Every community has a story, and ours spans generations. The Sacred Heart College Geelong Archives serves as the official custodian of our rich history, preserving the enduring legacy of our College, our founding order, the Sisters of Mercy and the vibrant community that has shaped us since our inception in 1860.
As stewards of the SHC legacy, we are dedicated to actively collecting, safeguarding, and sharing the documentation of our history as a premier Catholic girls' institution. Whether you are an alumni revisiting your roots, a student discovering our past, or a researcher exploring our heritage, we invite you to explore the stories that define us.
For more information or to share your stories, please reach out to Gemma Lees, Archivist and Wedding Co-ordinator.
P: 5221 4211
E: gelees@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au
Alternatively, please complete the enquiry form below and Gemma will contact you.
We celebrate the dreamers from our Mercy story. They include Catherine McAuley, Mother Xavier Maguire, the countless Sisters of Mercy and the former students and staff of Sacred Heart College Geelong. We join our dreams to their vision.
Sacred Heart College Geelong’s rich history closely mirrors the trajectory of modern world events. The chronological comparative table below maps some of of the defining milestones in the college's legacy against some major global developments that shaped the modern era.
| Era/Year | SHC and Mercy History | Australian and World Events |
|---|---|---|
| 1831 to 1859 | 1831: Catherine McAuley officially founded the Sisters of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland 1859: Archbishop Goold petitions Dublin; Mother Mary Xavier Maguire leads a band of Sisters aboard ship, arriving in Victoria on 3 December | 1851: Gold is discovered in Victoria. The Gold Rush transforms Geelong into a bustling port town and primary gateway to the Ballarat goldfields 1854: The Eureka Stockade rebellion occurs in Ballarat |
| 1860 to 1879 | 1860: The Sisters establish their school in Newtown with 12 pupils (including 6 boarders) 1861: An adjoining orphanage opens, caring for 50 girls. Convent and chapel construction begins 1870: The Sisters opened Geelong’s first public lending library at St Catherine’s, six years before the municipal library opened | 1861 to 1865: The American Civil War disrupts global maritime trade and shipping routes 1872: The Victorian Parliament passes the landmark Free, Secular and Compulsory Education Act, fundamentally reshaping schooling across Victoria |
| 1880 to 1899 | 1889: Young boys enrol in SHC lower primary classes, with Laurence Whelan recorded as the first boy on register 1890s: Primary boys transition to St Joseph’s College for upper primary studies | 1890s: A severe financial crash and the Great 1890s Economic Depression devastate Victoria, triggering widespread bank collapses 1895: St Joseph's relocates to Ballarat (forming St Patrick's), leading several former SHC boys to board in Ballarat |
| 1900 to 1919 | 1900s: SHC is registered as conducting junior, senior and boarding schools 1910: SHC celebrates its Silver Jubilee, bringing up to 300 past pupils back to campus for a grand reunion | 1901: Federation of Australia, the colonies unite into the Commonwealth of Australia 1914 to 1918: World War I breaks out. Geelong rallies to support the war effort while local families face severe losses overseas |
| 1920 to 1939 | 1924: Sacred Heart Past Pupils Association is officially founded; Debutante Balls commence 1932: First annual Mercedes magazine is published, co-edited by Sheila O'Loughlin and Ineen Stack 1933: House System is introduced (Loyola, Padua, Clairvaux) 1935: The Mercedes Clubrooms open in Little Malop Street; ties with the new St Joseph's College campus are rekindled 1939: Past pupil Alma O'Brien writes to Mother Antonia Nolan from Lourdes, France | 1929 to 1939: The Great Depression strikes globally 1936 to 1939: The Spanish Civil War leads French troops to fortify the Pyrenees border, blocking tourists like Alma O'Brien from crossing into Spain 1939: World War II erupts in Europe |
| 1940 to 1959 | 1942: Mercedes magazine pauses publication due to wartime paper shortages and economic constraints 1955: Distribution of the For Your Guidance etiquette manual begins across Mercy schools 1959: Siena House (Yellow) is established to accommodate growing enrolments | 1939 to 1945: World War II. Post-war immigration booms across Geelong, bringing diverse European migrant families to the region 1956: Melbourne hosts the Olympic Games; television broadcasting arrives across Australia |
| 1960 to 1979 | 1960: Sacred Heart College celebrates its Centenary and publishes a special centenary Mercedes 1961 to 1973: Publication of Mercedes pauses again due to budget restraints 1974: Primary classes begin phasing out. Mercedes magazine resumes and remains an unbroken annual tradition to this day | 1960s: Major social and cultural shifts modernise Australian lifestyle, leading to the phase-out of traditional etiquette 1970s: Victorian educational reforms encourage specialised secondary-focused regional Catholic colleges |
| 1980 to 1999 | 1981: The Western District Alumni Chapter forms, connecting rural past boarders 1989: Introduction of the VCE brings senior boys back to SHC classrooms through shared academic programmes with St Joseph's College 1997: The historic convent building transitions to serve as the regional Convent of Mercy | 1987: The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) is introduced statewide 1990s: Personal computers and digital technology enter high school classrooms across Australia |
| 2000 to 2019 | 2010: Sacred Heart College celebrates its 150th Anniversary (1860–2010) and publishes Mercy Girls: The Story of Sacred Heart College Geelong 2010s: Development of state-of-the-art STEM, performing arts, and athletic facilities across the 6.6-hectare Newtown campus | 2000s to 2010s: Rapid advancement in digital connectivity, modern pedagogical design, and collaborative learning environments globally |
| 2020 to 2026 | 2020s: Establishment of the Xavier Maguire Heritage Precinct 2026: A historic milestone occurs as the last resident Sister of Mercy, Sr Joan Wilson, relocates from campus, marking the farewell of the resident Sisters. Demolition of Mercy House begins to make way for new, purpose-built educational facilities for future generations | 2020 to 2022: Global COVID-19 pandemic accelerates remote learning, digitisation, and online community networks worldwide 2026: Contemporary digital preservation ensures local Australian school histories remain globally accessible via cloud archives |
The Sacred Heart College Geelong Archives serves as the official repository for items of enduring historical value related to the College, its founding order the Sisters of Mercy, and the wider community since its inception in 1860.
