Touchstone Winter 2020

Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

faith

opening hearts and liberating minds

Cover: Special Minister of the Eucharist William Burfoot (Year 12) with Ryder O’Meara at Opening Mass.

Right: Vincent Robertson, Tristan Jensen and Oscar Holohan at Opening Mass.

Touchstone is a magazine for the CBC Fremantle community.

Editor and designer Cherie Butcher Stories Keane Bourke and Cherie Butcher Photography Keane Bourke, Cherie Butcher and the CBC community Proofreading Michelle Ainsworth, Keane Bourke and Domenic Burgio To contact Touchstone, please email touchstone@cbcfremantle.wa.edu.au.

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From the Principal The definition of faith has a few contexts.

It can signify complete trust or confidence in someone or something. It can also describe strong belief in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual conviction rather than proof. In a Catholic school it is the latter that is most often associated with faith, but in these secular times, one must be aware that all our community may be at different stages of their ‘faith journey’ and our role is to pick them up wherever they are and help move them to a place that is more Christ-centred, regardless of belief.

In the recent national census, figures about religious association contained some interesting news for me as the Principal of a Catholic school.

Since 1966 the number of people describing

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themselves as having no religion has gone from an almost invisible line to a solid block in the graph. The number of people who ticked the ‘no religion’ box now exceeds those who identify as Catholic and Anglican. Many observers would say this is little wonder given the scandals that have plagued religious institutions and especially the fact of these coming to light in recent inquiries. The greatest failure of the Church has been the abuse of children and subsequent cover ups. For many, that alone is reason enough to lose one’s faith, but these are failings of people and institutions. On page 18 is an article on the creation of a permanent reminder of those heinous crimes in order that we never forget, and a plea to all of our community to make sure that anyone who has suffered reaches out for the redress they deserve.

From the Principal

In my experience, people who do not identify with religion doesn’t mean they aren’t spiritual or bound by virtuous ideals and values. I have many agnostic and atheist friends whose attitudes and actions are based on the highest moral and ethical foundation. Although they reject or are uncertain about God, they have been exposed to a set of values that has formed in them a moral compass as virtuous as the most pious members of society. My concern is that attempts to form a similar set of values in today’s youth is complicated by a variety of factors my friends may not have had to contend with, including ubiquitous social media, the increase in self-promotional and facile reality TV shows, and a near extinction of family dinners. Feedback from many parents highlights a nostalgia for old-time values and social settings to assist them in their parenting, but religion and faith are rarely looked to as a foundation and guide.

a Catholic school. I could count on the fingers of one hand how many of the 150 enrolment interviews I have just completed where hope and faith garnered a mention. This is not a criticism, all the reasons provided by prospective students and parents are wonderful in themselves, but it appears that hope and faith are missing a little bit in modern life.

One element of society where hope and faith is very evident is on death row in the United States.

The number of condemned people who find God in their final moments, and through God find hope and peace, is astonishing. What saddens me is how their lives – and the lives of their victims and all the many people who would have suffered because of their actions – would have been vastly different had they found God or faith much earlier.

“Hope, faith, prayer and contemplation help me approach my challenges with courage and reconcile my disappointments with charity.”

In my life, like many of you, I have to deal with issues not of my making, and sometimes I am pushed to the edge. ‘How do you go on?’ my family sometimes ask me. The answer is hope and faith. Hope, faith, prayer and contemplation help me approach my challenges with courage and reconcile my disappointments with charity.

Hope that tomorrow will be better, and faith that God has my back and a plan much bigger than my selfish needs. Throw in a few moments with my grandchildren and I am refreshed, cleansed of self-doubt and ready to take on the world again.

And yet, despite the importance that hope and faith play in my life, I rarely hear it articulated as a reason for parents to send their son to

I believe that, while elements of religion have lapsed, the message should not be dismissed universally. Each Sunday at St Patrick’s Basilica and every Thursday morning in Blessed Edmund Chapel, Father John Sebastian speaks of love, forgiveness, kindness, compassion, peace and humility. I can’t think of too many other forums where the same attitudes and attributes are placed front and centre. People and institutions have failed us undoubtedly, but faith is more personal than that. Faith is a relationship between an individual and their God, and a world without faith would be a much darker, harsher, and bleaker place to live and raise our children.

Mr Domenic Burgio Principal touchstone | Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

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“As an inclusive community, our aim is always to embrace everyone in the search for meaning and invite all of our families on the journey.�

This page: Joe Elder with Mr Burgio at Opening Mass.

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faith opening hearts and liberating minds While we cannot deny the extreme hardship that the global Covid-19 pandemic has brought to our communities, for many people the consequences have raised deeply spiritual questions about our existence on this fragile planet. At CBC, as a faith community, we can view these times as a chance to strengthen our connection with God and re-evaluate our lives. During a special Urbi et Orbi address at the Vatican, Pope Francis said this moment in history is “a time to choose what matters in life and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not.

It is a time to get our lives back on track with regard to you, Lord, and to others.�

However, for some, faith may feel elusive and nebulous. In our increasingly secular society, CBC recognises that the College may be the primary source of spiritual nourishment for many in our community. As such we have a responsibility to evangelise with an empathy for any disconnection of faith that our people may be experiencing. We are an inclusive community and our aim is always to embrace everyone in the search for meaning and invite all of our families on the journey.

Evangelism is the act of sharing the message and teachings of Christ and is at the core of the curriculum at our College. At CBC, we seek to provide students, parents and staff with the chance to explore their spirituality and awaken to the possibility of living a life of grace. We encourage our community to share in the comfort of experiencing a life of shape and meaning, and to engage in practises that reflect our belief in the inestimable worth of every human individual, for each is made in the image of God. >>

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Being a person of faith provides a decisive direction. Having faith can reveal that we are not living a movie of our own direction – a script of our own creation – that the picture is bigger than being caught up in our own emotions, wants and needs, and we are part of something greater.

Life may not turn out the way we expect it to, and that is okay; that is, in fact, life. As we reflect on the restrictions and fear brought on by the coronavirus, we can clearly see that the world is evolutionary and changing. Jesus told us this through his many parables with the language of growth and development, using metaphors like planting seeds, sprouting, ripening grain and rising yeast. Natural, domestic applications that are fruitful and appreciative of the time it takes for something good to transpire. We understand

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that we cannot control life and death so we slow down and welcome the natural flow of things – the spirit of life, the essence of our being.

Surrendering is a step towards finding faith.

That is not to say that we stop being disciplined with our actions and become irresponsible – we don’t stop striving to be the best we can be with our studies, our work and our commitments – but giving up the idea that we have control is an inner acceptance that promotes peace, compassion and love. We open our hearts and liberate our minds and take the risk to delve deeper into life. Philosopher and author Mirabai Starr says, “We must be stripped of all our opinions on the matter if we hope to have a naked encounter with the truth of divine love.” If we are to feel

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This page: Miss Lynn with students at the Year 11 Retreat in 2019.

deeply connected and comfortable in this world, we have to be willing to understand that we are not steering the ship.

Dr Brené Brown speaks of the act of surrendering as being vulnerable and believes that giving up the attempt to make things certain and definite in life exposes us to deeper experiences of love, trust, joy, belonging and creativity, to name a few. Dr Brown’s extensive research in the field of social work has led her to meet many entrepreneurs who opened up to their vulnerability with huge success in their careers and personal lives, showing their true selves, imperfections and all, and having the

courage to make mistakes. “It’s about owning our vulnerability and understanding it as the birthplace of courage and the other meaningmaking experiences in our lives.”

Dr Brown says in order to expose our real selves, which in turn lays us bare for the seed of faith to be planted, we need to ask: “What’s the fear?

Where and why do we want to be braver?

Then we have to figure out how we’re currently protecting ourselves from vulnerability.

What is our armour?

Perfectionism? Intellectualising? Cynicism?

Numbing? Control? That’s where I started.

