Community & Business
22 February, 2026
20 years strong!
TWENTY years on and St Stephen’s Catholic College is still evolving, with the official opening of its new Innovation Centre the first celebration of the school’s two-decade milestone.
The St Stephen’s school year was kicked off with an opening mass recently, which saw the blessing of the school’s new Innovation Centre, the announcement of last year’s College Dux, and many other ceremonial activities.
The event was attended by Bishop Joe Caddy and Catholic Education Diocese of Cairns executive director Durm O’Riordan.
School principal Gary Conwell was proud to see the school still evolving and said it will continue to do so into the future.
“It’s fantastic. And it just means that we have a vision for this school,” he said.
“We’ve actually got a master plan, so as our enrolments grow and the community grows, the school is going to grow with that.
“The Innovation Centre is all about a modern way of delivering education and giving our students the best opportunity for success.”
School business manager Hadyn Flynn, who oversaw the project, said the new building boasted a range of cutting-edge features.
“There will be a Maker Space tailored for hands-on learning, breakout zones for teamwork and reflection, small work pods, and a large open area that will encourage big ideas,” he said.
“The centre will also contain an agricultural science lab, a virtual reality room, two recording studios and a dedicated digital technology classroom.
“Our aim is to provide students with key skills and knowledge that allow them to succeed and support the local economy.
“This will become a place for academic learning in traditional lessons and also a space where the school’s vision of fostering creativity, collaboration and enterprise comes to life.”
The school will hold its major 20th anniversary celebration through a gala event in November this year, while its general annual events throughout the year will have a slight nod to the milestone.
History of St Stephen’s
CATHOLIC Education in Mareeba dates back to 1909 when four Sisters of Mercy arrived to open Good Counsel primary school.
This name was retained until the early 1950s when the school was renamed St Thomas’ after the patron saint of the parish, St Thomas of Villanova.
Enrolments at St Thomas’ grew steadily over the decades that followed, and the community began to consider the possibility of a Catholic high school. Towards the end of the 1980s, the search for a suitable site began, and in 1991, the land on which St Stephen’s Catholic College now stands was purchased.
It wasn’t until around 2002 that the Diocesan Education Board of Governance gave its approval for the establishment of a Catholic secondary college in Mareeba. Shortly afterwards, an application for a change of land use was submitted to the Mareeba Shire Council, and an application for capital funding was forwarded to the State Government.
By the end of 2004, all the necessary approvals had been gained and in February 2005, an interim College Board was formed with Mr David Anthony as chair. The following month Mr Gerard Simon was appointed as the Foundation Principal, and in April, the school was named St Stephen’s Catholic College. Construction work began on the site in June to be ready for the first intake of year 8 students in January 2006.
