A PUBLICATION FOR THE DE LA SALLE COLLEGE COMMUNITY – MALVERN – ISSUE NO: 42 – MAY 2017
CONTENTS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters, Premier’s Awards
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From the Principal
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Missa Cantata — Welcome Mass
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Immersed in India
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Mission Action Day
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Mother’s Day Breakfast
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The Addams Family
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STEM at De La
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Tackling those pesky parasites
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A watching brief on the environment
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It’s all about genes
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The art of marine engineering
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A call for emergency medicine
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More than lab coats and microscopes
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The Old Collegians’ Association
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Lyons a Lion
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50+ Reunion
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Class of 1967 Reunion
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Class of 1977 Reunion
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De La Sport
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Old Collegians’ Amateur Football Club
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MOFS Annual Dinner
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From the archives
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Where Are They Now?
Dear Editor, Thank you for another Roll Call. It’s always a pleasure to read. Sincerely David Morrison (1946) Dear Editor, Thanks for sending me through the Roll Call magazine - it is always great receiving updates on the De La community. I often talk about the Where Are They Now section with my friend Gareth Davies who graduated in 2003. Many thanks, Tim Smith (2003)
Premier’s Awards Thomas Ponissi (2016) was presented with two Premier’s Awards by Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, Mr James Merlino at the recent Awards Ceremony at The Palladium at Crown. Thomas received the Awards for perfect Study Scores in both History Revolutions and Media Studies as part of his VCE last year. Thomas was also the College DUX. The annual Premier’s Awards recognise Victoria’s best and brightest students. Minister Merlino said the Awards represented the culmination of years of hard work by Victorian students. “I congratulate all the winners as they embark on an exciting journey and I encourage you to continue to strive for excellence.”
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Bursuries
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Vale Br ‘Iggy”
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FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to the May 2017 issue of Roll Call. As always we aim to provide our readers with an array of stories about our Old Collegians. In this issue we present a snapshot of some of our Old Collegians working in what is now termed the “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) professions. STEM is regarded as “the” growth industry for our aspiring graduates and it is heartening to see so many of our former students already making a contribution to this area. All of our readers, especially the girls, will be pleased to read about the launch of the first-ever Old Collegians’ Women’s Football Team. As always there is news of our current students and lots more about our Old Collegians. Kerry Martin, Editor 2
Editor: Kerry Martin Production and photography: Jonathan Hewett
Cover shot: Year 11 Chemistry students, Tehan Fernandopulle and Dalton Di Medio.
From the Principal Dear Old Collegians, Welcome to this first edition of Roll Call for 2017, in which we explore the theme of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and the contributions a variety of De La Salle Old Collegians have made in this critical arena. I am sure you’ll enjoy reading of past students’ exploits and achievements and the creative work our current students. Playing our part in developing tomorrow’s STEM leaders, at De La Salle we are devoting a good deal of time, expertise and resources to a range of STEM-related projects to promote learning, engagement and innovation among our students. While we still run traditional Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics as standalone subjects at all levels there are exciting developments, proposals and pilot programs to integrate these closely related disciplines. Our Science Learning Area understands how crucial building strong STEM skills is to contemporary research and an innovative future. De La Salle students will graduate with wideranging STEM skills enabling them to contribute to Australia’s future economic development. The College is soon commencing the Scientists in Schools Program, led by a Swinburne astrophysicist, where students will be taught coding and programming languages and how they are used in complex scientific research in the field of Astrophysics. Students in our Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program will be offered additional mentoring in STEM related skills by the scientist. STEM
is also deeply embedded in the junior science curriculum, with a new offering called CSI (Creativity in Scientific Investigations) Awards. All Year 7-9 students design and conduct their own scientific investigations each year. These investigations require integrated understandings and skills across all domains of STEM and offer a wonderful opportunity to learn and practice these skills across junior science. The driving philosophy behind our teaching of mathematics is to enable students to recognise the relevance of maths in their lives and as an opportunity to think critically, reason, generalise, make connections and learn from their mistakes. Beyond the traditional maths topics, our students develop competencies such as persistence, self-regulation, critical thinking and problem solving skills. This serves to enhance students’ engagement in learning and to value the relevance of mathematics to their lives, particularly through integrated/crosscurricular links. Our three Systems Engineering courses (Years 10-12) enable students to enter at an introductory level and progress through to second year university engineering level. The students work on scaffolded challenges at the beginning of each course and progress as far as their skill and interest takes them. Systems Engineering is a vital STEM subject and draws and relies upon other learning areas, such as science, mathematics and English. De La Salle provides excellent facilities for students to use industry standard machines and processes such as laser cutting, 3D printing, 2D & 3D Computer
Aided Design, micro-controller coding, mechatronics and introductory Artificial Intelligence. Projects selected by students this year include: infrared controlled vehicles, autonomous wall following and maze-solving robots. Two Year 8 teams will compete in the RoboCup Junior Victoria challenge in July. Planning is underway for a 2018 Year 10 initiative, an elective STEM subject, based on engineering but to incorporate key knowledge and learning skills seamlessly from technology, engineering, maths and science. We also hope to purchase a 3D CNC (Computer Numerical Control) routing machine for the use in Design Technology and other STEM subjects. As this brief outline demonstrates, STEM is an integral and burgeoning feature of an education at De La Salle. Keep an eye out for our next generation of creative and innovative graduates making their mark in this domain! Peter Houlihan Principal
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Missa Cantata — Welcome Mass St Patrick’s Cathedral was filled with the choral tones of a “Missa Cantata” (sung mass) for this year’s Welcome Mass for new students. The College Chaplain, Mrs Joan Ferguson said it was the first sung mass hosted by the College in at least 35 years, possibly longer. The Principal Celebrant, The Reverend Fr John Sherman OMI was assisted by The Cantor, Year 10 student, Samuel Spackman, with the accompaniment of the College choir and musicians. Once again, the Cathedral was filled to capacity with more than 200 new students, families and friends in attendance. The new students along with the 2017 Student Leadership group were officially welcomed by the Principal, Mr Peter Houlihan, Br Paul Toohey fsc and College Captain James Biviano.
