The first Sisters of Mercy were Irish sisters who came to Adelaide from Argentina in 1880, following unrest in Buenos Aires. The same year, the sisters purchased the large home of George Dutton Green in Angas Street, behind St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, and established a convent and school, St Angela's. Part of the order went to Mount Gambier. The original building was extended at various times, and the school was renamed St Aloysius in 1901. In 1920 Mother Cecilia Cunningham received a substantial inheritance from wealthy Argentinian relatives which was used to extend the convent buildings and to build the beautiful chapel. The sisters finally left Angas Street in 2005, at which time the school took control of the entire complex of buildings.
Sister Diedre Jordan ACMBE, former headmistress of the school then long term Chancellor of Flinders University. Now Chancellor Emeritus of the University.
Sister Janet Mead, Janet Mead is an Australian Roman Catholic nun and is best known for recording a rock version of "The Lord's Prayer". The surprise hit reached Number 3 on the Australian Singles Chart in 1974 and Number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the same year.
Social justice
SAC has a Social Justice group for the students and this group leads the school community on social justice issues. During the school year, SAC organises fundraising activities, in particular, the school walkathon, "Mercy Day" and "The Can Drive". Other events often occur during the school year, when social justice issues arise. For example, during the February 2009 Victorian bushfires, students collected clothing and supplies to donate to those affected by the bushfires.
Extracurricular activities
Sport
Students are encouraged to participate in sport during both the summer and winter seasons. For senior students, beach volleyball, basketball, tennis, water polo and softball can be played in the summer, with soccer, netball, hockey and basketball available in winter. A wider range of sports are available for primary school students.
Music
SAC is known for its extensive music program. Students are encouraged to learn a musical instrument and join in with the musical ensembles at school. In 2008, a grand piano was bought and the St Aloysius Stage Band and vocalists went on a tour of China. St Aloysius College also attends music events around Adelaide and participates in competitions. Recently some of the students went on tour in Vietnam.
Upon attending their first day at St Aloysius, each student is assigned a house team. Each team is named after a saint. Competitions are arranged between the house teams, with the main competitions being the school swimming carnival and athletic carnivals. The house teams are:
