[1][2] Founded in 1918, St Mary's was the first Roman Catholic residential college for women at an Australian university.

The college is located on the corner of Tin Alley and Swanston Street in Parkville, a suburb of Melbourne.

[4] It was in that year, following the approval of Archbishop Daniel Mannix, that it became independent - a college in its own right - under the leadership of Mother Francis Frewin.

In 2004, the Alan & Maria Myers Academic Centre, a joint facility shared between St Mary’s and Newman College, was opened.

[1] The college has a very strong sporting tradition, particularly in the disciplines of Australian rules football and netball.