Your future is collaborative

Contemporary facilities and innovative programs

Innovative programs and building developments at Catherine McAuley College Bendigo create learning opportunities designed to support the many different educational pathways for students. The future of employment is increasingly collaborative, so it is vital that students learn to work together, interact and develop a range of independent and co-dependent skills.

Sister Aloysius Martyn Arts Centre

At Coolock, the Sister Aloysius Martyn Arts Centre features a performance area, specialist classrooms for music and performing arts, and vibrant learning spaces to support integrated learning across the STEAM areas (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics).

Mercy Junortoun Sporting Precinct

The industry-leading Mercy Junortoun Sporting Precinct provides the latest technology and equipment to support physical education learning, including cricket, football, soccer and netball. In addition, the area is complemented with fresh green spaces and an indoor gathering area for the entire school.

Trade Training Centre

The Trade Training Centre offers specialist facilities, infrastructure and equipment for students across all year levels to gain skills and qualifications in high-demand vocational pathways such as Agriculture and Animal Care. In senior years, Vocational Education and Training (VET) programs offer nationally recognised industry qualifications in the VET sector. Together with the sporting precinct development, the College offers a range of applied learning courses with ACU and our other partners.

Food Technology and Allied Health

At St Mary’s, students have opportunities for diverse specialisations tailored to student pathways.

Our modern commercial kitchen provides opportunities for Food Technology and Hospitality, incorporating a canteen and indoor-outdoor dining areas.

A purpose-built Allied Health area includes a simulated hospital ward for practical learning. Allied Health is a major growth area and our iGen partnership with Mercy Health Bethlehem Home for the Aged and Australian Catholic University (ACU) provides an entry into the health and business industries and real intergenerational experience.

More exciting developments to come

The College Masterplan includes many exciting developments across both campuses in the coming years. Facilities at both campuses will continue to evolve and integrate with existing infrastructure, providing students with the learning resources and pathway opportunities to be prepared for their future direction.

These buildings are complemented by an integrated approach to learning that engages and inspires our students to discover their way in a dynamic contemporary environment. Learning Leaders ensure progress across Years 7 to 12 in all subjects.

Virtual Tours

Catherine McAuley College Bendigo (CMCB) is a co-educational, Years 7 – 12 Catholic secondary school located across two campuses in the beautiful city of Bendigo, central Victoria. The current enrolment is over 1500 students, supported by over 200 staff. With significant growth forecast, plans are well underway for exciting future developments.

Explore the facilities at both the St Mary's and Coolock campuses, including the Mercy Junortoun Sporting Precinct, via the virtual tours below.

Explore the College

History

Catherine McAuley College Bendigo was founded in 1876 by Sisters of Mercy who came from Swinford, Ireland, at the request of Bishop Martin Crane OSA.

In 1875, Bishop Crane asked the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland to come to Bendigo and establish a community of Mercy Sisters. It was a group of Sisters from Swinford, County Mayo who accepted the invitation.

In December 1875, the group led by Mother Aloysius Martyn arrived in Melbourne and travelled to Bendigo in early 1876. Their arrival caused great excitement among the Catholics of Bendigo at the time, and they opened their first school in Barkly Place - St Aloysius Select School – it was an immediate success.

Within a short time, their students were achieving great results, both academically and culturally, with a strong emphasis on languages, art and music. Students came from many locations, requiring the addition of a boarding school for girls. In addition, the community of Sisters also quickly grew. In 1897, the Sisters built a new school next door to the convent, with greater boarding facilities, and renamed it St Mary’s College.

Both boys and girls were educated by the Sisters until 1893, when the Marist Brothers arrived in Bendigo to continue education for boys.

In 1954, the Vincentian Fathers opened St Vincent's College as a boarding school for boys at Junortoun. This made a significant contribution to Catholic education. By 1977, declining numbers of boarders led the Vincentian Fathers to decide to leave Bendigo and concentrate on other ministries. The College was closed, and the site became the junior campus of Marist Brothers’ College.

On September 23, 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 1, 1983, and would be known as Catholic College Bendigo. By 1986, all classes were co-educational and in 1988, they consolidated to two locations: Barkly Street and Junortoun. In 2001, the campuses were named La Valla (at Junortoun) and Coolock (Barkly Street).

As the College continued to grow, Governors began to consider whether a third site might be required. After much deliberation, it was announced that from 1 January 2013, Catholic College Bendigo would be solely governed by the Sisters of Mercy, with the Marist Brothers focusing on building a new Marist College in Maiden Gully. Bishop Leslie Tomlinson agreed to hand Governance of Catholic College Bendigo solely to the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Since 1 January 2013, Catholic College Bendigo has rested under the sole governance of the Sisters of Mercy, a fully-sponsored Mercy college under the direction of Mercy Education Limited and plans commenced to rename the College to reflect the new direction.

In 2018, the College began the school year as Catherine McAuley College, with a new crest and new uniform. The name was chosen to honour the Foundress of the Mercy Order and exemplified the future direction of the school to live the Mercy Values. The campuses were again renamed: this time, Coolock at Junortoun and Barkly Street was named St Mary’s in honour of the origins of the campus.

From the commencement of 2024, the College formally added ‘Bendigo’ to the school’s name to affirm the long history with Catholic education in the Bendigo region, with the transition taking place gradually throughout the year.

In 2026, Catherine McAuley College Bendigo will celebrate 150 years since Mother Aloysius Martyn and her small group of Sisters first arrived in Bendigo.