History and Heritage

Chevalier College traces its origins to February 1946, when the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC), opened a small boarding school for boys at the invitation of Monsignor Giles, Parish Priest of Mittagong.

The school was built on the historic Riversdale property in Burradoo with 40 students enrolled in the first year, supported by a dedicated MSC staff of eight priests and five brothers. Conditions were humble during the early years — boarders slept in surplus army huts and science classes took place in a converted garage — yet the spirit of the place was rich with purpose and hope.

The early decades saw the transformation of rural paddocks into thriving learning and recreational spaces as the school continued to expand with growing enrolments of both boarding and day students. A significant turning point came in 1973, when the first female students were admitted. This move towards coeducation expanded further in 1977 with the full amalgamation of the Dominican run Elm Court Girls School (Moss Vale). Boarding continued until 2003, when the College transitioned exclusively to a day-school model.

Today, Chevalier College stands as a vibrant and diverse community of more than 1000 students continuing the MSC mission to provide an education “of the heart.”