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MARIST BROTHERS OF THE SCHOOLS |
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| FOUNDATIONS | |
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| HAMILTON |
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| 1928 | HAMILTON |
| THE MARIST BROTHERS ARRIVED IN NEWCASTLE IN 1898 TO TAKE CHARGE OF THE PARISH SCHOOL IN THE BASEMENT OF ST MARY'S STAR OF THE SEA, NEWCASTLE. HOWEVER BY THE INTERWAR YEARS IT HAD BECOME CLEAR THAT THE SITE WAS INSUFFICIENT FOR THE INCREASING ENROLLMENTS, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE SCHOOL BEGAN ITS FIRST SECONDARY CLASS IN 1924. IN 1928 THEREFORE THE SCHOOL WAS CLOSED AND THE CAMPUS SHIFTED TO HAMILTON. A MONASTERY WAS QUICKLY ESTABLISHED AND THE SCHOOL, DEDICATED TO ST FRANCIS XAVIER, BEGAN ITS LONG STEADY EXPANSION. THIRTY YEARS LATER THE HAMILTON BROTHERS ALSO HELPED ESTABLISH A SECOND SCHOOL AT TIGHES HILL ALTHOUGH DISAGREEMENTS WITH THE DIOCESE LED TO THEIR WITHDRAWAL BEFORE A MONASTERY COULD BE FOUNDED. THE SCHOOL AT HAMILTON PROVED BOTH SUCCESSFUL AND FLEXIBLE ENOUGH TO ADJUST TO CHANGING EDUCATIONAL NEEDS MOVING FROM PRIMARY TO SECONDARY AND LATER TO SENIOR COLLEGE STATUS. TOWARDS THE END OF THE CENTURY WITH THE DECLINE IN VOCATIONS MUCH OF THE TEACHING LOAD WAS TAKEN OVER BY LAY STAFF BUT THE BROTHERS MAINTAIN THEIR OVERSIGHT OF THE COLLEGE TO THIS DAY FULFILLING THE APOSTOLATE LAID DOWN FOR THEM NEARLY 200 YEARS AGO. MONASTERY |
| MARIST BROTHERS MONASTERY | |
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| WHEN THE BROTHERS FIRST MOVED TO HAMILTON THE DIOCESE RENTED A HOUSE (ABOVE LEFT) FOR THEM ON THE CORNER OF DENISON ST AND PARKWAY AVE FOR TWELVE MONTHS UNTIL A MORE SUITABLE RESIDENCE COULD BE OBTAINED. THIS WAS DULY DONE AND IN 1929 THE BROTHERS MOVED INTO A NEW HOUSE FURTHER ALONG DENISON ST (ABOVE RIGHT) WHICH WAS RENTED OR PURCHASED (THERE IS CONFUSION OVER THIS) FOR THEM. THEY WOULD REMAIN THERE FOR TEN YEARS BEFORE THEY WERE ABLE HAVE THEIR OWN RESIDENCE. NEXT | |
 | IN 1939 A MONASTERY WAS FINALLY BUILT FOR THE BROTHERS NEXT DOOR TO THE SCHOOL ON THE CORNER OF PARKWAY AVE AND EVERTON ST. IT WAS ORIGINALLY A TWO-STORIED BUILDING BUT THE EXPANSION OF THE SCHOOL REQUIRED AN EVER INCREASING STAFF AND LATER A THIRD STORY WAS ADDED. THIS BUILDING REMAINS THEIR RESIDENCE TODAY. THE MONASTERY IS A THREE STORY BRICK BUILDING BUILT IN AN UNPRETENSIOUS ART DECO STYLE POPULAR IN THE 1930's. TWIN ROUND COLUMNS AND THE SEMI-CIRCULAR ORATORY ARE MARKS OF THIS STYLE. A PLAIN CROSS ABOVE THE DOOR SIGNIFIES ITS RELIGIOUS PURPOSE. ONE UNUSUAL FEATURE ARE THE GATES, ADDED IN THE 1950's, WITH THE NAME SAINT MARCELLIN ON THEM, A 30 YEAR ANTICIPATION OF MARCELLIN CHAMPAGNAT'S CANONISATION. ST FRANCIS XAVIER'S SCHOOL | |
