– 1 8 2 1 ), ▁English ▁writer ▁and ▁actress <0x0A> </s> ▁St ▁Mary ' s ▁Primary ▁School ▁began ▁life ▁as ▁a ▁Roman ▁Catholic ▁co - ed uc ational ▁primary ▁day ▁school ▁with ▁single - sex ▁classes ▁located ▁in ▁West ▁Melbourne , ▁Victoria , ▁Australia . ▁The ▁school ▁was ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁parish ▁of ▁St ▁Mary ▁Star ▁of ▁the ▁Sea , ▁West ▁Melbourne . ▁As ▁the ▁parish ▁and ▁school ▁populations ▁grew ▁the ▁parish ▁complex ▁created ▁a ▁school ▁for ▁boys ▁and ▁one ▁for ▁girls ▁each ▁using ▁the ▁same ▁or ▁similar ▁school ▁name . ▁The ▁original ▁school ▁opened ▁around ▁ 1 8 5 5 ▁and ▁operated ▁from ▁a ▁stone ▁building , ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁which ▁served ▁as ▁both ▁church ▁and ▁school . ▁It ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁parish ▁schools ▁established ▁in ▁Victoria . ▁In ▁its ▁later ▁years ▁each ▁school ▁developed ▁its ▁own ▁administrative ▁order , ▁the ▁boys ▁being ▁taught ▁by ▁the ▁Christian ▁Brothers ▁and ▁the ▁girls ▁by ▁n uns . ▁The ▁schools ▁closed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁ ▁Early ▁history ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁gold ▁in ▁Victoria ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁and ▁the ▁grant ing ▁of ▁state hood ▁to ▁the ▁Col ony , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁Melbourne ▁rose ▁quickly ▁from ▁ 1 7 7 ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁settlement ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 6 ▁to ▁ 8 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 4 ▁and ▁just ▁seven ▁years ▁later ▁that ▁figure ▁had ▁ris