Stella Maris College, Manly

{{short description|Catholic high school for girls in Sydney, Australia}}

{{Infobox school

| name = Stella Maris College

| logo =

| image =

| image_size = 250px

| caption =

| motto = {{langx|la|In Omnibus Glorificetur Deus}}

| motto_translation = In all things may God be glorified

| established = {{start date|1931}}

| principal = Elizabeth Carnegie

| location = Manly, Northern Beaches, Sydney, New South Wales

| country = Australia

| coordinates = {{coord|-33.786789|151.285867|display=title,inline|format=dms|region:AU-NSW_type:edu}}

| pushpin_map = Australia Sydney

| pushpin_image =

| pushpin_mapsize = 250

| pushpin_map_alt =

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in greater metropolitan Sydney

| pushpin_label =

| pushpin_label_position =

| module = {{Infobox mapframe

| stroke-colour = #C60C30

| stroke-width = 3

| marker = school

| marker-colour = #1F2F57

| zoom = 13}}

| type = Independent single-sex secondary day school

| educational_authority = New South Wales Department of Education

| religious_affiliation = Sisters of the Good Samaritan

| denomination = Roman Catholic

| sister_school = {{bulleted list|St Scholastica's College|Mater Dei Special School|Mount St Benedict College|Rosebank College|St Patrick's College, Campbelltown|Star of the Sea Wollongong}}

| patron = Saint Benedict of Nursia

| oversight = {{bulleted list|Good Samaritan Education|Diocese of Broken Bay}}

| gender = Girls

| campus_type = Suburban

| campuses = {{bulleted list|Main Campus, Eurobin and Iluka avenues|Benedict Campus, Pittwater Road}}

| enrolment = {{circa|900}}

| enrolment_as_of =

| grades = 7–12

| staff = ~125

| colours = Maroon and bottle green {{color box|#800000}}{{color box|#228B22}}

| homepage = {{URL|http://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/}}

| affiliations = Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools; Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia; Association of Independent Schools NSW

}}

Stella Maris College is an independent Roman Catholic high school for girls, located on the northern end of Manly Beach in Manly, on the Northern Beaches of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1931 by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan{{Cite web |title=Our History – Stella Maris, Manly |url=https://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/college-history/ |access-date=2022-12-01 |website=Stella Maris |language=en-US}}{{cite web|title=Sisters of the Good Samaritan official site|url=https://www.goodsams.org.au///|access-date=12 August 2020}}{{better|reason=primary source?date=April 2022|date=April 2022}}, the College provides a religious and general education in the Benedictine tradition for approximately 950 girls from Year 7 to Year 12 from the surrounding area and from overseas. Stella Maris is a day school so international students board with homestay families in the local area. In recent years{{when|date=April 2022}} governance of the College has passed to Good Samaritan Education, established by the Sisters for the continued canonical oversight of all the Congregation's schools.{{cn|date=April 2022}}

History

In 1857, Archbishop Polding founded the first Australian order of nuns, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of St Benedict. The sisters had been looking for a home to look after the growing number of orphaned and neglected children, and in 1880 they heard of a good-sized estate at Manly, then unoccupied and in disrepair. It proved an ideal spot and in 1881 was blessed as the Star of the Sea Convent and the Good Samaritan Sisters moved in and set up a school for them.{{cite web|title=Stella Maris College school history|url=https://www.stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/school-history/|publisher=Stella Maris College|access-date=15 June 2020}}

The sisters taught the usual school subjects up to the age of 14, then trained the girls in skills that would enable them to earn a living – mostly sewing and laundry. In 1886, the Parramatta orphanage, owned by the government but run by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, was closed and the Sisters at Manly took in additional charges. In the very early years the Sisters also conducted a small day school for neighbourhood children and a boarding school ‘for high class ladies’ on the site.

In 1910, the orphans were moved to other more rural sites due to the development of Manly, principally to what is now Mater Dei Special School in Camden, and the Sisters took over the running of St Mary's school in Whistler Street.

