John Paul College

John Paul College is a Catholic secondary school in Frankston, Victoria, Australia. It was established under the authority of the Archbishop of Melbourne and operated on his behalf by the parish priests of the five member parishes of the region — Frankston, Frankston East, Langwarrin, Chelsea and Seaford, through the College Board. History It was formed in 1979 by the merging of two previous colleges, Stella Maris College (girls) and Marianist College (boys). Stella Maris began in 1968 in a large house on the property purchased from the Peninsula Golf Club in 1965 by the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus. The Order took possession of the property in June 1967 and the Sisters took up residence in December of that year. The original two-storey house on the site had been erected and occupied by the Parer family in the second half of the last century, and after changing hands several times, had been in the possession of the Peninsula Golf Club since 1922. Many extensions and alterations had taken place over the years, and further conversions were required to prepare the building for the opening of the school in 1968. In that first year, four Sisters taught the initial enrolment of ninety-nine girls. Numbers had increased to 169 by the next year and two lay teachers joined the staff. Each succeeding year saw an increase in numbers of students and staff. New classrooms, science rooms and a library were built. From 1968 until 1976, Stella Maris accepted boarders, who were housed in the residential wing of the old clubrooms. In 1969, a committee was formed to assess the secondary education needs of Frankston. This committee, under the direction of Father Joseph P. Kealy, recommended that a boys college be established. Previously Mary Turner of Seaford had bequeathed some land in Seaford for the establishment of such a boys college. This land was subsequently sold, with the approval of the Trustees of the Turner estate, and the proceeds used to purchase of the land belonging to Stella Maris College.