# Sisters of Charity of Australia

The Sisters of Charity of Australia, or the Congregation of the Religious Sisters of Charity of Australia, is a congregation of religious sisters in the Catholic Church established in 1838. Sisters use the post-nominal initials of RSC.

## History

Mother Mary Aikenhead was requested by John Bede Polding OS., the first Catholic bishop in Australia, to send some sisters to help the many female convicts who had been transported to Australia as penalty for their crimes.
Arriving in New South Wales, on the Francis Spaight on 31 December 1838, the five volunteer Sisters were the first Religious Sisters to set foot on the Australian continent. They were led by Mother Mary John Cahill. The other sisters were Mary Lawrence Cater, Mary Baptist De Lacy, Mary Frances de Sales O'Brien and Mary Xavier Williams, who was a novice.
The Sisters of Charity of Australia have operated independently of the congregation in Ireland since 1842. St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, was founded by the Sisters in 1857. In 1925, the Sisters of Charity ventured to Queensland, Australia, to open a school, Mt St Michael's College — originally known as Grantuly until 1941 — in Ashgrove.
The spirituality of the Sisters of Charity derives from the life of St. Vincent de Paul and the vision of Mary Aikenhead, their foundress. In addition to the three vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, the Sisters of Charity take a fourth vow of service to the poor. For the Sisters of Charity, "Service of the Poor" denotes not only the alleviation of a present affliction by immediate action, but also includes having a "preferential option for the poor".

## Services

The ministries of the Sisters of Charity of Australia have been varied in nature from the time of their founding. From ministering in prisons to managing hospitals and acting to conserve environments, they have been quick to "read the signs of the times" and move to where they have been most needed, in the greatest service to the poor. One of their most prominent ministries was the establishment of St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney in 1857. St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne was opened in 1893.
In 2009, the stewardship of St Vincent's Health Australia was passed to Mary Aikenhead Ministries, a newly founded arm operating under the Australian division of the Sisters of Charity.
In 1957, the Sisters opened Mt Olivet Hospital as a hospice in Brisbane. It now provides a wider range of hospital services and has been renamed St Vincent's Private Hospital.
Under the stewardship of Mary Aikenhead Ministries, St Vincent’s Health Australia started their first aged care facility in 1977 at Kangaroo Point under the banner of St Vincent’s Care Services. This has since expanded to 23 aged care homes as well as retirement living and in home care services across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.

## Heritage Centre and Archives

In June 2019, the Sisters of Charity of Australia opened their Heritage Centre and Archives in Potts Point, Sydney, adjacent to St Vincent's Ladies' College, the Congregational Chapel, and the original site of St Vincent's Private Hospital Sydney. The Centre houses an exhibition space which tells the story of the Sisters of Charity since their arrival in 1838, as well as the archives and meeting spaces.

## Schools

The following is a timeline of the schools which were either founded or at which the Sisters had a foundational or otherwise significant impact on the school. This timeline was authored by Danielle Achikian in her book Ministry of Love: The story of the Sister of Charity.

### New South Wales

1858 St Vincent's Primary School, Potts Point
1871 St Vincent's High School, Potts Point
1882 amalgamated to become St Vincent's College
1879 St Mary's High School, Liverpool
1882 St Mary's Primary School, Liverpool
1920 primary and high schools amalgamate to become an intermediate school
1950 primary and high schools separate
1881 Bethlehem College, Ashfield
1882 St Charles Primary School, Ashfield later renamed St Vincent's Primary School
1883 St Mary's Primary School, Concord
1883 Sacred Heart Primary School, Darlinghurst
1883 St Mary's Cathedral School, Sydney
1883 St Thomas Becket Primary School, Lewisham
1883 St Francis' Primary School, Paddington
1884 Nazaretto School, Bega
1885 All Saints' Primary School. Bombala
1885 All Saints High School, Bombala
1886 St Michael's Parish School. Hurstville later renamed St Mary's Star of the Sea Primary School
1888 St Anne's Orphanage School, Liverpool
1892 St Canice's Primary School, Elizabeth Bay
1892 St John's Primary School, Auburn
1892 St Joseph's School, Rockdale
1893 St John's Girls High School, Auburn
1895 St Mary's Star of the Sea High School, Hurstville
1895 St Patrick's Primary School, Mortlake
1901 St Canice's Primary School, Katoomba
1901 Mt St Mary's School, Katoomba later renamed Mt St Mary's Ladies College
1903 Mt St Patrick's High School. Paddington
1907 St Declan's Primary School, Penshurst
1912 Convent Infants, Primary and High School become Monte Oliveto College. Edgecliff
1913 St Thomas High School, Lewisham
1924 St Ambrose's Primary School, Concord West
1926 St Mary's Cathedral Commercial College, Sydney
1929 St Raphael's Church School, South Hurstville
1935 Sacred Heart Primary School, Cabramatta
1939 St Thomas More's Catholic Primary School, Brighton-Le-Sands
1939 St Gabriel's Primary School, Bexley
1952 St Peter's Primary School, Mt Pritchard later renamed Our Lady Or
1952 Mt Carmel Primary School
1958 Stella Maris Primary School Shellharbour
1964 St Joseph the Worker School, Auburn South
1982 Marion Primary School, Horsley Park
2000 Nazareth Catholic Primary School, Blackbutt

