By Anthony Barich
Perth Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton was in Year 2 at St Columba’s Catholic Primary School in Bayswater when Mercy Sisters Teresa Daly and Catherine O’Connor started St Lawrence’s Primary School in Balcatta from nothing in 1960.
On 10 September he celebrated the 50th anniversary of St Lawrence School in “thanksgiving to the Holy Spirit” for inspiring the great sacrifices made by the Sisters of Mercy and the parents, the latter of whom shouldered much of the financial burden of starting the school as there was no government funding.
Those graduates from the school who have gone on to follow Christ and live a Christian life did so due to the formation they received in their own families and from the principles they learned at the school, Bishop Sproxton said in his homily during Mass on 10 September.
“All who have generously given of themselves have done so inspired by the Holy Spirit,” he said. “We give thanks to God for His faithfulness to us in helping build up the Church in an area once considered on the fringe of Perth, and for giving the Sisters the gift of courage to start a school.
It is vital in Catholic education that “we want children to be introduced to Christ in the lives and virtues of the staff and learning of Him in the Gospel,” he said.
As Sr Mary O’Connor – Sr Catherine’s twin sister who was twice principal of St Lawrence’s – described the hardships the Sisters and parents went through in those early days, it became clear that they did so by the grace of God.
Once Osborne Park parish priest Monsignor Langmead negotiated the purchase from the Smullen family of three acres of land on which the school and church are now located, Sr Teresa (whose Religious name was Sr Alphonsus) and Sr Norma (Sr Eucharia) gave instructions after Mass on Sundays at the St Lawrence Church-School.
There was no official school at this stage, and at the time Sr Teresa and Sr Norma were teaching at St Kieran Primary School at Osborne Park during the week.
Due to many requests from the parishioners, St Lawrence Primary School opened in 1960 with 54 pupils in Grades 1 to 4. The school started with Sr Teresa, the Principal and Sr Catherine O’Connor (Sr Damien) as the assistant.
The church was divided into three rooms; two classrooms were partitioned from the church. The classroom had double desks, which were made of jarrah.
On Sundays the desks had to be stacked to one side and the forms put in their place for Mass. Sr M Vianney donated two blackboard dusters, some chalk and a pad for each child as the school literally had nothing, as school historians described. There was also an old piano and organ; and the assistant, during the lunch break and also before and after school, usually taught music lessons.
Sr Mary said after the 10 September Mass that the two Sisters – including her sister – who started the school, lived at St Catherine’s convent in Cape Street and had to catch a bus which ran infrequently. If they missed the 8.05am bus they either trekked the 35-minute walk to school or caught the 9.05am bus and were late. Similarly, in the afternoon, if they missed the 5.05pm bus back to the convent the next one was at 7.05pm, which they sometimes took as they stayed late playing marbles with the boys.
The Sisters also did their own cleaning, Sr Mary said, including burning the rubbish – St Teresa’s job.
After lunch one day she lit the 40 gallon drum and the wind blew the flames, setting the nearby paddock on fire.
There was no phone at the school so a four year old boy was sent to a neighbour to ring the fire brigade.
The onions from the paddock destined for the market were scorched; luckily insurance covered it.
The school was known for the art and crafts groups that were held for the upper primary children and a display was organised for parents and relatives to admire.
Between 1962 and 1997 the Capuchin Franciscans catered for the pastoral, spiritual and sacramental lives of the school and established the school which – also after much frustration – was opened in 1975.
In 1997 the Salvatorians took over the parish and are involved in the school. Servite Sr Chitra Justin is now the school chaplain.