It’s not an easy walk into that arena, but it’s where we come alive.” >>

“We open our hearts and liberate our minds and take the risk to delve deeper into life.”

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“At CBC, we demonstrate an active, whole-hearted faith and at the end of their journey, our graduates are in the best possible position to see the face of God in all of humanity.”

It takes courage to be vulnerable and have faith. If faith is based on spiritual conviction rather than proof, then it takes a brave person to be in that ‘arena’. However, we are not just talking about fideism or ‘blind faith’ because we believe faith is both reason and feeling. Cognitive, emotional and spiritual biases are the ‘armour’ that Dr Brown refers to – people tend to prefer to believe in ideas because they are true and reasonable and logical. Still, it remains a valid experience that a person of faith has a personal relationship with the object of their rapture, whether it be God (the power of creation) or Jesus Christ (humanity). Saying that a personal experience is not a legitimate reason to believe something means you will have a hard time believing anything at all.

Faith can be grounded in our connection with the Earth and our interconnectedness with all beings. It is about moments of inspiration in the face of ordinary life and it is about our own particular embodied experience. Gaining comfort by the presence of God is no less real or logical than experiencing love and feeling joy. As St Ignatius tells us, God’s spirit “stirs up courage and strength, consolations, inspirations and tranquility.”

At CBC, we demonstrate an active, wholehearted faith and at the end of their journey,

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our graduates are in the best possible position to see the face of God in all of humanity. We do this through building quality relationships that promote the teachings of Christ – the Gospel Values that are immutable and beyond religious boundaries. As Pope Francis said in his Encyclical Letter Lumen Fidei, “Faith sheds light on every human relationship because it is born of love and reflects God’s own love.”

CBC uses the maxim of ‘head, heart and hands’ to capture the holistic integration of faith into the curriculum. Developing critical thinking and academic understanding; nurturing compassion and a deep sense of the spiritual, and engaging in service and collaborating with others to become agents of change for a better world.

The call is to go out and be witnesses of the teachings of Christ, and live out the attributes of the CBC graduate – resilience, accountability, selflessness, facing challenges and valuing the ‘other’. Binding all this all together is our commitment to the common good, the great love for humanity that was symbolised by the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ and which can be articulated by our founder Edmund Rice, a man of immense faith: “The will of God to be done in everything we undertake.”

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This page: Oscar Holohan and Oscar Allen with their special guests at Grandparents’ Day 2019.

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patrick house swims into history Every little bit helped in getting Patrick House over the line to finally break their 21-year drought and claim CBC Fremantle’s 2020 Swimming Carnival.

The final result was a fantastic surprise for the whole College with Rice House looking solid in top position for most of the day.

Strong participation from the boys in green, regardless of their abilities in the water, combined with some great results late in the carnival delivered Patrick with a 54-point lead to secure victory.

The day was also one to remember for Zack Palandri (Year 7), who was awarded Champion Boy for his cohort in his first year at the College.

Craig Pittson and Zachary Evans (both Year 12) were also recognised for their abilities and efforts during the carnival, both finishing on 349 points

to be recognised as Year 12 Champion Boys.

While the day was filled with admirable efforts in the main arena, there was plenty of action in the second pool to keep a gathered crowd of parents entertained.

A series of 25m, tube and bodyboard races were held just to the side of the main pool to ensure all boys had the chance to participate.

These events proved crucial in Patrick’s victory, with so few points separating the top two Houses.

The Swimming Carnival is an important activity on the College calendar and promotes a strong sense of House spirit between boys of all ages.

Left: In the main pool at the House Swimming Carnival.

Above left: Matthew Collins, Zack Palandri and Charlie Davis champion swimmers.

Above right: Oliver Gribble in the pool. touchstone | Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

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“THE Year 7 transition week provides the new students with chances to develop their self-confidence and build solid relationships early in their CBC journey.”

leaping into THE JOURNEY CBC Fremantle’s newest members enjoyed a week of adventure, reflection and bonding as they made the giant leap into high school life.

Boys took a break from their usual classes for the exciting transition and instead spent time pushing themselves outside of their comfort zones and further developing their self-confidence.

The highlight of the week was a two-night camp in Waroona, which challenged boys to reach new heights both physically and emotionally.

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communication and problem-solving, before walking away with a well-earned confidence boost, having often overcome a fear or two along the way.

The group were rarely fazed, even by the most daunting tasks, with the young gentlemen jumping at the chance to rappel down a 21m abseiling wall, or to leap as far as they could from a 10-metre high pole.

Activities included tackling abseiling and a flying fox, riding a sea biscuit and building a raft, with plenty of time for fun and games in between.

After each activity, boys had the chance to participate in guided reflections on what they had just accomplished as well as understand why that particular activity had been included in the camp.

The boys bravely took on each task, further honing a variety of skills including teamwork,

In the evenings, the young men further developed their close bonds, watching

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movies together, playing as the sun set over the trees and sharing a liturgy under the stars.

The boys also relished the challenge of performing various tasks around the campsite including washing dishes, serving food and cleaning up the dining-room after each meal.

On the remaining days, boys were invited to develop their faith connection with the College through an opportunity to serve their broader community and an insightful Retreat.

During the course of the week, the Year 7 students also spent an afternoon at Cottesloe Beach learning about the damaging effects of litter on the natural landscape, as well as what they can do to make a difference as stewards of the Earth.

Back at school, students on Retreat spent the day continuing to learn what it means to be a CBC gentleman, hearing from their Year 12 leaders and role models, and developing a deeper understanding of the history of Edmund Rice and the EREA Touchstones.

The Year 7 transition week provided the new students with opportunities to develop their self-confidence and build solid relationships early in their CBC journey.

The boys continued to build on this wonderful introduction over the following weeks through a variety of activities, both in and out of their usual classes.

All photos: Year 7 Transition Week.

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something for everyone at

college house week House pride was on colourful display this year, providing plenty of healthy competition for boys of all ages and generating points towards the coveted Wedd Cup competition.

With the event now in its fourth year, anticipation was building well in advance of the popular week, which challenged boys to give their best in their chosen event.

Throughout the week, boys had the opportunity to compete in basketball, tennis, soccer, chess and Mario Kart, as well as learn more about the College’s history in Ms Cooper’s famous Code Breaker Challenge.

On Monday keen cyclists put their BMX skills to the test, racing through a tricky course on the edge of Fremantle Park with a horde of fans looking on. The House Week Breakfast was on Tuesday morning, which filled the Cloisters with the smell of Dutch donuts,

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bacon and egg burgers and freshly ground coffee as families gathered to enjoy some delicious food and drinks from around the world. Afterwards parents were invited into their sons’ Mentor Groups to see first-hand why these classes play an important role in each boy’s pastoral care at CBC. The House Cross Country Carnival was run on Wednesday, when Rice House’s young guns secured victory from the first race of the day.

There were plenty of eager English students ready to put their skills on display on Thursday, with Ms Nelson’s spelling bee.

During the lunchbreak, Principal Mr Burgio was more than happy to help out with the popular House Week art competition, with many students drawing his likeness to win the award for the best portrait.

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But it was Friday that most were waiting for, with the Cloisters transformed into a royal arena for King of the Cloisters.

In the lightning-paced race, boys in safety gear flew around the Cloisters, cheered on by students keen to see their House reign supreme.

Oscar Holden (Year 12) was named King of the Cloisters in his final crack at the crown, while William Balk (Year 7) made his mark in his first attempt at the iconic event.

Points for participation in the week’s activities will go towards Wedd Cup totals, as boys compete for the pride of lifting the trophy at the end of the year with the knowledge that every little bit they gave helped their House towards victory.

Above left to right: Josh Burke and Jimmy McKenzie at House Week Breakfast; Nicholas Collins and Ryan Everkrans-Smith playing tennis in the Cloisters; Oliver McManus drawing Portrait of the Principal; Third time winner of King of the Cloisters Max Lynn and Mr Pickford, and BMX Monday. touchstone | Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

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art from the heart Last year, CBC Fremantle commissioned a significant artwork that illustrates the College’s acknowledgement of the deep pain inflicted on the survivors and victims of abuse in Christian Brothers’ schools and its commitment to a safe, supportive and caring environment for students.