In 1930, the original house was demolished and the present-day Convent and single-storey school were built and the College re-opened the following year with an intake of thirty-three pupils from Kindergarten to Intermediate Certificate, and was a co-educational primary school and a girls’ high school. The primary school was gradually phased out and by 1944, Stella Maris was purely a high school for girls.

The last Good Samaritan Principal left the school at the end of 1995, and in 1997 the Convent was handed over for College use.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

Since then there have been a number of extensions and developments to accommodate the approximately nine hundred and fifty students who study there today.

In 2004, new buildings were opened comprising a theatre, dance studio, drama studio, fitness centre, music practice rooms, and new classrooms.{{cn|date=May 2023}} In 2012, the new Benedict Campus opened on Pittwater Road, and in 2018 the Scholastica building comprising Science laboratories, a new library and staff work space was opened.{{cn|date=May 2023}}

List of Principals

Sr Sabina Shinnick (1931–1934)
Sr Joseph Fanning (1935–1940)
Sr Dolores Carroll (1941–1944)
Sr Colombiere Connors (1945–1947)
Sr Luigi Walker (1948–1949)
Sr Colette Egan (1950–1954)
Sr Sheila Murphy (1955–1964)
Sr Hermenegild Johnson (1965–1969)
Sr Philomena Gallagher (1970–1975)
Sr Consilio (Noela) Bunn (1976–1981)
Sr Marcella (Marilyn) Kelleher (1982–1993)
Sr Lia Van Haren (1994–1995)
Allan Coman (1996–2005)
Kerry Stirling (2006–2008)
Mary Ryland (2009) (Acting)
Vicki Comerford (2010–2014)
Elizabeth Carnegie (2015–present)

Extra-curricular activities

Activities include:{{cite web|title=Stella Maris College Something for Everyone|url=https://www.stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/something-for-everyone///|publisher=Stella Maris College|access-date=10 August 2020}}

Dance Company and Ensembles
Da Vinci Decathlon, Maths Olympiad and other external competitions
Drama Ensembles
Debating
Duke of Edinburgh International Award
Music bands, choirs, ensembles at every skill level
Spectra Science Club, Art Club, Book Club and a range of other clubs
Alpha Youth Group, Writers' Group
Diverse team and individual sports at all levels of representation from inter-school to National and International

Social Justice

The College supports the charitable works of the Good Samaritan Sisters in Kiribati, the Bacalod Kinder School in the Philippines, Mater Dei School in Narellan, the Melbourne Women's Shelter and Santa Teresa Mission in Central Australia. Students raise funds, donations in kind or volunteer for LifeLine, Bear Cottage, the Northern Beaches Women's Shelter, Pink Hope (a charity started by a former Stella student about breast cancer education and fundraising), St Kieran's GIFT Cook Off, Legacy, St Vincent de Paul Society, Mike Pawley's Happy Days Village school in Cambodia, an SCR Group clothing collection and Caritas Australia's Project Compassion.{{cite web|title=Stella Maris College Social Justice|url=https://www.stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/social-justice///|publisher=Stella Maris College|access-date=10 August 2020}}{{better|reason=primary source|date=April 2022}}

House system

Prior to 2013 students belonged to one of four Houses: Rosaria (Green), Carmel (Blue), Fatima (red) and Lourdes (yellow). The Houses were so-named as a reference to the fervent Marian devotion of the Sisters. As the student body grew in number, the decision was made that from 2014 the number of Houses would be increased, making the Houses more manageable for the student House Captains. Stella Maris College now has eight houses, each named after women who have made a significant contribution to the College or to Australian society in general:{{cite web|title=2013 College Yearbook|url=http://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/magazines/2013.pdf///|publisher=Stella Maris College|access-date=10 August 2020}}

