Christian Brothers High School (fmr)

Values

The place was developed by the Christian Brothers, in association with the Sacred Heart School (P2181 Sacred Heart Convent and School & P2183 Sacred Heart Group), and provided upper primary and secondary education for boys from the school and surrounding area.

Physical Description

The large two storey red brick building is a fine example of a private school constructed in the Inter-War Georgian Revival style. The building has a strong rectangular shape with a hipped roof with projecting gable over porticoed entrances. Above each of the entrance doorways is a small balcony with classical balustrades.

History

The Christian Brothers was founded in Ireland in 1802 by Edmund Rice, but came to Perth much later in 1893 when Bishop Gibney asked the Provincial of the Irish Christian Brother, Brother Ambrose Treacy to establish an order in Perth and take over the management St. Patrick’s Boys School at Irwin Street in Perth.

The Christian Brothers established their own secondary school the following year in 1894 on St Georges Terrace, and another in Albany in 1898, and by 1901 had also agreed to take on St Patrick’s School in Fremantle.

In the mid 1930s the Catholic Church and the Christian Brothers agreed to build a school in Highgate near the school, church and monastery of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. A site was chosen on the corner of Stirling and Harold Street, near to the Mary Street Church, on land owned by the church. The church paid for the construction of the school section and the Christian Brothers paid for the construction of residential facilities for the Brothers.

The Christian Brothers Intermediate High School was opened in 1936 and provided upper primary and secondary education for boys from the Sacred Heart Primary School and surrounding areas. The first enrolment was 160 pupils, mostly from Highgate, Maylands, Leederville, and West Perth areas. The following year, the enrolment had increased to over 200.

In 1949 two additional classrooms and an Assembly Hall was added, by which time the school was known as Christian Brother’s High School.

In more recent years the school has been occupied by a private international college, St Mark’s International College. However, in January 2010 the college closed.

In September 2011 extensive development works have started to the former school and its grounds. TPG have been employed to redevelop this area with the addition of 130 multiple dwellings ranging from 3 to 6 storeys while maintaining the heritage buildings on the corner.

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