In November 1948 Archbishop Duhig purchased the land where our school, the church and the priory now stand. This land was being used as a poultry farm. With the original parish known as “Our Lady of Graces and Blessed Martin de Porres, Belmont”, it was clear that the original vision included a church community and a parish school. St Martin’s primary school continues to be an important part of Our Lady of Graces Parish community serving Carina, Carindale and surrounding areas.

January 25th, 1954, saw the first students enrol at St Martin’s. The numbers were far beyond expectations. Initially, the Dominican Sisters were responsible for the majority of teaching, including Art, Music, and Instrumental Music. Today we have specialist teachers for these areas, as well as learning assistants, other teachers and various specialist staff, committed to quality education. In 1993 we farewelled the last of the Dominican Sisters. However, we retain strong ties with the Dominican Order, heritage and charism continuing to be a strong foundation for our community.
 
Over the years St Martin’s has seen many physical changes. The present Art centre was actually built as the first permanent Church. This replaced the marquee where the early Masses were held. It was known as the Dominic Centre. The original two-storey brick building, with the entrance off Broadway Street, was initially used as both Church and School. 
 
In 1979 additional classrooms, an office block and a Library were added. The next twenty years saw numbers grow and facilities were built which included a modern Library. The De Porres Centre was built in 1999, named after the school patron saint, Martin de Porres. This two-story brick building is used to accommodate various classes.
 
The ten hectares of land have been enhanced over the years with the planting of trees, the addition of netball and tennis courts, covered eating and seating areas, outdoor play areas and water tanks. Throughout all of these changes the school has managed to keep much of its beloved playing area, affectionately known as ‘the valley’, which is also the home of our Wishing Tree.
 
The school facilities continue to grow and change. In 2009, the original St Martin’s building was replaced with a dedicated early years precinct. Ongoing refurbishment of classrooms, extensions to other rooms, and significant changes to the Library layout, occured in 2011. The school takes every opportunity of utilising these facilities. The Dominic Centre was constructed in 2011. A dedicated Outside of School Hours Care was also added 2019. ​