Our History
Providing Quality Education since 1899
Dominican School Semaphore was established in 1899 by the Dominican Sisters of Cabra after Fr Patrick Aloysius Enright, the parish priest of the Port Adelaide Mission, saw that there was a need for a school which could offer the families of Le Fevre Peninsula a comprehensive religious and academic education.
Over the years this aim has remained central to an ever-expanding and changing educational system. We focus on nurturing children's faith and their development as Christians and we extend our enrolments to all people wishing to educate their children in the Catholic tradition.
Our school community is a fundamental component of the local community and part of the rich fabric of the Le Fevre Peninsula. Originally named the Star of the Sea School, Semaphore, our school will celebrate it's 125th Anniversary in 2024.
Saint Dominic
Our patron Saint
Saint Dominic de Guzman was intensely involved in the struggles of the people of his day and focused on bringing to them a Gospel of hope...
He was an exemplary leader, never putting himself forward, but always believing in the work of the spirit in each person, not just himself.
Saint Dominic was joyful, prayerful, compassionate, and a lover of simplicity who anguished over the sufferings of others and wanted to help them find the meaning of life.
He had a profound trust in the goodness and wisdom of God and never confused God's will with his own.
His heritage to us is to encourage us to take personal responsibility for our journey through life, understanding that we are all connected by our humanity and have a mutual responsibility for each other and our world.
Our Dominican Pillars
As a school of Dominican Tradition, our students are encouraged to follow the four pillars of Prayer, Study, Community and Ministry (Service) as established by our founder, Dominic.
All four Dominican Pillars are experienced in a faithful and rich way through opportunities that align with those foundational pillars to become a way of life. By living a balanced life placing emphasis on each value helps us to do the work that our founder, Dominic, has asked us to do.