'We should be as the compass that goes round its circle without stirring from its centre… Our centre is God, from whom all our actions should spring as from their source.' – Catherine McAuley
We honour our Mercy heritage and give thanks to those who went before us, especially the pioneering sisters from Baggot Street, Dublin. As a Catholic secondary College, we are proud to nurture young people in faith, courage and compassion. We invite each student to grow in their understanding of God, to discover their unique gifts and to use those gifts in the service of others.
The Sisters of Mercy order was founded in 1831 in Dublin, Ireland, by Catherine McAuley to serve the poor, the sick and the uneducated, particularly women and children. Known as 'walking nuns', they moved from cloistered life to active community ministry. The order spread globally, establishing schools, hospitals and homes. Their involvement began with the arrival of four pioneering sisters from Ireland, marking the start of a legacy in education and social justice that continues today.
Sacred Heart was established 20 years after Geelong's founding, making our College one of the oldest Catholic secondary Colleges in Victoria.
In 1859, at the request of the Bishop of Melbourne, Mother Mary Xavier Maguire terminated her office as superior at the mother-house and journeyed to Geelong to open a convent. She led a small group of three other sisters – Sr Mary Gabrielle Sherlock, Sr Margaret Mullally and Sr Joseph Manly – on a journey from Baggot Street, Dublin, to Australia. The sisters arrived in Melbourne in December and travelled to Geelong in March 1860. They moved into a residence known as ‘Sunville,’ located on the site where the College stands today. Despite having very few resources, they wasted no time in officially opening the College on April 18, 1860.
They initially advertised for both day pupils and boarders, catering to the daughters of local settlers and those from more remote Victorian properties. True to the Mercy spirit, the sisters didn't just teach. In their first year, they also established an orphanage and began visiting the sick at the Geelong Hospital and the local gaol. As the College grew, the original Sunville house became too small. In 1863, work began on the iconic Bluestone Building – today known as our Heritage Precinct – which defines our College's facade.
Mother Mary Xavier Maguire's successors founded houses of the order at North Melbourne in 1859, Kyneton in 1889 and Coburg in 1903. Later Mother Xavier Maguire (Elizabeth Maguire) and her sister Annie entered the Mercy Novitiate in Dublin, 12 years after the Order was founded by Catherine McAuley.
For most of her 20 years in Geelong, Mother Xavier suffered from crippling arthritis and died in 1879, aged 60. She is buried in the Convent of Mercy, Newtown, Geelong.
In 1908, the Mercy Convents in the Diocese were amalgamated and by 1910, the boarding and day schools were united under the name Sacred Heart College.
