School History

The Order of Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart came to Waroona in 1943. There were strong Irish and Italian communities in the district who were keen for their children to receive a Catholic education and so St. Joseph’s Catholic School was opened by the order.

Sr. Elizabeth Murphy was the foundation Principal and the sisters maintained a presence in the school until the end of 1993. The first lay Principal, Mr. Tim Emery, was appointed in 1988.

Classes for 25 pupils began in 1943 in a building which served as the convent for the Sisters until 1986. The first group of students ranged from infants to Year 10. By the end of the first term in 1943, classes transferred to an old wooden church situated on the site of the present car park. The old wooden church became available after the construction of the existing church in 1941.

Three brick classrooms opened in 1955 with extensions being added in 1969 and 1978. Other building projects were completed in 1981 and 1985. Recent projects were the construction in 1991 of a Kindergarten classroom on the site of the Waroona Bakery. In 1995 new toilets were constructed; in 1998 a new Administration area was built; in 2000 a new Pre-primary; and in 2011 a new Library though the Building Education Revolution.

In conjunction with the Parish Community, the Old Bakery on the Kindy site was refurbished and a Community Hall shared by School, Parish and the wider Community was completed in 1996.