Shining legacy in education

The legacy of the Presentation Sisters in Tasmania, dating back more than 150 years, was recognised on Friday 12 March when they were inducted on the 2021 Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women.

The Presentation Sisters have made a positive impact on the lives of many thousands of Tasmanians through the network of schools they set up around the state, which includes St Mary’s College. Sr Gabrielle Morgan PBVM, Congregation Leader of the Presentation Sisters in Tasmania, said she was stunned and delighted at the honour.

“I feel gratitude for the recognition of the contribution that we, the Sisters, have been enabled to make in relation to the education, in particular, of young women and girls, and the significant impact that the Presentation Sisters have made, and continue to make, in the broader community,” Sr Gabrielle said. As the first Presentation school in Australia, the College is proud of its heritage, with the charism of the Presentation Sisters and their foundress, Nano Nagle, at the heart of our community. St Mary’s College Principal, Helen Spencer has paid tribute to the Presentation Sisters, who founded the College in 1868, two years after they arrived in Hobart from Ireland. “Our story began more than 150 years ago and is interwoven with the stories of numerous communities that would not be here but for the love and courage of Presentation women,” she said. “We are proud of and grateful to the Sisters for continuing to inspire, motivate and empower future generations of young women to make a difference in their own way.”

Shining legacy in

EDUCATION AND HOUSING

After establishing St Mary’s College, and a ‘poor school’—St Columba’s— on the same site, the Sisters soon opened other schools in Launceston, Bellerive, Lindisfarne, Queenstown, Beaconsfield, George Town, Karoola, Lilydale, Longford, and took over the already established school at New Norfolk.

Sr Gabrielle said had it not been for St Columba’s School, thousands of Hobart children in the latter part of the 19th century might not have received any education. Following the closure of a number of small schools in Tasmania during the 1970s, the Sisters went out into the community as pastoral workers, caring for immigrants, refugees and the marginalised in society. “When the numbers of young women entering religious life declined, the Sisters continued to operate their schools with lay teachers, but the Presentation philosophy of welcome, simplicity, compassion and hospitality continues,” Sr Gabrielle said. “The Tasmanian Sisters have strongly supported their international sisters in the Philippines, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea, with some Sisters also volunteering for a number of years in the latter two countries, providing educational opportunities for girls and young women.” In 2018, the Sisters gifted a large parcel of land in Blackmans Bay to the Tasmanian people on the condition the land be used for affordable housing and supported accommodation.

Work is now underway at the Maryknoll development following a blessing service at the site led by Hobart Archbishop Julian Porteous on Friday 19 March. The houses are expected to be completed by mid-2022, with most to become homes to families on the housing priority waitlist, people with disabilities and over 55s.

A St Mary’s College alumna, Sr Gabrielle entered the Presentation Novitiate in Melbourne in early 1964 and was professed in 1967. She then spent several years at St Mary’s College teaching and furthering her professional development, before she was chosen to lead the Sisters’ Congregation in Tasmania from 1999 to 2006, and again from 2015 to the present day. Sr Gabrielle remains a continual presence at St Mary’s College—her office is located in the original convent building—where our students and staff address the quest for social justice and contribute financially to a range of charities.

Opposite page: Nandhini Ramanathan (Year 10) and, inset, her awardwinning artwork. This page (left-right): Presentation Sisters inducted into the Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women (photo: Wendy Shaw), Blessing of Maryknoll with Sr Gabrielle Morgan and Sr Barbara (photo: Mark Franklin).

Community & OUTREACH

Our Belling-in ceremony was held on Wednesday 10 February, where we welcomed all newcomers to our Presentation community. Steeped in tradition, the Belling-in is a wonderful example of our College living out one of our touchstones, hospitality. There were many cheers and rounds of applause for our newly commencing students and Year 12 students as they made their way through a guard of honour, with the Covent bell tolling in the background.

PRESENTATION FAMILIES WELCOMED

Families flocked to the College Green on Tuesday 16 February to celebrate our first community event of the school year. This year’s Families on the Green was a tremendous success, with around 600 students, family members and staff attending to enjoy the wonderful food and entertainment on offer, as well as the chance to meet and mingle with members of our College community. Highlights of the program included live music, courtesy of the College band; the ever-popular jumping castle, a spectacular lion dance performance from the Chinese Community Association, and ice cream from Murphy’s canteen—the perfect treat for a warm summer’s evening.

WOMEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The College was delighted to be joined by our fellow Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia (AGSA) Tasmanian group members from Mount Carmel College, St Michael’s Collegiate School and Fahan School at our International Women’s Day Breakfast, held on Friday 12 March. Attendees had the pleasure of hearing from special guest speaker and St Mary’s College alumna, Molly Gerke (class of 2012), while enjoying a spread of savoury croissants, granola and fresh fruit. Molly shared an inspiring story of her time volunteering in Vanuatu, the establishment of the Open Door Foundation and her work with the United Nations. Molly was joined by fellow speaker, Keisy Ureleo, who she met through her foundation work in Vanuatu. As a member of the AGSA, St Mary’s College works to challenge and call out gender bias and inequity, to seek and celebrate women’s achievements and to create a more inclusive, equal world.

RELAYING A MESSAGE OF HOPE

A group of compassionate Year 11 and 12 students rallied together to help make a difference in the fight against cancer in this year’s Relay for Life. ‘Team SMC’ relayed for more than 20 hours, carrying Nano Nagle’s lantern as a baton, to raise $5,600 for cancer research—a cause very close to the girls’ hearts. The College is very proud of their efforts. Thank you to the students, teachers, parents and carers who participated and donated to support the community and this very worthwhile cause.

On Tuesday 9 March, students Niah Bester (Year 9) and Maddie Young (Year 10) represented the College at the induction mass for the St Vincent de Paul school conferences.

The Mass welcomes schools and their Vinnies leaders from the greater Hobart area to gather, receive a blessing for their work in 2021 and confirm their commitment to living out the Gospel messages by serving Christ with love, respect, justice, hope and joy. St Mary’s College has a long association with St Vincent de Paul, which sees Junior and Senior School students supporting all St Vincent de Paul initiatives at the state level.

As part of our fundraising commitments, the Young Vinnies group once again collected donations for our annual Winter Woolies drive. Donated items included warm clothing, gloves, beanies and blankets for the Vinnies Winter Appeal, which provides emergency relief to people at risk and experiencing hardship.

A MORNING FOR OUR MUMS

An early Mother’s Day celebration brought many families to the College Green on Tuesday 5 May for delicious warm breakfast treats.

Thank you to everyone for coming together to show our mothers and the special women in our lives how much they mean to us. We also wish to thank our fantastic helpers who volunteered their time on the day. Students in Years 11 and 12 also had the opportunity to spoil their leading ladies with a breakfast they hosted on Friday 7 May. The event was a great success, with proceeds from the day going towards the 2021 Prefect-elected charity, the Hobart Women’s Shelter.

ANZAC DAY COMMEMORATIONS

St Mary’s College students gathered at the Hobart Cenotaph at dawn on Sunday 25 April to mark ANZAC Day and to pay their respects to the men and women who have served—and continue to serve—our great nation. Emily Keane (Year 12) gave a moving address at the service, and Cecilia Hutchinson, Amelia Howell (Year 11), Grace Simonetis and Eliza Topham (Year 10) sang two hymns and the Australian national anthem.

All students who attended ANZAC Day services represented the College with honour, pride and dignity, and should be commended for the way they conducted themselves on such a solemn occasion.

Opposite page, top to bottom: Belling-in, Families on the Green, International Women's Day. This page, top to bottom: Mother's Day Breakfast, Vinnie's Mass, Relay for Life, Anzac Day.

This year so far

IN PHOTOS

Opposite page (left-right, top-bottom): First day of Term 1, Belling-in, Families on the Green, Big Splash, Tasmanian Schools Rowing Championships, International Women's Day, Palm Sunday, Year 9 camp, Year 9-10 Retreat, SATIS Head of the River Regatta, Relay for Life, Year 6 science. This page (left-right, top-bottom): Families on the Green, First Grade basketball, Junior School Swimming Carnival, Scooter Day, Matilda the Musical , Mother's Day Breakfast, the Carter family at the North West Schools Rowing Regatta, Matilda the Musical, Nano Nagle coin line, Year 6 science, Year 10 Welcome to Senior Studies dinner.