This year Damascus College is proudly celebrating 140 years of Catholic education. Together, we celebrate and recognise the proud history of our foundation schools; Sacred Heart College, St Paul’s Technical College, and St Martin’s in the Pines. To continue our 2021 celebration, we reflect with our alumni from St Martin’s in the Pines, the Sacred Heart College senior campus that commenced in 1967.

In 1881, the Sisters of Mercy established Sacred Heart College in Ballarat East for students from Preparatory to Year 12. The Primary students were later moved to St Francis Xavier College (Primary School).

In 1960 Miss Alice Fanning, who was looked after by the Sisters of Mercy for several years, bequeathed her property in Mt Clear to the Sisters of Mercy on her death in February 1960. The land was used by the Sisters to grow vegetables and raise cattle, and following the decision in 1964 to develop the site for the senior school of Sacred Heart College, the foundation stone was laid in 1966. In 1967, a separate campus for Years 11 and 12 girls was developed at Mt Clear to form Sacred Heart Senior College, St Martin's in the Pines. In 1988, this campus became co-educational, with boys mainly from St Paul's College.

Based on the philosophies of the founders, the Colleges offered a broad education for boys and girls to prepare them for future life choices. Sacred Heart College offered a comprehensive education for girls from Years 7 to 10. St Paul's College emphasised the development of technical skills within a comprehensive Years 7 to 10 curriculum for boys. St Martin's in the Pines continued this broad education to senior students in Years 11 to 12, in an atmosphere and an environment appropriate to students about to complete their secondary education.

In 1995 the three foundation colleges amalgamated to become Damascus College, a Year 7 - 12 co-educational facility, which began with two campuses in Victoria Street and the Mt Clear campus. The Victoria Street campus was closed in 2010 and in 2011 Damascus College operated from the one location at the Mt Clear campus. This Mt Clear location provides an inspirational 50 acre natural bush environment to continue in the tradition of the Colleges that went before it and also forges its own strong and vibrant future.

Damascus is celebrating this significant milestone throughout the year at internal College events, and we look forward to celebrating with our wider community at the Gala Night on Saturday 23 October. Keep an eye on our website for more information.

https://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/news-events/140-year-anniversary