The very first Loreto educational institution in Australia was established in 1875 in Ballarat, just four months after the arrival of Mother Gonzaga Barry and her nine companions from Ireland. Their journey came at the request of the then Ballarat bishop to educate the young girls of the recent goldfields.

Mother Gonzaga Barry’s photo is depicted alongside the outline of the historic chapel. The chapel is one of Ballarat’s most iconic buildings and is a true testament to the strength and resilience of Mother Gonzaga Barry.

Her vision for the chapel was realised due to a generous bequest left to the sisters by German Countess Elizabeth Wolff Metternich. The building fulfilled Gonzaga’s wish that it was a chapel dedicated to all children and would be: “beautiful so as to lift the hearts of those who entered it to God”.

The round stained glass window, the stars and the fler de lis are also stunning elements of the “chapel for the children”.

Gonzaga’s resting place is within the confines of the small cemetery on site. The current site of Loreto College sits behind a heritage listed brick wall, built for privacy at the time.

The college also operates from the decommissioned Church of the Little Flower. Both are adjacent to the picturesque Lake Wendouree and nearby renown botanical gardens. The imposing Arch of Victory in Sturt Street memorializes those who have fought in wars and is also the beginning point of The Avenue Honour which is Australia’s longest commemorative avenue of honour.

Loreto Ballarat is active in the arts, sports, music and drama arenas and has many clubs for the students to join and widen their experiences.