St Thomas’ Catholic School commenced in 1928 when the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart from Mount Street, North Sydney were invited by the newly appointed priest, Father R. Darby, to staff a new school in Horsley Avenue, Willoughby.
The first Principal was Sr Laurencia Crump RSJ. At that time, the hall building was used as both a school and a church. However, as numbers grew, plans were put in motion in 1941 to build a dedicated school to provide more classrooms.
The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart were a vital presence in the school until 1979 when it became part of the Diocesan system of education.
Over a period of time the Sisters were replaced with lay leadership and teaching staff.
The charism of The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart continues today and is embedded in the school’s lived values of: Justice, Hope, Collaboration, Compassion, Citizenship and Stewardship.
Blessed Mary MacKillop’s motto of ‘Never see a need without doing something about it’ is as relevant to the St Thomas community today as it was when the Sisters were invited to staff the school in 1928.
