Our Identity - Sacred Heart Girls' College Oakleigh

In February 1957, a group of very excited girls assembled in the hall of Sacred Heart Girls’ College Oakleigh. When the Principal of the College, Sr Mary St Theophane, walked on to the stage, the excited chatter quickly grew to silent hush. This was the beginning – the first day in the life of this new Catholic Girls’ College, on the corner of Warrigal and Kangaroo Roads, Oakleigh.

The new College was built by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions - a missionary Congregation of Sisters dedicated to the education of women and girls. Arriving in Oakleigh in 1936, the Sisters established Sacred Heart Primary School. Noting there was no local opportunity for secondary education for girls or boys in the area to the south east of Oakleigh, the Sisters applied for permission to build a secondary school for girls.

Many of the girls were daughters of returned soldiers and immigrants from war ravaged Europe. The Sisters commissioned the prestigious architects’ firm Grounds, Romberg and Boyd to design a beautiful school for the girls, laying the foundation stone in 1952.

In 1957, 105 students - Years 7 to 12 - moved into the new building with seven teachers: four full time including the principal and three part time. Teachers doubled as School Secretary and cleaners!

Two months later an official inspection was made by Inspectors of the Council of Public Education recommending the College be registered as a secondary school and reporting that “The building is new, is of excellent design and meets all the requirements of a Secondary school. The open-air covered area is used for physical education and changing rooms and locker rooms are provided for pupils. Special features are a fine assembly hall, a good up to date library room, a well-planned science laboratory, an up to date, well equipped domestic science room and a craft room. These along with bright airy classrooms provide the best of conditions for teaching”.

The tradition of excellence was already established for the future of our fine College.