The stainless steel water feature is etched with the Edmund Rice Education Australia (EREA) formal written apology, which was issued in 2017 to the survivors and victims of sexual abuse by members of the religious community and lay staff.

The formal apology was produced in consultation with survivors of abuse

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and seeks to provide opportunities for open and honest conversations about a shameful and destructive reality in the history of Christian Brothers’ schools and help to re-establish trust.

CBC Principal, Mr Domenic Burgio, said the artwork is a message of hope for past, present and future students.

“We don’t shy away from the past. We cannot change what happened but we can make sure it never happens again,” Mr Burgio said.

“Faith is the theme of this edition of Touchstone, and it is our faith that leads us to membership of our Church, but the heinous crimes

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committed against children in its care and the cover-ups that have followed are a permanent stain on the Catholic Church.

“It is not enough to talk about all the good that the Church does in caring for the aged, the indigent, the oppressed and the marginalised. We must always remember the betrayal of Jesus’ words, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven’.

“Children are precious and they depend on us, the adults, to thrive, be nourished and be formed in the image of Christ.”

In a bid to ensure the College community is aware of the deeply sad history of institutionalised abuse and in order to do everything possible to ensure it is never repeated, this year the College has also initiated the delivery of child safety programmes for students and their parents.

“We believe that knowledge is power and we seek to provide our students with the tools to be able to stand up for anything that they believe is wrong. With our parents’ support, we make sure our boys learn from the past in order to build a better world for the future.”

EREA continues to support the provision of care for survivors of sexual abuse and anyone who may have any concerns in relation to historical or current child protection is urged to contact EREA, the Principal or the police.

“Please do not hesitate to call or email me should you need to talk,” Mr Burgio said.

“We don’t shy away from the past. We cannot change what happened but we can make sure it never happens again.”

The syllabus focusses on appropriate boundaries, how and who to reach out to and corrective experiences for anyone who has suffered in the past.

“As always, the safety and wellbeing of our students is our absolute priority and we continue to deliver the high standard of care and education we provide each day at CBC Fremantle, “Mr Burgio said.

“All matters will be taken very seriously and passed on to the relevant authorities.

“We love our community and will do all that we can to help.

“We also encourage all victims to seek assistance through the National Redress Scheme.”

The special water feature is planned to be landscaped as part of an extended Edmund Rice Walk and will be included in the enrolment and orientation process for new students and staff at the College, as well as providing a place of reflection and solace for the community.

Above left: CBC Alumni Association President Mr Terry Iannello (‘59) with teacher and past student Mr Louis Miller (‘79) and Rylan Paatsch, Kaiden Summerell and Lachlan Montagu at the EREA Apology water feature. touchstone | Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

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walking in edmund’s footsteps As part of the educational and spiritual experience at CBC Fremantle, a series of seven stainless steel columns installed at the front of the campus on Ellen Street tell the story of Blessed Edmund Rice and the women who inspired him with prayer, enlightenment, love and compassion.

The founder of the Christian Brothers was motivated by service and faith to break the cycle of poverty and provide education to boys in need on the streets of Waterford in Ireland more than 200 years ago.

The story of Edmund is one of courage and love and the elegant columns illustrate seven stages of his life from a childhood on his family farm in County Kilkenny to the incredible venture of launching a school for boys in need, resulting in a legacy of providing liberating education to many thousands of children.

Another side of Edmund Rice is that he was hugely inspired by the women in his life, which is aptly conveyed on the opposite panels of the steel artwork, commencing with his mother, Margaret Tierney, a woman of deep faith and service. Her shining light stayed with Edmund throughout his whole life, helping him come to terms with deep personal despair and providing him with a path to God’s will.

He sought to build his own family life based on the modelling of his parents, and it was the love of his wife and daughter that fully formed the young man. The loss he suffered

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when he became a widower after only four years of marriage truly opened his heart to experiencing deep compassion.

Other feminine influences that can clearly be seen in Edmund’s life were Nano Nagle, St Teresa of Avila and Mary of Nazareth, contributing a profoundly spiritual, intellectual and human aspect to his values and faith.

Capturing the incredible evolution of a farm boy to the founder of a global religious order, the stainless steel columns are etched with illustrations produced by CBC past student, Yusef Hourani (Class of 2016). The talented illustrator took time out from his art studies in Italy in 2019 to sketch the 14 panels and was back on hand for the installation of the piece this year.

Aligned along the lawn at the front of the College, the columns can be viewed at either end, and from the correct perspective reveal the faces of Edmund and Jesus Christ, signifying the sense of oneness that can be discovered when one lets God’s will fall into place.

The collective artwork is part of an extended Edmund Rice Walk that also takes in the EREA Apology Wall, the Touchstones mosaic and bronze sculpture in the centre of the Cloisters and culminates in the Chapel as the epitome of the College’s faith and history.

Future installations for the walk are planned, including a Roll of Honour to commemorate CBC alumni who served and died in military conflict.

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This page: Henry Turner, Daniel Jackson, Mrs Tandy and Mr Stockton from the Campus Ministry Team, Yusef Hourani and Zane Larner

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first class flying experience After months of work by a dedicated group of Year 10 engineers, the latest addition to CBC’s Library is almost ready for take-off.

The intrepid students from Mr Sellings’ Technical Graphics class designed and built a fully enclosed flight simulator from start to finish in a corner of the busy hub of the College.

Before pen was put to paper, the team calculated the average height, reach and eye-line of potential pilots. Then the dimensions and layout were designed to ensure the cockpit was authentic and ergonomic.

Before long, students will be able to book flight time in the simulator, which is equipped to fly anywhere in the world, and has realistic controls that replicate the cockpits of dozens of aircraft, from fighter jets to airliners.

Reflecting on the monumental project, Bailey De’Pannone (Year 10) said he and his classmates have matured a lot along the way.

“It’s been challenging because you really have to think things through,” he said. “If it doesn’t work it’s your responsibility to fix it, so we’ve learnt to get it right the first time.”

The group settled on a two-part design with an internal desk recycled from the legs of old school desks and an outer wood frame supported by PVC pipes.

Teacher-librarian Ms Trevanna Cooper said the sense of ownership that the boys have is absolutely priceless, and was a key motivator for handing the project over to the group.

After producing the individual parts under the guidance of Design & Technology staff, boys carefully constructed the sim, which involved inserting more than 200 screws by hand.

She said the simulator was another way of fulfilling the Library’s aim of being a powerhouse of ideas and innovation for all students.

This page: William Ryan in the Flight Simulator.

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matt recognised for unique tale In his final year of ATAR Matthew Gaschk received the highest praise for his short story about a young boy who can understand the language of common garden slugs.

The quirky tale ticked all the right boxes for ATAR examiners, earning the 2019 graduate a spot in the coveted Good Answers 2020 collection of exceptional English and Literature submissions. The annually produced book is an essential item in every English department’s bookshelf and provides a valuable guide for students preparing for their senior year assessments.

Matt engaged a clever use of language, grammar, tone and style that results in a well-constructed story remarkably produced under pressure. The exam called for a script that explored the idea that words mean more than what is set down on paper, and

Matt’s response was praised for being highly imaginative, meeting all the required conventions with a unique and creative twist.

During his time at the College, Matt enjoyed his English studies but was most at home behind his Gretsch guitar and the keen musician is currently studying for his music industry diploma at WAAPA. While he is extremely chuffed to have his story included in the Good Answers book, writing isn’t something he has considered for a future career.

“It’s nice that other people can learn from my story, but I’m planning on joining a band and making millions,” Matt said with a laugh.

“Or maybe I’ll become a music teacher.”