College Leaders
Back row: Anthony Ticinovic, Jordan Brasher, Jed Roberts, Oscar Cramp, Peter Nikitas, Christopher Ovens Middle Row: Christopher Groves, Cameron Monaco, William Campbell, Andrew Eracleous, Oliver Hart, Harry Gustin, William Callaghan, Adam Martuccio, Joel Caruso, Luke Barron Seated: Harrison Gill, Max Doherty, Aaron Trussler, Liam Lymbouris, Mr Peter Houlihan, James Biviano, 4 Harrison Campion, Alexander Martin, Declan Martin
College Dux
The 2017 College Leaders were invested at the annual Academic Awards and Investiture ceremony at the College earlier this year. Principal, Mr Peter Houlihan, who presented the new leadership group with their badges at the ceremony, said the students were outstanding role models for the student body. “Each and every one of you should be justifiably proud of your achievements, but even more so of the journey you have taken to arrive where you are today. You have set a
wonderful example and, by your actions and approach, you are outstanding role models to all your peers in this room. Our 2017 Student Leaders are all new to their role, all show tremendous potential and I’m already seeing their capacity to perform and make a difference in their various portfolios. These young men are terrific examples of servant leadership, following the example of St John Baptist de La Salle,” Mr Houlihan said. Kerry Martin
VCE Top Achievers Back row: Liam Manakis, Lachlan Bulman, Sean O’Callaghan, William Taylor, Kyle Williams, Matthew Sidji Seated: William Wright, Tanis Van Laake, Mr Peter Houlihan, Thomas Ponissi, Alexander Kokkas Absent: Corey Lyons and Liam Ramirez
Congratulations to Tom Ponissi the College Dux for 2016. Tom’s ATAR of 99.50 was earned on the back of not one, but two perfect scores of 50 in Media and History: Revolutions. Almost unbelievably, Tom also achieved a Study Score of 49 in English. Among even the highest performing students at De La Salle, achieving two scores of 50 is a rare feat and one to be treasured. Tom also attained a study score of 42 in Geography, (taken as a Year 11 student) and 35 in both Italian and Psychology. As a lead in Hairspray (the 2016 College musical), Leo’s House Arts Captain and an integral member of the senior debating team, for which he took out a Swannie Award for Best Speaker, Tom certainly made a significant contribution to the wider life of the College. Tom’s tremendous performance last year should serve as an inspiration to all our students as a shining example of what can be achieved through a motivated, disciplined approach to one’s studies. Attention to detail, clear goals, working closely with his teachers and a healthy balance in academic, co-curricula and social pursuits worked very well for Tom. Tom has taken up a place in Professional Communications at RMIT to pursue his goal of working in the media.
VCE TOP ACHIEVERS 2016 As always the College is extremely proud of its VCE students all of whom strive to achieve their very best. Last year, 12 VCE students received an ATAR of 90 and above (see below). Additionally 25 per cent of the year level achieved an ATAR of 80 or above and just under 38 per cent of students scored an ATAR of 70 or above. Encouragingly, the percentage of students who receive an ATAR under 30 continues to decline, well down from 2014. It is heart-warming in a Lasallian school to see so many of our young men strive so hard to meet the high expectations and demands teachers place on them. Our congratulations to all of our VCE top achievers: Thomas Ponissi 99.50, Tanis Van Laake 98.25, William Wright 97.25, Corey Lyons 94.65, Matthew Sidji 94.65, Kyle Williams 94.55, Liam Ramirez 94.05, Alexander Kokkas 93.65, Liam Manakis 91.75, Lachlan Bulman 91.55, William Taylor 91.00, Sean O’Callaghan 90:45
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Immersed in India Since 2004, Year 12 graduates have travelled to India at the end of their exams to immerse themselves in the Indian Coolies experience. This year I was privileged to accompany the group with two other teachers and College Principal, Mr Peter Houlihan, to further the work of the De La Salle Brothers India Boys Town project. Boys Town (India) could be best described by Australian standards as a working farm. The property, which is blessed with natural spring water is nestled at the base of Nagamalai, a hill range west of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. The property, which spans several hundred hectares, supports coconut palm plantations, goats and chickens as well as abundant natural flora and fauna including peacocks, deer, peccaries and monkeys. The property includes many buildings made mainly from local stone, including the Brothers House, a Chapel, a small post office, a technical college, student and staff accommodation and Benildus House, where the Coolies group was accommodated. Benildus House, which can accommodate up to 30 people, has been completed largely thanks to the hard work of the De La Salle Malvern Coolies and the fundraising efforts of Mission Action Day.
Boys Town also boasts its own Hindu Temple which is frequently used by local Hindu villagers. The centre piece of Boys Town is the technical college which takes in young destitute boys from neighbouring districts, trains them in a technical trade and finds them ongoing employment. The Administrator of Boys Town, Br John Fernando, who took over the role 12 months ago, spoke to Roll Call about the importance of the Coolies project and the plans for the next stage of the Indian operation at Pullthu. “The De La Salle Malvern Coolies groups have made an enormous contribution to bringing Boys Town back to life.” “Not only the financial contributions made by De La Salle Malvern but more importantly the social and spiritual contribution for our students.” “The Coolies boys make such an impression on our boys and the social exchanges they have are invaluable.” Many of the Boys Town students who range from 16 to 20 years of age, are orphaned or from extremely poor families from the Dalit or Untouchable caste. “Boys Town provides Coolies students with an experience beyond
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their imagination and will challenge them beyond their expectations.” “I have been impressed by the Malvern students’ adaptability and resilience. They are very tough, they adapted so well to the different food, the climate, the physical and the mental challenges that being in another country can bring.” “This experience will give them a whole new perspective. They have gone beyond the borders of comfort.” Kerry Martin
Mission Action Day De La Salle College, Malvern has a long standing reputation for its outstanding fundraising efforts through its annual Mission Action Day (MAD) walk, and this year’s MAD was no exception. Once again pipping the $100,000 mark, the College community is to be congratulated for its generosity in giving to the Lasallian missions in the region. Staff and students completed the 12-kilometre walk along Gardiner’s Creek Trail in perfect autumn conditions making it another wonderful MAD.
Old Collegian honoured
Ken Wilson (1971) was awarded an Order of Australia medal (OAM) in this year’s Australia Day Honours for his service as a volunteer with the Vinnie’s Collingwood Soup Van. Ken’s 32 years as a volunteer on the soup van has given him some insights into homelessness and how to fix it. Ken has called on the government to legislate that the developers give one out of every 100 new apartments to public housing. “If governments had the will, these sorts of issues could be resolved very quickly. There should be tax breaks and financial incentives.” Ken said he was reluctant at first to accept the award however he realised that it was just as much about other people as it was about him. “It’s not just about me, it’s about my family and all the people whom I serve,” he said. “It is an honour for all of us.” His role as a Vinnies volunteer involves visiting the homeless and disadvantaged in Collingwood streets and public housing flats, offering food and human connection. Mr Wilson said that his volunteer work has provided him with good friends and the pleasure of helping others. He attends funerals for the destitute and takes disadvantaged people on outings. As well as his volunteer work Ken still works part time running a small international trading company. Ken’s two sons Brendan (2008) and Matthew (2003) both attended the College and he is remembered as a very active member of the Parents’ Association while his sons were here.