### Tasmania

1847 St Joseph's School, Hobart (primary and secondary)
1924 St Joseph's Secondary School (also known as St Joseph's College)
1957 Secondary classes transferred to Mt Carmel College, Sandy Bay
1869 St Luke's Ragged School, South Hobart
1879 St Joseph’s Orphanage School, Hobart
1926 St Brigid's Catholic School, New Norfolk
1942 Mt Carmel Primary School, Sandy Bay later renamed Mt Carmel College
1960 St Aloysius Primary School, Kingston
1965 St Francis Xavier's Primary School. South Hobart

### Victoria

1111 St Patrick's Primary School, Fitzroy later renamed St Patrick's Cathedral Convent School
1890 St John's Primary School, East Melbourne
1891 St Joseph's Primary School. Collingwood
1894 St John the Baptist, Clifton Hill (primary and secondary)
1896 St Monica's School, Essendon
1897 St Patrick's Cathedral Convent School, Fitzroy demolished and relocated to East Melbourne
1902 Catholic Ladies College, East Melbourne later relocated to Eltham
1897 St Columba's College, Essendon (primary and secondary)
1897 St George's Primary School, Carlton
1923 St Therese's Primary School, Essendon
1931 St Philomena's Scholarship School, Moonee Ponds
1937 St Vincent de Paul Primary School, North Essendon (parish later renamed Strathmore)
1955 St John Bosco's Primary School, East Keilor
1955 Corpus Christi Primary School, Glenroy
1961 St Francis de Sales Primary School, Oak Park
1962 St Christopher's Primary School, Airport West
1967 Sancta Sophia College, Glenroy
1971 Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School, Eltham
1971 Sacred Heart Primary School, Diamond Creek
1974 St Leo the Great Primary School, Altona North
1983 St Charles Borromeo Catholic Primary School, Templestowe

### Queensland

1925 St Finbarr's Primary School, Ashgrove
1928 St Finbarr's Secondary College, Ashgrove (also referred to as Grantuly College) later renamed Mt St Michael's College
1929 St Mary's College, Kingaroy
1951 Mater Dei Catholic Primary School, St John's Wood
1972 St Peter Chanel's Primary School, The Gap
1955 Notre Dame Primary School, Coorparoo

### Australian Capital Territory

1966 Holy Trinity Primary School, Curtin

## Hospitals and health care services

* 1996: The Sisters of Charity Health Service established
* 2009: Mary Aikenhead Ministries established

### New South Wales

1857 St Vincent's Hospital, Tarmons, Potts Point
1870 relocated to Darlinghurst site
1882 School of Nursing established
1886 St Joseph's Consumptive Hospital, Parramatta
1890 Sacred Heart Hospice for the Dying, Darlinghurst
1988 Sacred Heart Hospice for the Dying, Darlinghurst - new building
1892 St Joseph's Hospital, Auburn
1908 Casualty Department established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1909 St Vincent's Private Hospital Sydney
1977 St Vincent's Private Hospital Sydney - new building
1920 first Orthopaedic Department in Australia established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1921 St Vincent's Hospital Lismore
1922 St Vincent's Hospital Bathurst
1923 St Vincent's Hospital Sydney approved by the Senate of the University of Sydney as a teaching hospital and clinical school
1925 Sacred Heart Hospital, Cootamundra
1937 St Joseph's Hospice, Lismore
1937 Almoners (Social Work) Department established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1945 Physiotherapy Department established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1945 Department of Experimental Medicine established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1949 Department of Neurosurgery established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1952 Cardiovascular Unit established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1961 Babworth House, Darling Point established as a convalescent annexe of St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1962 Caritas Psychiatric Centre, Sydney established as a psychiatric day centre and later became an inpatient psychiatric service
1962 Rheumatology Department established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1963 The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney
1984 incorporated as an autonomous., non-profit institute under the Garvan Institute of Medical Research Ad
1966 St Brigid's Infirmary, Potts Point
1981 named St Brigid's Nursing Home
1967 Coronary Care Unit established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1981 Diabetic Day Care Centre established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1982 Gorman House, Detoxification Unit, Sydney
1984 Rankin Court Alcohol and Drug Service
1983 Centre for Immunology. Sydney
2008 becomes part of St Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research
1989 The Centre for or Immunology established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
1990 St Vincent's Clinic
1991 Tarmons, St Joseph's Village and Sr. Maria Cunningham Centre Auburn
1994 Victor Chang Cardiac Research Unit, Sydney
2001 rehabilitation Unit established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
2001 Mater Hospital North Sydney is acquired from the Sisters of Mercy, North Sydney and merged with St Vincent's Hospital Sydney, Darlinghurst campus
2002 Xavier Building opens at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney providing 360 new beds
2003 Stroke Unit established at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney
2008 Lowy Packer Building opens as St Vincent's Centre for Applied Medical Research
2008 Cunningham Centre established for research and clinical practice into palliative care
2016 St Vincent's Care Services Aged Care Bronte
2019 St Vincent's Care Services Aged Care Yennora
2019 St Vincent's Care Services Aged Care Haberfield

