Marist College Ashgrove was founded by the Marist Brothers as a day and boarding College in 1940. As a Catholic school, owned and conducted by the Marist Brothers, the College is maintained through the efforts of the Catholic community whose sons it serves. Preference in terms of enrolment is given to young men from Catholic families who retain their contact with and support of the Catholic community in their local parish and diocese.

The College comprises 1440 students from Years 5 to 12, 200 of whom are boarders. There are currently 1145 secondary students and 295 junior students enrolled. The College motto, “Viriliter Age – Act Courageously”, challenges each person to envision a more just and compassionate world. The College provides wide ranging programs encompassing academic achievement, the visual and performing arts, sporting success and service projects.

The ethos and mission of the College are significantly influenced by the charism of the founder of the Marist Brothers, Saint Marcellin Champagnat. From their beginnings in rural France in 1817, Marist schools reflected many of the qualities of Marcellin himself: they were places where hard work and excellent achievement were valued, places where the individual was genuinely loved and prized, warm places where a strong family spirit was evident, places characterized by a lack of pretence, places of simplicity and calm determination. The schools were places that had the Gospel at their heart, encouraging students to respond to it with the same faith and generosity that Mary did.

Marist College Ashgrove stands proudly as a Marist school living in the footsteps of Saint Marcellin Champagnat.