It was the first Queensland school of the Marist Brothers' order and has continued to provide a religious education to generations of boys over an 80-year period.

The early Catholic community was very small and the Sisters of Mercy travelled from the All Hallows' School at Fortitude Valley to teach catechism to the children.

Continuing growth in the parish resulted in the construction of the presbytery on the opposite corner on Given Terrace in 1914, followed by the purchase of the Herbert Estate (the present Marist site) on Fernberg Road by Archbishop Duhig.

Both buildings were designed by the newly formed firm of architects, GHM Addison and Son and HS MacDonald, and the builder of the monastery was Dan Gallogly.

Their other projects included the Syncarpia block of flats at New Farm (1934), the former Queensland National Bank at South Brisbane (1929), the Goondiwindi Civic Centre (1938), and a large number of hotel commissions (mostly renovations) for Castlemaine Perkins.

The foundation stone of the Rosalie monastery was laid on 29 July 1928 by Bartholomew Catteneo the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop James Duhig, and parish priest, Dean W Lee with Br Reginald Moore, the Director of Lismore representing the Marist Brothers Provincial.

The site chosen for the monastery was adjacent to the school building on Fernberg Road which was renovated and remodelled to accommodate the classes of boys that the brothers would teach.

An article in the Telegraph dated January 29, 1929 reported:[1]The monastery, which is an entirely new building is a fine structure designed to give the maximum of comfort and convenience.

On both floors wide verandahs run completely round the building and from these a commanding view is obtained, the monastery being situated at a high point.

[2][3] The widespread economic depression of the early 1930s, followed by the impact of World War II from 1939 to 1945, and perhaps the imminent opening of a new Marist college at Ashgrove where all the Rosalie boarders and 120 day boys were transferred in 1940, caused the project to be delayed for many years.

The partnership received a large number of commissions from the Catholic Church as well as designing numerous hotels, residences and commercial buildings.

[1] On 6 June 1948 the foundation stone for a new college building at Rosalie was laid by Archbishop Duhig at a large ceremony attended by 2,000 people including parishioners, Queensland Premier Ned Hanlon and Minister for Works and MLA for Baroona, William Joseph Power.

An incinerator incorporated into the building served each of the floors and a public address system was installed to allow for the broadcasting of messages and programmes to all or any number of the classes.

It is elevated on a tuck-pointed glazed dark brown face-brick base formed in English bond which supports rough-cast rendered masonry verandah columns on three sides.

The columns, with a dark brown brick soldier course below moulded capitals, support the hipped terracotta tiled roof which has a pitch break at the line of the verandah.

[1] The northern (front) elevation comprises a central gabled pediment over the main entrance - a large round arched opening projecting forward on decorative corbels.

The entrance foyer, with parquetry floor, decorative plaster ceiling and panelled walls with plaque rails, opens onto the reception room to the east and the study to the west.

[1] Marist College is large three-storeyed brick masonry building positioned prominently at the end of the ridge at the junction of Fernberg Road and Given Terrace at Rosalie.

[1] The building is constructed of a light coloured brick in stretcher bond and the solid, monumental, asymmetrical massing of the exterior form follows its internal function.

A wide L-shaped entrance stair toward the western end of the building is concealed from view from Fernberg Road by a large solid balustrade with concrete capping.

This leads to the entrance foyer which is located asymmetrically within a volume that projects forward toward the street and above the adjacent western stairwell and north facing corridor that gives access to the rooms on all three levels.

Each of the volumes has low pitched metal roofs which are drained by box gutters to rainwater heads and downpipes that are concealed behind the parapet walls.

[1] The front elevation features a strong horizontal component created by continuous concrete hoods over five bays of hopper windows to the three floors.

[1] On the eastern elevation, narrow fixed glazing provides natural light to the north-eastern stairwell and on the projecting eastern end of the classroom wing, six louvred windows to the ground floor and six double-hung windows to the first and second floors, under continuous concrete hoods, provide natural light and ventilation to the toilets and classrooms respectively.

Hopper windows and narrow fixed glazing provide light and ventilation to the western stairwell where chutes to the incinerator are located on the half landings.

Pairs of doors and double hung windows in the northern walls of the classrooms that admit light and provide cross ventilation are intact.

The monastery and college are important as evidence of the period of expansion of the Catholic Church in Queensland under the leadership of Archbishop James Duhig.

The Marist Brothers' Monastery and school for boys at Fernberg Road, Rosalie were opened in 1929 as part of Duhig's vision for the development of the Church in Queensland through the provision of affordable, high quality Catholic education.

[1] The college is a good representative example of the work of architect Frank Cullen, Archbishop Duhig's nephew, who was responsible for the design of many Catholic schools, churches, presbyteries and halls during the 1930s-1950s.

[1] The monastery located adjacent to the school is also valued for its landmark qualities as a well composed and visually pleasing building on a prominent site.