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Mother’s Day Breakfast More than 500 mothers and sons filled the College gymnasium for the annual Mother’s Day Breakfast recently for a delightful morning celebrating all that is wonderful about our De La mothers. College Captain, James Biviano made a heart-warming speech about the values of mums which naturally brought on some tears. The guest speaker for the morning was Michelle Gotch, who talked about her own personal battles with breast cancer and her involvement in the De La Old Collegians Football Club, and in particular her role this
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year supporting the inaugural women’s team. When she is not at the Club, Michelle is the Manager of the East Bentleigh Medical Group. Michelle’s three sons, Jacob (2006), Xavier (2008) and Sebastian (2011) all attended the College. Thanks again to Cate Robertson and the Parent Network for making this event happen with the support of our generous sponsors – Pental Australia, Liza and Albert Zago, Runaway Cakes and Cooper and Miller, Toorak.
The Addams Family As a television series it was quirky as much as it was hilarious, but as a musical set for the stage, it was outrageously entertaining. This year’s College production of The Addams Family brought Gomez, Morticia and their weirdly wonderful family to life in song and dance at the Drum Theatre for four sell-out performances. Once again produced in partnership with Our Lady
of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) College, Bentleigh more than 100 students, crew and musicians rehearsed for six months under the expertise of Director and Drama Coordinator at the College, Mr Andrew Murrell. Together with the support of staff and families from both Colleges, The Addams Family was a thoroughly entertaining showcase of the rich talents of our students.
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STEM at De La Educators around the world are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills to drive the potential of future economies. The STEM approach provides a platform for interdisciplinary collaboration across subjects in response to issues such as climate change, population growth and increased reliance on technology and robotics. Here at the College, enrolments in subjects like Systems Engineering are up, highlighting the growing interest in the STEM field. One example of the College’s support of STEM, is a new program soon set to commence. The Scientists in Schools Program, led by a Swinburne University astrophysicist, will see students taught coding and programming languages and how they are used in complex scientific research in the field of Astrophysics. In this issue Roll Call spoke to some of our Old Collegians who are already making their contributions to the STEM industries. Their stories illustrate how a good foundation in the STEM subjects can lead to many varied professions. Kerry Martin
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Tackling those pesky parasites Professor Terry Spithill (1967) has devoted his career to fighting pesky parasites. Spithill has led a research team to develop an effective vaccine for parasites such Fasciola (liver fluke) and Plasmodium (malaria). Liver fluke, a worm parasite which is endemic on sheep and cattle pastures in southeastern Australia, also affects pigs, goats, alpacas and deer, as well as humans who live in fluke-infested areas. The parasite costs the global farming economy more than $3 billion (USD) per year. Malaria, a protozoan parasite, is a major human disease that particularly impacts the health of young children. Spithill’s research focused on these parasites, studying areas such as host immune responses to parasites, parasite immune evasion mechanisms, drug resistance, parasite proteomics and vaccine and drug target discovery. “This involves characterising parasite molecules that determine virulence and pathogenesis using genomic and proteomic approaches, with the long term aim of developing vaccines based on these molecules,” he said.
“Animal health and welfare is a big issue. Both companion animals and livestock suffer from viral, bacterial and parasite infections, and drug resistance threatens our ability to control infections,” he said. After graduating from De La Salle, Spithill completed a Bachelor of Science with first class Honours and a PhD, both in Biochemistry, at Monash University. His studies then led him to the US when in 1978 he began research into animal parasites at Colorado State University and then at UCLA, where he worked the human parasite (Leishmania) as well. From 1981-89 he worked on Leishmania at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. He then developed an interest in creating a vaccine for the animal parasite liver fluke in 1989. “In 1993-2001 I received significant Australian Government funding to work on this parasite in Indonesia where fluke is a major problem in cattle,” he said. From 2001-7 he was a Professor at McGill University in Montreal where his team worked on vaccines for liver fluke and malaria. Spithill has held numerous academic and senior scientific management positions in Australia including the Director of the Centre for AgriBioscience at La Trobe University and the Director of the Institute of Parasitology at McGill
University in Montreal. Throughout his career he has held over $10 million in research grants. He has also published more than 120 papers in international scientific literature. He was President of the Australian Society for Parasitology (2009-2011) and held the prestigious Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (2002-7) in Montreal. He has also devoted his time to being a mentor and teacher to others and has trained 20 PhD students throughout his career. “I have a strong belief that education is critical for the development of the individual student as well as for our society.” Spithill says while he was at De La he was a bit of an all-rounder. “I played cricket and football and dabbled in drama, science and Roman history, and horse racing after hours.” He believes that essentially research is a team effort. “I value teamwork and the idea that everyone has a role to play in the team effort irrespective of their position in the team.” “I have a strong sense of the ‘fair go’ and a concern for those less fortunate. I have a good work ethic and enjoy the feeling of doing a job well.” In 2016 Spithill was appointed an Emeritus Professor at La Trobe University. Kerry Martin DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL
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A watching brief on the environment Andre Zerger’s (1985) love of geography as a student at the College triggered a career in helping manage the environment. As the head of the Environmental Services team at the Bureau of Meteorology in Canberra, he and his team are responsible for developing the National Environmental Information Infrastructure to improve discovery, access and re-use of Australian environmental data. Zerger works extensively with external stakeholders such as the CSIRO and the Department of the Environment and Energy to design and implement information systems to manage environmental data. He is passionate about his work which combines his scientific and information technology skills. “It’s a brilliant job that provides me the opportunity to work at the interface of science and operational system and data delivery, he said.” “Although I am firmly in a management role, I often can’t help myself and love to still handle environment data, just to understand the flow and delivery a little better.” Zerger’s inspiration to move into environmental science came whilst working at the University of California’s Natural Reserve System. “It was the passion of my more senior colleagues in this area (ecologists, zoologists, hydrologists) that triggered a serious interest in postgraduate study in environmental science.” Zerger completed his studies in science at Monash and Melbourne universities and later completed his PhD in Flood Risk Modelling at ANU. He believes his career journey was an incremental path to science rather than calling. Prior to taking up his role at the Bureau, Zerger also held academic and
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research positions at the University of Melbourne and the CSIRO. Despite his success, Zerger is circumspect about his contribution. “I never felt like I was a “great” scientist, which in the present academic climate I feel one needs to be to sustain a professionally and personally rewarding career in science,” he said. “In this sense joining the Bureau of Meteorology has been perfect as it allows me to blend science with systems.” Zerger sees many challenges for Australia in managing its environment. “As a nation we do well at managing and dealing with our rapid onset environmental management challenges whether it be water security, natural hazards or air quality.”
