School History

St Paul‘s Catholic Primary School opened as an Infant School in February 1967 with two classrooms that were used as a Mass centre on Sundays. It was started by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Sister Virgil and Sister Gabriel.

By the time Cyclone Tracy arrived in Darwin, St Paul‘s had grown to a school of 415 students. Many families had contributed much of their time and energy into developing St Paul‘s and within a short space of time Cyclone Tracy destroyed much of the parish and school.

The new library and the two-storey buildings were extensively damaged and the future of the school was unknown. Our school was occupied by the army and what was left of St Paul‘s was used by the community for housing and relief.

It was not until February 1976 that St Paul‘s was reopened with a new Principal, 15 new staff members and 315 students. Throughout the late seventies and the eighties St Paul‘s grew into a large urban primary school of over 500 students. As the Nightcliff area changed, St Paul‘s became smaller in the nineties and led by a lay Principal for the first time.

In recent years, St Paul‘s Catholic Primary School has been refurbished to provide modern facilities for the students and staff. Our school has a rich history in Catholic education in the Territory and we have a wonderful reputation within the community.