125 Years of Loreto Melbourne
Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak is celebrating 125 years since the foundation of the first Loreto School in Melbourne. To mark this special year, A Row of Goodly Pearls, One Hundred and Twenty-five Years of Loreto in Melbourne, has been written by professional historian Jane Mayo Carolan. It is an intriguing history from 1889 covering many stories of kindergarten, primary, secondary and tertiary education for young women and men.
From their first Australian foundation in Ballarat, the following Loreto schools were established in Melbourne: Our Lady of the Angels, Albert Park (1889), Saints Peter and Paul's School, South Melbourne (1891), Central Catholic [Teachers'] Training College, Albert Park (1906), Loreto Free Kindergarten, South Melbourne (1912) and the Loreto Commercial College, South Melbourne (1963).
The two remaining Loreto Institutions in Melbourne - Loreto Toorak (established in 1924) and St Mary's College (formerly Hall) at the University of Melbourne (established in 1918), now carry the traditions and aspirations of the first group of women who challenged the norm and founded their inner city establishments. These inspirational women were joined along the way, by many past pupils who assisted in the development of the Loreto spirit in Melbourne.
The limited edition, hard cover, full colour 450+ page book will be launched by Sr Jane Kelly ibvm, Loreto Toorak past pupil (1951-1962), former Principal of Loreto Toorak (1973-1978) and former Principal of St Mary's College, University of Melbourne (1980-1996) at a garden party on the forecourt of the historic Mandeville Hall on Sunday 14 September. To place your order of A row of Goodly Pearls, One Hundred and Twenty-five Years of Loreto in Melbourne, please go to: www.trybooking.com/FEJE or contact Steve Stefanopoulos, Loreto Mandeville Hall Toorak, Heritage Collection and Records Manager at steve.stefanopoulos@loretotoorak.vic.edu.au or (03) 9823 8157 for further information.