And with the CBC gentleman’s desire to help others combined with Arts as his strong suit, maybe it will be both. touchstone | Vol 7 No 1 Winter 2019

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This page: Year 8/9 AFL team at Optus Stadium.

PHOTO BY YAMATO YAP

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young guns

on the big stage The chance to play on the hallowed turf of Optus Stadium provided CBC Fremantle’s Years 8 and 9 AFL team with memories to last a lifetime.

The group of 25 boys represented the College with distinction at the end of the 2019 season when they played the curtain-raiser to the clash between the West Coast Eagles and Hawthorn.

Arriving early for the big game, the group of footy fanatics toured the stadium before preparing for their most challenging match of the season – the Eagles Schoolboys’ Cup Grand Final.

The boys went into the match against Governor Stirling Senior High School with the same energy and passion that had delivered them a lossless season to date, despite challenging fixtures and fierce opponents.

Taking in the awe-inspiring view of the stadium from ground-level, the gentlemen were given a final rev-up from coach Mr Chris Pietroniro before captain Samuel Otto (Year 9) had the final word to his team.

CBC came out firing in the first half, with a determined effort keeping Governor Stirling to a modest lead, 2.2.14 to 1.1.7.

A strong start early in the second half by Governor Stirling put a CBC victory just out of reach, but the boys from Freo never rested, giving their absolute all with high-flying marks and hard tackles across the ground even in the final minutes of the game.

Despite the team’s best efforts, CBC’s young guns finished 2.2.14 to Governor Stirling 9.3.57.

Gracious in defeat, the CBC team were quick to congratulate their opponents on their achievement, filling the stadium with their cheers of praise for both Governor Stirling and the umpires who had given their time to officiate the match.

Walking back to the rooms the smiling faces and laughter was an unfamiliar sight after a loss. Proud of their performance on the day, as well as in the many games leading up to the final, the team demonstrated one of the key attributes of the CBC gentleman by giving their best, and knowing that is always good enough.

After plenty of praise and a debrief from their coaches, the boys were free to enjoy the night’s main event as a reward for their persistence and dedication to their team over the year. touchstone | Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

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celebrating learning success When the Year 12 results came out in January it was fantastic news for the Class of 2019, who achieved a median ATAR of 82.30, placing CBC well within the top 50 schools in the state.

Vocational Education and Training (VET) students performed just as well, finishing the year with 152 Certificates II, III and IV, providing graduates with the potential to step directly into a variety of jobs or further education opportunities.

The exceptional results highlight the cohort’s commitment to achieving their best and was supported by a new learning behaviours initiative under the direction of the College’s Academic Board and Leadership team.

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In 2019 Deputy Principal of Teaching and Learning, Mr Scott McDonnell, and the Heads of Learning trialled the new programme aimed at ensuring every student could be successful in his chosen pathway, and the result speaks for itself.

The Academic Behaviours Journey designed by staff at CBC is in its infancy but has already shown signs of success with boys who elected to undertake the programme exhibiting improvement of varying degrees. In 2019, Year 12 students who took part in the trial saw benefits within a short timeframe with the result of marks increasing by approximately eight percent on average.

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The programme keeps boys’ study on track and focusses on achieving the achievable by teaching techniques that simplify home learning and assessment preparation.

“Teachers and parents sometimes expect students to know this stuff, but realistically, they need to be taught, and learn to master these techniques,” Mr McDonnell explained.

A perfect example of the success of what Mr McDonnell calls “learning to learn”, Class of 2019 student Nicholas Monzu went from a predicted ATAR of 65 to achieving 78 and was able to gleefully enrol in the course of his dreams at Notre Dame University.

“Without doubt it was the one reason I performed better. The CBC teachers were very supportive too, which really helped,” Nicholas said.

The programme aims to position all students in the best possible place to launch into the next phase of their life after graduation, whether they are aiming for university, TAFE, an apprenticeship or the workplace after graduation. Last year, Bradley Dowie chose the Vocational Pathway at CBC and is also an advocate for the study programme.

“It gave me an opportunity to excel in my chosen areas and to get where I wanted to be,” Bradley said.

Mr McDonnell said the programme perfectly integrates into the key celebrated steps in the CBC Journey. From 2020 all year groups will benefit from the initiative, with a different focus for each year level allowing students to build skills as they progress towards the critical senior years.

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This page: 2020 College Vice Captain Nicholas Dart delivering his leadership speech in 2019.

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the future of servant leaders Effective leadership starts with genuine empathy and a true commitment to service that is a critical part of the journey from today’s boys to tomorrow’s gentlemen.

At CBC, the student leadership programme develops skills that contribute to each boy’s transition from a child’s thinking to adult behaviours, developing integrity, communication, compassion, organisation, responsibility, accountability, commitment and vision.

The programme aims to prepare leaders from Year 7, culminating in the selection of College Captains in Year 12. This year the process went through an overhaul, with the previous Prefect structure being replaced with six Captains of House and seven Captain portfolios of Academics, Arts, Community, Faith and Mission, Indigenous Leadership, Service and Sport, providing opportunities for leadership in all areas of the College.

Under the guidance of Director of Student Leadership, Mr Mike Pickford, and key staff members throughout the College, the young men are exposed to practical experience in student council meetings, public speaking and event management, building confidence in assessing and responding to the needs of the community. The young men are encouraged to play an active role in making decisions that affect them, which has a bigger picture result for society.

Mr Mike Pickford says developing student leaders who are of service to others is critically important.

“Their success and effectiveness is determined by the quality of their service to others in following the example of leadership modelled

by Jesus: ‘If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest … For even the Son of Man did not come to be served; He came to serve and give His life’ (Mark 10:43-45).”

While service is considered the foundation of being a leader at CBC, awareness and improvement of the self is a natural part of the formation of cogent and compassionate leadership. Applying commitment and discipline to oneself is reflected in outside relationships.

An example that CBC Principal Mr Domenic Burgio is fond of providing is the College haircut. Good grooming and a neat and tidy appearance are admirable traits, but it is the integrity in maintaining this small discipline that reflects an adult way of thinking and highlights a commitment to the common good.

The benefits of student leadership extend far beyond the classroom, preparing students for active participation in the wider community and graduating as young men who are agents of change for a better world. The programme is a powerful stepping stone into the world of careers, tertiary study and community service, as well as providing a solid foundation for the graduands who are the employers, partners, fathers, coaches and social advocates of the future. touchstone | Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

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PHOTO: DEON SCANLON

staff donations help lalitha’s plan In the back streets of Delhi, down an alley crossed by chaotic electrical wires and shadowed by higgledy-piggledy buildings, every day a tiny school welcomes the children of the slums to experience a better life.

With a smile as generous as her heart, Lalitha Nayak greets the little ones as they arrive at her school and they shuffle into the rooms splashed with bright paint that battles with the constant dust from the surrounding streets.

With very little formal funding and relying heavily on philanthropy, Lalitha provides education for the children of prostitutes in the neighbourhood, hoping to avoid the future of poverty and destitution that so many of them face.

In 2017 as part of an Edmund Rice Education Beyond Borders initiative, Mr Domenic Burgio visited Lalitha and saw first-hand the incredible work undertaken in that back alley. Operating on a shoestring, the little school consists of not much more than a couple of rooms bursting with children who would otherwise be running through the streets of Delhi.

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Providing learning, food and shelter is just the tip of the iceberg at Lalitha’s school. Raising awareness of issues including human trafficking, domestic violence and gender exploitation is an essential component of her educational strategy to try to keep the children from following in their mothers’ footsteps.

The determined social worker also established a home for older girls who are risk of being trafficked and has witnessed lives being turned around as the result of her team’s interventions.

Moved by Lalitha’s tireless efforts, Mr Burgio hatched a plan and during the year CBC staff were invited to donate a portion of their fortnightly pay – less than the price of a Fremantle coffee – to her project. In October the donation was delivered into Lalitha’s hands by Service Learning Coordinator, Mr Matthew Stockton.

