School Patron and Sport Houses

Our School Patron

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St Joseph is our school's patron saint as he was chosen by Mary MacKillop to name her order of Josephite sisters, the founders of our school. 

We aspire to be like St Joseph, who was a man of integrity, courage, humility and compassion. The feast of St Joseph is celebrated on 19th March each year, but St Joseph also has a second feast day on 1st May, titled 'Saint Joseph the Worker.' This is because, among others, he is the patron saint of working people.

St Joseph: 

  • was chosen to be the husband of Mary;
  • was the foster father of Jesus;
  • is said to have been selected by God for this role because he could be trusted to watch over them;
  • was a carpenter who worked hard to provide for his family;
  • is associated with the symbol of the carpenter's square to represent his trade and is often represented holding a lily, which symbolises purity and his marriage to Mary; and
  • is the patron saint of many things, such as fathers, pregnant mothers, immigrants, travellers, carpenters and working people.

Sport Houses.pngOur School Sport Houses

Students belong to four sport house teams that promote connections to our history and a sense of belonging. Sport Houses are used for sporting events, gatherings and community building that supports our Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) model through rewards for 'Making Jesus Real' in our school.

  • Oxley House is named after the English explorer and surveyor-general of NSW John Oxley (1784-1828), who played an important part in the exploration of eastern Australia, including Port Macquarie. The colour of Oxleys House is red.
  • Mitchell House is named after the Scottish surveyor-general of NSW Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell (1792-1855). The colour of Mitchells House is blue.
  • Macquarie House is named after Lachlan Macquarie, the Governor of NSW when John Oxley discovered the area that was then named after him as Port Macquarie, a penal settlement for convicts. The colour of Macquaries House is yellow.
  • Hastings House is named after the Hastings River, located on the mid-north coast of New South Wales, dominating the landscape and providing a focal point for Port Macquarie and its surroundings. The colour of Hastings House is green.