Celebrating 100 Years

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    • Centenary of Foundation Stone
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    • Centenary League Match
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  • Former Principals
    • Br. McMahon, Br. Wade. Pat Foley
    • Brian Robers, Pat O'Connor' Damien Millar
    • Peter McNamara
  • Former Students
    • 1910s
      • Anthony Sullivan
    • 1940s
      • Fr. Jim O'Meara
    • 1950s
      • Warren Saunders
      • Michael Tynan
    • 1960s
      • Judge Paul Conlon
      • Brian Langton
    • 1970s
      • Hon. John Ajaka
      • Dr. John Best
      • Michael Blowes
      • Hon. Kevin Greene
      • Prof. Steve Keen
      • Tony Shepherd
    • 1980s
      • Mark Barbeliuk
      • Annie La Fleur
      • Lopes Brothers
    • 1990s
      • Dan Ginnane
      • Ald. Mark Coure
      • Ald. Stephen McMahon
    • 2000s
      • Keith Galloway
      • Chris Holland
      • Ben Horne
  • Current Staff
    • Mrs. Lola Ryan
    • Mr. Mal Tolley
    • Ancillary Staff
    • Former Students now Teachers
    • Fr. Xavier Barry
  • Former Staff
    • Mr. Michael Filtz
    • Sr. Patricia Anderson
    • Mrs. Karen Ryce
    • Mr. Ken Boothroyd
    • Mr. Michael Blowes
    • Mr. Bernie Holdsworth
    • Br. Tony Butler
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1904

Fr. O'Driscoll the Parish Priest of Kogarah invites the Marist Brothers to set up a school in the Parish. The Marist Brothers decline the offer.

1907
Fr O’Driscoll bought the land on which the college now stands for £500 from Mr. Charles Fry. With the land purchased Fr O’Driscoll petitioned the Marist Brothers for a second time to establish a school on the site .

This time the Marist Brothers agreed and the building of the school and its monastery began in December of 1908

1908

The Foundation Stone was blessed by Cardinal Moran on 13th December, 1908. One photo remains from that day, it shows the Cardinal and a small boy P. Fox. The boy would become one of the School's early students.

1909

Lessons begin at the school on February 8th, 1908 with 100 primary aged students. At this time the school had three classrooms and three teaching Brothers, Gonzaga, Eusebius, Marcellus and a hundred eager students.

Amongst the rocky terrain, dirt roads and a few local inhabitants the elementary school then known as Saint Mary’s Mount, began its first days of schooling.

1910

The picture shown here is the earliest surviving picture of students. It was taken around 1910. The Brother on the far right of the picture is Br. Gonzaga Brown, the schools first Principal.

At this time the school only had primary aged students. Also of note is the lack of school uniform. It would not be until 1941 that the boys would get a school uniform.

1910 Undefeated Football Team

This photo also taken in 1910 is the first that can be found of any sporting team at Kogarah. The school is only two years old and already one of our teams is undefeated for the year.

This is the start of a great Rugby League tradition that still exists today.

We do not know what division the team belonged to but the boys look around 12 to 13 years of age.

1924 - The School gets its Second Name

Since its opening in 1909 the school had been know as Saint Mary's Mount. This would change in 1924 when for the first time the school was called Marist Brother's Kogarah.

1925 - Gonzaga Building Extension

By 1925 the population of the school had risen to 250 and more classrooms were needed. The Principal Br Hubert Prowse (1922 - 1927) decided to build three extra classrooms. However even before they were finished in 1925 all the students could not fit and some were been educated in a 'garden shed'.

The picture to the right is the cover of a booklet produced for the laying of the Foundation Stone to those additions. This took place on 18th October, 1925.

1928

By 1928 the school had extended to Third Form, what we would call Year 9 today. These students would become the first group sit for Intermediate Certificate

Another significant took place in 1928. This was the Golden Jubilee of Br Pius becoming a Marist Brother. He became a Marist Brother in 1872. A whole school photo was taken to celebrate the event.

As part of the celebrations for this event a whole school photo was taken. A copy of this photo is shown below.

Photo of the entire Marist Brothers' School, Kogarah. Taken in 1928 for celebration of Br. Pius' Golden Jubilee

1936

In 1936 further extensions were added to the Gonzaga Building. At the same time a Wood and Metal Works building was completed. This building was located on the site of the present basketball courts.

The building can be seen in the background of this photograph.

The building was demolished in 1999 when the current TAS and Creative Arts block was under construction.

The photo itself was taken on Anzac Day, 1945.

1937

In 1937 the Parents and Friends Association stated. Since that time this Association has been a very important part of the school. It has served a major role in fund raising over the years.

This was particularly important in days before Catholic Schools received government funding.

In the late 1930's an official school uniform was introduced.

1940
The first Fifth Form Class (Yr11) sits for the Leaving Certificate Class. By this time the school population has reached 600.

1941
The school has 8 sports houses. They were black, red, white, gold, pink, blue, green and purple.

1943
After 34 years the dusty playground is finally asphalted. Until this time the students used the area now covered by the Chapel and the Marist Centre as the main playground.

1945
The school population reaches 800

1950

By 1950 the school population had reached 800. The full teaching staff for these 800 students was 13 Marist Brothers.