The support from CBC staff continues so Lalitha can budget for supplies and continue on her selfless mission.

Above left to right: Lalitha outside her school in Delhi; Mr Stockton presents a cheque to Lalitha.

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Cathy shares a special journey Helping others to achieve their potential is a common motivation for teachers, but CBC’s Cathy Morgan takes this passion to another level.

The Education Assistant was working at Bicton Primary School when she accepted the invitation to join one of her previous students, Blake Johnson, as he commenced on his CBC journey.

Ms Morgan was Blake’s EA in Years 3 and 4 and the opportunity to be at his side in high school appealed to her spirit of adventure that she felt was well-suited to a boys’ school environment.

Blake suffers with oral, verbal and motor dyspraxia as well as ADHD and has required various therapies since he was a toddler.

The little trooper was an active member of his primary school classes and, with the assistance of his mum Shelley, Ms Morgan, and CBC’s Academic Care team, has successfully adapted to his new community.

Ms Morgan applauds the amazing work of Blake’s mum whose ambition for him to be as happy as he can be means she refused to let his learning disorders stand in the way of living a fulfilled life.

Shelley recognised a kindred spirit in Ms Morgan, and with the support of Head of Academic Care, Ms Larrisa Dodsworth, the plan to integrate Blake and his assistant into CBC was initiated.

From Year 6, Ms Morgan regularly brought Blake to the College so that he could get to know the campus and feel comfortable in the new environment. Now in Year 7, he attends classes, working with his own curriculum under Ms Morgan’s supervision, but he loves joining in group activities such as Science experiments and Sport exercises.

Watching other students include Blake in activities confirmed to Ms Morgan that coming to CBC was the right move. Being part of the cohort, learning important social skills and being supported by the College’s pastoral care values enables him to thrive and be seen as a member of the community. She loves the times when she can step back, let the other Year 7 boys take Blake under their collective wing and see the joy of belonging on her young charge’s face.

Brimming with patience and good humour, Ms Morgan contributes a wealth of knowledge and professionalism to the College and she has been a welcome addition to the hard-working Academic Care team. Ms Morgan plans to continue walking beside Blake on his journey and cherishes the special part she is playing in his development into a CBC gentleman.

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Alumni Association

Palma From the President So far this year it has been quiet on the social front for the alumni of CBC Fremantle but, all being well, we are planning to hold our wonderful All Ages Reunion and Alumni Awards on 20 November. Combined with our groups who have significant anniversaries, it will truly be an evening to remember and a fantastic celebration. Don’t miss it and let’s give 2020 the farewell it deserves!

Last year we held the usual five, 10 and 20 year reunions in October that were attended by a happy crew of past students of our College.

You can read more about these events in the alumni gallery on the College website.

However, behind the scenes the alumni committee was meeting up until the social isolation restrictions came into place, and we were discussing a number of things on behalf of all of the past students on the College. One of the things that we were becoming increasingly concerned with was the name of the Old Boys’ Association, and we thank some of our younger contemporaries for raising this topic for us to consider. As graduates of a Catholic school in the

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Left: Terry Iannello at the EREA Apology water feature with Rylan Paatsch, Kaiden Summerell, Lachlan Montagu and Louis Miller (‘79).

tradition of Edmund Rice, we belong to an inclusive and progressive community and we felt the term ‘old boy’ was drawing undue attention to the age and gender of our members. We agreed with our younger graduates who associate the name with age and we understand that our current students – the ‘Zoomers’ I believe they are called – are far more sensitive towards gender diversity than society historically has been. Moving forward, and with a fervent desire to retain our younger audience to ensure our activities continue, and to use language that moves with the times, the committee voted to change our name to CBC Fremantle Alumni Association. We feel that, although ‘alumni’ is masculine, this has a far more embracing connotation than ‘past student’ because we are not ‘past’ anything!

Well maybe some of us are past some things, but we are still very much current members of the CBC community and active contributors to the traditions of the school.

The Association confirms that CBC is completely committed to single gender education and is not intending to become a co-educational school. The name change reflects the College’s dedication to providing a supportive environment for all of our community, young and old, which is fully sanctioned by the CBC Alumni Association committee.

Thereby, previously known as an ‘Old Boy’, a graduate of CBC will now be referred to as an alumnus. However, the message remains the same: the alumni of CBC Fremantle are an integral part of our community and are welcome to visit their College any time.

Looking forward to our future and getting it right is something that plays heavily on our mind, particularly considering the dark past of some institutions that have been revealed under the scrutiny of the Royal Commission.

As representatives of the past students of CBC Fremantle, we were honoured to be a part of the discussion during the planning of the College’s water feature that captures EREA’s apology to the victims and survivors of sexual abuse as we are fully aware of the depth and gravity of the words. Our prayers are always with our brothers who suffered and I reiterate Dom Burgio’s message to seek assistance and redress through the proper channels if you were subjected to sexual abuse in any institution.

God Bless.

Terry Iannello (‘59) President Alumni Association

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heeding the call of coffee Nunzio Gumina (Class of 1964) has achieved many things in his 73 years, but none so meaningful to the Fremantle community as the founder of the cappuccino strip.

amicably played cards and chatted about sport, but the evening gang harassed passers-by and frightened pedestrians so they would cross to the other side of the road to avoid them.

In 1977 the CBC gentleman was the first Fremantle business to introduce al fresco dining on the pavement outside his cafe, Papa Luigi’s Pizza and Coffee Lounge, located on the corner of Collie Street and South Terrace where Grill’d now operates.

The ‘Fremantle Rocks’ gave the place a bad reputation, waiting to fight off their arch enemies, the Coolbellup boys, playing pinball and swearing, until Nunzio came along. He understood that what these tough second-generation Italians feared more than anything was causing their mama heartache, and he used this knowledge to his advantage.

Along with his mother and siblings, six year-old Nunzio arrived in Fremantle in 1954 from Sicily but the burgeoning businessman still recalled outdoor dining experiences from his early childhood.

It was when he was selling Benny’s specialty ice-cream from the back of a truck that Nunzio met an Italian chef who scoffed at the exquisite desserts and said the only thing that could complement his delicious food was good coffee – and a seed was planted.

Nunzio remembered those words and when he had an opportunity to purchase Papa Luigi’s, he jumped at the chance to put his dreams into action, heralding the blossoming of Fremantle’s famous cappuccino strip.

There was a method in his madness and the reason Nunzio wanted to bring tables and chairs to the footpath was the community of customers he inherited who spilled out the front of the premises. The daytime crew

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It was also evident that the young men needed an outlet so, in consultation with some local social workers and using his experience with youth as a soccer coach, Nunzio set up a boxing ring in the basement of the caffé. After the tables were wiped clean and the lights were switched off, downstairs the refereed fights would start, with Nunzio officiating and presenting a prized cup at the end of the bouts. The plan worked and the rival gangs made peace of sorts, keeping out of each other’s turf and calming down the ruffian elements of Fremantle.

The dapper CBC gentleman made many friends while making and serving coffee, and was also the patron of burgeoning artists who lived and worked in cheap studios around the town centre. They were able to make ends meet by selling paintings off the walls of Nunzio’s legendary cafe, which became known as Old Papa’s when New Papa’s was built a few doors down, and both coffee shops were always

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bustling with people seeking the best coffee and company in Fremantle.

After attending St Patrick’s Primary School and CBC, where he found new friends by sharing crayfish that were cheap and easily sourced from the local fishermen, Nunzio finished off his schooling at John Curtin College. A hard-worker as modelled by his father and unable to ever sit still, he was employed by the local grocer until the day after he finished school when he commenced full-time as Service Manager at Ashton Motors on Queen Victoria Street. Booking the servicing of cars and ordering parts was far from the smell of coffee beans, and he also tried his hand owning an auction house and working up in the Pilbara before discovering that his real passion lay in hospitality.

