History
A Strong Foundation of Faith and Learning Since 1919
St Joseph’s School was established by the Sisters of St Joseph in 1919, with classes commencing on 30th March. Lessons were held in the lower floor of the old building on Bridge St, which was originally used as a church. The convent building next door had previously been a private hospital and was purchased at the time to provide housing for the sisters. At commencement, the school accommodated 100 pupils ranging from Kindergarten to third form.
In 1960, there were eight nuns in the school who taught several hundred pupils. At that time, the school drew pupils from the West, South and rural areas. In 1961, a portion of the West Tamworth Parish was cut off and St Edward’s Parish, South Tamworth was established. St Patrick’s Hall, incorporating Kindergarten, canteen and school toilet block were erected in 1962. Sometime later, two other classrooms facing Denison St were built.
Transitioning with Faith and Gratitude
At the end of 1962, the school ceased to take secondary students and since then has catered for Kindergarten to Year 6 only. While the boys had always gone to the Christian Brothers College for their secondary education, the girls had to attend the Dominican Convent.
After 71 years of dedication and service, the last Sister of St Joseph to serve as principal, Sr Maureen McDermott, left the school in 1990 with Sr Julia Hartnett departing two years later. It was the end of an era and after 71 years, the first lay principal, Mrs Dennese Burke was appointed.
A Century of Growth and Renewal
In 2011, a new administration block, library and three classrooms were built as part of the Building the Education Revolution and then in 2019 the school celebrated its centenary. This was a momentous occasion which included a special thanksgiving Mass officiated by Bishop Kennedy in conjunction with Fr Anthony, Fr Ross O’Brien, Fr Paul McCabe and other visiting clergy. Many of the Sisters of St Joseph were in attendance, some of whom had been past pupils of the school.
In late 2017, the school received a government grant of $1.8 million which, along with financial support from the Catholic School Office, Armidale and local school contributions, was used to upgrade the existing facilities. Four new learning spaces, a library, canteen and toilets were built and existing classrooms and administration block were renovated.
A Legacy That Lives On
St Joseph’s features state of the art facilities and continues to provide quality Catholic education to the students of Tamworth and surrounding areas, continuing the work of the Sisters of St Joseph so many years before. The historic two storey building was also renovated and is retained by the parish. This building will continue to be a historic landmark in Tamworth, a reminder of the dedication and commitment of those who came before us.
