A brief history of St Cecilia’s Catholic Primary School, Wyong.
In 1916, the Sisters of St Joseph came to Wyong to establish a convent and school. The convent was originally one of the stately homes of Wyong, and was built about 1907 for a Mr. Samuel Whittle.
The Sisters of St Joseph, who established it as both a day and boarding school, acquired it. The school was named St. Cecilia’s, in honour of Miss Cecilia Woodbury, who raised most of the funds to erect the parish church. The convent provided secondary education up to Intermediate certificate level. The sisters were also highly regarded for their ability to teach music.
After many years, the boarding section of the convent was dispensed with, and St Cecilia’s became a day school only. The Sisters of St. Joseph continued in residence there until the end of 1978, when they moved to the convent at The Entrance, due to the serious deterioration of the Wyong premises. The parish purchased the site and in October 1981, the old convent was demolished.
During the early eighties, there was a considerable increase in school enrolments and classroom blocks were erected to cater for the numbers.
Today, St Cecilia’s is a two-streamed, co-educational school from Kindergarten to Year 6. When our pupils leave St Cecilia’s at the end of Year 6, most students generally continue their education at the regional co-education Catholic High School, St Peters College, Tuggerah Lakes and to a lesser extent MacKillop Catholic College, Warnervale.
The Sisters of St Joseph withdrew from St Cecilia’s at the end of 1988 and a lay-principal was appointed in 1989. The school community will always remember with love and gratitude the Sisters, who gave so much to the children and families of the Wyong Parish.