Sisters of Charity of Australia
The Sisters of Charity of Australia (who use the postnominal initials of RSC) is a congregation of religious sisters in the Catholic Church who have served the people of Australia since 1838. History. Mother Mary Aikenhead, who had founded the Religious Sisters of Charity in 1815 in Dublin, Ireland, then part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, 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, then still a colony of the British Empire, on the "Francis Spaight" on 31 December 1838 the five Sisters who had volunteered to go to Australia from Ireland 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. The health care ministries  of St Vincent's Health Australia are now under the stewardship of Mary Aikenhead Ministries. 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. 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. Following is a timeline of the schools which were either founded by the Sisters of Charity of Australia, or at which the Sisters had a foundational or otherwise significant impact on the school through teaching and administration. 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 arnd 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. 1889 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. 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, 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 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 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 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 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 Tasmania. 1944 acquired St Margaret's Hospital and renamed it St Vincent's Hospital Launceston 2005 ownership transferred to Calvary Health Care