St Rita’s College is marking a century of educating young women in 2026, with a programme of community events stretching across the year to bring together students, alumnae, staff, families and the Presentation Sisters who first established the college in 1926.
The milestone is a significant one for Clayfield and the broader Brisbane community. The college has grown from a modest beginning with 16 students on a hilltop property into a school of more than 1,200 girls from Years 5 to 12, shaped at every step by the Presentation tradition and the values of its founders. Principal Maree Trims describes 2026 as a year to pause and take stock of what that century has built.
“2026 is an opportunity to reflect on our rich history, to honour those who have come before us, and to give thanks for the enduring legacy they have left,” Trims said.
How It All Started on a Clayfield Hill
The story of St Rita’s begins in September 1926, when two Presentation Sisters, Sister Alice Kennedy and Mother M Patrick Madde, purchased Stanley Hall along with four surrounding acres of land in Clayfield. It was an act of vision and practicality in equal measure. The property sat on a hill, and what grew from it was a school that would educate generations of Brisbane women across every decade that followed.
From that original enrolment of 16 students, the college ran as a co-educational kindergarten through to Year 3, with girls-only classes from Year 4 through to senior level. Boarders were also accepted across all year levels in those early years. The college follows in the tradition of Venerable Nano Nagle, founder of the Presentation Sisters, whose commitment to education as a force for social change still shapes how St Rita’s approaches learning and service today.
The college motto, Virtute Non Verbis, translates from Latin as “Deeds Not Words”, and it runs as a thread through everything from the curriculum to community outreach.
A Century of Women, Marked in Full
The centenary programme is built around bringing every part of the community back together. Several events have already taken place, including a Past and Present Staff Celebration in January and a Presentation Sisters High Tea in February, along with a Centenary Dinner in March. The larger community gatherings are still ahead.
On Friday 22 May, a Centenary Mass will be held for students, staff and invited guests. The following day, Saturday 23 May, past students are invited to an Alumnae Centenary Mass and Morning Tea, followed by an Alumnae Centenary Lunch. For many alumnae, the occasion will be the first time in years, or decades, they have walked back through the college gates.
The college has also installed a new honour board, unveiled by Sister Elvera Sesta, herself a former student, teacher and principal of the college, recognising all those who have dedicated 20 or more years of service to St Rita’s.
The College Today
A hundred years on, St Rita’s continues to record strong outcomes across academic, sporting and creative programmes. The Class of 2025 achieved a median ATAR of 91.4, with 47 students placing in the top five per cent of the state and one third of the cohort achieving an ATAR above 95.
More than 80 per cent of students participate in sport, and the college’s water polo programme was recognised nationally as Program of the Year in 2024. Around 450 students participate in music, collectively taking part in more than 600 lessons each week.
Beyond academic achievement, the college places strong emphasis on service learning, with students engaged in outreach, advocacy and ministry work inspired by the life and values of Nano Nagle.
Get Involved in the Centenary
The college is actively seeking memories, photographs and artefacts from past students, staff and families to help build a record of its hundred-year history. Anyone wishing to share their stories or donate items can contact the centenary team directly.
Alumnae are encouraged to update their contact details through the college’s alumnae page at stritas.qld.edu.au and to join the Alumnae Facebook Group to stay informed about upcoming events. For all centenary enquiries, event registrations and ticketing, contact the college at centenary@stritas.qld.edu.au or call (07) 3862 1615.
St Rita’s College is located at 41 Enderley Road, Clayfield, and is also accessible by public transport via Hendra and Clayfield rail stations, both approximately 800 metres from the campus.
Published 16-April-2026
