Ave Maria College was officially opened on 20 March 1963 by Archbishop Simonds after he laid the foundation stone on 15 August 1962. Initially owned and operated by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, the College grew quickly so that by 1969 students across six year levels were enrolled. In 1978, the Catholic Education Office assumed responsibility for running the College following the sisters gifting it to the Archbishop of Melbourne. The College is now owned and operated by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools. Much has changed since our early beginnings, though we are immensely proud of all that has been achieved during this time and the wonderful young women that our students become.

In celebration of this anniversary, in collaboration with Truth Agency, the College has created a commemorative logo as pictured above, that captures both the rich Franciscan heritage of the College, as well as the contemporary achievements and bright future of our community. After an involved workshopping process, the final design was heavily inspired by Year 11 student Sophie’s proposed design options. Sophie’s enthusiastic involvement truly encapsulates the collaborative community spirit we aim to promote as we inspire our students to engage and thrive at our College. This logo has been developed into a commemorated banner and a badge design, which will be distributed to all students and staff at future occasion this year.