| ST FRANCIS XAVIER'S BOY'S SCHOOL MARIST BROTHER'S HIGH SCHOOL ST FRANCIS XAVIER COLLEGE |  |
| ST FRANCIS XAVIER'S BOYS SCHOOL WAS ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED AS A PRIMARY SCHOOL FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEWCASTLE WITH SOME SECONDARY AND TECHNICAL CLASSES ATTACHED. BUT AS HAD BEEN FORESEEN EVEN AT THE TIME OF ITS OPENING NUMBERS INCREASED STEADILY ON THE SECONDARY SIDE OF THE SCHOOL AND BY THE TIME OF THE WYNDHAM SCHEME IN THE 1960's IT WAS EFFECTIVELY A BOYS COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL AND WAS GENERALLY KNOWN SIMPLY AS MARIST BROTHERS' HIGH SCHOOL HAMILTON. IN 1985 FURTHER CHANGES IN DEMOGRAPHICS SAW THE SCHOOL RESUME ITS ORIGINAL NAME AND CHANGE AGAIN TO BECOME A SENIOR CO-EDUCATIONAL COLLEGE FOR THE NEWCASTLE REGION. THOUGH ST FRANCIS XAVIER'S COLLEGE IS NOW LARGELY LAY-STAFFED THE BROTHERS MAINTAIN AN ON-GOING LEADERSHIP PRESENCE AND A CLOSE INVOLVEMENT IN THE COLLEGE. HISTORY COLLEGE WEBSITE |
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| THE ORIGINAL SCHOOL WAS A SINGLE STORY BUILDING COMPRISING NINE CLASSROOMS AND TOPPED BY A TURRET AND SINGLE-ARMED CROSS (ABOVE). IT SOON BECAME APPARENT THAT THEIR WAS INSUFFICIENT ROOM FOR THE GROWING NUMBERS OF SECONDARY BOYS AND A NEW TWO-STORY WING WAS ADDED ON THE SKELTON ST END IN 1932 (BELOW LEFT), AT THE SAME TIME BECOMING THE MAIN ENTRANCE. | |
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| THE NEW ENTRANCE WAS MARKED BY A CLASSICAL STYLE AND A STATUE OF THE PATRON (BELOW LEFT). LATER A NEW DOOR WAS MADE IN THE MAIN BUILDING ON THE PARKWAY AVE SIDE. THE NAME MARIST HIGH WAS CLEARLY IN GENERAL USE BY THIS TIME (>>>>) NEXT |
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FURTHER EXTENSIONS WERE NECESSITATED AS THE SECONDARY SCHOOL CONTINUED TO GROW. IN 1946 TWO ADDITONAL STORIES WERE ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL BUILDING, THE SECOND DOUBLING THE NUMBER OF CLASSROOMS AND THE THIRD,PAID FOR BY THE PARENTS AND FRIENDS, BECOMING THE SCHOOL HALL. AT THE SAME TIME A NEW TURRET AND CROSS, NOW DOUBLE-ARMED, WERE PLACED ON THE ROOF. IN THE PHOTO BELOW THE ORIGINAL SECONDARY WING CAN BE SEEN TO THE LEFT NOW OVERSHADOWED BY THE NEW ADDITIONS. IN 1971 A CHAPEL WAS ALSO ADDED. NEXT |
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THE STEADY EXPANSION OF THE SCHOOL CAN BE SEEN IN THIS SERIES OF AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE SCHOOL COURTESY OF BR GERARD WILLIAM'S BOOK ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE POST-WAR BOOM THE SCHOOL COMPRISED THE ENLARGED ORIGINAL BUILDING, THE SECONDARY WING, THE TWO-STORIED MONASTERY AND THE QUAD (ABOVE LEFT). BY THE 1970's THE QUAD HAD BECOME ENCLOSED BY BUILDINGS ON ALL FOUR SIDES, THE MONASTERY HAD HAD A THIRD STORY ADDED AND MANY OF THE BUILDINGS