Loreto Normanhurst Opens 'McCabe House', Continues Four-Generation Family Legacy

Sydney’s largest girls’ boarding school Loreto Normanhurst has officially opened McCabe House, a purpose-built boarding house that marks a significant milestone in the school's 128-year boarding tradition - and for one family, the beginning of a remarkable new chapter.

As Year 10 boarder Alice McCormick walks through the doors of McCabe House this month as one of its first residents, she won't just be moving into a new home. She will be continuing a four-generation family legacy of boarding at Loreto Normanhurst.

Alice is part of the extended Bolger family, whose connection to Loreto spans generations. Her mother, Mary-Kate McCormick ('98), is a Loreto alumna and former boarder, while her aunt, Sarah Ball ('95), also boarded at the school. Sarah's daughter, Lucy Ball ('25), served as Boarding Captain last year, and Alice's two younger sisters are preparing to join the boarding community in the years ahead, making McCabe House the latest chapter in the family's enduring Loreto story.

The opening of McCabe House honours the legacy of Sister Bruno McCabe IBVM, one of the pioneering Loreto Sisters who helped establish the school in 1897. Known for her compassion, practical care and unwavering commitment to boarding students, Sr Bruno's legacy lives on in a new generation of young women who continue to find belonging, friendship and opportunity through boarding.

Designed to support the evolving needs of today's students, the four-level boarding house has contemporary living spaces, collaborative learning hubs and welcoming communal areas that have been intentionally created to foster friendship, independence, creativity and wellbeing, ensuring the sense of community that has defined Loreto boarding for more than a century continues to thrive.

At a time when young people are more digitally connected than ever, yet increasingly report feelings of loneliness and social disconnection, Loreto Normanhurst is positioning boarding as an intentional model of community, face-to-face connection and emotional wellbeing.

Loreto Normanhurst Principal Marina Ugonotti said McCabe House reflects a deliberate response to the changing needs of young people while honouring the generations of students who have shaped the boarding community.

"McCabe House is far more than a new building. It is a home where young women will build lifelong friendships, develop confidence and resilience, and experience the deep sense of belonging that has always been at the heart of boarding at Loreto Normanhurst.

"The story of Alice and her family reminds us that boarding is about much more than a place to stay. It is about generations of young women finding a community that shapes who they become and returning that gift to the next generation.

"Online connection can never fully replace real belonging. When students live and learn together, they develop the empathy, confidence and resilience that comes from genuine, in-person relationships. McCabe House has been intentionally designed to support those everyday moments of connection that shape young people for life."

Mary-Kate ('98), Alice’s mother , said the Loreto community means a lot to their family.

“It is so very special having four generations go through Loreto Normanhurst. To think that our Alice's Great Grandmother, her namesake, Alice O'Neill, went through the school nearly 100 years ago is incredible. The school community means a lot to our family and knowing how much the community gave me, and continues to give me past school, makes me excited for our girls to also receive a Loreto Normanhurst education.

“Our family recognises how privileged our daughters are to receive a Loreto education, and we are confident they will graduate as well-rounded young women who make the most of every opportunity the school offers. The Loreto way seems to instil confidence, respect and kindness in the girls. My own experience of boarding at Loreto and what the school could offer our girls was the ultimate decision maker for us.

“I am definitely excited for all the sport, academic and extra-curricular opportunities the school offers them that they would not receive at their local high school, but I am most excited for the friendships and fun times they will have in boarding. These memories and friendships are ones that stick with them through life.”

For Alice, boarding has already become exactly the kind of community her family experienced.

"My experience of boarding at Loreto so far has been welcoming and supportive, as well as filled with laughter and lots of fun. It really is a second family that I have grown up around and everyone is there for each other through thick or thin."

As one of the inaugural residents of McCabe House, Alice is excited to help write the next chapter of Loreto boarding.

"After living in the old Boarding House, it will be really nice to have new rooms, new furniture and even to do our own cooking in the Common Rooms. It is also pretty cool to be the first generation in McCabe House."

While Alice only recently discovered the depth of her family's connection to Loreto, she says it has given her own boarding experience new meaning.

"I didn't know until the other day that I had such a strong family connection to Loreto, but after finding out how far back our family goes in Loreto history, it feels really cool to be a part of that line of women who have attended Loreto. Knowing that I was living in the same Boarding House as my Mum, Great Aunt and Great Granny was definitely a crazy feeling, but it also made me feel deeply connected to the history and traditions of the school."

For families considering boarding, Alice has a simple message.

"Do it. It is the most amazing opportunity, and such a welcoming, supportive community that always has your back. Yes, you will have bad days, but the good days outweigh those days significantly. You will meet some amazing people and make memories that will last a lifetime."

McCabe House represents the continuation of a boarding tradition that has been central to Loreto Normanhurst since 1897 while embracing a contemporary vision where connection, belonging and wellbeing remain at the heart of every student's experience. For families like the McCormick's, it is also the next chapter in a legacy that continues to grow with each new generation.