History
The history of St Thomas is said to have started in 1896 when a Catholic school for Parish children of Goodwood was started by Father Gandolfi. A year after this he is said to have returned to Italy after completing some 20 years as a Priest in Australia, leaving behind a legacy of educating children as a main objective. In the Southern Cross Newspaper in 1940, a noted Catholic, Mrs Margaret Clark reminisced about teaching at the school when it opened.
Mrs Margaret Clark, St Thomas’ first teacher.
Margaret was an active supporter of various Community and Catholic Charities such as the St Vincent de Paul’s Orphanage at Goodwood with records of her contributions to the fetes.
It was noted that as a married woman and mother, it was fortunate that Catholic Education employed married women-a rarity at the time. It was also noted that a preschool was always part of the school since its inception. Coincidently, her great Granddaughter, Geraldine Jones, taught at the school for many years having retired from St Thomas just a few years ago.
Monsignor Byrne of the Goodwood Parish opened a school for boys in around 1909. It was run by a Mr Stephen Grogan. It was noted on his retirement that Monsignor Byrne “paid for the premises of the school in its entirety.”
Group of Catholic Clergymen of Archdiocese of Adelaide. Left to right, standing: Rev. Christopher Augustine Reynolds (later Archbishop); Rev. Peter Hughes; Rev. Julian Edmund Tenison Woods; Rev. Michael O'Connor; Rev. Thomas Dowling; Rev. Theodore Bongaerts; Rev. Charles Van Der Heyden; Rev. Simon Carew; Rev. Frederick Byrne (later Monsignor); Rev. Aloysius Kranewitter, S.J. Sitting: Very Rev. John Smyth (Vicar General); Rt. Rev. Bishop Laurence Bonaventure Sheil; Rev. Fr. Joseph Tappeiner, S.J.; Ven. Archdeacon Patrick Thomas Russell.
In 1914 The Sisters of Mercy were asked to take over the running of the school as girls were to be admitted. The first combined school had 25 pupils which grew to 65 within 6 months. In the late 1920’s the school for children at the Orphanage on Goodwood Road closed and these students attended St Thomas for their education. Students from the Orphanage continued to be educated here until it ceased hosting students in the 1970’s.
The school became a place of social importance to Parish members through the years and there are newspaper reports of fairs, recitals and social gatherings frequently in the 1940’s and 50’s and beyond.
The last Sister of Mercy to teach at the school was Sr Francis Coady and the last religious Principal was Sister Claudette Cusack who left in 1980.
Sports Day events have always been a school highlight. In the 1940’s Sports teams were St Anne, St Claire, St Michael and St Patrick’s. By the 1950’s the teams were St Thomas, St Margaret and St Clair. In the 1980’s teams were a simpler Weston, Rushton and Angus representing the streets around us. Today our teams are McLennan, Jordan, Thomas and McAuley representing significant names from our heritage.
Over the years many additions to the school have been carried out. The older upstairs teaching block was built in 1954/55. Then in 1984/5 extensive additions were made including enclosing the outside verandah upstairs to an enclosed space as well as new buildings. The entry to the school for many years including, the Staffroom and school Offices, was a cottage on Angus Street, approximately where the middle gate is now. This former house was demolished for further yard space. Around this time a caretaker’s cottage on the grounds adjacent the current tuckshop area was also demolished.
Through the efforts of other benefactors, Father McLennan and the Goodwood Parish, two houses near the corner of Rushton Street and Angus Street were purchased and demolished for extra land. This was followed a few years later by the purchase of a large house opposite the current Parish house to add further land.
A further extensive building project was started in roughly 2011 (11-13???) to include the Mercy Hall, Library, Office renovations and turning the old Parish Hall into a permanent Preschool site. Most recently the buildings off Goodwood Road were purchased in the last few years for the current Workshop and Year 6 area.
Sports Day events have always been a school highlight. In the 1940’s Sports teams were St Anne, St Claire, St Michael and St Patrick’s. By the 1950’s the teams were St Thomas, St Margaret and St Clair. In the 1980’s teams were a simpler Weston, Rushton and Angus representing the streets around us. Today our teams are McLennan, Jordan, Thomas and McAuley representing significant names from our heritage.
Over the years many additions to the school have been carried out. The older upstairs teaching block was built in 1954/55. Then in 1984/5 extensive additions were made including enclosing the outside verandah upstairs to an enclosed space as well as new buildings. The entry to the school for many years including, the Staffroom and school Offices, was a cottage on Angus Street, approximately where the middle gate is now. This former house was demolished for further yard space. Around this time a caretaker’s cottage on the grounds adjacent the current tuckshop area was also demolished.
Through the efforts of other benefactors, Father McLennan and the Goodwood Parish, two houses near the corner of Rushton Street and Angus Street were purchased and demolished for extra land. This was followed a few years later by the purchase of a large house opposite the current Parish house to add further land.
A further extensive building project was started in roughly 2011 (11-13???) to include the Mercy Hall, Library, Office renovations and turning the old Parish Hall into a permanent Preschool site. Most recently the buildings off Goodwood Road were purchased in the last few years for the current Workshop and Year 6 area.