St Catherine's History

St Catherine’s School pupils at Kilbride, 1925

a proud history St Catherine’s School in Heyington Place, Toorak–one of Australia’s finest Independent girls’ schools–is a very different School from the one founded in Castlemaine more than 120 years ago.

As the founding Principal of Castlemaine Ladies’ College in 1896, Miss Jeanie Hood’s personal credo for her Students “to be women of the future” was considered aspirational and exuded confidence for the role of women at this time.

Since then, under the leadership of many capable women, St Catherine’s has grown from only a handful of girls to approximately 740 today, striving to empower and nurture young women to reach their highest potential.

our charter As a leading girls’ school in Australia, St Catherine’s is committed to nurturing and empowering independent and globally responsive young women, enabling them to approach all their endeavours with confidence, wisdom and integrity. Central to the School’s philosophy are the St Catherine’s Values: Integrity, Curiosity, Perseverance and Empathy. These are the qualities the School aims to foster in each student. From 1896 to today, this pictorial history is a visual snapshot of St Catherine’s School’s journey.

As the founding Principal of Castlemaine Ladies’ College in 1896, Miss Jeanie Hood’s personal credo for her Students “to be women of the future” was considered aspirational and exuded confidence for the role of women at this time.

a proud historySt Catherine’s School in Heyington Place, Toorak–one of Australia’s finest Independent girls’ schools–is a very different School from the one founded in Castlemaine more than 120 years ago.