Our Community & Culture

St Mary’s values the partnerships between students, families, businesses and schools in our broader community as it can bring mutual benefits and maximise student engagement and achievement.

We network with:

Bowraville Preschool

Bowraville Central School

Jaanymili Bawrrungga

Lifetime Connect

Bowraville Youth Hub

We organise school events and take part in community events that provide opportunities to showcase students’ talents, raise awareness for local issues or concerns, and extend social networks. These events can help to create a more cohesive community. 

At St Mary’s, we encourage your family to share these experiences with your child.

ANZAC Day

Bowraville Memorial Cup

Community Easter Celebrations

NAIDOC Week

Elders Olympics

Celebration of Learning

Sorry Day

Mary, The Mother of God, Mother of Jesus, wife of St Joseph, and the greatest of all Christian saints, Mary, The Mother of God, Mother of Jesus and wife of St Joseph, serves as the patron saint of all human beings, especially young children, like the students at St Mary’s watching over them with motherly care.

Our school logo represents the Brolga, an Aboriginal cultural symbol of our Blessed Mother Mary. The Brolga is displayed with her outstretched wings, protecting and nurturing all who belong to the St Mary’s Primary School community. She stands graciously over the crucifix, which represents our own salvation. In her feathers are the colours green and blue, which represent the history of our school, colours and the traditional lands of the Gumbaynggirr people. The Gospel message ‘Let your light Shine’ (Matthew 5:16) recognises our past school symbol of the baptismal candle, which evokes the gifts we have inside ourselves to share with one another. This beautiful design was created by our Elder Uncle Martin.

Our school shirt design has a specific meaning for the three separate gathering places. Bowraville at the foot of the hills, Macksville inland and Nambucca to the ocean. On the sides of the shirt are examples of bush tucker eaten to sustain and feed indigenous people along the Nambucca Valley coastline. The feet show the journey made between sacred gathering places and the journey we take with God here at St Mary’s Primary School.