St Patrick's College as it is today is the resulting combination of the efforts of the three religious orders that are part of the history of Catholic education in Launceston, Tasmania. The Founders of these religious orders are considered the Founders of the College: founding Christian Brother, Edmund Rice; St Mary MacKillop and Julian Tenison Woods, founders of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart; and Nano Nagle, founder of the Presentation Sisters. The Pastoral Houses of the College are each named for one of these individuals to honour their contribution to Catholic education: Rice, MacKillop, Tenison and Nagle.