▁to ▁c ater ▁for ▁ 5 0 0 ▁students ▁and ▁so ▁a ▁two ▁story ▁building ▁of ▁red ▁brick , ▁compr ising ▁nine ▁class rooms , ▁was ▁constructed ▁on ▁Victoria ▁Street . ▁On ▁ 5 ▁July ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁the ▁building , ▁designed ▁by ▁K em pson ▁and ▁Con olly , ▁was ▁formally ▁opened ▁by ▁Arch bishop ▁Mann ix . ▁ ▁The ▁boys ▁school ▁St ▁Mary ' s ▁Boys ▁school ▁shared ▁the ▁old ▁stone ▁church ▁come ▁school , ▁with ▁remov able ▁partitions , ▁with ▁the ▁girls ▁from ▁ 1 8 5 5 . ▁The ▁early ▁school ▁was ▁partly ▁staff ed ▁by ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁Friend ly ▁Brothers ▁Society , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Catholic ▁lay men , ▁founded ▁by ▁the ▁Rev . ▁Patrick ▁Ge og he gan , ▁who ▁gave ▁their ▁time ▁to ▁helping ▁the ▁Catholic ▁poor , ▁dest itute ▁and ▁or ph ans . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁Society ' s ▁found ing ▁members ▁was ▁John ▁O ' Sh an ass y , ▁a ▁former ▁Premier ▁of ▁Victoria . ▁The ▁first ▁male ▁teacher ▁was ▁Bernard ▁O w ens ▁who ▁was ▁trained ▁in ▁Dublin ▁and ▁came ▁to ▁Australia ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁O w ens ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Society ▁for ▁Den omin ational ▁School s ▁which ▁was ▁established ▁to ▁assist ▁teachers ▁in ▁non - g overn ment ▁schools ▁and ▁to ▁campaign ▁for ▁equal ▁rights ▁in ▁regards ▁to ▁pay ▁and ▁conditions ▁for ▁both ▁teachers ▁and ▁students . ▁Other ▁teachers ▁included ▁Mess rs ▁Sp ell man , ▁B irmingham