“I have concern for those slow onset, creeping-crises that don’t have the same visibility – climate change of course but also species decline and soil health are prime examples.” “Ultimately however it’s about the environment being considered as having the same consideration as society and economy in our national policy and decision making environments.” Zerger attributes his love of geography to an inspiring geography teacher. “I had a brilliant experience at De La and many memorable events and teachers, especially Mr Esler my Geography teacher, who triggered my passion for the subject. De La also provided me a sense of perspective and enjoyment of life – I felt the school always balanced that so well.” Kerry Martin
It’s all about genes When Dr Peter Molloy (1967) was a student at the College he loved maths and physics so it is not surprising that he went on to complete a PhD in Biochemistry and Genetics and devote his life to the study cells. After completing his PhD, Molloy spent three years of postdoctoral research in the Department of Human Genetics at Yale University in the USA where he focused on genes controlling mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of cells. He returned to Australia in 1978, to the Department of Biochemistry at Adelaide University where he spent three years as a Postdoctoral Fellow, and where he also had the good fortune to meet his wife, Sue. In 1982, Molloy moved to CSIRO laboratories in Sydney where he has spent most of his time studying the mechanisms that switch genes on and off in different cell types. Molloy’s work has been part of the growing field of “epigenetics” that has contributed to our understanding of development of cancer and other diseases. “In collaboration with medical researchers, our work has focused on prostate cancer and subsequently colorectal (or bowel) cancer,” Molloy said. This has led to the development of tests that can detect DNA from cancer cells in blood plasma. “More recently I have been part of a large team working
to understand the role of epigenetic changes in the development of obesity and diabetes.” Molloy was fortunate to be part of a team that developed technology for accurately mapping the “epigenome”. The method has been very widely applied and contributed significantly to the understanding of the development of cancers. Molloy says a recent highlight has been the development of a diagnostic assay for detection of bowel cancer which has recently gone on the market in the USA for monitoring patients for relapse after surgery.
and interest in research has waned significantly across time. The CSIRO had 8,000 employees when I joined, it’s down to 5,000 now,” he said. Molloy is passionate about his research and improving the lives of others. “I still have a real commitment to true Christian values which were a major part of my education at De La Salle,” Molloy said. Dr Peter Molloy was the Dux of his 1967 class. Kerry Martin
In the health area where his main efforts are, Molloy says the biggest challenge is the steady increase in rates of obesity and its impact on health, particularly diabetes and cardiovascular disease. “Our sedentary lifestyle and abundant energy-rich food are major contributors, but so far it has not been possible to develop effective prevention measures.” Obesity is a risk factor for several diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension and coronary heart disease and comes at a cost to the Australian community of $8 billion each year (Access Economics Report commissioned by Diabetes Australia, 2006 and 2008). Molloy says that funding of research is a major challenge. “Government support DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL
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The art of marine engineering As a young graduate of De La Salle College, Paul Lemin (1981) was a passionate photographer who went on to study photography and art. Fast forward 20 years, Lemin sometimes finds himself still working in dark confined spaces, but having left the dark room behind, he has taken to the high seas for a career as a marine engineer. Art school didn’t pan out the way he expected and a change of career led Lemin to the Royal Australian Navy where he initially trained as a Naval Shipwright. Still yearning to learn, he returned to study and in 2004 graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Marine Engineering) from the Australian Maritime College in Tasmania. The next 23 years in the Navy took him on numerous missions and rising to the rank of Chief Petty Officer, while stationed on HMAS’ Nirimba, Cerberus, Arunta and Anzac. Lemin enjoyed his time in the Navy and recalls a career highlight was a four month exchange with the Royal Navy in the UK in 2006, where he was based in Plymouth at the Naval Dockyard. “I travelled extensively throughout the UK and also served on two Royal Navy ships the HMS Ocean and HMS Monmouth with visits to France, Portugal and Gibraltar,” he said.
After the Navy, Lemin joined the West Australian Department of Transport as a marine surveyor in its commercial vessel section. “This role took me all over the west coast inspecting sea vessels.” He subsequently joined the private defence and security company, BAE Systems at its Rockingham operation in WA and in 2016 took up his current role as a marine engineer with the Federal Government working as a sea going marine engineer on patrol boats and larger offshore vessels. These days his work varies. “A typical day at sea begins with rounds of all the machinery spaces and a look at the log from the previous night to look for any reported issues or developing trends.
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I go through the planned maintenance routines and sort out your day’s events as well as standby for any sudden dilemmas, you never know what may happen and when it does it usually happens at 2 o’clock in the morning.” Lemin is grateful to the College for the values instilled in him as a young man; things like honesty, integrity and respect for others. “I continue to still apply these values every day.” Lemin lives in Madora Bay, WA with his wife Lisa and his two children, Gemma (24) and Jackson (20). Kerry Martin
A call for emergency medicine As an Emergency and Trauma physician at The Alfred Hospital, Rohan Laging (1997) was aware of his calling at a very young age. “I was in Year 7 at the College and recall giving back blows to a fellow student who was choking on a peanut,” he said. “Fortunately, I was successful and this sparked my interest in the time-critical field of Emergency and Trauma Medicine.” Laging was reading medical books while he was still in primary school. “From a young age, I had a medical book Mum bought through Reader’s Digest that I loved reading. I once diagnosed a neighbour with glandular fever when I was only 9 years old.” With approximately 70,000 patients passing through to The Alfred Emergency and Trauma Centre every year, Laging has more than his share of responsibility in saving lives these days. Long hours, high pressure and quick thinking are all part of the job. “The subject and pace shift from time critical, team-based resuscitation and trauma management to counselling, department management and minor medical problems, sometimes occurs within minutes and requires both focus and sensitivity,” Laging said. However Laging says emergency medicine is also surprisingly a very social specialty. “Emergency medicine is all about the team of people around you. Sometimes there may be 10 or more staff in a trauma or resuscitation room for one patient including several tiers of emergency doctors, nurses, radiographers and technicians,” Laging said. “Honestly, some days I leave my job and can’t believe how social, intellectually stimulating and exhilarating it has been.” To become a specialist like Laging, doctors graduate from medicine and
then undertake further study with the oversight of a specialist training college to become a specialist in their field. Laging completed a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery with Honours at Monash University and later completed specialist training with the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine to become an Emergency and Trauma Specialist.
