| The climate, tone and spirit of a school are far more important than any of its physical aspects, yet it is also true that it is difficult to implement any curriculum without buildings, equipment and resources. Marist is fortunate in having facilities which are second to none.
The school campus of some 15 hectares is located at Pearce in the Woden Valley on the south side of Canberra. Originally barren and undeveloped, the property has been transformed to become ideally suited to the carrying out of the many activities that take place in a busy school with almost 1700 students.
The main College building is a substantial two-storey structure. In this building are some secondary classrooms, as well as administration and reception areas, offices, staffrooms and computer laboratories. Overlooking the main oval there is a second classroom block known as the Parents' Building. Situated around these are some of the specialist areas - Music building, Theatrette, Food Science and Drama, Art Building and Industrial Arts Complex.
Concentrated on the eastern side are the refurbished laboratories, which provide first rate Science teaching facilities. The recently renovated gymnasium doubles as hall, and provides comfortable seating for 1200 people.
The Pavilion, opened in 1999, provides a beautiful venue for hospitality and for parent gatherings of many kinds. The most recent addition to the school plant has been the Resource Centre, completed in October 2004. On three levels, it incorporates a library, staff common room, a commercial kitchen for hospitality students and a covered space at ground level.
The open area bounded by the main building, gymnasium, Parent’s Building and music building is known as the Quadrangle. Adorned with coloured paving, lawns, trees, shrubs and flowers. This space provides a tranquil heart for the school even though it is busily criss–crossed by students on their way to class. It also provides shelter from the sun and rain by means of its wide cloisters on three sides.
Moving across the campus to the south, one comes to the Junior School. This is a large and spacious building which makes use of natural lighting in its long central corridor. In the Junior School one also finds a hall, computer room, library and everything needed for the efficient functioning of upper primary classes.
Visitors to the College typically comment on the lawns, gardens, trees and landscaping which give the school, an atmosphere of orderliness, beauty and peace.
The College facilities stand as a tribute to the Marist Family which by persevering and cooperative effort, has worked to ensure that the boys who form the school's student body lack no means which will help this growth into young men.
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