Who are we?

Ave Maria College has been providing Catholic secondary education for young women for nearly fifty years.

Founded by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, our College draws on the rich Franciscan tradition of spirituality to live out our founding charism. St Francis of Assisi, St Clare of Assisi and Blessed Mary of the Passion are our guiding lights in being true to the message of the Gospel as Jesus calls us to do, and as Mary shows us. Ave Maria College is a member of Franciscan Schools Australia. The College was founded by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary in1963, to provide domestic and business studies for the young women of the Essendon area. The Sisters had already responded to Archbishop Mannix’s call to become involved in education, having first opened Ave Maria Kindergarten in 1957 and a primary school in 1958. After 15 years of service, the Sisters withdrew from the school to pass it across to lay leadership. Upon their departure, they gifted the school to the Archbishop of Melbourne and Ave Maria College became a Diocesan school. Although the College is barely recognisable from its early years, the Franciscan charism in which Ave Maria College was founded remains a source of inspiration for succeeding generations of students.