Damascus College Ballarat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Damascus College
Address
1412 Geelong Road, Mount Clear Ballarat , Victoria , 3350 Australia
Coordinates	37°36′42″S 143°52′7″E / 37.61167°S 143.86861°E / -37.61167; 143.86861
Information
Type	Independent, co-educational, day school
Motto	Latin: Luce Christi Vivere (To live by the light of Christ)
Denomination	Roman Catholic, Sisters of Mercy
Established	1881 (Sacred Heart) 1948 (St Paul's) 1968 (St Martin's in the Pines). 1995 (Amalgamation)
School board	Berenice Kerr RSM and Kevin Maloney
School number	265
Principal	Steven Mifsud
Staff	129
Teaching staff	86
Years offered	7–12
Gender	Co-educational
Enrolment	1102
Colour(s)	Gold, navy blue and maroon
VCE average	28
Affiliation	Ballarat Associated Schools
Website	http://www.damascus.vic.edu.au/

Damascus College is a Catholic high school in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It's a school for both boys and girls, teaching students from Year 7 to Year 12. The college started in 1995 when three older Catholic schools joined together. It is located on a large, treed campus in Mount Clear, about 7 kilometers from Ballarat's city center.

How Damascus College Started

Damascus College was formed by combining three separate Catholic schools. These schools had their own long histories before becoming one college.

Sacred Heart College

Sisters of Mercy started Sacred Heart College in Ballarat East in 1881. It was a school for girls from kindergarten all the way to Year 12. Later, in 1906, the younger students moved to a different school called St Francis Xavier College.

St Paul's Technical College

Ludbrook House, which used to be St Paul's College.

In 1948, the Bishop of Ballarat, James O'Collins, opened St Paul's Technical College. He asked the Christian Brothers to run the school. This school focused on teaching boys technical skills. In 1987, St Paul's moved to a new location on Victoria Street.

St Martin's in the Pines

A woman named Alice Fanning left her property in Mount Clear to the Sisters of Mercy when she passed away in 1960. The Sisters first used the land for farming. In 1964, they decided to build a senior school campus there for Sacred Heart College. The foundation stone was laid in 1966.

In 1967, this new campus became St Martin's in the Pines. It was a separate school for Year 11 and 12 girls. In 1988, boys, mostly from St Paul's Technical College, also started attending St Martin's. For many years, St Martin's was also a boarding school for girls, especially those from country areas. Over time, fewer students needed to board, and by 1994, only one floor of the boarding house was used.

Joining Together

In 1995, Sacred Heart College, St Martin's in the Pines, and St Paul's Technical College all joined to create Damascus College. This made it Ballarat's only Catholic high school for both boys and girls. At first, students in Years 7 to 9 were at the old St Paul's site, and Years 10 to 12 were at the old St Martin's site. By 2011, all students moved to the Mount Clear campus.

Damascus College is supported by the Sisters of Mercy and local Catholic churches. In 2016, the college won an award for being the "Sustainability Victoria Biodiversity Secondary School of the Year."

What Students Learn

Damascus College follows important guidelines for what students learn. These include the school's own goals, the Australian Curriculum, and standards from the Victorian education authorities.

Students can choose to learn French or Indonesian from Year 7 to 12. Physical Education and Health are taught from Years 7 to 10. Religious Education is a subject for all year levels. For older students (Years 10, 11, and 12), Damascus College offers different study paths like VCE and VCE Vocational Major.

Fun Activities and Clubs

Damascus College offers many extra activities outside of regular classes.

Helping Others: Mercy and Justice

• Timor-Leste Program: Students can raise money and visit Santa Maria, a sister school in Timor-Leste.
• Edmund Rice Camps: Students learn to be leaders for camps that help children and families in need.
• Seeds of Justice: This project helps students understand more about fairness and justice.
• Mercy Works: Students support projects that help people locally and overseas.
• Justice Action Group (JAG): A student group focused on social justice.

Sustainable Racing Team (SRT)

Since 1998, students at Damascus College have designed, built, and tested Human Powered Vehicles (HPVs). These are vehicles powered by people pedaling. The team trains and competes every year in the Energy Breakthrough challenge in Maryborough. This competition includes a 24-hour race where teams earn points for how far they travel. They also get points for showing what they know about their vehicle's technology.

SRT is an after-school club. It helps students learn about energy-efficient technologies that might be used in future transport. The team also competes in other HPV races.

The college won the World Future Cycle Challenge in 2005 and 2007. This was a 1200 km journey from Ceduna to Adelaide. In March 2008, the SRT team rode 1009 km in under 24 hours from Sydney to Ballarat. This ride helped raise awareness about reducing greenhouse gases.

In 2009, the SRT team rode a solar-powered vehicle 3775 km from Darwin to Melbourne. This "Outback Rode RAGE" campaign aimed to teach people about climate change. Seven students took turns pedaling the vehicle, which could reach speeds of 115 km/h. It was 30% powered by solar energy and 70% by pedaling.

In May 2024, the SRT team rode 1085 km from Broken Hill to Ballarat. They raised money for the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute.

Drama and Performances

Students can join the senior or junior Drama Club. They can also take part in the school's yearly play and a special Easter play called The Final Hours.

