Women of Impact Sr Sylvia Williams RSM I commenced at St Aloysius College in Year 9 in 1959 and left 3 years later. After arriving in Australia, aged six, I had attended Our Lady’s Primary School, Sunshine and then St Anne’s Central School, West Melbourne. During my time at St Aloysius College I travelled from Sunshine for two years and then from Fawkner. My happy memories of school days include the travel. Looking back, the travel time and difficulty for us – buses, trains, walking in heat & rain - was more than what most students endure these days, however we enjoyed the time meeting friends and chatting. My years at St Aloysius College provided many and varied opportunities. I particularly remember Miss Wallace – she may have been the only lay teacher at the time – and Maths classes, however all teachers were approachable and dedicated. Another favourite was Mrs Hooper in the tuckshop who was interested in everyone and never missed a day as far as I can remember. I also fondly remember the many ‘extracurricular’ activities such as sport (I was in Padua House), elocution classes, dancing, drama, singing, YCS and school retreats. These activities led to occasions such as school balls (girls only!) but also with the boys from St Joseph’s College and Assumption College, singing in the choir for the annual St Patrick’s Day concert in Melbourne Town Hall and marching in the Parade in the city on St Patrick’s Day. There was also a monthly 4
Always Aloysius – Summer Edition, 2018
prayer gathering at St Francis Church on a Sunday afternoon that we were encouraged to attend and this provided another opportunity for friends to meet. In the 50’s and 60’s as teenagers we enjoyed freedom and independence, and within family guidelines were able to safely go anywhere and do almost anything we wanted. Christmas jobs were also popular and stores such as Myer employed many girls from St Aloysius from early December. I sold handkerchiefs one Christmas and Helena Rubenstein make-up another year. We were the ‘Ladies in Black’! After leaving school I worked in the State Savings Bank, Merlynston Branch for a year then decided to enter the Sisters of Mercy. After the Novitiate and further study I commenced teaching and was involved in schools until the end of 2008. I taught in Camperdown, Kangaroo Flat, Seymour and Terang before commencing many years as Principal at Catholic Regional College St Albans, St Mary’s College Seymour, Catholic College Bendigo and St Joseph’s College Mildura. In 2009 I was appointed Assistant Director responsible for Administration & Finance at Mercy International Centre, Lower Baggot Street, Dublin. I returned to Australia at the end of 2015 after six wonderful years at the heart of Mercy, the original convent that Catherine McAuley had built and commenced her work. Since returning I have been a Director on the Board of Mercy Education Limited and therefore am enjoying contact with schools again.
As a student at St Aloysuis College
