History

St Mary’s Hall was first opened by the Loreto Sisters in 1918 on The Avenue in Parkville with 10 students. Originally affiliated with The University of Melbourne via an association with Newman College, it provided a home for young Catholic women studying at The University of Melbourne for almost fifty years. The idea for a University College had developed from a residential hostel operated by the Loreto Sisters in East Melbourne which originally provided for women studying at the Central Catholic Training College and the University. Further information on the history of the Loreto sisters may be found at www.loreto.org.au.

The College opened in its own right at our current site in 1966 with approximately 85 female students housed in the East and South wings. The population grew, as the North and West residential wings were added, to its present size and places were offered to both men and women from 1977.