Sports

Every year, the school holds sports events for swimming, athletics, and ball sports. Damascus College is part of the Ballarat Associated Schools. This means students can represent the school in many different sports:

BAS Championships

Damascus College and its earlier schools have won many championships in the Ballarat Associated Schools competition.

Combined Team Wins:

• Athletics – 1995
• Badminton (2 wins) – 2006, 2007
• Lawn Bowls – 1997

Boys' Team Wins:

• Badminton (4 wins) – 2006, 2008, 2009, 2019
• Cross Country – 1990
• Soccer – 2003

Girls' Team Wins:

• Athletics (6 wins) – 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1977, 1995
• Badminton – 2017
• Basketball (10 wins) – 1965, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1982, 1997, 1999, 2000
• Football (2 wins) – 1999, 2000
• Hockey – 1976
• Netball (7 wins) – 1961, 1966, 1967, 1970, 1972, 1991, 1992
• Soccer (3 wins) – 1999, 2000, 2003
• Softball (2 wins) – 1965, 2008
• Volleyball (2 wins) – 1989, 1992

Other Activities

• Debating and Public Speaking
• SRC (Student Representative Council)
• French and Indonesian Language Study Tours
• Skiing trips
• Youth-Tutoring-Youth Program
• Green Group
• Book Club

School Buildings and Areas

Damascus College has different buildings and areas, many named after important people or the schools that joined to form it.

• Sacred Heart Wing (Building 2) – Classrooms for Year 9 and 10, named after Sacred Heart College.
• Catherine McAuley Wing (Building 4) – Classrooms for Year 7 and 8, named after Sister Catherine McAuley.
• Genevieve McDonald Wing (Building 3) – Science classrooms, named after Sister Genevieve McDonald.
• John Shannon Centre – The school gymnasium, named after John Shannon, the first principal of Damascus College.
• Mercy Wing – The main office and reception area, named to honor the Sisters of Mercy.
• Our Lady of Mercy Chapel – A Catholic chapel for students and staff.
• St Martin's Resource Centre (Building 1) – The library, named after St Martin's in the Pines.
• St Paul's Arts and Technology Wing (Building 5) – Rooms for art, metalwork, and woodwork, named after St Paul's Technical College.
• Valda Ward Auditorium – A hall and rooms for drama, named after Sister Valda Ward.
• Damascus Events Centre – A large building used for events and exams.
• Xavier Flood Centre (Building 11) – A special area for senior students with study spaces and classrooms.
• Edmund Rice Wing (Building 7) – Classrooms, drama, and music rooms, named after Edmund Ignatius Rice.

School Houses

Students at Damascus College belong to one of four houses. Each house is named after an important person in the school's history or Catholic tradition.

•      Rice: Named after Brother Edmund Ignatius Rice, who started the Christian Brothers in Ireland in 1802. He wanted to educate boys from poor families.
•      McAuley: Named after Venerable Catherine McAuley, who founded the Sisters of Mercy in Ireland in 1831. She created a place to care for and educate girls and young women who needed help.
•      Xavier: Named after Mother Xavier Flood. She was one of the founding Sisters of Mercy in Ballarat and the first principal of Sacred Heart College.
•      St Martin: Named after Saint Martin de Porres. He was a Peruvian lay brother known for helping the poor. The house name was changed to St Martin to reflect the school's values.

School Leaders

Here are the principals who have led Damascus College since it was formed:

Famous Former Students

Many students who attended Damascus College or its founding schools have gone on to do great things.

From Sacred Heart College

• Karen Overington (graduated 1969), a member of the Victorian Parliament.
• Judith Myrea Brewer (graduated 1979), recognized with a high Australian honor.

From St Paul's Technical College

• Mick Malthouse (graduated 1971), a famous AFL football player and coach.
• Val Perovic (graduated 1971), a former AFL football player.
• Maurice O'Keefe (graduated 1972), an AFL football player.
• Geoff Cunningham (graduated 1977), an AFL football player.
• Daryl Cunningham (graduated 1978), an AFL football player.
• Sean Simpson (graduated 1987), a former AFL football player.
• Anthony McDonald (graduated 1990), a former AFL football player.
• James McDonald (graduated 1992), an AFL football player.

From St Martin's In the Pines

• Helen FitzGerald (graduated 1984), a novelist and screenwriter.
• Rachael Taylor (graduated 1994), an Olympic medalist in rowing.

From Damascus College

• Darren Jolly (graduated 1996), an AFL premiership winner.
• Shayne Reese (graduated 2000), an Olympic and Commonwealth Games swimmer.
• Cameron Richardson (graduated 2005), a former AFL football player.
• James Frawley (graduated 2006), an AFL football player.
• Jordan Roughead (school captain 2008), an AFL premiership winner.
• Aislinn Prendergast (graduated 2009), an orienteer for Australia.
• Shaun Reeves (graduated 2011), a member of the band Kuchi Kopi.
• Sam Rizzo, a Paralympic and Commonwealth Games athlete.
• Shelby Sherritt, a ceramic artist.

See also

• Education in Ballarat
• List of schools in Victoria
• List of schools in Ballarat