1950s

1950: The roll call was now 74 boarders and 85 day scholars.

1952: First visit of Mother General from Rome, Mother Marie St John Martin, who was accompanied by Mother de Lourdes Simons and Mother Aloysia van Berckler.

1953: First sod for the foundations of the Administration Block was turned on November 25 - a day of particular significance, being the Feast of St Catherine of Alexandria on whose feast in 1535 the Ursuline Order had its beginnings in Brescia.

1955: 30 Taylor Street (Clio) - immediately behind 11 Rome Street - purchased. Tennis court demolished to make way for extensions of classrooms to the east of the main block with dormitory above. Also sewing room, science lab and domestic science room. (Present Head of Years, upstairs classrooms, Art and Media rooms.)

1957: Cottage at 11 Rome Street purchased to become Brescia Primary School. 16 Rome Street was received as a gift from relatives of one of the Sisters. Clio/Margett's was moved from 30 Taylor Street to this site. New laundry constructed in Rome Street.

1958: First lay teachers employed. St Bernadette statue purchased for Grotto. Builder J.P. Fitzpatrick commissioned to refurbish Clio/Margett's at 16 Rome Street as a Boarding House and renamed Desenzano. 

1959: Purchase of Mrs Jessie May Flegler's home at 9 Rome Street to become St Angela's primary school. The College now owns all the land on the Rome Street frontage as far as the Bowling Green. New balcony built on Kerrielaw with reinforced concrete pillars. A new fence erected around tennis courts, Taylor, West and Rome Streets and also a new fence erected around home block, on Warra and Taylor Streets, the fence on Rome Street frontage was painted to tone in to the scheme. School badge changed to the present form, motto becomes Serviam and school song Serviam adopted in line with the Roman Union of Ursuline Schools.

To find out more about St Ursula's College in the 1950s make an appointment with the Resource Centre staff to visit the College Archives.

Disclaimer - While every effort is made to ensure that information or data provided on this site is accurate and current, it is only intended as Archival reference.