paces in time trials on racing circuits around Victoria. Laging attributes his persistence and a sense of knowing how to achieve success to his days at De La Salle. Kerry Martin
He started out as a young doctor at The Alfred Hospital, where he undertook his specialist training. As a senior trainee, he began work at John Fawkner Private Hospital and rose through the ranks to become the Emergency Department Director (Clinical). These days he shares his time evenly between the two hospitals. Laging lives in Elwood with his wife Briget and daughters, Evelyn (8) and Rosie (4). To keep on top of the stress and the long hours Laging runs to work. “I run 40-50 km a week (that’s the only way I get to and from The Alfred) and go to the gym,” he said. In his free time he loves to cook and hang out with his girls – and race fast cars. The fast pace of Laging’s work is matched by his love of fast cars and to relax he puts his BMW through its DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL
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More than lab coats and microscopes Despite a passion for genetics, Jack Noonan (2004) knew he didn’t want to be stuck in a laboratory all his life. As the Head of Climate Change Team for Sustainability Victoria, a state government agency, Noonan gets to combine his love of science and his savvy marketing skills. “I get to show people that a career in science isn’t just about wearing a lab coat and looking down a microscope.” After graduating from the College, Noonan completed a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts at Monash with majors in Genetics and Psychology. “I had a particular interest in Bioethics,” he said. “When I graduated, despite loving the field of genetics, I couldn’t fathom spending my career in a laboratory, so I decided to undertake a Master of Business which focused specifically on the commercialisation of science and new technologies.” A conversation with a cousin set him on his new career trajectory. “My older cousin worked at CSIRO as one of Australia’s leading experts in climate change. I remember chatting to him over Christmas lunch and also being fascinated by his work,” Noonan said.
Noonan’s first job out of university was as an environmental consultant. “I worked on the impacts of the built environment on health and the natural environment. That work inspired an interest in climate science and how industry affects the world’s resources.”
international journals and presented at conferences.
Noonan’s job with Sustainability Victoria delivers programs and incentives to help the Victorian community take action on climate change and use resources more efficiently. “I manage the Climate Change Programs team for SV. This includes a program called TAKE2, a program for individuals, businesses, community organisations, schools, and government organisations to share what they are doing with regards to sustainability and outline any commitments they may have.”
Noonan says that the problem is getting the message through. “Recently I was involved in a really interesting piece of research that found that 91 percent of the Victorian community (both metro and regional) accept that climate change is taking place, humans are contributing to it, and they want government and industry to do more. However, if you were to pick up a newspaper, turn on the news, or watch some of our politicians, this message isn’t being translated. That’s a problem.”
“In just over six months, we have had over 380 organisations participating with a number of large multinationals. I work closely with these organisations.” “I love my job because I get to interact with people about a topic that is important to me and influence their behaviours to be more sustainable. I also get to translate complex scientific information to content that is easier for people to understand.” Noonan has received numerous accolades for his work. In 2009, he was awarded the National Australia Bank Science in Business Award and his work has been published in numerous
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A recent highlight for him was standing on the steps of Victorian Parliament with the Premier, our Minister, and 20 peak industry groups for the launch of TAKE2. “It felt incredibly rewarding”.
De La taught Noonan all about the impact you have on others and how you are respected. “We are all citizens of a crazy world, and if you’re a good citizen who is respected and has a positive impact on your family, friends and peers, then people will have your back when times get tough.” Kerry Martin
The Old Collegians’ Association On a recent trip to Brisbane I had the pleasure of catching up with Br Tim Peter, Principal of the College from 1997 until 2004.
This impact, combined with a career and desire to teach, led to religious life rather than the other way around, he explained.
He is currently director of the Lasallian community of Scarborough, Queensland and is working at the Brisbane head office of Yourtown – formerly known as Boystown.
Through his secondary education Brothers who had a strong influence on him were Br Martin Jolley, Br Paul Rigney and Br Philip O’Brien.
In 2016, Br Tim celebrated his golden jubilee and the catch up provided us an opportunity to reflect on his 50 years as a Brother. Educated at De La Salle College Orange, NSW Br Tim spoke of his passion to be a teacher and to work with young people. Looking back he says his parents had a strong influence on him, in particular, his mother’s faith and his father’s devotion to his family which often included doing additional work to educate his family.
Joining the Brothers in 1966 was followed by study at the University of New South Wales and his first appointment to St Bedes College, Mentone in 1971, where he remained until 1974. In 1975 he was appointed boarding master at De La Salle College, Scarborough and in 1980 boarding master of Francis Douglas Memorial College in New Plymouth, New Zealand. At the age of 35, Br Tim received his first Principal appointment at De La Salle College, Scarborough where he remained for the next seven years. Following a renewal course in New Mexico in 1991, he returned to New Zealand as Principal in New Plymouth for the next five years. He is fondly remembered by many at Malvern for his pastoral and academic leadership, a committment to staff and students and generosity to many in the community.
Br Tim remembers working in boarding schools as some of the most rewarding experiences of his vocation, seeing young men achieve in education and mature in their values and behaviour. On leaving Malvern Br Tim spent seven years as Director of the Lasallian camp at Kincumber, on the New South Wales Central Coast. Five years at Yourtown in Brisbane have brought up his 50 years. Br Tim told me he believes the Brothers need to adapt to today’s world, and while the founder Saint John Baptist de La Salle saw the need for rich and poor alike to receive a quality education, the future may see the order moving into other areas of need. While I didn’t observe Brother Tim wearing a gold watch on my visit to Brisbane, I am sure all Old Collegians will join me in thanking him for the contribution he made at Malvern and congratulating him on his achievement of 50 years as a De La Salle brother. Tony McIlroy, President De La Salle Old Collegians’ Association
Lyons a Lion Corey Lyons (2016) has taken up a coveted place with the Brisbane Lions Football Club following his selection in the last AFL Draft. Lyons, who was a star mid-fielder with the College’s ACC Senior Football during his VCE years, was also a key member of the Sandringham Dragons. During Year 12, Lyons managed to keep up his football commitments whilst dedicating himself to his studies, achieving an ATAR of 94.65. An outstanding result. College ACC Senior Football Coach, Mr Peter Larsen said Lyons was an inspirational student and player. “Lyons was obviously a great player and had most, if not all, of the attributes of a player who could make it to the highest level,” Larsen said. “But what struck
me about him was not necessarily his football related skills, but his humility and natural leadership qualities.” “He was a personable student, asked questions and listened to the responses and was a true leader amongst the student body.” “It didn’t surprise me one bit at the marks that Lyons achieved whilst juggling the demands of TAC and elite level representative squads. What did surprise me however, was the lack of fuss made about the whole process,” Larsen said. Kerry Martin
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50+ Reunion My memories of De La began in Year 3 in 1951, under the eyes of Mrs Mitchell, one of the first lay teachers to join the De La staff. In the following year we were schooled by Mrs Campbell. The Conway family was used to the sight of the Malvern community of the Brothers walking in pairs to and from morning Eucharist celebrated at the local parish church of St Joseph’s on Stanhope Street. My first contact with a Brother as a teacher was the honour of having a very young, skilled Br Gerard Rummery as our RE teacher in Grade 4 acting-out the Gospel parables.
