Our History

Our Origins

Caroline Chisholm Catholic College, established in 1997, has its origins in three colleges: - Christ the King College, St. John’s College and Chisholm College – each established to bring a Catholic education to the girls and/or boys of the Western suburbs of Melbourne.

Each College exemplified the deep commitment of parents and parishes in their foundation and work for the past forty-five years. In 1954, Fr. Thomas Murray of Braybrook established a parish school which grew to become Christ the King College for the secondary education of girls in the region. It was first registered in 1963. This work began with the assistance of the Sisters of St. Joseph and, from 1956, was led by the Sisters of the Society of the Sacred Heart. In 1965 the parishes of the region commenced St. John’s College for the education of boys under the direction of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart. Throughout the years, the schools worked cooperatively and in 1979, this resulted in the formation of Chisholm College as a senior coeducational college for students entering Years 11 and 12. Based on the philosophies of their founders, all the Colleges provided a broad education for the boys and girls of the Western region.

 

Religious Association

Since 1963, and based on the foundation work of the Religious (Sisters) Society of the Sacred Heart and the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, the College has reflected the active commitment of the religious orders, the parishes and parents of the area.

Caroline Chisholm

Born in 1808 into an evangelical Anglican family in Northampton, England, Caroline Jones later converted to Catholicism and married a Scot thirteen years her senior - Captain Archibald Chisholm.  After a time in Madras, India, the Chisholm family arrived in Australia where Caroline was shocked to witness the terrible plight of many of the young women in Sydneytown. The British Government sent out boat loads of young girls, mostly from the poor houses, brothels and orphanages in Ireland to address the shortage of women in the colony.  They were just dumped in Sydney with little food or money and scant understanding of their new land.  Beginning in a small cottage and later expanding into larger premises, Caroline welcomed these young girls, providing them with shelter and training for their new lives.  She found them employment in homes around Sydney and on sheep stations in the surrounding countryside.

Caroline set up an employment agency to find positions for her ‘Bounty Girls’, settling some 11,000 young women.  She would even accompany them into the bush when they were afraid to go on their own. 

At a time when women had few rights and little or no voice in public affairs, Caroline Chisholm stood boldly against the male establishment and drew attention to the plight of young women and the poor in general…  She was not only a social reformer and advocate for the most vulnerable of her society, she was a visionary, a leader, a canny political operator, a true feminist, and at the same time a loyal wife and mother.  She was also a driving force in helping change the colony of NSW from a penal settlement to a fledgling nation through the emigration of young families.  Her dedication, her strength of character, her fearlessness, her compassion, her ecumenism and her humanity and lack of prejudice were all qualities that distinguish her as a great role model for our students in this 21^st century.