| In
February 1892, the Brothers arrived and took up residence
in Ipswich. They taught only in the original building,
St Mary's Christian Brothers' College, on the corner of
Elizabeth and Mary Streets from that time until 1961.
In the early 1960s, it became obvious that the demand
for higher secondary education was going to increase,
and, for the second time in the history of the Christian
Brothers in Ipswich, a meeting of parents resolved to
follow a far-reaching course of action.
With the support of the Parish Priest of St Mary's, the
building of the new college commenced, and on 21 February,
1965, the first of the buildings financially supported
by the newly formed Parents and Friends' Association was
blessed by Rev. Sir James Duhig,Archbishop of Brisbane,
and the foundation stone laid by the Mayor of Ipswich,
Alderman J. T. Finimore.
At this time the name of the College was changed to St
Edmund's Christian Brothers’ College.
The strength and consistency of the support given to the
College by its parent body has been of a very high order
since that time and has made possible the provision of
many facilities.
|
 |
In 1999, St
Edmund's entered a new phase of its development where
the first lay-Principal was appointed to the College.
The Trustees of the Christian Brothers Queensland continue
to own and administer the College. So some one hundred
and eight years after arriving in Ipswich the Christian
Brothers moved on and the Principalship reverted to a
lay man.
The College at present consists of two campuses, the College
at Mary Street, and the Edmund Park Training and Leisure
Centre near Thornton in the Laidley Valley. In 2005, St
Edmund's College has an enrolment of 961 secondary students
in Year 8 to Year Twelve.
St Edmund’s seeks
to provide the best possible education for our students
in an environment which is permeated by consciousness
of the presence of God and love for Christ. To this end
there are religious emblems in the classrooms and prayers
are conducted at appropriate times.
|
