St Ursula’s College, Yeppoon

St Ursula’s College, Yeppoon, is the only all girls, Catholic Boarding and Day Secondary College in Central Queensland. We celebrate every student and their unique abilities; our culture and environment produces strong, worldly women, capable of forging a positive path for themselves and others.

Our Boarding House, Yumba-Gy-You, is located on campus, nestled in the foothills of the Yeppoon Central Business District, within walking distance to the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Yeppoon has a population of 18,100 residents and is a safe and friendly close-knit community on the Capricorn Coast in tropical Queensland.

As you navigate this website and our resources, we trust that you will be equipped to make the best choice for your daughter’s future; however, if we can be of further assistance do not hesitate to contact the College.

Here at St Ursula’s College, we offer high tier Academic and Co-curricular programs, available to both Boarding and Day Students. In partnership with parents and carers, and with the support of a skilled team of Pastoral Care professionals, the staff at St Ursula’s lead by example and nurture students through the journey to young adulthood.

Our College Motto, ‘Perfect My Steps’, recognises that learning is a journey that involves improvement and growth. Stimulating learning environments include plenty of real-world experiences to encourage each student to find their passion.

Respect, Faith, Excellence, Compassion, Hospitality, and Simplicity, are the six core Values which underpin the Vision and Mission of St Ursula’s College. We believe in the dignity of each person and encourage all to treat others with consideration and courtesy, acknowledging the value of other viewpoints and life experiences. We strive to ensure that all members of the College community are treated with fairness and equity.

We seek to make students aware of our rich Catholic heritage, nurturing this as the source of Catholic identity and living. We strive to build upon the faith and commitment of the Presentation Sisters who founded the College by providing Religious Education and experiences of prayer, liturgy and social action that make the faith dimension of this College life-giving and relevant. We believe that each human being is endowed with individual gifts that deserve recognition and development. We strive to promote an environment where all are encouraged and enabled to develop their potential and experience success according to personal capabilities and circumstances.

We believe we have a responsibility for the well-being of others in and beyond our community, particularly those who are suffering or vulnerable. We strive to develop a sense of concern for others and a spirit of service so that this concern is expressed and enacted. We believe that a Christian community is inclusive. We strive to develop a sense of welcome and an acceptance of others such that all in the community are inspired to demonstrate a willingness to share their talents and cultures to enhance life for all. We promote and model reconciliation and strive to restore relationships when conflict or division occur.

We value all of creation and the interconnectedness of life. We strive to develop a sense of appreciation for our physical environment and personal resources. We promote good stewardship and social responsibility rather than a focus on material possessions. We declare that the mission of St Ursula’s College is to continue the mission of Jesus, living and proclaiming the Gospel values to all people, especially in our school community, with fidelity, joy and enthusiasm. Our mission demands that we create an environment where the Gospel values – both in daily living and in the learning situation – can be critically examined, clearly understood and responsibly acted upon.

This demands serious and courageous involvement in the field of education and in the practice of justice in our efforts to transform the world. The history of St Ursula’s College dates back to 1915, when Rockhampton Bishop, Joseph Shiel, suggested a Branch House for the Order of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (PBVM) (Presentation Sisters) be opened in Yeppoon.

Presentation Sisters, Mother Ursula Kennedy and Mother Patrick Madden, visited Yeppoon and selected a one acre block in central Yeppoon. At the suggestion of Bishop Shiel, the Branch House became known as St Ursula’s. A two storey convent in Queen Street with St Joseph’s Primary School on the Ground floor, was officially opened to students on 29 January 1917, with 25 Boarders and 30 Primary students. The Sisters’ mission was to continue the legacy of their Order’s Founder, Nano Nagle, who championed education for all.

Within the next 12 months, the need for specialised education for young women became apparent. On 12 March 1918, St Ursula’s College, Yeppoon, came into being, with 32 students in attendance. Their classroom was on the first floor, with the Primary School below. In 1922, a new building was erected which became the Convent. This building still stands at the top of the driveway and is now called Gabriel Hogan House.

A surge in student numbers in the 1950s meant the classrooms for primary students – still underneath the original convent – no longer met the demand for places. Sacred Heart Primary School, situated next to Sacred Heart Church in John Street, opened in 1958. Sacred Heart Primary School relocated to its current location in Lammermoor in 1991.

The latter half of the 20th century saw a rapid increase in the number of lay teachers, as Catholic classrooms adapted to a decline in the availability of Religious Sisters and Brothers to teach.

In 1992, the Presentation Sisters took the significant step of forming a company, St Ursula’s College Limited, to ensure that St Ursula’s would continue in the Presentation tradition after Religious Leadership ceased. The College’s first Lay Principal, Mrs Margaret Ramsay (Clifford), was appointed in 1996. The Presentation Sisters remained on staff at the College up until 2011. On 12 June 2014, St Ursula’s College, Yeppoon, formalised the Transition of Canonical Sponsorship from the Presentation Sisters to Mercy Partners.

Inspired by those who lead the way, and as a sign of commitment to continuing the journey for future generations, students and staff from St Benedict’s and Sacred Heart Primary Schools and St Brendan’s, and St Ursula’s Colleges, gathered in July 2017 and celebrated 100 years of Catholic Education and ‘Presentation Presence’ on the Capricorn Coast. In 2018, St Ursula’s College acknowledged its Centenary of educating young women with a three-day-long weekend of Celebrations, and a year long commitment to ‘100 Acts of Service’.

The ongoing demand and support for Catholic education, the resilience of the faith-filled community during times of difficulty and change, as well as the vibrant and progressive nature of the Capricorn Coast community, have all ensured that the story of St Ursula’s College is a continuing one. St Ursula’s College is a vibrant Faith community providing a holistic Catholic education and residential environment through which young women are encouraged to realise their potential; founded on the charism of Nano Nagle and the values of the Presentation Sisters; yet, responsive to the demands created by the social dynamics of the 21st Century.