Red Bend Catholic College
School in New South Wales, Australia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Red Bend Catholic College is an independent Roman Catholic co-educational secondary day and boarding school located in Forbes in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. The college is run by the Marist Brothers, a religious institute. Established in 1926, the college has enrolled approximately 800 students from Year 7 to Year 12.
(Through Difficulty to Greatness)
| Red Bend Catholic College | |
|---|---|
 Red Bend Catholic College and statue of Marcellin Champagnat | |
| Location | |
 | |
Australia | |
| Coordinates | 33°25′06″S 148°01′16″E |
| Information | |
| Former name | Marist Brothers' College, Forbes |
| School type | Independent co-educational secondary day and boarding school |
| Motto | Latin: Per Angusta Ad Augusta (Through Difficulty to Greatness) |
| Religious affiliation | Association of Marist Schools of Australia |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Established |
|
| Founders | Marist Brothers |
| Principal | Mr Stephen Dwyer |
| Chaplain | Fr Harry Phillips |
| Enrolment | c. 960 |
| Colours | Navy and sky blue |
| Song | Sub tuum praesidium |
| Website | redbendcc |
History
Marist Brothers' College, Forbes had a School building in Johnson St, Forbes. In 1939, the Bishop purchased the now current site along the Lachlan River. WWII prevented any building.[1]
On the 6th of November, 1955 the first classes commenced at the Red Bend site as the location of Marist Brothers' College, Forbes.[citation needed]
Prior to 1977, the Catholic education of students in this region was provided by three secondary schools; Our Lady of Mercy College, Forbes; Our Lady of Mercy High School, Parkes; and Marist Brothers' College on Johnson St, Forbes.[citation needed]
In February 1977, these three schools combined to form one co-educational High School from years 7-12, with the name of Red Bend Catholic College, at the site of the former Marist Brothers' College, on the banks of the Lachlan River. This merger brought together the teaching traditions of the Mercy Sisters and the Marist Brothers.[citation needed]
Principals
The following individuals have served as College Principal:
| Ordinal | Officeholders | Term start | Term end | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Hillet | 2003 | 2012 | 8–9 years | |
| 2 | Michael Flanagan | 2013 | 2019 | 5-6 years | |
| 2 | Stephen Dwyer | 2019 | incumbent | incumbent | First lay teacher to become Principal |
House system
In 1943, four houses were established (Basil, Denis, Loyola and Xavier) at the Johnson Street School, this was prior to College's move to Red Bend. In 2014, two new houses (Chisholm and McAuley) were introduced.[2] In 2025, an additional two new houses (Mackillop and O'Connor) were introduced.
| House | Colour | Motto | Name origin | Mascot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basil | Green
|
"Action Not Words" | Br Basil Monchalin | Bullfrogs |
| Chisholm | Orange
|
Caroline Chisholm | Cheetahs | |
| Denis | Red
|
"Second to None" | Br Denis | Dragons |
| Loyola | Yellow
|
"Leading the Way with Strength and Honour" | St Ignatius of Loyola | Lions |
| MacKillop | Light Blue
|
St Mary MacKillop | Mavricks | |
| McAuley | Purple
|
Catherine McAuley | Cobras | |
| O'Connor | Pink
|
"Pride in Excellence" | Eileen O'Connor | Panthers |
| Xavier | Blue
|
"Determination, Participation, Success" | Francis Xavier | Sharks |
College crest
- The motto: Per Angusta ad Augusta
- The colours: sky blue and navy blue
- The cross: the Mercy Cross as worn by all Sisters of Mercy
- The M: Marist emblem
- The twelve stars: crown of Mary