Nunzio has seen Freo evolve from a workingclass port city, a haven for artists and bohemians,

through the gentrification and heyday of America’s Cup to the much-loved cultural hub it is today. His ventures followed the rollercoaster, always addressing the needs of his customers and reinvigorating the industry, confirming his status as the father of the cappuccino strip. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have sat in a Nunzio establishment, including the family-friendly Villa Roma in the west end, upmarket Limoncello on Marine Terrace, kebab shops and even Metropolis Fremantle.

Nowadays his self-titled five-star restaurant on Essex Street captures the vast experience, humble elegance and simple pleasures of Nunzio’s life, and is praised for its fine food and wine.

But you can still guarantee it’s the coffee that seals the deal. touchstone | Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

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from classroom to courtroom CBC alumni have become an increasingly common sight in WA’s courtrooms, with four graduates admitted as lawyers in the past year.

James Allison (’10) led the CBC charge, with classmates Hayden Perer and Jack Young (both ’10) admitted in early April.

Solomon Wright (’14) followed in their footsteps when he was admitted in May. The group still speaks of the important role their Politics & Law teacher and CBC alumni, Mr Craig Carter (’90), played in their

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development, particularly through the mock trials that the College participated in.

“Mr Carter was great for fostering any aspirations of his students who wanted to go into the field of law,” Jack said.

“I can remember by the end of Year 12 it was all I could think about studying.”

The years of hard work have since paid off for the group when they were formally admitted

by Chief Justice Peter Quinlan.

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Usually, the freshly-minted lawyers would have been supported by a supervising lawyer as part of the ceremony. Instead, because of social distancing requirements, their admissions were moved by WA’s Solicitor-General, Joshua Thomson, and retired Supreme Court Justice, Lindy Jenkins.

Speaking at the ceremonies, WA’s Chief Justice, Peter Quinlan, reminded the group of the legal profession’s strong sense of service.

“It involves a commitment to use one’s particular specialised skills for the benefit of others and not for one’s own benefit,” he said.

Solomon said CBC’s Service Learning Programme, and particularly attending the Kiwirrkurra immersion in 2013, had left him in good stead for life as a lawyer.

“Law is a profession where you get to help people a lot more than you realise,” he said.

“It’s more about assisting individuals and helping them with their legal problems, rather than big companies.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Jack, who said his time at CBC helped him appreciate the

importance of standing with those on the margins.

Reflecting on his journey to admission, Jack said one of the highlights was spending three months working pro-bono for the Aboriginal Legal Service.

“One of the most rewarding parts of the job is when you can achieve an outcome that is really quite equitable, or you go in to represent a client who genuinely has done nothing wrong and has been dragged into litigation and you’re able to guide them through that,” he said.

Now, almost 10 years after graduating, Jack said he can still see the effects of a CBC education on his classmates.

“The flavours of Edmund Rice, and what his legacy means for young men, definitely sets CBC graduates apart in the workforce,” he said.

Left: Mock Trial group with Mr Carter in 2009 – Jack Young is front row far right, James Allison top right and Hayden Perer is top second from right.

Above, left to right: James Allison, Solomon Wright, Hayden Perer and Jack Young.

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What are they

up to now?

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Andrew Pittaway (1990) After graduating in 1990 Andrew took a few years off from study before going on to Curtin University in his early twenties, where he completed degrees in History, Cultural Heritage and Information Management. For a time Andrew was employed in heritage research and since 2000 has been employed by the City of Fremantle as its Archivist and Freedom of Information Coordinator. Andrew’s passion is history and in 2015 he published Fremantle Voices of the Great War which tells the story of local people in World War One. In 2016 the book received the Fremantle History Society’s best published work award for the 2015/16 period. Andrew is also the Historian for Fallen Diggers Inc, a group that searches for the burial sites of missing Australian soldiers, and so far has located 29 in France and Belgium.

In 2017 Andrew and the group also undertook an archaeological non-invasive survey of an old battlefield in Northern France where seven Western Australian soldiers were buried in 1917 but never recovered after the war. This investigation was performed in conjunction with the Australian Army and it is hoped that these soldiers will soon be retrieved and provided with named graves.

Left: Andrew Pittaway at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Belgium at the grave of one of the soldiers identified through the Fallen Diggers research. Right: Anthony Macri with his Order of Australia Medal.

Anthony Macri (1967) Following graduation, Tony Macri pursued a successful career in accounting, culminating in the establishment of Macri Partners with his son, Domenic, and his daughter, Connie De Felice. A CBC gentlemen through and through, last year Tony was awarded the Order of Australia for his contribution to the community and his devotion to the aged care sector. He has served on many Boards, including Fremantle Italian Aged Persons Services, Greening Australia (WA), Fremantle Cockburn Enterprise Agency (now Business Foundations), South East Metropolitan Area Consultative Committee, Metropolitan Perth Consultative Committee, Zoological Gardens, and the Gaming and Wagering Commission of WA. He was also a sessional member of the State Administrative Tribunal and closer to home a councillor with the Fremantle Council.

Tony’s son Dominic followed in his father’s footsteps by attending CBC, and his grandchildren, Anthony (Year 10) and Luke (Year 7) are the third generation of Macri boys to don the green blazer. touchstone | Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

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Fiore Giovannangelo (Class of 1974)

Zoey Hewll (2013) After her time at CBC Fremantle, Zoey went on to study Computer Science at Curtin University. She flourished in the freedom of the campus’ culture, balancing a busy academic schedule, tutoring and political activism with her personal life.

Zoey has since found work through the course’s internship programme as a Software Engineer in a multinational company, which provided her with the opportunity to fly around the country with a cohort of other recent graduates.

She has continued to thrive in her local community in Bentley, spending much of her free time birdwatching, playing ‘DnD’, coding and cooking for friends. Zoey says she has grown a lot from an awkward lanky boy on graduation day to a confident and outgoing woman, happy and content in her element.

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Known as ‘Fury’ in his school years, Fiore left CBC in 1974 and went on to complete a Bachelor of Engineering Degree at UWA. After spending a few years working on rollingstock design with Westrail, it was clear that engineering was not his calling so he commenced a Master of Business degree at Curtin University. This paved the way to an 11 year operations and logistics management career with Ampol and then Caltex after the two companies merged.

Not liking the culture of the new organisation he decided it was time for a complete change of direction, and transferred his logistics and people management skills to the catering industry, working six years at Royal Perth Hospital with Sodexo.

From there, Fiore spend a few years managing logistics operations at Kailis Bros and in 2007 he was appointed Director of Operations at Hale School, which called on all his previously acquired skills in people management, engineering, logistics, food services, health services and facilities management. More importantly, though, it would prove

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to be the most rewarding work experience he could have asked for.

After 13 years of being a member of the Hale community and after doing more than enough travel around the world, Fiore has his eye on semi-retirement in the not too distant future and spending more time with his wife of 40 years, Tanya, his two children and five grandchildren. In between being available to help his growing family, he hopes to spend a lot more time riding his bike and supporting the Fremantle caffé industry.

Mark Drane (Class of 1980) Mark’s father came from a family of six brothers who all worked in merchant shipping as either deck officers or engineers, so it was not totally unexpected that the CBC graduate applied for a four-year cadetship with Australia’s national shipping company. He spent three years living in Tasmania attending the Australian Maritime College and following a year working on various cargo ships, he graduated as a Marine Engineer in 1984.

After two years Mark left the merchant navy and took up a role as a design engineer in

Westralian Transformers. He completed a Mechanical Engineering degree which opened up an opportunity to work in the oil and gas industry where he worked for 16 years with WorleyParsons as a design contractor, and held a number of roles including project manager, operations manager and general manager during the WA mining boom.

With the end of the mining expansion, he moved to infrastructure projects and worked on a number of interesting projects including the recently built rail station servicing Optus Stadium. Since then he has worked on an Australian lithium mine expansion – lithium being the main material used in the batteries that power electric vehicles.