House name	colspan=2\| House colour
class="wikitable sortable"
Chisholm	White	{{colorbox\|white}}	In honour of Caroline Chisholm, 19th century advocate of female immigrant welfare.
MacKillop	Green	{{colorbox\|green}}	In honour of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia's first saint.
Bashir	Orange	{{colorbox\|orange}}	In honour of Marie Bashir AD CVO, first woman Governor of NSW.
Noonuccal	Purple	{{colorbox\|purple}}	In honour of Oodgeroo Noonuccal, formerly Kath Walker, prominent Indigenous activist and writer.
Smith	Yellow	{{colorbox\|yellow}}	In honour of Shirley Smith AM (Mum Shirl), a committed advocate for Indigenous Australians.
Egan	Blue	{{colorbox\|blue}}	In honour of Sr Colette Egan, longest serving Sister at the College.
Shinnick	Red	{{colorbox\|red}}	In honour of Sr Sabina Shinnick, first Principal of Stella Maris College from 1931 to 1934.
Wood	Pink	{{colorbox\|pink}}	In honour of Dr Fiona Wood AM, inventor of spray on skin for burns victims and 2005 Australian of the Year.

Notable alumni

Marian Baird AO, Sydney University Professor of Gender & Employment Relations{{cite web|title=2019 Newsletter Issue 28|url=http://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/newsletters///|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200227093523/http://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Newsletter_2019_28.pdf|archive-date=2020-02-27|access-date=2021-01-14|website=Stella Maris College Manly|publisher=Stella Maris College}}{{cite web|title=Sydney University Official website|url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/business/about/our-people/academic-staff/marian-baird.html///|publisher=Sydney University|access-date=12 August 2020}}
Krystal Barter, founder of Pink Hope charity{{cite web|title='The Good Oil' Issue Sept 2015|url=https://www.goodsams.org.au/article/providing-hope-and-support-for-thousands-of-women///|publisher=Good Samaritan Sisters|access-date=11 August 2020}}{{cite web|title=Pink Hope official site|url=https://pinkhope.org.au///|access-date=12 August 2020}}
Dr Michelle Crockett OAM, awarded for services to medicine{{cite web|title=1981 College Yearbook|url=http://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/magazines/1981.pdf///|publisher=Stella Maris College|access-date=11 August 2020}}
Katherine Edney, artist, Archibald Prize finalist{{cite web|title=2019 Newsletter Issue 17|url=http://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/newsletters///|publisher=Stella Maris College|access-date=11 August 2020}}{{cite web|title=Katherine Edney official site|url=https://katherineedney.com///|access-date=12 August 2020}}
Kiri English-Hawke, author and Olympic rower{{cite web|title=2012 College Yearbook|url=http://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/magazines/2012.pdf///|publisher=Stella Maris College|access-date=11 August 2020}}
Bronte Halligan, Olympic water polo{{cite web|title=2014 College Yearbook|url=http://stellamaris.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/magazines/2014.pdf///|publisher=Stella Maris College|access-date=11 August 2020}}
Nancye Hayes AM, musical theatre, stage and screen actress, singer, dancer, choreographer and director{{cite web|title=Nancye Hayes Official website|url=https://nancyehayes.com.au///|access-date=12 August 2020}}
Piper Simons, Australia rugby sevens international.{{cite web|url= https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/sport/australian-world-school-sevens-rugby-player-piper-simons-born-to-tackle-thanks-to-seven-brothers/news-story/61317e354f0cf3ae00d0944be99477b9?amp|website=Daily Telegraph|accessdate=30 November 2024|first=Amanda|last=Lulham|title=

Australian World School Sevens Rugby player Piper Simons born to tackle thanks to seven brothers |date=16 Dec 2022}}{{cite web|url= https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/nsw-schoolgirls-making-australian-rugby-league-history-litia-fusa-piper-simons-ally-bullman/news-story/dc59b71b60ab4f4412c9cf5b04413f74?amp&nk=0d575c05e145e74dba90274bca25cce5-1732963312 |title=NSW schoolgirls making Australian rugby league history, Litia Fusa, Piper Simons, Ally Bullman|website=Daily Telegraph|accessdate=30 November 2024|first=Amanda|last=Lulham|date=11 August 2022}}

Kym Wilson, actress and television presenter{{cite web|title=Daily Telegraph 2015|url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/acting-was-always-my-true-love-kym-wilson-returns-to-oz-to-sell-home-and-develop-tv-series/news-story/74f7b3f9bf1362a225810bd020fd4a91///|publisher=Daily Telegraph|access-date=11 August 2020}}