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The Reflection Walk is a mini-pilgrimage around the grounds of St Mary’s College. It comprises 12 stations which allow participants to learn more about the College, its history, charism and values. The Reflection Walk is designed to be completed by students (of all ages), staff, families, alumni and visitors.
The purpose of the Reflection Walk is:
- To honour and celebrate the Presentation Charism and the story of Nano Nagle
- To document and tell the story of the history of St Mary’s College
- To celebrate the values and mission of St Mary’s College in the 21st century
The material in this website contains information about the history and significance of each station, as well as photos, questions, activities and a prayer or reflection. This material enables guides to lead groups around the Walk or individuals to complete it as a self-paced experience.
Reflection Walk Map
The Reflection Walk begins at the Brisbane Street entrance and continues as indicated on the map below. Each station has a plaque with a QR code which will provide information, images, questions and a prayer or reflection. An internet-capable device is needed to access these resources.
ya pulingina (Welcome) to St Mary’s College
The location of St Mary’s College has a rich history that began long before the completion of the first buildings on this site in 1868. For more than 40,000 years, the muwinina people, of the South-East Nation, lived on and cared for this land. They had a deep understanding of the land and seasons and they passed on their wisdom down through the generations.
The Nano Nagle Mural was painted by American artist Ella Yates as a part of a global art project. Ella travelled around the world, creating and inspiring others to create art which explored the life, work and spirit of Nano Nagle. In 2014, Ella visited St Mary’s College and over the period of 21 days painted the Nano Nagle Mural we see today.
Even before he arrived in Hobart, in April 1866, Bishop Daniel Murphy had heard that the colony was in desperate need of Catholic schools. He approached his sister, Mother Xavier (Ellen) Murphy in Fermoy, Ireland who readily agreed and started preparations for four Presentation Sisters and five Postulants to travel to Hobart.
For the first nearly 90 years of its existence, the College was actually two schools within one. The Presentation Sisters were founded on serving the poor and so the first Sisters to arrive were committed to providing a school for the very poor families of Hobart.
The Nano Nagle Statue was completed in 2018 by sculptor Ben Tolhurst. The statue is made from dolerite, granite, marble, glass and steel. This statue was commissioned by then Principal Tom Dorey for the College’s 150th anniversary celebrations in 2018. It stands proudly at the front of the College, serving as a welcome to staff, students and visitors alike. The face was modelled on the2017 Head Prefect, Holly Andree, showing that Nano is part of the St Mary’s College community.
Find out more about the meaning and story behind the Nano Nagle statue here.
This plaque, installed in October 2023, recognises the original nine Presentation Sisters who came from Ireland to establish St Mary’s College. The Presentation Sisters were invited by Bishop Daniel Murphy to provide an education to the first European settlers of Hobart Town in the context of their Catholic faith.
Nano Nagle’s first schools were located on the south side of Cork city, on Cove Lane. The first school was located behind a bakery so that it was hidden from the British. Nano later set up the convent at this site, where she lived with the other Presentation Sisters.
Follow this link to unpack more about the connection to Cove Lane.
The Reflection Garden was created in 2011 behind this wing to provide a place of contemplation and stillness. Staff and students use this as a quiet place where they can sit in the sun, listening to the trickling of the water feature.
The Presentation Steps show the key concepts and principles of the Presentation Charism as they have been translated into a contemporary school context. They are combined with the heart from the Nano Nagle Icon. This Icon can be seen (along with the House Crests) from this station by looking up from the steps ahead to the large windows above.
St Mary’s College has always been a community of diverse cultural groups. Different waves of migrants and refugees have found welcome and a sense of identity in this community. Their unique cultures and traditions have enriched the College community and provided an opportunity for us to practise hospitality and compassion.
Delve further into our Cultural Diversity Artwork creation here.
Since the early days of the College, there have been produce gardens on the College grounds to provide food for the Sisters and boarders living on site. There are early accounts of the Sisters keeping a cow for milk as well as a few sheep. During this time, the Sisters employed a groundsman who lived on site in a small shepherd’s hut by the Brisbane Street fence near the College Green: his job was to attend to the animals.
Unearth additional interesting anecdotes about the College’s green history here.
In 2023, this labyrinth was built in the grounds of St Mary’s College to provide staff and students with a means to explore different ways to experience prayer.
Uncover what a labyrinth is and more in the further details here.