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Marist Schools

The commencement of Marist Schools began with the Society of the Little Brothers of Mary (The Marist Brothers). This was founded in the early 19th century by St. Marcellin Champagnat. He was motivated by the need to support young people in coming to know God and in gaining an education which would help them to become honest and productive members of the community.

ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ is one of 56 Marist Schools in Australia. Furthermore, it is the largest Catholic school in Western Australia. In addition, ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ is a congregationally owned College governed by Marist Schools Australia (MSA). Above all, it is part of a global Marist community spanning 83 countries around the world.

Marist schools globally embrace the principle ‘to bring up children properly, we must love them, and love them equally’.

Marist Association of St Marcellin Champagnat

The Marist Association of St Marcellin Champagnat is the community that sponsors and governs Marist works in Australia. It is the ‘mother’ that must nurture and shape Marist life and mission.

An overview of the Marist Association of St Marcellin Champagnat may be found on its website   The Marist Association of St Marcellin Champagnat represents an evolving and contemporary expression of Marist life which seeks to invite all of us:

• Individual members and local groups
• Principals and leaders of Ministries
• Boards, Councils and Committees that have stewardship of our works
• Brothers and their communities
• Those who serve and enable our mission through the teams based at our National Marist Centres in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

This philosophy permeates the distinctive characteristics of a Marist education at ÐãÐãÖ±²¥:

• ±Ê°ù±ð²õ±ð²Ô³¦±ð&²Ô²ú²õ±è;–&²Ô²ú²õ±è;Firstly, building caring relationships based on trust, respect and valuing each person
• ³§¾±³¾±è±ô¾±³¦¾±³Ù²â&²Ô²ú²õ±è;– Secondly, open and honest communication which accommodates individual needs
• Family Spirit â€“ Thirdly, emphasis on communal well-being where mutual support and shared responsibility flourish
• Love of Work â€“ Forth, pursuit of excellence through hard work and commitment. Recognition that the dignity of work is achievable by setting high expectations and standards, applying genuine effort and celebrating success
• Way of Mary â€“ Finally, with Mary as a model, students are invited to share our spiritual life through prayer, liturgies and service to the local and wider communities

History of ÐãÐãÖ±²¥

The Marist Brothers’ introduction to education in Western Australia began in 1913 at St Ildephonsus College at New Norcia. The school was built by the Benedictine monks who asked the Marist Brothers to run it, which they did, until handing it back at the end of 1964. (The Benedictines then reopened the school as St Benedict’s.)

In 1954 the Brothers founded St Joseph’s College on Salvado Road, Subiaco, on the west side of St Joseph’s Church, which was the Marist Brothers’ first school in the Perth metropolitan area. 

Almost opposite, were St Joseph’s (Brigidine) Primary and Secondary Schools, established by the Brigidine Sisters in 1942 and 1943 respectively. Even from these early days, some classes were shared between the Marist boys and the Brigidine girls. This was the continuation of a natural alliance; many had attended the co-educational St Joseph’s (Brigidine) Primary School together. 

In 1962 the Brigidines opened Brigidine College in Floreat. Their junior girls moved to the Brigidine Secondary campus on Salvado Road and their senior girls moved to Floreat. The same year, the Dominican Sisters opened Siena Girls’ High School in Doubleview. 

In 1964, in the leadup to the closure of St Ildephonsus, the Marists began building in Churchlands and, in 1965, opened Marist (Senior) College there. St Joseph’s in Subiaco reopened as Marist (Junior) College, catering to boys from Years 4 to Sub Junior (Year 9), and all students from Junior to Leaving (Years 10-12) were moved to the Senior campus. Seventy boarders from St Ildephonsus College transferred to Marist (Senior) College for their final three years of schooling, using three upper classrooms as boarding dormitories. 

In 1977 an amalgamation of the schools administered by the Brigidine Sisters (Floreat and Wembley), Dominican Sisters (Doubleview) and the Marist Brothers (Churchlands) led to the creation of ÐãÐãÖ±²¥, named for John Henry ÐãÐãÖ±²¥, a great religious theologian and leader in the English Catholic Church. 

In 2005 the Primary and Secondary schools united to form the current K-12 College administered by one Principal. ÐãÐãÖ±²¥ is a congregational-owned College governed by Marist Schools Australia.

In recent times

• In 2009, the Year 7 cohort relocated from the Primary School (Lavalla campus) to the Middle School (Marcellin campus).
• In 2010, the Year 3 cohort relocated from Early Childhood (Marian campus) to the Primary School (Lavalla campus).
• In 2011, the first intake of 3 year old Pre-Kindergarten students commenced at the Marian campus.
• In 2025 the Pre-Kindergarten to Year 2 classes moved from the Marian campus to the Lavalla campus, bringing together the entire College on one site for the first time in our history.