This would have meant that the average class size would have been over 60.

1953

In 1953 Marist Brothers' Penshurst opened. Since that time there has been a long term relationship between the two schools.

The Sydney Archdiocesan Catholic Schools Board now has an arrangement where students enrolled in Years 7 - Year 10 at Penshurst are automatically enrolled at Marist College Kogarah for Years 11 and 12

1955

Cricket nets built where Roberts Building is now located.

The last of these was demolished in 1998 for construction of the Roberts Building.

These days the nets have been replaced by an outside court on the roof of the Roberts Building.

1956
Four Primary Classrooms built in a building now located under the library.

1958
Cardinal Gilroy approves construction of school Hall. Approval is later amended to include a Chapel. This project is undertaken as part of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations.

1959
This is the Golden Jubilee Year. The staff consists of 21 brothers and 2 lay teachers. By this time the school population has reached 1,000

1958 Graduation Class

The photo to the right shows the Graduation Class from 1958.

Worth noting in the photo is the gray coat which was part of the uniform at the time. The colour of the coat would not change to our present blue until the late 1960's

1960

School Chapel and Hall are completed as part of Golden Jubilee Celebrations.

This building become known for its external and internal architecture.

The circular shape of the Chapel was not common at the time and was chosen to suit the site. It was felt that a square building would obscure too much of the main school building from the view below. It would also allow people to sit closer to the altar than in a building of rectangular shape.

The Chapel and hall cost £25,000 to build ($50,000)

1965
1965 would see the introduction of the Wyndham Scheme. This remains probably the most significant change ever in education in New South Wales.

Most significantly an extra year was added to school and the Higher School Certificate was introduced.

These changes would lead to more building at the school in the late 1960's

Wyndham Scheme Changes

• Science becomes compulsory
• Physical Education becomes compulsory
• School Certificate Year 10 replaces Intermediate Certificate Year 9
• High School Certificate (Year 12) replaces Leaving Certificate Year 11
• Yes they added an extra year!!

1970

Cardinal Gilroy, the first Australian born Cardinal and an old boy from 1909 becomes Australian of the Year.

Amongst other things Cardinal Gilroy is remembered for his vigorous and ultimately successful advocacy of state funding for Roman Catholic schools.

Gilroy was knighted in 1969. He was the first Roman Catholic Cardinal to receive a knighthood since the Reformation.

1977

Br Placidius Reddon Memorial Library is built. Br. Placidius Reddon who had been Principal of the College during the difficult war years in the 1940's had passed away in 1974.

The decision to name the library in his memory was a very fitting gesture.

1979

The staff consisted of 14 brothers and 24 lay staff.

At this time the student population was 1,100.

1984
The O'Brien Block which was built for the arrival of girls in the Senior School is opened by Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

This is the first time that a serving Prime Minister visited a Catholic school.

This same year the Primary School closes after 75 years.

The Senior School becomes co-educational with the first intake of girls into Year 11.

In this Diamond Jubilee Year the Sports Houses renamed after famous sportsmen all of whom are ex-students of the College. The Sports Houses are

• Farrel
• Windell
• Bailey
• Lindwall

The schools gets its 3rd name when the name is changed to Kogarah Marist High.

1987
First staff and admin computers arrive at the school.

1991
Staff now consists of 3 teaching brothers, 55 lay teaching staff as well as 6 ancillary staff

1992
Last Marist Principal Br Pat Foley leaves the school. In Term 2 the school's first Lay Principal Mr. Peter McNamara arrives.

1993
The last three teaching brothers leave. This is also the final year of girls.

1995

McDermott room built and named after long serving teacher John McDermott.

This room was built by filling in the undercroft area of the O'Brien Block. It greatly improved this area of the school.

The school name is changed again, when the school gets its 4th and current name Marist College Kogarah

1999

Canonisation of Marcellin Champagnat.

On April 18th 1999 the founder of the Marist Brothers was Canonised. This was the culmination of 97 years work by many people with links to the Marist Brothers. After two miraculous cures attributed to Marcellin he was declared Blessed Marcellin Champagnat by Pope Pius XII in St Peters Basilica in Rome in 1955. After a miraculous cure in 1976 the Pope agreed to canonise Marcellin. A number of students and teachers represented the school at the ceremony in St Peters Basilica

2007
The school longest serving staff member in the history of the school Michael Filtz retires after 38 years.

Longest Serving Principal, Mr Patrick O'Connor retires after 7 years as Principal and 36 years in Catholic Education.

2008

13th December, 2008 makes the centenary of laying of schools foundation stone. .

In the last 100 years the school has had 600 staff members and 20,000 students including 600 girls.

On 13th December, 2008 two long term staff members, Darren Chantler and Neil Brotherton, produced a centenary multimedia presentation to chronicle the great history of the school.

This was first shown to students to Celebrate the beginning of the Centenary Celebrations following the Christmas Liturgy on 15th December, 2008.

It is planned to make a copy of the presentation available for download here. Due to our copyright licensing arrangements it will not be possible to include the original music in this download.

Darren Chantler and Neil Brotherton on the
Centenary of the laying of the Foundation Stone.
13th December, 2008