This year Mark and his wife celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary with their three children Alex, James and Annabel. He is a keen fisherman and an avid follower of Formula 1 and MotoGP racing. Over the years he has been to races in Melbourne, Singapore, Italy, Japan, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates.

Above left: Zoey Hewll. Above right: Fiore Giovannangelo Below: Mark Drane; Class of 1980 with Mark Drane in the second row far right.

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a force in fire and rescue During the 2019/20 bushfires that raged over the east coast of Australia, TImothy (Sadiq) Hamid (1993) was part of the effort to protect homes and lives. Tim, who took his wife’s surname of Hassiotis, has had an illustrious career in the Fire and Rescue field and shares a little of his amazing life here.

The year was 1993 and Bill Clinton was nestled in the Oval Office, an indelible movie about dinosaurs is released, Whitney Houston sings I will always love you and I, along with a contingent of my cohorts, graduate from CBC. After leaving school, I was afforded the opportunity to work as a metallurgist and gain formal qualifications as an engineer. Although I enjoyed my career, I soon realised that this career path was not where my passions lay.

It was with this ideology that a seed was born to pursue my own interests. To use a cliché term, ‘be careful what you wish for’, as within a year, I found myself walking the deck of an oil rig off the coast of Mogadishu on pirate watch. The next five years passed in a tumultuous journey of aircraft, helicopters, ships and oil as I became entrenched as a commercial diver. For all the adventure, diving soon lost its appeal, as I had met my wife and began to settle down. It was during this time that I saw an advertisement for Fire and Rescue New South Wales. Fast forward 11 months and, after 16 weeks of intensive recruit training, my first steps as a professional firefighter began.

It is now hard to recall a time before firefighting, such is the esprit de corps that has been fostered over the last 18 years. Fire and Rescue NSW has become my second family and with shifts of 24 hours, I have at times spent more time with my colleagues than with my family.

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My first station was located to the southwest of Sydney in the suburb of Chester Hill. Both the station and the team provided me with great experience, whether through attendance at house fires, motor vehicle crashes or the daily touch football games with my colleagues. The job has shaped me over the intervening years; I walk forward when others run away; I remain calm when faced with adversity and take charge when things appear at their worst.

I was fortunate enough to gain specialised training in rescue, breathing apparatus, rescue shears, jaws of life and cordage, which soon became as common to my vernacular as coffee and milk. My career began to gain momentum and I was trained in urban search and rescue, where technical teams deploy internationally to sudden onset disaster, recovering casualties from collapsed buildings. Next came floodwater rescue, where once again the adage of a fire service was challenged – where you need to be prepared for anything.

Inspired by my commanders, it was at this point that I decided to upskill and pursue officer training. This was one of the most challenging aspects of my history in fire, evolving from ‘on the tools’ to determining strategies at major incidents. I was formidably trained and soon became comfortable with multi-agency incidents working in collaboration with other emergency

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services, stakeholders, port authorities and energy providers. I have represented Australia on the world scale for United Nations, driven skidoos through pristine alpine wonderlands and made comment on major event planning such as Invictus games.

My career has been rewarding and has offered so much. I reflect at times upon the difficult times of consoling a family member who has just lost their loved one in a fire and the senseless and tragic loss of life at a motor vehicle crash that forces me to question my own mortality. With these memories also come moments of sheer joy. The fact that I can walk into any fire station in NSW – heck, any fire station around the

globe – and instantly know I have a new group of mates eager to build a friendship, such is the fraternity of firefighters.

I have seen treasured peers retire and fade away, fresh-faced recruits turn into influential leaders, and I continue to observe a family built on shared values and ideology, flourishing despite adversity and shift demands.

This job has shaped who I am; the organisation runs through my veins, and I am proud to be a firefighter.

Timothy (Sadiq) Hassiotis (‘93)

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the cultural revolution CBC alumni Malcolm Rock (1999) writes, directs and produces large-scale theatre, ballet and opera productions. He trained at the Melbourne Theatre Company and is now based in Amsterdam, where his list of productions showcases his success in the European art scene. Malcolm shares some memories of the late 90s at CBC which include the germination of his extraordinary career.

It was a grey revolution. A gunshot to ignite an uprising. The wind had changed, and I don’t mean the Fremantle Doctor. From that day forth our knee-high socks were free to fall below our calves without the fear of reprimand.

of kicking and leaping meant other areas of study – usually those in which I excelled – were deemed of lesser importance, and this meant I found myself in a space for self-discovery with time to cultivate singular talents.

The new policy applied only during warm summer days on school property. A uniform vision of neat young scholars in yellow, green and grey was required off-campus. Still, anarchy was in the air as lower legs were liberated; thick and thin, stubbled and smooth.

The sympathetic headmaster Brother Alan Wedd and a precious handful of teachers from unlikely disciplines (cookery, computing, carpentry) indulged my particular brand of creative mischief.

They supported my pitch to produce the school’s first stage plays, which ultimately led to my present profession as a director in Europe.

The Christian Brothers’ College of my memory is an improvised miniature of the real world: a succession of epiphanies bordered by Fremantle Park and the High Street. My CBC was DIY. It taught extemporaneousness by reconciling rules with humanism.

In the late 90s it was undergoing multiple crises of identity. The primary campus on Tuckfield Street was closed and the few remaining teaching Christian Brothers moved offsite. Then the school reeled, along with fellow Christian Brothers’ schools Aquinas and Trinity, from a sectarian scandal distant but raw enough to result in the school adopting its current acronym. The College also aspired to be a leader in sport when it was clearly more adept in science and math. The pursuit of an Australian dream curriculum

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Today I live in Amsterdam in a 400-year-old canal house with views over the Rijksmuseum, home of masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer.

The city is a popular base for international artists because it’s well connected to the world’s cultural capitals: Paris, London, Berlin and New York. Its arts scene is vibrant and cherished by audiences enthusiastic about experimental theatre such as my production Homebody about the war in Afghanistan. It starred the ‘Cate Blanchett’ of Dutch film and was composed by a genrehopping popstar whose sell-out gigs fill football stadiums around the country. The choreography was by my husband, an étoile (star ballet dancer) who performs leading roles in grand ballets produced in some of the world’s most beautiful theatres and opera houses.

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This page: Malcolm Rock directing a stage production rehearsal.

As an artist I feel at home on the continent. My company is called ODD Continent in honour of this sentiment. My family and many friends have moved here too because it’s a place where culture is fuel and footy-mania is reserved for World Cup years. In Amsterdam shop assistants ask matterof-factly if the tulip bouquet you’re buying is a gift for your girlfriend or boyfriend and wrap it accordingly.

Occasionally my drifting mind returns to Fremantle. It lands at Tuckfield Street to admire the river-to-sea views from the former primary campus (now forgotten foundations under boutique housing). It perches on a pew in St Patrick’s Basilica where breaking voices over-sing the Edmund Rice Anthem. It conjures the quiet living quarters of the Christian Brothers whose caring for boys drawn from Italian, Croatian, Malaysian, Indonesian and other migrant groups helped shape a very special portside community.

I recall the faces of classmates otherwise disremembered: some sunny and sporty, others serious and sceptical, each sparkling and handsome in his own way, each full with life’s promise.

Summer’s footwear reforms did little to change my schooldays: I felt foolish, after all, in shorts and socks whatever their length and opted instead for trousers year round. Nevertheless it meant a new world of comfort for my peers and a frisson of daring. And so to this day I take pleasure in memories of a school willing to improvise; a school prepared to put reality before the rule.

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welcoming back the

newest alumni Celebrating the next stage of their journey as tomorrow’s gentlemen, at the beginning of the academic year the Class of 2019 were welcomed back to CBC to share breakfast with their former classmates and teachers at the traditional Year 13 event.

Year 12 Prefects were up at the crack of dawn preparing a mountain of bacon and egg rolls for the College’s most recent graduates.