Sports always figured prominently in the life of students at De La. How could I forget my first annual interschool swimming carnival held in the cavernous
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echo-chamber of the indoor Richmond swimming pool with the student cohort of our fierce rival CBC St Kilda chanting their previous successes: “1949, 1950, 1951, 1952...and that evening, 1953. But it was not to be. That night Br Stanislaus rode every winner home and we took the shield. The footy games, cricket matches and handball competitions were just the icing to hours of practice under the supervision of the Brothers as coaches. I was fortunate in having Br Gerard Rummery as a choir master under whose baton we won the Dandenong Choir Festival. Memories remain also of more mundane customs; during the football season, the ringing of the bell that signalled the “little lunch” break or “big lunch”, witnessed
the streaming of students into the big yard where footballs were launched from the handball courts the length of the yard to the Stanhope Street wall while at the same time a crossfire from footballs being stabbed across the yard challenged the movement of any unlucky straggler. Gymnastics practice after school in Grade 7 prepared us for the annual speech night performance. Weekly cadet parades, the St Patrick’s Day March with Archbishop Mannix taking the salute on the steps of Parliament House and the annual camp stand alongside memories of elocution lessons and the showing of films on a 16mm projector by Ron Conway. Great memories. Paul Conway (1960)
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Class of 1967 Reunion It was great to be invited to return to the College after 50 years, especially back to Kinnoull where I started in Year 3. The beautiful old farm house that was converted into the junior school has unfortunately gone, but the old peppercorn tree still stands; a stately elegance in the grounds. Out of interest to the group, we tracked down the position of the old tuck shop and the equipment shed which housed the “Fergy� Tractor and mowers used to keep the ovals in shape. Mowing the grounds was a job allocated to students as a form of penance, done
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regularly by me. The new Kinnoull is totally different, with its modern wings of school buildings, all properly heated and cooled. It is used for the senior students these days. Even the entrance has changed. The old buildings that once housed the senior school are now the junior domain. We examined the Science wing with particular interest as my father built all of the lab cupboards, which are still in good working order. I was pleased to see that the war memorial has been updated and will continue to be, to reflect the Wars since the end of WW II.
It was wonderful to catch up with the group of old De La Salle students from the 1966 year. We partook of a friendly meal together, swapping stories of the old times at De La Salle College. Noel Blake (1966), our College Captain, recalled old memories. Ms Kerry Martin, editor of our alumni magazine Roll Call was the MC for the evening, while College Chaplain and Deputy Principal, Ms Lisa Harkin updated the group on College news. We hope that most of us will be here for the next reunion. Patrick Hopkins (1967)
Class of 1977 Reunion
After 40 years you would think some of us would be looking old, not true about the fine band of men who gathered at the Racecourse Hotel in March. 1977 at De La was a stellar year; the year Collingwood and North Melbourne played a draw in the VFL Grand Final, Elvis Presley died aged 42, Boz Scaggs’ album Silk Degrees was number one on the charts and Hotel California was number four. Where has the time gone? As the night unfolded the old stories came back, naturally embellished to sound grander than ever. We recalled names of teachers, bringing a wry smile
from many, card games in the common room and pranks throughout the year. In particular, our Graduation Dinner at Merrimu was fondly remembered. One thing that has not changed is the camaraderie of sharing a drink with each other, however the light strength beer was most requested. Like a fine wine we have matured with age. A great night was had by all. I look forward to not waiting another 10 years before we catch up again. Garry Connolly (1977)
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De La Sport With the ACC Summer Season over, the College has had an unprecedented cricket season winning both the 1st and 2nd XI ACC Cricket Championships. In an amazing day of cricket the 1st XI set a modest 121 in our innings off 35 overs. With some great bowling and inspirational catching we defeated St Joseph’s Geelong for 60. While the 2nd XI kept St Bede’s to 108 in their innings and made the runs 3 down. A special thanks to Mr Marty Rhoden and Mr Peter Larsen who guided these teams to their victories. Director of Sport, Mr John Edgar congratulated Coach Rhoden, who is stepping down from his role this year, for his contributions to the College cricket teams over the last 10 years. “We can rightly claim to currently be one of if the best cricketing schools in Victoria and much of this is due to Marty’s efforts,” Edgar said. “Many boys have learnt a great deal over the years under Marty’s tutelage and he will be sorely missed in this role.” Still on cricket, this year for the first time, the College led a Cricket Tour to Sri Lanka. 18 students accompanied by coaches Mr Rhoden, Mr Larsen and Mr Wilson played matches in Colombo,
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Kandy and Galle. The tour was an enormous success both sporting wise and culturally. The two sides sported equal talents resulting in three wins, three losses and a draw for each. Senior Cricket Coach, Mr Rhoden said it was a unique experience for our students. “Our team played some great cricket and faced some amazing opponents, some of whom we will no doubt see playing international cricket for Sri Lanka one day.” While in the pool, the College had a very successful ACC Championships at MSAC this summer. The College won the Intermediate Cup and finished second to Whitefriar’s, Donvale overall by a mere 20 points and were well clear of third-placed St Bede’s, Mentone. Mr Edgar said it was truly an amazing performance. “All of our swimmers performed well on the night, especially in the Under 15 and 16 year old age
group. Overall it was an amazing comeback,” he said. Mr Edgar congratulated Mr Chris and Mrs Gab Windley for their remarkable effort with our ACC Swimmers over the last few years. “The hours spent on the pool deck and organising the swim squad is considerable and Team Windley have earned the respect of every swimmer who has ever swum under their guidance,” Edgar said. And with the ACC winter season underway we look forward to more success on and off the field. Kerry Martin
Old Collegians’ Amateur Football Club The summer period leading into Season 2017 for the Dees has been fuelled by unprecedented excitement, and despite having lost our first two games at the time of writing, that buzz remains at fever pitch throughout the club. Upwards of 40 new faces, both on the field and in support of Senior Coach Paul Satterley in the coaches box, has led to fresh outlook and renewed energy. Our theme for this year is ‘Eight Teams, Two Colours, One Club’. We are fielding Seniors, Reserves, and Thirds, three Under 19 sides, an Over 35s side and for the first time in our history, a Women’s Team – more on that later in this column. We’re proud to have such a wide ranging playing group from across the community – and all players, be they formerly students of the College or not, are welcome. Off the field we continue to set the benchmark for providing outstanding events for our supporters, members, sponsors, players and volunteers to take part in. Our Season Launch event took place in April, and is widely regarded within VAFA circles as the most significant launch event in the competition. Some 290 guests descended upon the RACV Club in Bourke Street to hear from special guests and kick the season off in true De La fashion. About 30 of the aforementioned new faces have come from the birth of our Women’s Team, self-nicknamed ‘The Guns’. Our girls have changed the cultural landscape within the club for the better, at a scale not expected by officials, players or supporters. The contagious enthusiasm and passionate enjoyment of the game amongst The Guns has rubbed off on everybody. After taking part in the recent VAFA Womens Lightning Premiership, our brand new team swelled from 19 players to 31 within a week. Whilst the vast majority have never played the game, our girls are having the time of their lives in the early grading matches, all the while creating history as De La Salle’s first female team. If you know of any girls aged 16 or over that would like to join in the weekly fun with The Guns, please contact Michelle Gotch, at michellegotch@ optusnet.com.au.
