About the College

The crest of a school is emblematic of what we stand for.

The emblem is shield-shaped and has the prominent figure of the anchor. The anchor symbolises strength, hope and steadfastness. It is also a symbol used by the Early Christians.

On the right is the Southern Cross, a constellation of five stars only seen in the southern hemisphere. It is a reminder of Australia's geography and our unique position in the world. It also serves as a reminder for parents at Lysterfield Lake College, teachers, and students to courageously reach for high ideals.

Our motto embellished in the ribbon under the shield is written in Latin boldly stating: Vincit qui se vincit, which translates as He Conquers, Who Conquers Himself. It expresses our hope for all the young men at LLC, reminding them that a person who struggles to overcome his weaknesses and failings and who can control his emotions and actions wins life’s most important battle.

HUNTLY – Mary MacKillop

Mary MacKillop’s mother arrived in Melbourne from Scotland by ship. The name of the vessel was the Glen Huntly.

Mary MacKillop is Australia’s first Saint, born in Melbourne and was involved in the education of many students, particularly from poor/disadvantaged backgrounds.

ORAMA – Archbishop Daniel Mannix

Daniel Mannix arrived in Australia on the RMS Orama close to Easter in 1913.

Mannix was a promoter of Catholic Action (a lay apostolic activity in the secular society). He is also responsible for establishing 181 schools.

MUNRO – Fr. Ullathorne

Father Therry was one of the first free priests in the early colony in Sydney. He arrived on the Janus around 1821. Fr Ullathorne, who took over from Therry, arrived on Australian shores on Sir Thomas Munro around 1832.

EMERALD – Caroline Chisholm

Caroline Chisholm converted to Catholicism and arrived in Australia aboard the Emerald Isle. She had a profoundly caring spirit and helped start many schools, most notably a school for immigrants.

Lysterfield Lake College has a part-time chaplaincy. As the College grows, this chaplaincy will become available full-time. The chaplain is available to all members of the College community regularly for general counselling, marriage counselling, emotional and spiritual guidance and advice on parenting issues.

The chaplain of the College is a priest of Opus Dei, a personal prelature of the Catholic Church. Mass is celebrated by the College chaplain, who also visits during religion classes regularly. He is also part of the CIMT (Critical Incident Management Team).

Lysterfield Lake College enjoys a strong relationship with our sister school Harkaway Hills College. Both schools share the same ethos and partner with parents through the unique 1-to-1 mentoring system to help each student achieve their personal best and grow into men and women of good character.

Our schools value a single-sex education and draw on this to provide for the pastoral and academic needs unique to young men and women.

The Christian ethos of schools like Lysterfield Lake College takes inspiration from the spirituality of St Josemaría and Opus Dei:

• God as Father – as Christians, we are children of God. Living with this awareness brings peace, security and confidence. We can abandon all our problems and worries, big and small, into his loving arms.
• Holiness in Ordinary Life – by virtue of their baptism, all Christians have a vocation to holiness. This message was at the core of the Second Vatican Council. Pope John Paul II called St Josemaría the ‘precursor to Vatican II’.

“All Christian faithful, of whatever state or rank, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity…The laity, by their vocation, seek the kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God.” Vatican II Lumen Gentium.

• Sanctification of Work – Christ’s life as a worker is the model for our own encounter with God. For 30 years he lived an ordinary life, loving God and serving others through his work. St Josemaría taught that Christians should be ‘contemplatives in the middle of the world’, living in a constant, loving conversation with God through professional, family, social and civic duties.
• Life of Prayer – St Josemaría taught a very practical approach to living one’s faith, emphasising the sacraments, particularly Mass and Reconciliation, reading the scriptures, and dedicating time to personal prayer.
• Love for Freedom – Christians have the same rights and duties as other citizens and respect the freedom and opinion of others. Therefore, they act with freedom and responsibility in professional, family, political, financial and social activities.
• Apostolic Spirit – all Christians are called by their example and their word to bring others to know and love Christ. St Josemaría encouraged Christians and all people of goodwill to join together to promote initiatives including youth clubs, hospitals, universities and schools, building a more just and peaceful society.

“Apostolate is love for God that overflows and communicates itself to others… A necessary outward manifestation of interior life.” – St Josemaría, Christ is Passing By, 122.

While always respecting freedom of conscience, Lysterfield Lake students are encouraged to develop a loving relationship with God. We hope that discovering the Divine in daily life gives our students the confidence to contemplate the big questions and the hope to fill their journey with meaning and purpose. Our Religious Education program offers students a solid grounding in the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Catholic faith.

Lysterfield Lake's Chaplains are priests of Opus Dei, a Personal Prelature of the Catholic Church that helps people integrate their faith with their family and friendships, their study and professional work, and to find God in the ordinary circumstances of life.

The inspiration behind the educational vision of Lysterfield Lake College is St Josemaría Escrivá, a Catholic priest and founder of Opus Dei.

Opus Dei’s mission is to spread the message that work and the circumstances of everyday life are occasions for growing closer to God, serving others, and improving society.

St Josemaría was inspired to found Opus Dei in 1928. In 1982 Pope John Paul II established Opus Dei as a Personal Prelature of the Catholic Church. It is currently in 66 countries, and its faithful come from all backgrounds and occupations. About 98 per cent are laymen and women, most of whom are married. Josemaría Escrivá was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1992 and canonised in a ceremony in front of some 250,000 persons in St Peter’s Square in 2002.

St Josemaría had a profound educational vision. He saw that genuine education must be integral, developing the whole person. He used the word ‘formation’ more than education to express his idea that young people needed help to grow in character, emphasising human virtues such as diligence, generosity, sincerity, humility and kindness.

Because he knew that education was more than academics, St Josemaría highlighted that education is primarily the right and duty of parents. The state’s role and the role of schools is secondary. He encouraged parents to establish schools that recognise their educational rights and support their values. Today there are more than 200 schools like Lysterfield Lake College worldwide.

In a letter as far back as 1939, he said that “parents are the first and principal educators of their children.” In this, he foreshadowed later pronouncements at an international level.

“Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.” – Article 26, UN Declaration of Human Rights.

“The States Parties to the present Covenant undertake to have respect for the liberty of parents and, when applicable, legal guardians to ensure the religious and moral education of their children in conformity with their own convictions.” – Article 18, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“The right and the duty of parents to educate their children are primordial and inalienable… Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children.” – Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2221, 2223.