San Clemente was founded by the Dominican Order of nuns in 1916 in a building in Kerr Street, Mayfield. In 1919 following the purchase of property formerly known as "Redcliff", "a stately home in spacious grounds", the school was moved to its present site and continued as a secondary school for young ladies under the administration of the sisters of St. Dominic.
During the sixty years from 1916 San Clemente High School, as both a boarding school and day school, became well known for the ladylike behaviour of its students and for the high standard of achievement of its graduates in both civic and business affairs.
At various times the buildings were modified and extended to accommodate the growing school population.
In 1976 San Clemente High School became the first Catholic High School in the Maitland Diocese to be staffed entirely by lay people.
Another milestone in San Clemente's history was reached in 1983 when boys were enrolled in Year 7.
San Clemente is named after the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome, a church built in 1108 on church ruins dating back to the first century AD. The present Basilica has been under the care of the Irish Dominicans since 1667, when Pope Urban VIII gifted it to the persecuted and exiled Irish Dominican Fathers.
|
Early history of site and surroundings
|
|
|
1801 to 1913 - the site from the arrival of Europeans - "In those days Newcastle boasted of 7 streets with 84 houses"
|
|
|
"The early days" from the Mayfield Jubilee Celebrations Souvenir booklet
|
 |
|
1916 - detailed article about the beginning of the convent and school. - "On the Feast of All Dominican Saints, 9th November, 1916, His Lordship Dr Dwyer granted to the Community of St Mary’s, West Maitland, the option of taking up a new Convent at Mayfield"
|
 |
|
1917 - San Clemente was founded by the Dominican order in a weatherboard building in Kerr St., Mayfield - "The school opened that morning, April 16th, and 50 children were in attendance"
|
 |
|
1919 - The Dominican Sisters purchased Redcliff, the house on the present site on the corner of Crebert and Havelock Streets. The original Redcliff site of 7 acres was owned by Frank Witherspoon, who established his grocery business in Newcastle in the early 1860s.
|
 |
|
1922 - alterations and additions subsume Redcliff, and the school moved to its new site, as a boarding and day school for girls.
|
 |
|
1927 - article about the school - "a community of ten with three hundred pupils"
|
 |
|
1930s photographs
|
 |
|
1940s photographs
|
 |
|
1948 - opening of the extensions which began in 1947
|
 |
|
1948 School Prospectus
"The equipment is modern throughout, having excellent electric light service, including electric bath-heaters, etc., while the spacious class-rooms and dormitories are well-lighted and well ventilated."
|
 |
|
1950 - Mayfield jubilee and description of St Columban's church and Mayfield schools
|
 |
|
1950 School Report
“The Commercial Course, always well patronised, includes Book-keeping, Typewriting and Shorthand, all of which prepare the pupils for the positions they hope to obtain on leaving school.”
|
 |
|
1950s photographs
|
 |
|
1960s photographs
|
 |
|
Students' photographs - date unknown (between 1948 and 1970)
|
 |
|
1967 - Golden Jubilee program with the school song:
|
"Sing we San Clemente's praise
Guardian of our girlhood days
Teaching true and faithful ways
Salve San Clemente!"
|
|
 |
|
1970 - The Library, two classrooms, a bookhire room and an art room were added.
|
 |
|
1974 - St Columban's Church Golden Jubilee - including timeline of the parish and the schools
|
 |
1976 - the last four teaching nuns retired - here is a list of all the Dominican Sisters from 1917 to 1973
1977 - San Clemente became the first Catholic High School in the Diocese of Maitland to be staffed by laity.
1978 - the School Chapel was fitted out and opened.
|
1980s - the school prefects and Yearbooks
|
 |
1983 - Boys were enrolled for the first time
1984 - Construction of four classrooms, three store rooms, one cleaner's store and stairs.
1986 - Transfer of a five module demountable from Aberdeen
1990 - Earthquake repairs after the 1989 Newcastle earthquake
1993 - St Dominic's Centre for Hearing Impaired Students relocated to the site adjoining San Clemente
|
2000 - The School Website was first published.
The Internet Archive has archived the changing site from February 10 2001 onwards, first at the original URL, then from 2009 at the present URL.
To look at the websites at different dates, select the month and year from the icons top right of the Internet Archive screen.
|
 |
|
2002 - Refurbishment of two science laboratories
|
 |
|
2002 - Building of the shelter
|
 |
|
2005 - Leadlight window
|
 |
|
2007 - Uniform change
|
 |
|
2007 - Development application for extensive additions and renovations goes to council
|
 |
|
2008 - Building - extensions and renovations
|
 |
|
2009 - New Library
|
 |
|
2009 - Opening and Blessing of Extensions
|
 |
|
2009 - Building Stage 2
|
 |
|
2013 - An Additional Campus Unit was established in conjunction with St Dominic's enrolling students in Yrs 7-10 who have a diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or moderate cognitive disability. In 2016 this was moved to St Dominic's exclusively.
|
|
2015 - Launch of the House system
|
 |
|
2015 - Renovations to computer rooms C2 and C4
|
 |
|
2016 - New Crest, Mission, Vision and Values launched
|
 |
|
2016 - Building grant for a Hall
|
 |
|
2017 - Celebration of our Centenary!
|
 |
|
2017 - Aerial photographs
|
 |
|
2018 - Building the Hall
|
 |
|
2020 - Renovation of the facade
|
 |
|
Alumni's Stories - stories of ex-students and teachers, from the 1920s onwards
|
 |
The Principals from 1917 to today
