Our College

Welcome to 2023. Our Future Direction focus will be on our reGEN program, working towards a sustainable, just and secure future for the College and our community. We will continue to nurture partnerships and build programs that benefit students and provide opportunities to discover their future pathway.

Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy and was committed to education and serving the poor. Her teaching reflected her faith in God and belief in the Gospel. Students at Catherine McAuley College are encouraged to be lifelong learners, impelled to thrive and serve in a supportive environment.

Catherine McAuley College has been woven into the fabric of Bendigo since 1876 when Sister Aloysius Martyn and the Sisters of Mercy first arrived in Sandhurst, from Ireland. Drawing on over 145 years of heritage and tradition, we are inspired by the pioneering spirit of our founders. Our College Direction 2020-2024 commits to continuing their legacy of service, offering an outstanding Catholic education to the families of Central Victoria and working towards a secure sustainable future.

We are dedicated to developing students who are independent, critical and creative thinkers, with a passion for learning and striving for excellence. Our students are empowered to see themselves as positive agents of change, who are called to participate actively and ethically in society as young people of Mercy.

Our programs are inclusive and learning settings are innovative, stimulating and continue to evolve from our master plan. The Sister Aloysius Martyn Arts Centre at the Coolock Campus offers features performing arts and STEAM spaces while the Sister Anastasia Vanderfeen Building at St Mary’s has a commercial kitchen and Allied Health learning spaces.

To accommodate growing enrolments, the multi-storey West Wing at Coolock opened in 2022. The building provides bright and expansive learning spaces and houses a whole year level. It is surrounded by high-activity multi-purpose courts and areas of green lawn for quieter recreation.

In 2023, the Mercy Junortoun Sporting Precinct will open for the benefit of our students and the local community. This major development is a high-quality state-of-the-art junior sporting hub with irrigated sports fields, indoor basketball courts and cricket nets, AFL and soccer fields alongside netball courts. The precinct will support educational use during school hours and community use outside school hours. The initiative is a partnership between Catherine McAuley College and the City of Greater Bendigo in the provision of school, community and sporting facilities.

Partnerships are valued at Catherine McAuley College, to support outstanding learning opportunities and better facilities for our students and the community. As well as with the City of Greater Bendigo, the College also has partnerships with Mercy Health, Australian Catholic University, Cricket Australia, Danihers and Carter & Co.

Our future is exciting, so we invite you to visit and discover all the opportunities on offer for your child at Catherine McAuley College.

“We should be shining lamps, giving light to all around us.”

Catherine McAuley

Mr Brian Turner, Principal