The Sisters of Mercy opened a primary school in their Convent in the 1940’s and named it St Catherine’s College. Some students who lived out of Timaru boarded at the Convent because it was too far to travel from home every day and the Sisters took care of them.

However by 1966 there were not enough Sisters to teach all the primary children, so these children were sent to Sacred Heart Primary School in 1967 and the Sisters closed St Catherine’s College.