St Aloysius' College is an independent Catholic primary and secondary day school for boys, located in Kirribilli, on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Founded in 1879 by Joseph Dalton SJ at St Kilda House, Woolloomooloo, St Aloysius' is the oldest independent Catholic boys day school in New South Wales. The College is conducted in the Jesuit tradition by the Society of Jesus as part of a worldwide network of schools and universities, which Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Order, began in Messina, Sicily, in 1548. The College has an academically selective enrolment policy and catered to approximately 1,251 students from Year 3 to Year 12 (7 to 18 years). the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), and is the oldest of the six schools which make up the Combined Associated Schools (CAS).

History

Foundation

Following the 1877 closure of Lyndhurst school, a Roman Catholic school for boys in Glebe, there was no Catholic college for boys in the area. Roger Bede Vaughan, the second Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, was petitioned by the community to set up a school; Joseph Dalton was sent to Sydney by the Superior, Cahill, in answer to a request from Vaughan.

Towards the end of 1878, Dr Dalton returned to Sydney with Kennedy to seek a site, first for a city day school and later, if possible, a site for a boarding school. After much discussion and searching, a property known as "St Kilda House" on the corner of Cathedral Street and Palmer Street in Woolloomooloo was rented at £260 per annum. The property had been built in 1844 by Charles Scott on part of a grant made to John Palmer, purser on the First Fleet ship , it was a Georgian style mansion with fifteen rooms. The building has since been demolished.

In the early 1920s, a property off Sailors Bay Road, Northbridge, was purchased as a site for much-needed playing fields. This property remained undeveloped due to the lack of excavating and levelling techniques and machinery at the time. Had this plan materialised, it would today be a very valuable asset, however, it was sold in 1939 and provided finance for the purchase of some market gardens in Tyneside Avenue, Willoughby East, which forms the current College Sports Ground. as a part of Plan Magis. In 2023, the proposition was planned to go ahead but the move was later delayed by 1 Term, as construction moved slower than anticipated. The Year 9 students are now staying at Rozelle, becoming a permanent campus of St Aloysius College. It became known generally as SACR (St Aloysius College Rozelle). This establishment has become a permanent part of the Aloysius experience, providing different teaching styles to the main campus. This aims to make sure students in Year 9 stay dedicated to their learning. Part of the Rozelle experience is a camp, a retreat, dance with Loreto and other activities with schools such as St. Scholastica's. The Rozelle experience also includes alternative subjects including Human Stories (English, Religion and History), The World Around Us (Science and Geography), and Contemplatives in Action (CIA - an additional elective path).

Head of school

In the early days, Jesuit colleges were headed by a Rector, who was also a Superior of the Jesuit community. The Rector was assisted by a Prefect of Studies, who attended to the day-to-day running of the school, especially concerning the curriculum and discipline. In the Australian Province, the 1970s saw the role of Headmaster become separated from that of Superior. Rectors and Superiors normally have a fixed term in canon law of six years; Headmasters' terms are indefinite. In 2003, the structure returned to the older dispensation, with the title of Prefect of Studies replaced with Principal. 2014 saw the appointment of the College's first-ever lay principal with Mark Tannock being appointed to the role following the end of Chris Middleton's tenure. This break in tradition was due to the increased strain on Jesuit responsibilities due to the ongoing decrease in. On 7 March 2024, Mr Mark Tannock announced that he will transition into the principal role at St Ignatius Riverview at the end of the 2024 calendar year.

