Githabul Country
Since Forever: Our town history is that we are on Githabul land and we acknowledge the traditional people who have lived and learned here for thousands of years.
Miss O’Mara
On 27 January 1867 a small school was started by the Miss O’Mara at the First St Mary’s Catholic Church under the pastoral guidance of the Parish priest, Fr John O’Reilly. This small school was attended by both boys and girls.
Sister Magdalen Rooney
1873: Father Stephen O’Donough applied for a few Sisters of Mercy to come to Warwick and on 29 October 1874, Sister Magdalen Rooney, first Superior, and two other Sisters of Mercy took over Miss O’Mara’s school at the Oddfellows Hall renaming it St Mary’s School.
1876: Mother M Kevin arrived and set about building St Mary’s Primary School and the Convent of the Assumption.
1893: The Sisters of Mercy relocated their convent and St Mary’s School to the newly-constructed Our Lady of the Assumption Convent in Locke Street. The foundation Principal was Sister Mary Vincent Donovan.
Monsignor Michael Potter
1905: Father Michael Potter, later Monsignor Potter, was appointed the new Parish Priest of Warwick and set about beginning a number of new building projects, including the St Joseph’s College (currently Upper Campus for primary students) and the Second St Mary of the Assumption Church. Potter was instrumental in improving Catholic education in Warwick.
Brother Athanasius Kelly
1912: The Christian Brothers arrived in Warwick creating a secondary school called St Joseph’s College and this significantly eased the numbers in the sisters’ classrooms. The first community of Brothers to come to Warwick comprised of Brothers Athanasius Kelly, superior, Stanislaus McIntosh and Mark Reidy. Brother Kelly was the first Principal of the Christian Brothers College.
1914: Archbishop Duhig dedicated a new wing in the Convent for a high school. From this time on the Convent High School would be separate from St Mary’s with its own staff, students and secondary curriculum. The school especially catered for boarders out of town and during the Second World War boarders from All Hallows were evacuated to Warwick.
1969: The present Assumption College was officially opened to provide additional facilities for the then students of the Sisters of Mercy Convent High School.
1974: At the end of 1974, the decision was made on financial grounds, to discontinue Years 11 and 12 at both the Convent High School and the Christian Brothers College.
1979: Plans were made to amalgamate the two schools under the auspice of the Toowoomba Catholic Education system.
1979: The first lay principal of St Mary’s School was Mr Bailey Pashley.
1980: Assumption College became a co-educational Junior Secondary College following the rationalisation of the school system in Warwick. The boys from St Joseph’s Christian Brothers College came to Assumption College as fulltime students.
1993: St Mary’s Pre-School began and in 2007 Prep replaced the Pre-School.
2000-01: Assumption College introduced Year 11 and graduated its first Year 12 class in 26 years in 2001.
Current St Mary’s School Song
In 2012: Some teachers at St Mary’s wrote this St Mary’s School song as part of their Diploma of Christian Ministry & Theology.
Here we are…together we’ll be
St Mary’s joined as a family
Wherever we are, love will be.
Christ in our lives each day we will see.
We are St Mary’s, truth we seek
Showing our values to those we meet
Through lifelong learning
And spiritual yearning
Peace, respect and truth we seek.
Stardust we are, from past we come
God beats in our hearts and is breath in our lungs
Breath that has been imagined to be
God is past, present and future in me.
St Mary’s Kindergarten
2013: St Mary’s Kindergarten commenced with the Director, Mrs Marie Sullivan under Brisbane Centacare. In 2020, the Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office took over the governance of the Kindergarten.
St Mary’s Out of School Hours Care
2019: St Mary’s Out of School Care began under the direction of Mrs Stephanie Shelley.
Current St Mary’s School Prayer
In 2020: Staff, in consultation with students, have written this school prayer. The intention was to remember where we have come from and unite us in what is important at St Mary’s – ‘The St Mary’s Way’.
Loving God,
Here at St Mary’s, may I Respect those I meet today,
Be Inclusive of everyone and kind along the way.
May I be Safe and Exceptional in all I do,
Be Understanding of all and Prayerful too.
Venerable Catherine McAuley … Pray for us
Blessed Edmund Rice … Pray for us
Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop … Pray for us
May mercy begin with me.
Amen
