Established 1916 Enrolment ~1000 (7–12) Founded 1916 | Principal Robyn Anderson Phone +61 7 3399 8888 | |
Type Private/Independent, Single-sex, Day Motto Respice Stellam Voca Mariam
"Look to the Star and Call Upon Mary" Denomination Roman Catholic
(Sisters of the Good Samaritan) Address 86 Hawthorne Rd, Hawthorne QLD 4171, Australia Similar Loreto College, Villanova College, Somerville House, Cannon Hill Anglican, All Hallows' School | ||
Lourdes Hill College is a Roman Catholic, secondary, day and was a boarding school until 2011 for girls, located in Hawthorne, an inner-eastern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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The college was named after Lourdes in France, where Mary is said to have appeared to a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous. It was founded in 1916 by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan of the Order of Saint Benedict, and currently caters for approximately 970 students from Years 8 to 12 (12 to 18 years of age), which included 70 boarders.
Lourdes Hill is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and the Brisbane Schoolgirls Sporting Association (BSGSA). The school is one of eleven colleges incorporated by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan.
History
Lourdes Hill College traces its origins to 1915, when the Archbishop of Brisbane, James Duhig, invited the Sisters of the Good Samaritan to establish schools in Brisbane. Subsequently, that same year, thirteen Sisters travelled from Sydney opening convents at Bulimba and Coorparoo.
Archbishop Duhig offered the sisters one of the choicest sites in Brisbane for a convent and a secondary girls' school. Lourdes Hill College was established in January 1916, with Mother Berchmans and thirteen sisters sailing up the river on the ship "Osterley" and docking at the site.
The College was named after Lourdes in France, where Mary is said to have appeared to a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous. When the Good Samaritan Sisters were setting up the school, Archbishop Duhig commented that the site reminded him of Lourdes.
Campus
Lourdes Hill College is situated on the Bulimba Reach of the Brisbane River in suburban Hawthorne, across the river from New Farm Park. The campus is 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from the Brisbane central business district.
Boarding
The aim of the College Boarding House was to provide a homely environment. Year 8 students lived in rooms of four girls, while Years 9 to 11 students were located in single, two, three or four bed accommodation. All Seniors had single rooms. The Boarding House closed in 2010.
Curriculum
Lourdes Hill offers a broad curriculum covering the faculties of English, Religious Education, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, Languages, Information Technology, Business, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Health and Physical Education, and Hospitality.
Students may also choose to combine their secondary school studies with Vocational Educational Training (VET) and workplace learning. The Work Education Program can be incorporated into the Year 11 and 12 academic program. Students who complete their senior studies in combination with this program receive a Senior Certificate and a QTAC selection rank that allows access to TAFE and many university courses. Opportunities also exist for students to commence a school based apprenticeship or traineeship, involving part-time school and part-time paid employment. Find more information at the website: www.lhc.qld.edu.au
Sport
Lourdes Hill students may participate in a range of sporting activities, both at social and competition level. The school is a member of the Catholic Secondary Schoolgirls' Sports Association and participates in Wednesday afternoon competitions for sports such as basketball, hockey, netball, soccer, softball, touch football, and volleyball. Carnivals are also held for swimming, athletics, and cross country, both within school and against other girls' schools.
The college offers five sporting clubs, in canoeing, rowing, hockey, sailing, sport aerobics and tennis. These clubs participate in a variety of competitions.
Notable alumnae
Alumnae of Lourdes Hill College are commonly referred to as 'Lourdanians', and may elect to join the schools alumni association, the Lourdes Hill College Past Pupils Association (LHCPPA). Some notable Lourdanians include: