The Cairns Diocese is 377,000 km2 spanning from Cardwell in the south, west to the Northern Territory Border including the Atherton Tablelands, and north to the Torres Strait Islands and Gulf of Carpentaria.

The Diocese’s 30 Catholic schools and colleges provide a quality education to almost 11,900 students – 6,700 primary students and almost 5,200 secondary. Our schools extend from Tully in the South, west to Dimbulah on the Atherton Tablelands, and north to Waibeni (Thursday Island) in the Torres Strait.

Schools are clustered around the populous centres of Cairns, the Atherton Tablelands to the west and the Innisfail/Cassowary Coast district to the south. All our schools, except our most remote schools in the Torres Strait, Weipa and Cooktown are within two hours driving time of Cairns.

Cairns Catholic Education’s 30th school, Newman Catholic College, Smithfield opened with Year 7 in 2022 and will grow a year level each year until in reaches Year 12 in 2027. It is the first Catholic school in Australia to be co-located with a university.

A primary school is planned for Kewarra Beach and is anticipated to open from 2025.

Other quick facts:

About one in four school students in the Far North attends a Catholic school
Students do not need to be Catholic or come from Catholic families or backgrounds – enrolments are welcome from families that are supportive of the values associated with Catholic schools – social and emotional development, value frameworks, safety and discipline, partnerships and a sense of belonging
Catholic schools consistently perform well in NAPLAN, QCE and ATAR results for Year 12, with strong VET pathways, enhanced through the colleges’ Trade Training Centres
All schools have a strong family focus and dedicated parent involvement through P&Fs and volunteer programs
Catholic schools and Catholic education employ more than 1,800 people – one of, if not the largest non-government employer in the region