as a school until 1913 when it was demolished.
In the early years the children of St Mary's parish were taught by Catholic lay teachers and were mostly segregated into classes for boys, taught by males, and girls taught by women. Classes were under the charge of a teacher who had received their training and certification overseas, to a large extent in Ireland. These ‘head’ teachers were supported by one or two assistants and came under the auspices of the Parish priest.
By 1862 the church could no longer cope with the number wishing to use it and so the building was extended by incorporating a transept into its structure. As the number of school students increased the building was further extended in 1871 and again in 1876 to incorporate two additional aisles. In 1883 the school had over 1200 pupils on its enrolment register; 505 boys and 777 girls.
St Mary's Star of the Sea Girls School began operating in the old church building around 1855. The first certified teacher in charge was Mrs Kate Quinn who was working with two assistants by 1860. In 1865 she was replaced by Mrs Elizabeth Fogarty (née Griffiths) and in turn she was replaced by Miss Walsh in 1876. In 1871 an additional aisle was added to the old church to cater for the expanding local population. The number of worshippers attending services and an increasing number of school students forced the addition of another aisle in 1876.
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