At the request of the Dominican Sisters of North Adelaide, the Dominican Sisters of Eastern Australia, and the Holy Cross Congregation of Dominican Sisters in Adelaide, Dominican Education Australia was established by the Catholic Church on 28 January 2015. DEA is a Public Juridic Person (PJP) of Pontifical Right, meaning it has responsibility for both canonical and civil governance.
DEA was officially launched in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne during August 2016. DEA exercises oversight of the six educational ministries that have previously been the responsibility of the three founding Congregations. These are:
St Mary’s College, Franklin St, Adelaide SA, R-12 school founded in 1869
St Dominic’s Priory College, North Adelaide, SA, R-12 school founded in 1884
Cabra Dominican College, Cumberland Park, Adelaide SA, 6-12 school, established in 1886
Santa Sabina College Strathfield NSW, P-12 school founded in 1894
St Lucy’s School, Wahroonga NSW, K-8* school for children with a range of disabilities that grew out of a school for children with vision impairment, founded in 1938
Siena College Camberwell Melbourne, VIC, a 7-12 school founded in 1940
The Trustees of Dominican Education Australia collaborate with each of the incorporated Boards to ensure the Educational Ministries’ Catholicity, fidelity to the Dominican charism, formation of Board members, excellence in teaching and learning, and financial stability.
The Leaders of the founding Congregations are the Sponsors of Dominican Education Australia and have oversight of the work of the Trustees. They are responsible for appointing the Trustees, approving their formation program, ensuring that the sale of property complies with Canon Law, and approving the Annual Report prepared by the Trustees for the Holy See.
With gratitude, Dominican Education Australia acknowledges the courage, wisdom and self-sacrifice of the generations of dedicated Dominican women who founded and nurtured the schools. With foresight, and with a view to faithful stewardship of the charism, the Sisters acknowledged the call to bequeath these works to equally dedicated lay leaders, so that the mission of the Gospel will continue to be carried out in their schools.
The Dominican charism is characterised by a commitment to truth explored in dialogue, a vibrant preaching of the Gospel, a critical appreciation of culture and cultures and a love of the beautiful. Our goal is to foster these values, together with a spirit of prayer and contemplation, respect for the dignity and uniqueness of each person, and the pursuit of excellence. Together we celebrate these ideals as we help to shape the future for Australian Catholic education in the Dominican tradition.
Read more about Dominican Education Australia.
* St Lucy’s School became a K-12 school in 2019 commencing with Years 7 and 8. Other years will be added to take the current students through to completion of high school.
