Mary Ward had the incredible gift of imagining possibilities and taking risks in order to begin something new.
Lord, let that be possible to me by your grace which seems impossible to me by nature. – Mary Ward
Mary Ward was born on 23 January 1585 to Ursula (Wright) and Marmaduke Ward. She was the eldest of six children and in a staunchly Catholic family living in Yorkshire, northern England during a time when Catholics were humted and persecuted for their continued allegiance to the Pope.
From a young age, she desired to give her life to the service of God, but the way to do this was not clear.  She believed that God was calling her and her followers to live a life without enclosure so that they could support people in their faith and in many other ways.  However, her vision of apostolic religious life for women did not fit with the Church's view at that time. 
With a small group of friends she moved to Saint-Omer in Flanders.  Clarity came for her with an insight that they were to take the same way of life as the Society of Jesus, founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola, as far as was possible for women. Mary's emphasis was on friendship with God, being free to be oneself, in utter openness and trust, ready to do whatever work was needed to let people know of God's love. 
Despite establishing foundations across Europe, she continued to encounter many obstacles which culminated in authorities in Rome ordering her imprisonment and the suppression of her Institute.  Mary accepted her suffering as she accepted poverty and sickness, with trust in God.  She remained cheerful, calm and unswerving in her loyalty to the Church. 
She died at York in English on 30 January 1645.  
The historic Bar Convent was founded in York in 1686.  From this Institiution the Loreto branch was established by Teresa Ball in Dublin in 1821. They looked to Mary Ward as their foundress.  Loreto sisters moved out from Ireland to various countries.  Australia was one of these.   
In 1875 Mother Gonzaga Barry was sent to Ballarat to establish Mary's Mount which was on the current Loreto College site.  In 1883 Sr. Gonzaga Barry was sent to Portland for her health. She fell in love with the people and the Catholic Community there. 

​As a result, a community of Loreto Sisters moved to Portland in 1885 to assume responsibility for the All Saints Primary School which had been established in 1849 as the 2nd oldest Catholic primary school in Victoria.  State paid teachers were at the school of 25 students prior to the Loreto Sisters arrival.