Santa Maria College is an independent Roman Catholic single-sex primary and secondary day and boarding school for girls located in Attadale , a southern suburb of Perth , Western Australia. Established by the Sisters of Mercy in , the school currently caters for approximately 1, students from Year 5 to Year 12 including boarders. The College's Mercy heritage and history goes back to the arrival of seven Sisters of Mercy in Perth in They were led by Ursula Frayne. As enrolments increased, school buildings, including a boarding school, were built in the grounds of the present Mercedes College.
As the demand for boarding places increased from country families, the Mercy Superior at the time, Brigid McDonald, and her Council resolved to build a new ladies' college for boarding and day students in the bush land in Attadale. Santa Maria College opened its doors in The founding principal was Mary Bertrand Corbett. The post-war period brought with it a rapid expansion in residential development around the college.
As a result, there was a growth in student numbers and the student population at Santa Maria College changed from primarily boarders to a majority of day students. Today [ when? Mercy Education is the employer of the principal and staff of twelve Mercy Colleges.
The following individuals have served as Principal of Santa Maria College:. Before the current house system came into operation the students were divided into teams β which were essentially for sporting carnivals. The houses were initially School red , Mercian white , Trinity Blue , however, as the number of students increased a fourth team was added in β Xavier gold Santa Maria College, as with most Australian schools, utilises a House system.
Students are divided into eight Houses, for the purpose of morning meetings in House groups and Homerooms, and intra-school competition. In , two new houses were added β Corbett, named after the school's first Principal , Bertrand Corbett, and Byrne. Each House competes to earn points towards the "McAuley Shield" through various interhouse events including: swimming, athletics, cross-country, volleyball, soccer, debating, and public speaking.
