One School: Big Marks
Edmund Ignatius Rice was born in Ireland in 1764. He forged a successful career inbusiness. In 1802, Rice devoted his life to prayer, young peopleand charitable work,with the poor and marginalised of Waterford. The Edmund Rice tradition of schoolsworldwide aims to continue his charism, offering a liberating education, based on agospel spirituality, within an inclusive community committed to justice and solidarity
First Headmaster at St Mary's College. St Mary’s College was founded in 1899 by the Christian Brothers, a religious order ofBrothers founded in Waterford in Ireland by Blessed Edmund Rice. The story of StMary's College in its early years is that of theChristian Brothers, students and parentswho not only made the school a reality, but who were the life of the St Mary'sCollege family. Brother John Hurley was the first Headmaster at the school.
The Christian Brothers who founded St Mary’s College in 1899, had a great devotion to Mary. They prayed to her, to ask her Son Jesus to hear their prayers, the idea being that the Mother would not refuse her Son. Mary was the role model the Christian Brothers chose for St Mary's College boys. She was a person of prayer, goodness, care, dependability and humility, who responded to life with a resounding 'yes'.
St Mary's Toowoomba Timeline
Br Patrick Ambrose Treacy, Provincial Superior of Christian Brothers in Australia is visited in Sydney by the Parish Priest of Toowoomba, Fr Denis Fouhy, about the establishment of a boys’ Catholic school in Toowoomba.
28th January, tenders invited for the erection of the School/Residence designed by William Hodgen HRIBA (Construction time 24 weeks).
26th February–Foundation Stone laid by Archbishop Dunne.
15th September–Br J.H. Hurley–First Principal arrived in Toowoomba.
28th September–School/Brothers’ residence–completed (as exists today).
1st October–Classrooms and residence blessed and opened.
2nd October–St Mary’s College commenced operations–120 pupils–first student was named as William McGoldrick, having won a foot race from Our Lady of Lourdes Church to St Mary’s College. Fr McGoldrick was ordained in 1911.
Enrolments at St Mary’s College grew to 210 pupils.
August–Sudden death of Principal Br J.B. Nugent (1912-1914). A white Carrara marble statue of the Madonna was erected in memory of him in front of the Brothers’ Residence–which still exists today.
School placed First in Queensland by the official examiner of the Christian Brothers.