{| class="wikitable"

! Ordinal !! Officeholder !! Term start !! Term end !! Time in office !! Notes

|-

!colspan=6 | Rector

|-

|align=center| || Daniel Clancy SJ ||align=center| 1880 ||align=center| 1889 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Charles Morrough SJ ||align=center| 1890 ||align=center| 1893 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Christopher Nulty SJ ||align=center| 1893 ||align=center| 1903 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Thomas Fay SJ ||align=center| 1903 ||align=center| 1910 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Patrick McCurtin SJ ||align=center| 1910 ||align=center| 1916 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || John Forster SJ ||align=center| 1916 ||align=center| 1921 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Francis Xavier O'Brien SJ ||align=center| 1921 ||align=center| 1930 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Austin Kelly SJ ||align=center| 1930 ||align=center| 1937 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Noel Hehir SJ ||align=center| 1937 ||align=center| 1939 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Thomas Hehir SJ ||align=center| 1939 ||align=center| 1944 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| () || Francis Xavier O'Brien SJ ||align=center| 1944 ||align=center| 1948 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || John Casey SJ ||align=center| 1948 ||align=center| 1949 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Donald Roset SJ ||align=center| 1949 ||align=center| 1954 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| () || John Casey SJ ||align=center| 1954 ||align=center| 1961 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Vincent Conway SJ ||align=center| 1961 ||align=center| 1968 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Thomas O'Donovan SJ ||align=center| 1968 ||align=center| 1973 ||align=right| years ||

|-

!colspan=6 | Headmaster

|-

|align=center| || Gregory Jordan SJ ||align=center| 1974 ||align=center| 1977 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Robert Bruce SJ ||align=center| 1978 ||align=center| 1985 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Anthony Smith SJ ||align=center| 1986 ||align=center| 2002 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Ross Jones SJ ||align=center| 2003 ||align=center| 2010 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Peter Hosking SJ ||align=center| 2011 ||align=center| 2017 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| () || Ross Jones SJ ||align=center| 2018 ||align=center|incumbent|| align="right" | years ||

|-

!colspan=6 | Principal

|-

|align=center| || Chris Middleton SJ ||align=center| 2003 ||align=center| 2014 ||align=right| years ||

|-

|align=center| || Mark Tannock ||align=center| 2014 ||align=center| 2024 || align="right" | years ||

|-

|align=center| || Kate Quinane ||align=center| 2025 ||align=center| 2025 || align="right" | year ||

|-

|align=center| || John Browne ||align=center| 2026 ||align=center| incumbent || align="right" | <!-- years--> ||

|}

: From 2003 until 2018, the roles of Headmaster and Principal were appointed concurrently.

Jesuit education

St Aloysius' College is conducted by the Jesuit Order and is part of a worldwide network of approximately 1000 Jesuit primary and secondary schools and universities. The first school was commenced by St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Order, in 1548.

A Jesuit education stresses the acquisition of skills and techniques in a purposeful and balanced perspective. While emphasis is placed on the development of intellectual and mental skills, attention is also given to other aspects of personal formation, such as character, attitudes, values and social interaction.

The aim of a Jesuit education is as follows: "Our ideal is the well-rounded person who is intellectually competent, open to growth, religious, loving and committed to doing justice in generosity to the people of God."

Its brother schools include Saint Ignatius' College, Riverview and Loyola College, Mount Druitt in Sydney, Saint Ignatius' College, Adelaide in Athelstone and Xavier College in Melbourne.

Sport

St Aloysius' College is a member of the Combined Associated Schools (CAS).

CAS premierships

St Aloysius' College has won the following CAS premierships.

  • Basketball (2) – 1999, 2022
  • Cricket – 1990
  • Cross Country – 2007
  • Rugby (3) – 1933, 1972, 1978
  • Soccer – 2017
  • Swimming (2) – 1932, 1935
  • Tennis Summer (5) – 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2022
  • Tennis Winter (4) – 2009, 2010, 2011, 2019
  • Volleyball Summer (3) – 2004, 2010, 2011
  • Water Polo (4) – 2009, 2010, 2016, 2019

Notable alumni

Alumni of St Aloysius' are known as Old Boys and may elect to join the school's alumni association, the St. Aloysius' College Old Boys' Union (SACOBU). These Old Boys have access to many services and opportunities at St Aloysius College, forever part of the community.

See also

  • List of Catholic schools in New South Wales
  • Catholic education in Australia
  • List of Jesuit schools

References

Further reading

  • Strong, D. 1997. The College By the Harbour: The History of St. Aloysius' College. Hale & Iremonger, Sydney. .
  • Society of Jesus, Australia