At the heart of South Bunbury, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School is preparing to celebrate a new chapter in its long story of faith, learning, and community. With support from Catholic Development Fund (CDF), the school is breathing new life into its historic chapel and church hall, transforming buildings that had fallen silent into vibrant spaces once again.
St Mary’s Primary School has been serving families in the South Bunbury community for more than a century. Today it is home to 250 students, with a strong Catholic identity and a commitment to living out its motto of Faith, Respect, Courage.
The school sits in a growing coastal city around 175 kilometres south of Perth. Known as the gateway to the Southwest, Bunbury is a diverse and dynamic community where families, schools, parishes, and local businesses all play a role in shaping the region’s future.
The chapel and hall, gifted to St Mary’s by the Bishop of Bunbury in 2011, once stood as important hubs of worship and community. But after years of disrepair and safety concerns, the much-loved buildings were fenced off, unable to be used.
Principal Paul Cronin has carried the vision of restoration for more than nine years.
“Our community has waited a long time to see these buildings renewed. They have been part of the life of so many families, and now they will be part of our future again"
Paul Cronin
Principal, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School
This long-awaited refurbishment will become a reality with a $50,000 contribution from the school and a $1.2 million loan from CDF. The project will see the chapel restored as a sacred place of prayer and worship, and the hall renewed as additional classroom space.
St Mary’s story is deeply entwined with the Mercy tradition, dating back to its origins in 1904. That heritage has shaped every detail of the project.
- 120-year-old floorboards have been carefully preserved to remain a feature of the hall.
- Heritage vents were re-created by a local teenager using 3D printing technology.
- In the chapel, timber removed during repairs has been lovingly repurposed into the new altar.
- The original baptismal font and priest’s chair, with decades of history, remain in place.
“The Sisters of Mercy brought faith, education, and compassion to Bunbury more than a century ago,” Mr Cronin explained. “Restoring these spaces allows us to carry their story forward while providing students with modern and meaningful spaces to learn and grow.”
Paul Cronin
Principal, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School
“The Sisters of Mercy brought faith, education, and compassion to Bunbury more than a century ago,” Mr Cronin explained. “Restoring these spaces allows us to carry their story forward while providing students with modern and meaningful spaces to learn and grow.”
The chapel will once again host Masses, school liturgies, and sacred moments such as the Year 6 Graduation Mass. These spaces will also continue to be places where families and the wider Bunbury community gather, reconnecting parish and school ties in a powerful way.
Faith, Respect, Courage — is lived daily by the St Mary students, and now, the refurbished chapel will provide a sacred space to encounter God on the school grounds.
In recent years, the school has invested in helping students appreciate the Catholic story that shapes their identity. Through creative initiatives like artist Phil Doncon’s live painting of Catherine McAuley, Marcellin Champagnat, and Ursula Frayne — the saints behind their school houses — the children have come to see their place in a much larger tradition of Catholic mission.
For St Mary’s, the partnership with CDF has been critical in turning this long-held dream into reality.
"CDF understood who we are and what we are trying to achieve," Mr Cronin shared. "Their support helped us to undertake this project, which will have a positive impact on our students and staff.
"When working with partners our school is always keen to ensure the values of any organisation is aligned with that of the school. CDF's presence in the community and support for local initiatives such as the Wardandi Gift was important when deciding to partner with them on this project "
Looking to the future, Mr Cronin explains, “We continue to look at ways to meet the needs of Bunbury families and to this end planning is underway on how we might deliver a full-time Kindy programme in line with new Government policy.”
To help CDF continue to meet strong loan demand from the Catholic community, you too can put your faith in action and save for a greater reward than money alone. Not only will you earn a competitive rate of interest, but your savings will assist schools like St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Bunbury and other Catholic organisations to continue the work the Gospel calls on them to do.
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CDPF Limited, a company established by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, has indemnified the Catholic Development Fund ABN 15 274 943 760 (the Fund) against any liability arising out of a claim by investors in the Fund. In practice, this means your investment is backed by the assets of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Fund is required by law to make the following disclosure. Investment in the Fund is only intended to attract investors whose primary purpose for making their investment is to support the charitable purposes of the Fund. Investors’ funds will be used to generate a return to the Fund that will be applied to further the charitable works of the Archdiocese of Melbourne and the Dioceses of Sale and Bunbury. The Fund is not prudentially supervised by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority nor has it been examined or approved by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). An investor in the Fund will not receive the benefit of the financial claims scheme or the depositor protection provisions in the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). The investments that the Fund offers are not subject to the usual protections for investors under the Corporations Act (Cth) or regulation by ASIC. Investors may be unable to get some or all of their money back when the investor expects or at all and investments in the Fund are not comparable to investments with banks, finance companies or fund managers. The Fund’s identification statement may be viewed here or by contacting the Fund. The Fund does not hold an Australian Financial Services Licence.
