Principal's Page

Dear Parents and Carers

100 Years of St Joseph's on the current site

St Joseph's has a very long history and during our recent Grandparents' Day, we acknowledged 100 years of St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Bulli, on the site we are on today. St Joseph's began in 1882 in a small building in Mail Bag Hollow Bulli, just around the corner from where we are today. In 1923 the school moved to its current site. 

I invite you to come to better know our history by reading the article below which was written by Charles McGee for the book Lighting the Way- A History of Catholic Schooling in the Diocese of Wollongong 1828-2020.

Bulli 1860-1871

As early as 1860 Bridget McNamara conducted a school for Catholic children in a slab building at Bulli. In October 1861 a meeting of the members of the Catholic community took place in her schoolhouse to consider the best means of raising the sum required to furnish the school as a temporary church. In 1862 Catholic Schools Inspector. William Casey reported: “The attendance of pupils at Bulli has been

remarkably good and the progress manifested is in the highest degree creditable to the teacher as to the pupils themselves.” In 1863 Casey again visited Bulli and foun the school accommodation tolerable, the apparatus and furniture in fair condition and the cleanliness and order of the school satisfactory.

Henry Brasnell took over the school in 1865. He was an experienced teacher who had already served at Dapto. In 1866 the Public Schools Act established the Council of. Education to take over the administration of all schools. At a meeting in Wollongong in 1868, it was stated that “up to the time that Act came into operation our school was flourishing in Bulli but since that time we could never open it owing to the provisions of the new Act”.

A Catholic Association was formed in Sydney to raise money for Catholic schools such as Bulli that had been forced to close due to insufficient numbers of pupils. By 1869 the school at Bulli had reopened under John O’Brien. It had 74 pupils on the roll and a salary of £60 was provided for the teacher. The school was forced to close again in 1871.

St Joseph's Catholic Parish Primary School, Bulli

1882- 2020 Princes Highway and later Park Road, Bulli.

Above: The original Park Road church/school

In 1880 Archbishop Roger Bede Vaughan visited Bulli to bless the new church – a very handsome building that would accommodate over 100 people. In 1882 the Sisters of St Joseph arrived to re establish a Catholic primary school. The pioneers were Sisters Collette, Eulalie and Marie. “Some distance from Bulli they were met by a number of horsemen and at the town a large number of children and the residents of the place including people of all denominations assembled to give them a hearty welcome.” Their original convent was a four-room cottage built on a separate block of land from the church, in an area known as Mailbag Hollow.

St Joseph's Bulli students, 1906

In 1900 a new church in Park Road was opened and the Sisters moved in to a new convent in 1904. These were the works of one of the Diocese of Wollongong’s greatest priests, Fr John Dunne. Born in County Kilkenny, Ireland, he was Parish Priest of Bulli for 18 years, during which time he built churches at Bulli, Corrimal, Coledale and Helensburgh. As Parish Priest of Wollongong he built churches and schools at Clifton, Port Kembla and Mount Keira. The Catholic Press of 6 March 1924 recalled: “Fr Dunne was of the most genial disposition. Everyone who met him became a friend and in the various districts where he ministered he was loved by all. The people of the South Coast have lost their best friend.”

In 1923 the school moved to the Park Road site, and additional brick classrooms were erected in the 1950s and 1960s. At the end of 1985 the Sisters of St Joseph withdrew from the school. The first lay principal was Kate Quinn. In recent times, the school has experienced significant growth in student enrolment and from 2018 was fully two- stream for the first time from Kindergarten to Year 6. The construction of five new classrooms, an administration block, two toilet blocks and an adventure playground, and the refurbishment of a further five classrooms, was completed early in 2018. Luisa Tobin retired as principal at the end of 2016. The current Principal is Jen Charadia.

Towards Our Future

The staff and I are this week especially delighted that Mrs Kaylene Duffin has been announced as the Principal of St Joseph's from 2024. I hold Kaylene in very high regard as an experienced principal and colleague. Having worked with Kaylene in her role as the Assistant Principal at St Joseph's in the past, I am confident that Kaylene is just the right person and leader to continue the great work of Catholic education at St Joseph's for your family and the community. A big welcome to Kaylene. 

Please refer to the attached letter from the Director of Schools, Diocese of Wollongong, Mr Peter Hill. This letter was sent to parents via Compass on Monday this week.

For all things at St Joseph's, we give thanks.

Mrs Jen Charadia

Principal

Jen Charadia Farewell Celebration - Thursday 30 November

As a school community we will farewell our Principal, Mrs Jen Charadia on Thursday 30 November with a Liturgy in the Church at 9.30am, followed by a morning tea in the school hall.

Parents and carers are most welcome to join us for this celebration of Jen's significant contribution to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, over the last 7 years.

Principal Awards - Friday 17 November 2023

The following students will receive their Principal Awards on Friday 17 November 2023 (Term 4 Week 6) at 2pm

How does my child receive a Principal's Award?

Class teachers nominate students for Blue Merit Awards which are presented at the weekly assembly.  When five Blue Merit Awards have been received, students send them to the school office to be recorded and are then eligible for a Principal’s Award. When students attain their 4th Principal Award, they are awarded a Principal’s Medallion at an assembly. End of Term awards can be included as part of the 5 awards.

Acknowledgement to Country

St Joseph's Bulli acknowledges and pays respect to the Dharawal people past and present, the traditional custodians of the land on which our school is built.