Catholic College Bendigo

Barkly Street, Bendigo Vic 3550 Ph: 5445 9100 Fax: 5442 4206

Students: 1,859

College Colours: Navy, Green, Gold and Maroon
College Motto: “Live the Good News”

www.ccb.vic.edu.au

Principal: Mr Darren McGregor

Mr Darren McGregor was appointed Principal of Catholic College Bendigo in January 2004.

Catholic College Bendigo Catholic Secondary Education in Bendigo began with the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy from Swinford, County Galway in 1876. High School education for boys and girls was offered by the Sisters at St. Aloysius’ School until 1893, when the Marist Brothers arrived to continue education for boys.

In the years that followed, Religions and lay teachers at St. Mary’s College and Marist Brothers’ College continued to offer a Catholic education to any young people from Bendigo and its environs.

In 1954 the Vincentian Fathers opened a Day and Boarding School for boys at Junortoun, which made a significant contribution to Catholic education until 1977. At this time, the Vincentian Fathers were obliged to leave Bendigo and the school became an extension of Marist Brothers’ College.

On 23 September 1982, it was announced by Bishop Daly, the Provincial Superior of the Marist Brothers and the Congregational Superior of the Sisters of Mercy that the existing Colleges in Bendigo, Marist Brothers’ College and St.Mary’s College would amalgamate from January 1983, and would be known as Catholic College Bendigo. They anticipated that the transition to total amalgamation would be gradual and the merging of the administrative, educational and financial operations of the Colleges would be expected to take several years.

In March 1985, the Governors decided that the College would move toward the development of a College on two sites by 1988 and that all classes would be co-educational in 1986. 1988 saw the implementation of this decision, as the year commenced with students in Years 7, 8, 9 at La Valla at Junortoun and students in years 10, 11, 12 at Coolock on the city site once known as St. Mary’s.

Catholic College Bendigo The College offers a wide curriculum and has developed a strong musical and sporting tradition. In recent years the College has developed a range of alternative programs in the post compulsory years. Students travel within a 50 kilometre radius and a feature of recent years has been the welcoming of students with disabilities. A challenge of the past ten years has been to build on the Mercy and Marist traditions and to encourage students to be aware of the Church around them.

Although tuition fees are low, many families receive discounts. Enrolments at the College have increased significantly over the last three years and Catholic College Bendigo is currently exploring the possibility of opening a third site to enable them to further provide a high quality Catholic Secondary Education for all those who seek it.