File 120 - History of St Ignatius College, Sydney

Identity area

Reference code

IE IJA MSSN/AUST/120

Title

History of St Ignatius College, Sydney

Date(s)

  • 1878 - November 1885; 1892; 1899 - 1901 (Creation)

Level of description

File

Extent and medium

4 items

Context area

Name of creator

(1880-)

Administrative history

Since its foundation in 1880, Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview has been under the care of the Society of Jesus. After Archbishop Vaughan asked the Jesuits to open a day school in Sydney (St Kilda House, later to become St Aloysius’ College) and a boarding college on the North Shore, Father Joseph Dalton purchased the Riverview Estate on behalf of the Society of Jesus on 28 June 1878. Eighteen months later Father Dalton was appointed foundation Rector of Saint Ignatius’ College.

An advertisement was placed in the Catholic newspaper, The Express, stating that boys aged between eight and 12 would be received at Riverview ‘as soon as possible after the Christmas holidays’. Classes commenced in the cottage in February 1880. The cottage soon became very cramped as more boys arrived and in order to provide better accommodation, St Michael’s House was built. The building was designed by William Wardell and opened on the feast of Saint Michael, 29 September 1880. Further building took place at the College in 1882 with the construction of a wooden boatshed, and in 1883 the infirmary was built.

In its early years, the College offered ‘Classical and Modern Languages, History, Mathematics, the Natural Sciences and all other branches required for the Civil Service, the Junior, Senior and Matriculation Examinations.’ It was advertised that the curriculum included a modern side: mercantile subjects. By December 1882, with an enrolment of only 70 students, the College extended the curriculum to include English Composition, Writing, Music, Singing, Drawing, Painting, Irish History and Oral Latin. The main building of the College was constructed in three stages between 1885–1930 and the foundation stone was laid by Cardinal Moran Archbishop of Sydney on 15 December 1885. As originally designed by the architectural firm of Gilbert, Dennihey and Tappin, of Ballarat, the building was to be a huge square, representing four identical fronts, but only the South front was completed according to plan.

Archival history

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Content and structure area

Scope and content

History of Riverview College (St Ignatius), Sydney.

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Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

The Irish Jesuit Archives are open only to bona fide researchers. Access by advance appointment. Further details: [email protected]

Conditions governing reproduction

No material may be reproduced without the written permission of the Archivist. Copyright restrictions apply. Photocopying is not available. Digital photography is at the discretion of the Archivist.

Language of material

  • Latin

Script of material

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Dates of creation revision deletion

2000

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