HAD TO BE RAISED ON PILLARS TO CONSERVE PLAYGROUND AND PROVIDE SHADE (ABOVE RIGHT). IN 1972 NEW BUILDINGS WERE CONSTRUCTED ACROSS SKELTON ST AND AN AIRBRIDGE BUILT TO CONNECT THEM TO THE SCHOOL. IN 1978 SKELTON ST ITSELF BECAME PART OF THE SCHOOL GROUNDS. SINCE THEN THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN EXTENDED BACK TO HEBBURN ST WITH THE ADDITION OF NEW BUILDINGS AND OPEN AREAS (LEFT). CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP |
| CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP | |
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| THE SCHOOL CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP WAS COMPLETED IN 1971. THE PARKWAY AVE ENTRANCE WAS CLOSED AND THE SPACE REBUILT WITH THE SANCTUARY EXTENDING TOWARDS THE STREET (ABOVE RIGHT). THIS PROTRUDING RECTANGULAR SANCTUARY WITH ITS MODERN STAINED GLASS WINDOW WITH BLOCKS OF COLOUR USED TO OUTLINE A CROSS, FORMS THE FOCUS OF THE STRUCTURE. NEXT | |
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| THE ORIGINAL FURNISHING OF THE SANCTUARY PLACED THE TABERNACLE BEHIND THE ALTAR AND INCLUDED A CONFESSIONAL (ABOVE LEFT) BUT DURING A LATER REFURBISHMENT THE CONFESSIONAL WAS REMOVED TO CREATE MORE SPACE AND THE TABERNACLE AND ITS PEDESTAL MOVED TO THE RIGHT HAND SIDE (BELOW). THE FURNISHINGS THEMSELVERS COMPRISE A PLAIN STONE ALTAR AND A STATUE OF THE SCHOOL PATRON, ST FRANCIS XAVIER. ON THE LEFT HAND WALL OF THE BODY OF THE CHAPEL ARE THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS GROUPED IN TWOS WHILE TO THE RIGHT ARE THE TABERNACLE AND A MODERN PAINTING OF OUR LADY QUEEN OF ALL SAINTS. NEXT | |
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| ST PIUS X SCHOOL, TIGHES HILL | |
| MARIST BROTHER'S ST PIUS X SCHOOL, TIGHES HILL |
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| BY THE MID-50's BISHOP GLEESON HAD BECOME CONCERNED AT THE GROWING STRAIN ON FACILITIES AT THE MARIST HIGH SCHOOL AT HAMILTON AND ACCORDINGLY PROPOSED THE OPENING OF A NEW SCHOOL TO BE STAFFED BY THE BROTHERS AT TIGHES HILL TO BE DEDICATED TO ST PIUS X. THE BROTHERS AGREED TO THIS SUBJECT TO THE USUAL CONDITIONS FOR A NEW SCHOOL OPENING, AMONG THESE THE PROVISION OF A MONSTERY FOR THE BROTHERS (THIS CONDITION WAS NEVER FULFILLED). THE SCHOOL WAS INTENDED TO BE FOR PRIMARY AGE BOYS ONLY AS IT WAS HOPED THIS WOULD RELEASE SPACE AT HAMILTON FOR THE BURGEONING SECONDARY CLASSES. THE SCHOOL OPENED IN JANUARY 1955. THE SITE CHOSEN TO BUILD THE SCHOOL WAS A NARROW SLOPING PIECE OF LAND ADJACENT TO THE MERCY CONVENT (SEEN ABOVE IN THE BACKGROUND) IN UNION ST TIGHES HILL. DESPITE THE DIFFICULTIES INHERENT IN SUCH A SITE THE ARCHITECTS, THE GANNON FAMILY, WERE ABLE TO CONSTRUCT A FUNCTIONAL NO-FRILLS DOUBLE-STORIED BRICK BUILDING WITH CLASSES ABOVE AND A CANTEEN / COVERED AREA BELOW. FOR A PLAYGROUND THE SCHOOL WAS FORCED TO USE THE OPEN PARK ALONG THROSBY CREEK STORM WATER DRAIN, WHICH DESPITE APPEARANCES GAVE THE PUPILS PLENTY OF SPACE TO BURN UP ENERGY. NEXT |
