Sydney Catholic Schools is celebrating 200 years of Catholic education in Australia in 2021.

For 100 years, our schools were run exclusively by the charity of the Catholic Church and the generosity of their local parish communities.

Rising populations fueled by the Baby Boom and post-WWII migration, prompted the government to reintroduce funding for Church schools during the late 1960’s as a way to cope with the unprecedented growth in student population.

Today, we have 150 schools across the Archdiocese ensuring families have access to a low-fee Catholic education which will provide their children with the skills and knowledge they will need for the jobs of the future.

The development of a system of Catholic Schools in greater Sydney and the emergence of Catholic Education Offices: 1965-1985 by Br Kelvin Canavan is an exploration of the development of our school system.

This is an edited version of an address given by Br Kelvin Canavan to the Australian Catholic Historical Society at St Patrick’s Church Hill, Sydney on 18 March 2018

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  • History 1800
  • History 1900 to 1970
  • History 1970 to 1980
  • History 1980 to 1990
  • History 1990 to 2000
  • History 2000 to 2010
  • History 2010 to Today