With more than 200 players, hundreds of supporters pledging their support with a membership and attending luncheons and events, and ground breaking initiatives on and off the field positively affecting the vibe at Waverley Oval, our club is an open, welcoming and ultimately fun place to be. We welcome all Roll Call readers to drop in at any time, we have no doubt you will see some familiar faces. The Blue and Gold Army is open to all!
getting your business involved with our highly engaged club community, please get in touch via the website by clicking on the Partnership tab, or to purchase a membership, follow the prompts on the site as well. See you at the footy – Go Dees! Troy Buntine
To keep up with all of the news from the club on field and off, be sure to head to our website and social media handles. It’s an expensive exercise to keep our club’s 60+ year history going, and the club committee and additional working groups go to great lengths to ensure that our members and sponsors are provided with the best possible experience and opportunity for return on their investment. If you are interested in
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MOFS Annual Dinner The Mothers of Former Students (MOFS) gathered at 8 Days Cafe recently for their annual dinner. The Mothers were treated to a presentation by former Olympian Kaila Hutchinson and a lovely meal. Amongst the group was the tireless volunteer and much beloved MOFS member Mrs Marie Grafen, whose four sons all attended the College in the 1980s. While her boys were at the College, Mrs Grafen led a group of dedicated De La mothers who would meet at the Brothers House to make bandages out of old sheets for the Mission in Papua New Guinea. Later when postage became prohibitive they turned their energies to organising other events to meet and fundraise. Known
as the Mission Awareness Group, since then the women have raised tens of thousands of dollars over the years for the Lasallian Missions. Another member of the group Clare Ross said Mrs Grafen’s energy and willingness to help others has kept the group alive all these years. “Marie is a wonderful person who is always ready to help other people out.” Mrs Ross said. We understand Mrs Grafen has been unwell recently and we wish her all the best for a speedy recovery. Mrs Grafen’s four boys Paul (1980), Chris (1981), Damien (deceased) (1983) and Kieran (1984) are all Old Collegians. Before moving to Xavier College, Kieran was a long standing and much-loved teacher at the College. Kerry Martin
From the archives With a history spanning 105 years there is naturally a lot of memorabilia held in the College Archives, maintained by Archival Assistant, Br Peter Smyth, the archive requires the input of the various members of the community and Br Peter would like to express his gratitude to those people who contribute to the Archives. These include: Br Hilary Hayes (1942) for information on Mr Frank Maher (1917) to follow up a request for the information from The Australian Dictionary of Biography. Mr Denis Foley (1962) for sending in original balance sheets for the De La Salle College Mothers Auxiliary from 1956-1960, the period during which his mother, Mrs Patricia Foley, was the Treasurer. There were 297 Auxiliary members in 1956. The College received 2,255 Pounds in 1956, 2,500 in 1957, 2,700 in 1958, 3,200 in 1959 and 3,700 in 1960. Signatures on the balance sheets included D. Wilton, J. Gullifer, M. Munro, J. Healy, and M. Hoare. Also included was a photo of the members of the Auxiliary in 1959 (pictured).
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Mr Paul Stinear (1960) for some original minutes and other documents covering the time when he was secretary of the Old Collegians Association. Several trophies that had been awarded to individual students had found their way to the archives. Most have been passed on to the recipients.
Contributions of memorabilia would be most welcome in the archives. Br Peter Smyth petersmyth@delasalle.org.au
Where are they now? John Sabine (1950) had a show in this year’s Adelaide Fringe Festival entitled “Adventure Before Dementia.” Fr Paul Newton (1988) is the new Parish Priest at St Patrick’s Murrumbeena. Andrew Farrell (1956) retired from a marketing career with Hewlett Packard and now runs an online forum CanDoWisdom.com specialising in managing social change through social justice. Br Gerard Rummery (Teaching Brother 1951-64) has been honoured with the naming of an institute of learning in his name. It is known as The Gerard Rummery Institute of Lasallian Studies. Patrick (Pat) Danaher (1964) retired as a Warehouse Manager for BASF Construction Chemicals. He now volunteers with Vinnies and is a State Rules Official for Golf Victoria. Peter Saunders (1967) is working with the Campion Centre where he leads a four-week reflective seminar, The Season of Reflection: Laudato Si – Care for Our Common Home.
wife Laura are expecting their first child this year. Mike Brudenell (1966) has retired from the Detroit Free Press after 49 years in the newspaper/magazine business in the USA and in Australia. Mike has had some exciting gigs as a sports writer covering the Indianapolis 500, Daytona 500, the Super Bowls and world boxing championships, not to mention track and field, NHL ice hockey, NBA basketball and the Detroit Lions and Detroit Tigers.
Old Collegian Melbourne Women’s Coach
John Swalwell (1965) has retired from a very successful career in the paint industry. John worked in research and development, applications and design for Dulux/ICI Australia, Taubmans, Courtaulds Coatings, AkzoNobel and BASF. Mark Parker (1977) is a graphic designer. Mark’s sons Tyson and Jackson both attended the College. Peter Saunders (1967) is a physiotherapist. His brothers Paul and Kevin attended the College. Edward Remer (1967) is a Barrister.
Michael Stinear (2002) has been appointed the inaugural coach of the Melbourne Football Club’s Women’s Team. Stinear, 32, joined Melbourne after a successful stint as the coach of the Oakleigh Chargers where he led them to two TAC Cup premierships. Along with taking the reins of the Demons’ women’s team, Stinear also takes on the role as Development Coach for the men.
