School History

Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School is set in spacious grounds in Darwin’s northern suburbs. We see ourselves as part of the parish and work closely with the Parish Priest and Church community. With a student enrolment of approximately 230 the school strives to enable students to grow personally, academically and spiritually in keeping with our motto:

“To live, to love, to grow in Christ”

As we celebrate 42 years of providing Catholic education to the parish we have much of which to be proud.

Our Vision

Holy Spirit Catholic School is committed to developing the fundamental value of each person. Through sharing and living the Catholic story and tradition, we foster learning that enables students, families, school and community to engage in a collaborative partnership for a life-long journey of education.

• Our students learn in an atmosphere which integrates Gospel values with their life and learning. They are valued as unique individuals working to achieve their potential spiritually, academically and socially.
•  Our teachers are committed to providing a quality Catholic education based on Gospel values in partnership with the parish and parents. Their priority is to support students achieving their potential.

Holy Spirit caters for diversity. Our focus on Maths and English is validated by our strong results. The talents and interests of the students in Sport, the Arts and the environment are catered for through both school and community involvement. Out of Hours School Care is available both before and after school and a holiday programme (vacation care) during school holidays. Holy Spirit Community of Learners (2 ½ -5 years) is an initiative based on full or part time sessions where students experience a programme that is structured to meet student needs and developmental stages. The fees attract the Centrelink rebate.

School House Teams

Students are divided into house groups for sport and other activities. On enrolment, students are placed in a house and remain in it throughout primary school. Families are placed in the same house. Colours are used on Sports carnivals to identify houses.

Angelo (red)

Father Angelo Confalonieri was the first (official) Trentino in Australia. He was born Angelo Bartolomeo Confalonieri, Riva del Garda on 23 January 1813. Angelo Confalonieri emigrated to Australia as a missionary / Catholic Priest. He was the first Catholic priest to come to the Northern Territory and was skilled with languages, picking up and being able to communicate with the local aboriginals. He translated prayers and New Testament readings, and also compiled the first dictionary of the 7 local Aboriginal dialects. Fr Angelo Confalonieri died in 1848.

Strele (green)

Anton Strele ,Jesuit priest, was born on 23 August 1825 at Nassereith, Austria. Educated at the Jesuit Gymnasium, Innsbruck, he entered the Society of Jesus at Gratz on 14 August 1845 and took his first vows in 1849. Strele opened the mission at Rapid Creek near Palmerston (Darwin) in 1882. He founded a second on the Daly River in 1886, and a third at Serpentine Lagoon in 1889.

Gsell (blue)

A Catholic priest of the religious congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), Francis Xavier Gsell spent over 40 years in the Northern Territory. He served for many years as head of the Aboriginal mission on Bathurst Island, and later as Bishop of Darwin. Born in the French province of Alsace in 1872, Gsell trained for the priesthood in France and Italy and was ordained in 1896. He arrived in Australia soon afterwards and, following periods in Sydney and MSC missions in Papua, he was appointed as apostolic administrator for the Catholic Church in Darwin in 1906.

McAuley (gold)

The Venerable Mother Catherine Elizabeth McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy in 1831 in Ireland, an order associated with teaching. She lived ten years as a Sister of Mercy, Sister Mary Catherine, but in that time she established twelve foundations in Ireland and two in England. At the time of her death there were 150 Sisters of Mercy. Shortly thereafter, small groups of sisters left Ireland to establish new foundations on the east and west coasts of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina.