In 1864, a contingent of Holy Family Sisters arrived in Durban from Europe, and opened a school in Broad Street, downtown Durban. In 1892, however, it became apparent that a boarding school was needed and in 1894 land on the Berea was identified and acquired, and the building of Maris Stella as it is known today was begun. In the years that followed, the Maris Stella campus was erected between Musgrave and Essenwood Roads, and was opened on 22 May 1899.

Today, Maris Stella is a significant South African day school for girls from four years old to eighteen years old. A dedicated Management team and a highly qualified group of multi-cultural educators staff it. Its vision is ‘to be a leading institution in educating pupils with skills and values to enable them to make significant, positive contributions to the challenges faced in South Africa and the world’.