Catherine McAuley Westmead Alumnae Association

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS 🎉 A History of the Catherine McAuley Westmead School Hat!!

Who remembers the Catherine McAuley school hat? Today, students wear a bucket hat or school cap as part of the sports uniform, but in earlier years a more formal hat was a compulsory part of the school uniform.

The original school hat was a teal boater-style design, as seen in the first photo from 1970. This later evolved into a teal woollen beret, featured in the black-and-white photo from 1974. The beret was phased out during the 1980s, and in 1997 a boater-style hat was reintroduced - this time in maroon.

The maroon hat with teal trim remained a compulsory part of the school uniform until it was gradually phased out in 2010.

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS 🎉 The 31st of July 1989 is a day fondly remembered by many students who attended the school at the time. It was the day Peter Garrett, lead singer of the popular Australian band Midnight Oil, visited Catherine McAuley Westmead.

The visit was part of the school’s Environment Week, with Peter attending as a guest speaker in his role as President of the Australian Conservation Foundation.

“I remember that as a school we were all assembled in the top quad (now named Coolock Court) waiting with excitement for his arrival,” said former teacher Rosanna Torresan. “He encouraged us all to take action in some way towards saving the global environment from major damage. I felt that we were very privileged to have this world known celebrity come to speak to us on a subject that he was so passionate about.”

Well done to Holly Zaccaria, Class of 2022, who did an amazing job as joint MC at the NSW Training Awards (Western Sydney and Blue Mountains region), held last week on the evening of Thursday, 28th May.

Holly is a former VET in Schools Student of the Year - Western Sydney and Blue Mountains region, and it was extra nice to have Holly present the award to this year’s winner and Catherine McAuley student - Georgia!

Holly is currently a final year Bachelor of Business student at Macquarie University, specialising in Human Resources and Business Administration.

Congratulations Holly on your skill in guiding attendees through the awards ceremony last week!

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS 🎉 In the early days of the school in 1966, students attended classes in demountables while the new school buildings were being completed. Behind the classrooms was a farm, with cows and horses grazing in the paddocks, which students were allowed to use during recess and lunch breaks.

Denise Cohen, Class of 1967, fondly remembers those days, saying, “I remember sharing my lunch with the cows!”

📣 CALLING ALL ALUMNAE 📣
We invite all alumnae to save the date and join us in celebrating the legacy of our Mercy Community on Friday, 4th September for our Mercy Day Celebrations, and Friday, 6th November for 60th Anniversary. Together, we will honour our rich history and Mercy charism, and reflect on the cherished memories and values which connect us. 🤍

We'd also love for you to be a part of our growing alumnae community! Register through the link in our bio as we work to reconnect, celebrate and strengthen our community.

We can't wait to celebrate with you all. Stay tuned for more details! ✨

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS 🎉 As we continue celebrating 60 years of Catherine McAuley, we’re looking back at moments that helped shape our school story. In 1986, new turf was laid around the recently completed building now known as The Forum, and with a school full of eager helpers, students and staff rolled up their sleeves and got involved.

These photos capture students lending a hand, Sr Barbara McDonough, Principal, overseeing the project, and the finished result - a wonderful reminder of the community spirit and teamwork that has always been part of McAuley.

CLASS OF 1968 🥰 The friendships formed at Catherine McAuley continue to stand the test of time. Recently, members of the Class of 1968 reunited in Terrigal, sharing memories, laughter and the joy of reconnecting once again.

As Vicki Baiada, Class of 1968, reflected: “Such special friendships were made at Catherine McAuley!”

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS 🎉 Computers at the school in 1987. Catherine McAuley was one of only five schools in NSW selected to participate in the IBM Computer Education Project, with IBM donating 16 computers to the school. As part of the initiative, four teachers also attended a four-week training course organised by IBM.

✨👩🏼‍🎓 ALUMNAE RELAUNCH 👩🏼‍🎓✨
Register your interest here: https://forms.gle/WCxD1bvB6P1U84bD7

👩🏻‍🎓 EX-STUDENT PANEL 👩🏻‍🎓
This morning during form assembly, ex-students of 2025, Giselle B., Ella A., Florencia W, Isabella L and Isabella G. joined us to reflect on their senior year of schooling and shared insights that might help our current year 12 students as they navigate their final year and plan for life post school.

Thank you to our speakers who generously gave their time to be present, your insights and advice to students was greatly appreciated.