### Victoria

1893 St Vincent's Hospital, Fitzroy
1906 St Evin's Private Hospital, Fitzroy
1915 renamed Mt St Evin's Private Hospital
1968 demolished and new St Vincent's Private Hospital built on site
1910 St Vincent's Hospital Clinical School established. It is the first school to have a formal agreement with the University of Melbourne regarding the appointment of teaching staff
1937 St Vincent's Maternity Hospital, Melbourne
1972 merged with St Vincent's Private Hospital Melbourne
1938 Caritas Christi Hospice, Kew
1958 St Vincent's School of Medical Research, Melbourne
1984 St Vincent's at Home at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
1984 renamed St Vincent's Institute of Medical Research
1959 Home Care Extension Service established and later renamed
1960 Aikenhead Nurses Home and Daly Wing at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
1961 Intensive Care Unit established at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne the first in Australia
1964 Australia's first clinic for the care of alcoholics and the study of alcohol established at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
1970 The O’Brien Institute
1972 St Vincent's Private Hospital Melbourne
1998 merged with Mercy Private Hospital to form St Vincent's & Mercy Private Hospital
2008 Acquisition of Vimy Private Hospital. All three facilities merged to become known as St Vincent's Private Hospital Melbourne
1976 Microsurgery Research Unit established at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
1976 Prague House, Kew established offering residential health services for homeless people
1979 St Augustine's Ward established at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne provide inpatient health services for prison inmates
1988 de Paul House, Fitzroy opens as a detoxification unit
1997 Briar Terrace support service opened in Fitzroy
2001 St George's Health Service Kew transferred by the State Government to be part of St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
2006 St Vincent's Clinical Education and Simulation Centre established at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
2017 St Vincent's Care Services Aged Care Werribee
2021 St Vincent's Care Services Aged Care Kew

### Queensland

1922 St Vincent's Private Hospital Toowoomba
1952 St Vincent's Maternity Hospital Toowoomba
1957 Mt Olivet Hospital, Kangaroo Point
1977 Marycrest Retirement Centre/Lilian Cooper Nursing Home Kangaroo Point
1987 Villa La Salle Nursing Home Southport
2000 Acquisition of aged care services in Queensland: St Paul's Villa; Magdalene Court; St Patrick's Villa; St John the Baptist Retirement Community; Oxford Park Retirement Community; St Joseph's Villa Hostel; Madonna Villa Nursing Home
2000 St Vincent's Hospital Robina
2002 transferred operations to Queensland Health
2001 The Holy Spirit Northside Private Hospital, Chermside established as a partnership with the Holy Spirit Sisters
2002 Intensive Care Unit established at St Vincent's Private Hospital Toowoomba, the first private unit in Australia
2006 Lourdes Home for the Aged Toowoomba (Purchased)
2007 St Vincent's Care Services Aged Care Maroochydore
2019 St Vincent's Care Services Aged Care Carseldine (aka Holy Spirit Home) (Purchased)
2019 St Vincent's Care Services Aged Care Boondall (aka Holy Spirit Home) (Purchased)

### Tasmania

1944 acquired St Margaret's Hospital and renamed it St Vincent's Hospital Launceston
2005 ownership transferred to Calvary Health Care

## Notable members

* Mary Catherine Bruton (Mother Canice)
* Anne Daly
* Mary Healy (Mother Gertrude)
* Brigid McGuigan
* Ellen O'Doherty
* Mary Dunstan Wilson