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| THE UNION STREET ENTRANCE JUST PRIOR TO THE SCHOOL'S COMPLETION (ABOVE LEFT) SHOWS THE DIFFERENT GROUND LEVELS OF THE SCHOOL AND THE LONG NARROW CONSTRUCTION WHILE THE CLASS PHOTO OF 1958 (ABOVE RIGHT) SHOWS THE ENTRANCE WITH THE SHIELD, CROSS AND TWO SOMEWHAT STRAGGLY TREES BRAVELY ATTEMPTING TO SOFTEN THE SCHOOL'S APPEARANCE. | |
 | <<<< THE SCHOOL AFTER ITS OPENING AND CLEARLY VERY MUCH TIDIED UP. THE SHARP DROP IN GROUND LEVELS IS QUITE OBVIOUS AS IS THE VERY LIMITED PLAYING SPACE AVAILABLE. NEXT A STATUE OF THE FOUNDER WAS A TRADITION IN MARIST SCHOOLS AND STOOD AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS. >>>> |  |
| THE STORY OF MARIST BROTHER'S ST PIUS X SCHOOL ENDS SADLY. DISAGREEMENTS WITH THE NEW BISHOP, ESPECIALLY OVER THE PROVISION OF A RESIDENCE, LED TO THE BISHOP ANNOUNCING IN NOVEMBER 1957 THAT THE SCHOOL WOULD BECOME A BOY'S SECONDARY SCHOOL STAFFED BY DIOCESAN PRIESTS. THE NEW ST PIUS X HIGH SCHOOL WOULD OPEN IN 1959. ACCORDINGLY THE BROTHERS WITHDREW IN DECEMBER 1958. IN 1961 THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE SITE SAW THE HIGH SCHOOL TO MOVE TO ANOTHER LOCATION IN ADAMSTOWN. THE BUILDINGS WERE THEN BRIEFLY USED BY ST ANNE'S HIGH SCHOOL FROM 1966 TO 1967 BEFORE IT TOO WAS MOVED. FOR SEVERAL YEARS THE SCHOOL STOOD EMPTY UNTIL IN 1971 THE OLD PARISH SCHOOL BUILDING ON BRYANT ST WAS CLOSED AND THE PUPILS MOVED TO UNION ST. THE PARISH SCHOOL WAS LATER CLOSED IN 1975 AND IN 1976 THE BUILDINGS WERE ACQUIRED BY THE SISTERS OF MERCY FOR THEIR COMMUNITY CARE CENTRE TRANSFERRED FROM TORONTO. DESPITE THE MANY CHANGES OVER THE 50 YEARS OF ITS LIFE AND BEING HIDDEN BEHIND A RECENTLY BUILT FACADE, THE ORIGINAL CLASSROOMS CAN STILL BE SEEN FROM THE SIDE (BELOW LEFT) WHILE AT THE BACK FACING THE NOW REJUVENTAED THROSBY PARK THE SCHOOL CROSS DISPLAYS ITSELF PROUDLY ON THE WALL (BELOW RIGHT). | |
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| TOP CONGREGATIONAL INFORMATION | |
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| ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
| MUCH OF THE INFORMATION FOR THIS PAGE WAS TAKEN FROM THE STORY OF THE MARIST BROTHERS IN AUSTRALIA 1872 - 1972 BY BR ALBAN DOYLE FMS. THE INFORMATION AND PHOTOS FOR THE MAITLAND, NEWCASTLE AND HAMILTON ENTRIES ARE TAKEN FROM ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS BY BR GERARD WILLIAMS FMS. THESE BOOKS ARE HERE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH GRATITUDE. READERS WHO WISH TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE MARIST BROTHERS ARE REFERRED TO BOTH THESE BOOKS. |