History

The Parish of St. Augustine's boasts a proud and progressive history. One hundred and six years ago, in 1894, a wooden church was erected to serve the spiritual needs of Catholics in Yarraville and, on weekdays, the educational needs of over 200 children. At a cost of 730 pounds, it was situated on the Birmingham-Avoca Street corner facing the railway line. Thus, this wooden church would serve as the first Catholic school in Yarraville.

The Catholics of the western suburbs were fortunate to acquire the services of the Josephite Sisters, who were still under the guidance of Mary MacKillop, the founder of the order in 1866. The sisters were stationed in the convent opposite St. Monica's School in Footscray. Those teaching at Yarraville's new school had to walk along Whitehall and Hyde Street to and from school daily, as no convent existed in Yarraville until 1912.

In 1896, the first principal, Sr. Casimir, was in charge of three sisters, two lay teachers, and 221 pupils. By 1905, the student population had increased to over 400, and following a report by an education inspector that "the crowding was to the detriment of discipline and education standards," a new brick primary school was opened.

The school continued to flourish. However, by 1912, teachers and children were again cramped for space and were using the church for many classes. The parishioners once again rallied to raise part of the funds for a new red-brick building. Electricity was supplied throughout, and the building provided space for 400 pupils. Due to the muddy streets around Yarraville, the practice was to spread sawdust over the bare floors each morning to prevent mud from sticking. The sisters would sweep it up each night and lay fresh sawdust for the next day. This building is still very much in use today, serving as the office, staffroom, and library.

Sister Benedicta was considered to be one of the most influential figures in establishing the school's high reputation. She served as principal for 30 years, from 1913 to 1943. She was highly esteemed for her educational ideas and the academic achievements that resulted. Her reference was valuable for school leavers seeking work, especially during the 1930s Depression.

By the 1920s, the wooden church was filled to capacity each Sunday for each of the four masses. Despite hard economic times, plans were made for a huge brick church to be built on Somerville Rd beside the presbytery. The parishioners were able to raise the ten thousand pounds required through many fundraising events over a two-year period. The imposing new church was blessed and opened by Archbishop Mannix at 3 pm on January 31st, 1925, in front of thousands of onlookers.

By 1930, the school's population had boomed to 900 children. As a result, the parish hall was built, along with seven new classrooms, some of which are still in use today by the senior school.

December 1941 heralded a new direction for the school. A girls' school began with the opening of a new cream-brick building on the corner of Birmingham and Avoca Streets. Unfortunately, this required the demolition of the 1905 building, which had served the school so well. A special feature of the new building was the roof, which was fitted for use as a playground for older children. This building currently houses the middle and junior school.

Throughout the war years, times were extremely harsh. In 1942, a grant of 550 pounds was provided by the Department of Public Works to build air raid shelters in St. Augustine's school grounds. Following World War II, European migration was encouraged, and the prospect of unskilled work and cheap homes made the western suburbs attractive to different migrant communities. Teachers of St. Augustine's faced large classes of children from Italy, Malta, and Poland who could not speak English. Throughout the 1960s, the school improved its financial position due to changes in government policy on funding for non-government schools. Thus, more equitable financial support, together with the lack of religious vocations, meant that laypeople gradually took full responsibility for the education of the children of St. Augustine's.

From the past, we learn that our predecessors endured enormous hardships, migration, depression, and wars, and despite all this, they made progress in establishing homes, raising families, and building a church and school system in which they took great pride.