Our Story

We Follow Jesus

Our Lady of the Rosary is proud to be part of Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese's system of 80 Catholic primary and secondary schools operating across Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains providing more than 43,500 students with a high-quality, low fee Catholic education.

At Our Lady of the Rosary we cater to all types of learners in a welcoming, nurturing environment. We support and challenge every student to achieve their personal best within a strong faith environment.

Our school is committed to creating a learning community where:

The Gospel message is proclaimed and all individuals are catered for and are happy at school.

We value the contribution of every member of our community and our unique historical foundations and traditions.

We support the mission of the Church by modelling and sharing its values and teachings.

We are committed to our spirituality and maintaining strong links between the parish and school.

Our school emblem

Founded by St Mary of the Cross MacKillop and the sisters of St Joseph, our emblem highlights the particular devotions that are central to Josephite spirituality.

The arms of the emblem represent the words AVE MARIA (AM) - Hail Mary. The emblem also contains the three J’s representing Jesus, Joseph and John the Baptist.

The cross is key to Christianity. Mary MacKillop chose to be called ‘Sister of the Cross’.

Finally, the school emblem includes the Bennett wheel – the symbol of a famous wheelwright industry in our local area of St Marys, since 1858.

Our school emblem

Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School St Marys crest

Our history

Our school was founded in 1880 by St Mary of the Cross Mackillop and the Sisters of St Joseph.

Our Lady of the Rosary began providing Catholic education for the local children under the direction of the Sisters of St Joseph in a building on Putland Street. The Sisters remained in charge at the school until the first lay principal (Gordon Egan) was appointed in 1979. By this time, the school had spread to a second site, behind the church on Collins Street. This site housed the Infants stage from 1971.

In 1978, as the school continued to grow, a third site was established on the corner of Saddington Street and Mamre Road.

Over time, building works allowed the school to consolidate and become a single-site school, closing Putland Street in 1985 and Collins Street in 2011. The 'Brown Joeys' as the Josephite Sisters were called, maintained a presence at the school until 1994.

The Catholic ethos of our school remains one of our greatest strengths. Today, our modern school is committed to following in the footsteps of Jesus and helping every child thrive and succeed.