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St Patrick's Emerald
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    • Our History
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    • Our Prayer
    • Mission Statement
    • Catholic School Ethos
    • Policies & Procedures
    • P&F Association
    • Parent Participation
    • School Board
    • Location
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  • Enrolments
    • Enrolment Information
    • Fee Information
    • Uniforms
  • Curriculum
    • Our Curriculum
    • Book lists
    • Camps & Tours
    • Inclusive Practices
    • Homework Policy
    • Library
    • Physical Education
    • Religious Education
    • Prep Year
    • Music
  • What's On
    • Term Dates
    • School Routine
    • Newsletter
  • Gallery
    • In the News
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    • Tuckshop Menu
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Our History

Picture
Portrait of school children sitting on the front porch of St Patrick's Convent School Emerald Queensland 1913
Nano Nagle was born in Ballygriffin, Cork, Ireland in 1718. Nano spent a happy childhood in her family home and during this time, developed a strong faith. Because of the Penal Laws in Ireland at the time, she was unable to receive an education in a public school. Instead, she was educated at an illegal “hedge school”, and later she travelled to France to continue her education with her relatives.

After her father died, Nano returned to Ireland. She soon became aware of the social injustice of the penal code and the poverty it inflicted on people. She decided she would provide education for those children who were not permitted to attend public schools. Nano secretly rented rooms in various parts of the city of Cork, and started classes for children. Soon she had seven schools containing four hundred children, five schools for girls and two schools for boys.

Nano’s dedication to the poor was not confined to schools. In the evenings, she searched the narrow streets, guided by a lantern, to alleviate distress among the sick and destitute and to share with them God’s love. She became known as “The Lady of the Lamp”.

After many years of service to the poor, Nano’s health began to fail. She decided to found a religious Congregation which would continue her work. This was the beginning of the Presentation story. Many young women joined the Congregation of the Presentation Sisters and migrated to different areas of the world to continue Nano's work. 

The founders of our  school, the Presentation Sisters arrived in Emerald on 14th April, 1902. These were exceptional women. They brooked
no nonsense from the children, setting high standards of dress and behaviour  which they insisted the children to follow. The sisters brought music to the
people of Emerald. Mother Superior Patrick was an accomplished musician and  fostered singing, piano and violin playing.

The school opened  with an enrolment of eighty pupils in one  room.  Many children were  unable to attend school because of distance. As a result, the Sisters started a  boarding school, originally for girls and then for boys at St Patrick’s in 1906.  Boarding concluded in 1961.

In 1912, during a  cyclonic storm, the little school was badly damaged. A new school was opened on  25th April,  1915. Probably one of the  unique activities the Sisters initiated was the ‘moonlight sports’. Eventually,  they were combined with a fete and a dance which today, has become our annual  fair which is a wonderful community event.

Growth in Emerald  was exponential from the late 1960s when the Fairbairn Dam was built and the  Emerald Irrigation Scheme became a reality, coal mines began to open up and the  cattle industry expanded. St Patrick’s School did not lag behind in offering an up to date education for the children of
Emerald.

The last  Presentation Sister left our school in 1992, leaving the school in the hand of  the RockhamptonCatholic Education Office.  Since then the
school has mushroomed with new classrooms, new administration office, new  library, new undercover area and stage. Currently, the school’s enrolment is  approximately 615 children from Prep to Year Seven. Our school offers  a holistic education including instrumental music, an extensive physical
education program, a comprehension learning support department, classroom music  lessons and modern teaching opportunities including the use of ipads and other technologies.
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St Patrick's Catholic Primary School
41 Yamala Street,
EMERALD Q 4720
  • Home
    • Principal's Welcome
  • Student Protection
  • About Us
    • Our History
    • Our Patron
    • Our Prayer
    • Mission Statement
    • Catholic School Ethos
    • Policies & Procedures
    • P&F Association
    • Parent Participation
    • School Board
    • Location
    • Our Team
  • Enrolments
    • Enrolment Information
    • Fee Information
    • Uniforms
  • Curriculum
    • Our Curriculum
    • Book lists
    • Camps & Tours
    • Inclusive Practices
    • Homework Policy
    • Library
    • Physical Education
    • Religious Education
    • Prep Year
    • Music
  • What's On
    • Term Dates
    • School Routine
    • Newsletter
  • Gallery
    • In the News
  • Tuckshop
    • Tuckshop Menu
    • Online Orders
    • Tuckshop Food Gallery
  • Contact Us
    • Our School
    • Our Parish