Established through the vision of Mother Xavier Maguire, the Archives hold the institutional memory that documents our growth from a pioneering Catholic girls' school to the vibrant centre of learning it is today. The historical collection represents a profound legacy of more than 160 years, and we are now embracing the significant opportunity to transition it into a professionally managed, modern archival resource. SHC has commenced a multi-year project focused on the recovery, preservation and activation of this unique historical asset.
Our commitment is clear: to ensure the legacy of every student, staff member and Sister of Mercy is secured for the next generation.
The comprehensive revitalisation of the Archives is driven by three key objectives:
The project requires systematic, professional execution across three critical phases:
The Archives actively collects and preserves items that document the history of SHC from its founding to the present. The scope is broad, ensuring the documentation of all facets of College life, including:
The Archives are the collective memory of SHC. We warmly invite our community, particularly our alumni and former staff, to partner with us in this renewal:
By undertaking this crucial work, SHC reaffirms its commitment to its history and ensures the enduring legacy of Mother Xavier Maguire and the Sisters of Mercy continues to inspire future generations.
At present, the Archives are in a major renewal phase focused on preservation and cataloging. Physical access for external researchers is currently limited. We encourage all inquiries to be submitted via email to the Archivist, who can assess the feasibility of your request against our current project timelines.
Please email the Archivist directly with your inquiry. We hold extensive records, including student registers and staff lists.
The Archivist will do their best to assist you by providing general or historical information. However, please be aware that as the Archives are currently undergoing a major renewal; some history may not be immediately accessible because the items have not yet been cataloged, processed or organised. We appreciate your patience as we work to bring the entire 160+ year collection to a searchable standard.
Yes, we welcome inquiries about donations! The strength of our collection relies on the generosity of our community. If you possess official school records, significant photographs, uniforms, publications or other unique historical items, please contact the Archivist to begin the process.
We are actively seeking material that documents key moments in SHC life, the work of the Sisters of Mercy and the student experience across all eras. We particularly value items that are rare, unique or contribute to an existing gap in our historical record.
Due to space and preservation constraints, we generally cannot accept routine homework, damaged textbooks or non-unique mass-produced contemporary items (e.g., promotional merchandise). The Archivist will appraise all proposed donations based on the official Collection Policy.
Archival items are unique, irreplaceable historical assets that belong to the SHC’s permanent collection. Therefore, materials are held strictly for preservation and research and cannot be borrowed or loaned to external individuals.
However, based on the nature of your research request and the availability of the Archivist, we may be able to organise a supervised visit to the Archives to review specific items on-site. Please email the Archivist to discuss the possibility of scheduling an appointment.
We would love to hear them! Whether you are an alumni, a past staff member or a friend of the community, your stories are the heartbeat of our history. Whether it is a quick anecdote about a favourite tradition, a reflection on the Sisters of Mercy or an everyday classroom memory, we want to hear it!
Click on the button below to access our Memories Form; simply fill out the fields and submit the form directly to the Archivist to ensure your unique piece of SHC history is preserved for generations to come.
Not yet, but it is on the horizon. As part of our long-term vision, we will eventually be using the Victorian Collections platform to digitise our extensive physical archives. This will allow alumni, researchers, and the wider community to explore our historic photographs, documents, and textiles online. Because meticulous archival preservation takes time, we look forward to sharing these digital collections with you as the project progresses over the coming years.
For any related questions or to submit a research request, please contact the Archivist directly:
Archivist: Gemma Lees
Email: gelees@shcgeelong.catholic.edu.au