Laughter soon filled the air, with the Class of 2019 busy catching up with mates, reminiscing with teachers, and sharing their hopes for the future.

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Principal Mr Domenic Burgio spoke to the group briefly, affirming the strong relationship they will always have with the College, and the importance of being CBC gentlemen for the rest of their lives.

CBC Alumni Association President, Terry Iannello, also addressed the graduates, emphasising the message of support to the newest members and highlighting the special community connection. The new alumni also spent some time in their Mentor groups, reiterating to today’s boys the values of maintaining their commitment to the College.

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Both pages: The traditional Year 13 Breakfast was held at the College in February.

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ALUMNI from

the archives Xavier Herbert (Class of 1919) Considered one of the important figures in Australian literature, Xavier Herbert was born in 1901 and is best known for his 1975 Miles Franklin Award winning novel Poor Fellow My Country. He studied Pharmacy at Perth Technical College before enrolling in medicine at the University of Melbourne, where he began his writing career publishing short stories.

Herbert was a great champion for the rights of Aboriginal Australians. His first novel published in 1938, Capricornia, was a fictional account of life in northern Australia and describes a period of history through non-conformist characters who reflect his compassion for the marginalised.

In the late 1940s Herbert was Protector of Aborigines in Darwin. He drew extensively on this experience for his final novel, Poor Fellow My Country, which he was writing at the time of the historical 1967 referendum.

During a trip around his home state in 1983, Xavier Herbert returned to CBC Fremantle and presented a signed copy of his famous book

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to Ms Trevanna Cooper, nee Letizia, which is still available in the CBC Library.

Xavier Herbert died in 1984 in Alice Springs, where he was buried with his wife’s ashes.

William Wallwork (Class of 1920) Born in 1903, William Wallwork was a brilliant student who passed his leaving certificate at the age of 13. After graduation, he went into Law and in 1933 took up the post of Resident Magistrate at Broome before moving to Bunbury.

His work with the coal industry in Collie earned him a reputation as one of the state’s most successful industrial arbitrators. An outgoing and friendly fellow, Wallwork was also the founding president of the Bunbury Apex Club.

In 1940 Wallwork returned to Perth with his family and took on the role as Senior Police Magistrate. He served as chairman of the Local Coal Reference Board and the Western Australian Coal Industry Tribunal, where he tackled some of the biggest disputes in the history of Western Australian mining.

Typical of a CBC gentleman, Wallwork served

palma

the people and under his direction the tribunal arbitrated between mining companies and the government, protecting jobs and the workers’ rights. In 1957 he was appointed as Unfair Trading Control Commissioner and was responsible for the controversial decision in declaring Cockburn Cement guilty of unfair trading. In 1960 he became Chief Stipendiary Magistrate and conducted state royal commissions into allegations of bribery of members of parliament.

William Wallwork died in 1971 and was survived by his second wife and their two sons, and the three sons and two daughters of his first marriage.

Ralph Honner (Class of 1921) Born in 1904, Hyacinth Ralph Honner became one of Australia’s best-known officers of World War II and a hero of the Kokoda Trail. He joined the military in 1936 and enlisted in the AIF in 1939. He sailed for the Middle East in April 1940 in command of C Company 2/11th Battalion.

After a period in Palestine, Honner’s company fought at Bardia, Tobruk, and Derna before being sent to Greece and then evacuated to Crete.

Honner managed to escape to Alexandria where he was promoted to Major and awarded the Military Cross.

On his return to Australia he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel before being sent to Papua to fight the Japanese on the Kokoda Trail. He was credited with turning a demoralised troop into a skilled defence and fighting unit that was a part of the victory at Gona. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order before taking over command of the 2/14th Battalion in New Guinea, where he was seriously wounded.

Honner’s combat career was over and he was intead stationed in Melbourne. Towards the end of 1944 he left the Army to chair the War Pensions Assessment Appeal Tribunal. He served as President of the New South Wales United Nations Association also and was also President of the NSW Branch of the Liberal Party in the early 1960s. When he retired in 1968, Honner became ambassador to Ireland.

Honner is the subject of a biography by Peter Brune, Band of Brothers. He died in Sydney on 15 May 1994.

Left to right: Xavier Herbert, William Wallwork (front left) in the Junior and Leaving Classes of 1917 and Ralph Honner aged 87. touchstone | Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

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60 years and counting It’s more than six decades since the Class of 1959 graduated from CBC Fremantle.

Richard Finucane shares some fond memories of his days with mates he still catches up with to this day.

Throughout our years at CBC we were taught

by Christian Brothers. I recall Brothers Cleaver, Harrison, Denton, Smith, Marshall, Hodgkinson, Manion and Sharp. Br Tony Kelly was our Headmaster. The first lay classroom teacher, Mrs Huston, took us for English in upper school.

Our class was huge! In Standard 6 (Year 7) there were more than 90 boys in the one classroom with one teacher. By the time we reached Junior – which is equivalent to Year 10 – the number of students had reduced to 65, and by Leaving Year there were just 24 in the class. In the 1950s many boys left school early for employment or apprenticeships.

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Despite the size of the group, it was remarkably successful. In the Junior Year we gained the top three places in a statewide examination in Bookkeeping. In the Leaving exam half the class achieved double-distinctions in Maths.

The class Dux, Ted Dook, won a government subject exhibition. Many joined the professions while others developed profitable businesses. touchstone | Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

Some of our group have since passed away but we keep the flame of our old friendships alive. More than 40 gathered for our 50th anniversary reunion in 2009, and now a group of about 10 meet regularly for coffee in Fremantle. We haven’t forgotten our alma mater and never will.

Richard Finucane (‘59)

Top: Sixth Standard Class in 1954. Below showing row and position from left: At back are Max Thomson (4/7), John Nelson (3/7), Matt Gill (5/2), Bill Palmer (3/17) and Dan Brown (3/2); in front are Terry Iannello (5/3), Richard Finucane (3/8), Leo James (2/19), Daryl Gore (3/10) and Ray Bostelman (3/1).

This page: Ms Romagnoli and her husband Michele Villa with Preston Hinton (‘18).

delivering food from the soul During the looming threat of Covid-19, a group of CBC people was quick to answer the call to help some of Fremantle’s most vulnerable through the pandemic.

With the virus-induced lockdown having an especially hard impact on those who were already socially isolated and had limited access to income and food, St Patrick’s Community Support Centre created Doorstep Dinners.

The programme engaged Fremantle restaurants to prepare more than 200 meals a day, which were delivered to people in need by a team of volunteers, including a handful of CBC alumni.

Preston (’18) and Mitchell (‘14) Hinton were among those who were eager to help out and continue their connection with the Centre that started while they were students at CBC.

“It just seemed like a really good opportunity to give back, and it’s been quite an experience,” Preston said.

“It gave me a real sense of fulfilment to know I’m making a real difference in people’s lives.”

They were joined by other members of the CBC community, including Italian teacher Ms Silvia Romagnoli and her husband Michele.

St Pat’s CEO, Michael Piu, said it was inspiring to see the CBC commitment to service continue after graduation.

“It’s wonderful to have a connection not only with current staff and students, but also with the alumni who answered our call for help at the height of the Covid-19 crisis,” he said. touchstone | Vol 8 No 1 Winter 2020

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CBC OBA dates 2020

MORE INFORMATION AT EVENTS AT WWW.CBCFREMANTLE.WA.EDU.AU

all ages reunion and alumni awards 20 november 2020 5.30pm college tour, function 6pm to 8pm tickets available on the college website class of 2010, 2000 and 1990 free class of 2015 to 2019 $10 all other alumni, family, friends, former staff $25/person

OVER 60S’ MORNING TEA THURSDAY 17 SEPTEMBER

A CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN THE EDMUND RICE TRADITION

51 Ellen Street Fremantle Western Australia 6160 PO Box 134 Fremantle Western Australia 6959 T 08 9336 2700 www.cbcfremantle.wa.edu.au