Holy Spirit College, Lakemba was founded in 1999 through the amalgamation of two adjacent Years 7–10 regional schools, MacKillop Girls’ High and St John’s College, Lakemba. St John’s College had been founded by the De La Salle Brothers in 1954, while MacKillop Girls’ had been founded and run by the Sisters of St Joseph since 1966. The new college was co-educational, with Years 7–11 being enrolled in 1999 and the first Year 12 classes being held in 2000. The SACS Board made the decision to amalgamate the two schools after careful consultation with parents in the area. The board pointed out that the pattern of high school enrolment had changed since the 1960’s, and that increasingly parents expressed their wish to have a continuous Years 7–12 education at their regional secondary Catholic High School. Today, the school still runs as a boys and girls school for Years 7–12.
