About Us

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Thamarrurr Catholic School is situated at Wadeye (Port Keats) in the Thamarrurr Region of the Northern Territory, 400 km south west of Darwin. OLSH Thamarrurr Catholic School began in 1935 as part of a Catholic mission in Port Keats, under the guidance of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. In 2007 the school was officially designated as a Catholic mainstream school, a step that was supported by the community. The school has grown substantially over the last decade and this has seen the development of a secondary campus, new library and science block and a refurbishment of the trade training centre and kitchen. The school caters for students from Preschool to Year 12 including a homelands classroom at Kuy.

OLSH Thamarrurr Catholic School was started originally after Port Keats was set up as a Catholic mission in 1935. It moved to its current location in 1970. The school was conducted by Sisters from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Order. The Christian Brothers has also had a strong presence in education in the community. In 1978 it became a school under the direction of the Catholic Education Office. In 1979 when the Northern Territory became self-governing, the school was funded under a special agreement with the NT Government as one of the 5 'mission schools'. In recent years, the Thamarrurr Regional Council has actively campaigned for improvements in resourcing the school. In late 2006, a special consultation was held with the school and community to review the school's status re governance. This was to allow for it to progress its status to either a Catholic mainstream school, an independent school or a government school. In the latter years, the current classification has precluded the maximization of funding support, and also lead to some unclear channels of governance. In 2007, the school was officially designated as a Catholic mainstream school. This was a step supported by the community which resulted in changes to funding arrangements. The school then became directly funded by the Commonwealth as well as the NT Government, similar to Catholic schools in Darwin and elsewhere. In this process, extra funding was provided to help bridge the gaps in resourcing that had occurred previously. The complexities of this change in arrangement are still being finalized. The need for NT Government support in a range of areas is still apparent and was forthcoming. This is particularly important due to our size, isolation and the fact that the school is the only provider in the town. The school became a Bilingual school in 1988.

Mrs Jacqueline Conboy

PH: (08) 8978 2477

E: admin.olshtcs@nt.catholic.edu.au