Blackfriars Priory School holds a unique position in
Dominican history as the only school founded by the Dominican Friars (Order of
Preachers) in Australia. The school started as a day school for boys in
1953,
added a Boarding House in the 1960s, and included
senior girls on its roll for a few years in the late 1970s. It has now
returned to its origins as a day school for boys.
Through the leadership of the Dominican Friars,
Blackfriars has expanded and improved its facilities over the first fifty
years, while still retaining ties and maintaining traditions set by its
founding fathers.
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Pre 1953 |
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The property 'Comonella' was purchased
from the Lewis family by Fr Jerome O'Rorke, Prior of St Laurence's
Priory. 'Comonella' is an Aboriginal name meaning 'come on fellow'. The house on the property was called St Catharine's after the wife of
a previous owner of the property, Mr James Angus Johnson. |
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Alterations, adaptation and additions to St Catharine's were
supervised by Fr Bonaventure Leahy |
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Fr
Raymond Maher OP, Headmaster (1953-56) |
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| 1953 |
Archbishop Matthew
Beovich blessed and opened Blackfriars Priory School on 25 January
1953.
The school year commenced on 10 February 1953, with an enrolment
of 52 boys in five classes.
 Fr Raymond Maher was appointed Headmaster, with Fr Francis Xavier
Brown, Fr Alex Fitzpatrick, Fr Bonaventure Leahy, Fr Basil Predergast
and Br Joseph Harnett making up the Dominican Community. |
John Robbins and John Haimes are acknowledged as the first boys to
enter the Blackfriars gate on the first day of school. |
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| 1955 |
Science Block opened
(later replaced by the Maher Building in 1975)
First expedition to the Outback |
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Fr Laurence Fitzgerald OP, Headmaster
(1957-62) |
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| 1959 |
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Ferrer House(1959-1988)
at the corner of Highbury and Bradford Streets opened as a Primary
School (Grades 3-6) |
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| 1960 |
Audley House
was purchased on the western side of Prospect Road and renamed Verona
House. The house was used as a Boarding School. (1961 -1968)
Next door,
Devon House was purchased for use as the Priory House for the
Community. |
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| 1961 |
Temporary
Chapel opened on the feast of St Albert. |
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| 1962 |
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Statue of St Albert the
Great (Albertus Magnus) created by Br Christopher Davey, OP. |
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Fr P. Curran OP, Headmaster (1963-68) |
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| 1965 |
The Senior
Science Block was built, with the financial assistance of benefactor,
Mr A J Kingston.
The building was named
The Kingston Laboratories in his honour. |
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| 1968 |
Primary School
and Quadrangle opened, replacing accommodation in Ferrer House.
O'Hearn Building
opened originally as a hall, but converted to 5 classrooms in 1983 |
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Fr Denis Hallinan OP, Headmaster (1969
- 71) |
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| 1972 |
 Hallinan
Library Opened |
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Fr John Neill OP, Headmaster (1972-88) |
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| 1975 |
Environmental Design Building opened |
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| 1976 |
Maher Building replaces Science Block
Normanville Camp Site purchased |
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| 1978 |
St Albert's Chapel opened (1978 -2002)
A Business course run in conjunction with the Department of Further
Education involved girls as Blackfriars students. |
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| 1980 |
Neill Gymnasium opened |
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| 1982 |
Fitzgerald Building opened
Primary Library opened |
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| 1985 |
Restoration of St
Catharine's |
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Fr Martin Wallace OP, Headmaster
(1988-2002) |
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| 1989 |
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Highbury Street house
purchased |
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| 1995 |
Winners of EDNA logo
competition – resulting in the fit out of the EdNa Computer room |
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2000 |
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New Primary Library and
additions to the Fitzgerald Building opened |
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2001 |
Uniting Church purchased |
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Mr Daniel Lawler, Acting Headmaster
(2002-03) |
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| 2002 |
New
Computer Facility opened in Fitzgerald Building
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 Jubilee
Logo Competition - winning entry |
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Dr Paul Hine,
Principal (2003- ) |
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| 2003 |
Launch of the Jubilee Year |
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Opening and Blessing of the refurbished
Chapel - November |
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