- Mercedes College (Adelaide)
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Mercedes College 
Loyal En Tout
(French for "Loyal in All")Location Springfield, SA, Australia 
Information Type Independent, Roman Catholic, Co-educational, Day school Established 1954 Principal Peter Daw Key people Tony O'Doherty
(Head of Senior School)
Paul Wadsworth
(Head Of Middle School)
Julie Hann
(Head Of Junior School)Colour(s) Green, gold and navy blue Slogan "Unlocking Life Potential" Website www.mercedes.adl.catholic.edu.au Mercedes College is a Catholic, co-educational day school located in Springfield a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.
It was established by the Sisters of Mercy in 1954. Originally a boarding school for girls, it is now a coeducational school. Mercedes is an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, and offers the PYP, MYP, and IB diploma programmes as an alternative to the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE).
Contents
History
It was established by the Sisters of Mercy in 1954. The purchase of the 20-acre (81,000 m²) site at Springfield brought to fruition the dream of finding a healthier environment for the girls' boarding school until that time part of Saint Aloysius College in Angas street, Adelaide. With the eighty boarders on opening day were sixty day scholars, mostly girls but with a group of boys in the infant section.
After twenty-one years the boarding school was phased out when rising costs and a decline in the rural economy made it financially beyond the means of the very families it was created to serve. In 1976 the school became co-educational with the first intake of boys in the Year eight and numbers have grown.
The Mercedes property was originally part of the Springfield Esate. It was sold to John Duncan, (father of Sir Walter, Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives for many years) who planned the house in 1891 and built it in 1899. The family home was named Strathspey after his childhood home in Scotland.
The Duncans eventually bequeathed the property to the Presbyterian Church and it became St Andrew's Residential College attached the University of Adelaide. In 1939 the property was sold to Mr and Mrs F W Cornell and it once again became a private residence. During their time St Andrew's became something of an artistic oasis. Mrs Cornell was very involved in the formation of the SA Symphony Orchestra and in encouraging touring celebrities to give concerts in Adelaide and many of these people were her house guests while in Adelaide.
In 1953 the property was bought by the Sisters of Mercy. Mercedes, the Spanish word for mercy, was chosen by the sisters to commemorate the circumstances of the Mercy foundation in Adelaide.
Archbishop Reynolds, first Archbishop of Adelaide, was in Dublin in 1879 asking for sisters of his diocese when a group of sisters returned from Buenos Aires, forced by revolution to leave their home for twenty-four years.
Some were the original Irish sisters but many were South American girls who left behind their families and homes. Accepting the Archbishop's invitation the twenty-four sisters arrived in Adelaide on the 3 May 1880. The heroism and endurance of the Spanish speaking pioneers are commemorated in the name Mercedes.
About Mercedes
House System
As with most Australian schools, Mercedes College utilises a house system. There are currently four houses, each named after memorable Mercy Sisters.
- McAuley - Green (Sister Catherine McAuley)
- Fitzpatrick - Blue (Sister Evangelista Fitzpatrick)
- Barry - Yellow (Sister Dolores Barry)
- Dalton - Red (Sister Mary Xavier Dalton)
Sport
The sports available for students in Years 3 to 7 are: Tennis, athletics, cross country, hockey, volleyball, softball, cricket, basketball, netball and Australian rules football.
The sports available for students in Years 8 to 12 are: Tennis, athletics, cross country, hockey, softball, table-tennis, basketball, swimming, netball, soccer, Australian Rules football, cricket, water-polo and volleyball.
Most sports are conducted on Friday nights and Saturday mornings, although some are mid-week.
Notable alumni
- Hannah Davis (2002) Olympic Bronze Medalist
- Teresa Palmer (2003) Australian actress
- Tristan Goodall (unknown) Guitarist, The Audreys.
- Kelli Underwood Channel 10 AFL commentator
- Orianthi Pop-Rock singer/guitarist
See also
External links
Members of the Sports Association for Adelaide Schools, South Australia Adelaide High School • Blackfriars Priory School • Cabra Dominican College • Christian Brothers College • Concordia College • Gleeson College • Glenunga International High School • Immanuel College • Marryatville High School • Mercedes College • Nazareth Catholic College • Norwood Morialta High School • Pedare Christian College • Pembroke School • Prince Alfred College • Pulteney Grammar School • Rostrevor College • Sacred Heart College Middle School • Sacred Heart College • St Andrew's School • St Ignatius' College • St John's Grammar School • St John's Lutheran, Highgate (Tennis only) • St Michael's College • St Paul's College • St Peter's College • Scotch College • Trinity College • Unley High School • Westminster School • Woodcroft CollegeCategories:- Roman Catholic schools in Australia
- International Baccalaureate schools in Australia
- Private schools in South Australia
- High schools in South Australia
- Junior School Heads Association of Australia Member Schools
- Educational institutions established in 1954
- Sisters of Mercy
- Primary schools in South Australia
- Schools in Adelaide
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