St Aloysius College, Adelaide

History

The first Sisters of Mercy were Irish sisters who came to Adelaide from Argentina in 1880, following unrest in Buenos Aires. The same year, the sisters purchased the large home of George Dutton Green in Angas Street, behind St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, and established a convent and school, St Angela's. Part of the order went to Mount Gambier. The original building was extended at various times, and the school was renamed St Aloysius in 1901. In 1920 Mother Cecilia Cunningham received a substantial inheritance from wealthy Argentinian relatives which was used to extend the convent buildings and to build the beautiful chapel. The sisters finally left Angas Street in 2005, at which time the school took control of the entire complex of buildings.

Notable alumnae and staff

• Shabana Azeez, actress
• Sister Diedre Jordan AC MBE, former headmistress of the school then long term Chancellor of Flinders University; Chancellor Emeritus of the university
• Sister Janet Mead (1938–2022), best known for recording a rock version of "The Lord's Prayer"
• Dame Roma Mitchell, first female Governor of South Australia and first female chief justice.
• Clare Moore, Australian musician
• Sister Patricia Pak Poy, former principal of the school, educator, and activist, known for her contributions to social justice, particularly for the ban on the use of landmines
• Sister Judith Redden, school principal in 2007; awarded the Order of Australia for services to Indigenous education

Social justice

SAC has a Social Justice group for the students and this group leads the school community on social justice issues. During the school year, SAC organises fundraising activities, in particular, the school walkathon, "Mercy Day" and "The Can Drive". Other events often occur during the school year, when social justice issues arise. For example, during the February 2009 Victorian bushfires, students collected clothing and supplies to donate to those affected by the bushfires.

Extracurricular activities

Sport

Students are encouraged to participate in sport during both the summer and winter seasons. For senior students, beach volleyball, basketball, tennis, water polo and softball can be played in the summer, with soccer, netball, hockey and basketball available in winter. A wider range of sports are available for primary school students.

Music

SAC is known for its extensive music program. Students are encouraged to learn a musical instrument and join in with the musical ensembles at school. In 2008, a grand piano was bought and the St Aloysius Stage Band and vocalists went on a tour of China. St Aloysius College also attends music events around Adelaide and participates in competitions. Recently some of the students went on tour in Vietnam.

Duke of Edinburgh

The Duke of Edinburgh program is available for students from year 8 onwards, with hundreds of students having an involvement in the program. See Duke of Edinburgh Award

House system

Upon attending their first day at St Aloysius, each student is assigned a house team. Each team is named after a saint. Competitions are arranged between the house teams, with the main competitions being the school swimming carnival and athletic carnivals. The house teams are:

• St Clares – white
• St Annes – purple
• St Margarets – yellow
• St Teresas – green

References

References

1. "More About Our Story". St Aloysius College.
2. "Principal's Welcome". St Aloysius College.
3. Press, Margaret M.. "Three Women of Faith: Gertrude Abbott, Elizabeth Anstice Baker and Mary Tenison Woods". [[Wakefield Press (Australia).
4. "SA Adelaide Language Centre". SA Adelaide Language Centre.
5. "SA MEMORY South Australia : past and present, for the future". State Library of South Australia.
6. "Adelaide". Institute of Sisters of Mercy Australia.
7. (14 March 2024). "Shabana Azeez".
8. Koch, Tina. (1999). "Still Me: Twelve Women Talk about Ageing". Wakefield Press.
9. "Alumni events: Ambassador receives Distinguished Alumni Award". [[Flinders University]]. (2007-11-16). link
10. Prest, Wilfrid R.. (2001). "The Wakefield Companion to South Australian History". Wakefield Press.
11. Collins, Carolyn. (2019). "Trailblazers: 100 inspiring south Australian women". Wakefield Press.
12. (2007-08-10). "Service to Indigenous Education". Catholic Education.