In the 6th century St Patrick inspired the Irish woman, St Brigid, to be a maverick leader and peacemaker. She went on to found religious communities where prayer and Irish culture were nurtured. In 1807 when Bishop Daniel Delany founded his order of Sisters to minister and educate his poor, uneducated parishioners he dedicated the Sisters to St Brigid.

In 1883, at the invitation of Bishop Murray of Maitland, six brave Brigidine Sisters, led by Mother John Synan, undertook the arduous journey from Ireland to establish the first Australian Brigidine school in Coonamble, NSW.

From Coonamble, the Sisters continued their work of education in Sydney, going on to establish many other schools in the metropolitan area.

Today Brigidine College St Ives continues this same spirit of courage in the face of adversity, generosity in the face of need and an abiding sense of trust in God’s providence.

The College seeks to further foster this Brigidine tradition and ethos by promoting a love of learning and hope, of social justice and service to others, of fidelity to the Catholic and Brigidine heritage and of hospitality to all, especially the vulnerable.

In the College crest, the lighted Brigidine Lamp of Learning represents the light of Christ and the light of learning. This crest is common to Brigidine schools throughout the world. Our students retain strong links particularly with the Brigidine School, Windsor (UK), Brigidine College Indooroopilly and Brigidine College, Randwick.