Johnathon Molloy (1989) and his partner recently celebrated the birth of their second child. Johnathon is working as the Lead Nurse at the Tripler Army Medical Centre in Hawaii. Richard Williams (1977) works in real estate. Richard’s father, Robert, brothers, Michael and Gerard and sons Sam, Luke and Jake all attended the College. Marcus Bromley (1967) is a Parliamentary Officer. Paul Lemin (1981) is based in Western Australia where he works for Australian Border Force Marine Unit as a Marine Engineer Gareth Davies (2003) is based on the Gold Coast where he is working on the athletes village site for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Gareth and his
Charles Noonan (2005) completed his Master of Law at Cambridge University and is now working in London for Gibson Dunn. He married wife Sophie on December 28 last year and they are both living in London. Richard Ogrodnik (1967) is a civil engineer. Adrian O’Keefe (1977) is a fire fighter.
David Hunter (2006) is now working in a range of fields, including archaeology, geophysics, heliophysics, and machine learning (AI). John Odorisio (1967) is an architect. His three sons, Adrian, David and Julian attended the College. Chris Meehan (1967) is a land surveyor. His brother Christopher is also an Old Collegian.
Melbourne’s General Manager of Football Operations Josh Mahoney told Fox Sport that Stinear was chosen for the role for his football content, and his focus on culture and development, which strongly align with the club’s coaching philosophies. “The women’s senior coaching role is evidence of that.” After graduating from the College, Stinear, completed a Bachelor of Business at the University of Queensland in 2007 and acquired a Certificate III and IV in Fitness. More recently he obtained his Level 3 AFL Coaching Accreditation and an Executive Certificate in Player Development. As an AFL player, Stinear was selected as a rookie for the Carlton Football Club in 2003 and 2004.
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Where are they now? Patrick Hopkins (1967) is a mechanical engineer. Graham Hinch (1967) is an engineer. Jim Bailey (1967) is a dairy/beef farmer.
David Bray (1967) is a musician and sales executive for Zenith Music. Terry Wilkinson (1967) is an actor working in the film industry. Michael Taranto (1967) is a mechanical engineer. Bill Dwyer (2013) married Cecilia Maldonado Wisen at a ceremony in Tuscany, Italy late last year. 85 family and friends travelled from Australia and Swedan to the Villa il Poggiale for the three-day celebration. Bill was supported by Old Collegians Tom Donegan (2013), Daniel Coleman (2013), Nick Smith (2013), Tom Murphy (2013), Louis Bowden (2013) and Alex Rogers (2013).
THE WILSON DYNASTY
Ken Wilson (1971) received an OAM on Australia Day for 32 years of volunteer service to the Vinnie’s Collingwood Soup Van. Ken runs a small international food trading company and plays golf in his spare time. John Wilson (1961) is semi-retired, but does a little share trading and cuts a few lawns to make up for the losses. Still runs a bit (has a 2 hour 44 minute marathon to his name). Raymond (Ray) Wilson (1965) is retired and is living in Bendigo. He enjoys bushwalking and kayaking. Martin Wilson (1974) is a primary school teacher. Matthew Wilson (2003) son of Ron, is an accomplished musician who presently runs his own earth moving business “Bayside Bobcats”. Matthew is married to Lameeka. Brendan Wilson (2008) son of Ken, works for an office/shop refurbishing company. Not long back from 18 months living in Canada with his partner Genevieve. Ken’s brothers-in-law, the Janes’ are also Old Collegians. Michael Jane (1978) is married to Glenda with a daughter Madi. Mark Jane (1979) is married to Bernadette and has two daughters Siobhan and Emma. (Both Mike and Mark are legally blind and have played blind cricket).
The couple met in Florence while Bill was completing his Law Degree at Monash University. Cecilia has recently completed her Medical Degree and is currently training to be a Physician at Box Hill Hospital. Bill is an Associate at Clarendons. Steve McCarthy (1977) works in Human Resources management for Village Baxter. Steve has umpired 700 games in the VFA. David McDonald (2000) is an electrical engineer working in Atyrau, Kazakhstan. Peter Counihan (1977) works for the Sheraton Hotel Group. Peter’s father Seph and his two brothers Paul and Michael also attended the College. Michael Drew (1977) is the Promotions Manager at Le Mans Go Kart. His brother Bernard also attended the College.
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Patrick Jane (1986) is the Deputy Principal, Teaching at St James College Bentleigh East and is married to Karen. They have three children, Luke, Hannah and Chloe. John Farnan (1950) lives in Perth. He and his wife, who passed away in 2015, have eight children, three of whom also live in Perth while the others are based in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Massachusetts USA and Loch Lochy in Scotland. John is also the proud grandfather to 20 grandchildren. John is pictured wearing his old College cap which he wore in his scholarship class days at St Leo’s in 1945.
Bursaries Through generous donations made by past members of the College community, De La Salle offers a bursary program for students in Years 7-12. The program aims to provide a Catholic education to students of families who would otherwise not be able to afford one.
ALBERT HIGGINS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND Albert ‘Bert’ Higgins commenced schooling at De La Salle in 1917, graduating in 1925. Bert then enlisted in WWII and spent nearly five years with the AIF in New Guinea, rising to the rank of Captain. Bert was a loyal person: he attended one school, one church, lived in one suburb and worked for one company until his passing in 2010. Bert remained grateful to the De La Salle Brothers for the part they had played in his life and left this fund to show his appreciation and afford others the same opportunity for education that he had. BROTHER MARK MURPHY BURSARY FUND Brother Mark Murphy was a De La Salle Brother who was posted to the College as a Science teacher in 1964. He was well-respected teacher and today Old Collegians who learned under his guidance remember him fondly, especially for his ability as a Physics teacher. He retired from teaching in the ‘80s but remained a fixture of the College community until his death in 2011. Whilst not a wealthy man, Br Murphy established a bursary fund to provide opportunities for students to receive a De La Salle education. The bursary program, launched in 2015 currently supports ten families with either partial or full payment of tuition fees.
VALE Br “Iggy” The unexpected death on 28 January of Leo William Kennedy (1947), known in the De La Salle order as Brother Ignatius, brought to an end over 60 years of religious life dedicated to teaching. ‘Iggy’ as he was known to thousands of pupils over 60 years, had retired to the Brothers' home in Cronulla, Sydney, only in 2013, after returning from Papua New Guinea where he spent 27 years as a teacher and mentor. Born in Melbourne in 1931, Br Ignatius was a member of the Kennedy clan renowned for its contribution over three generations to the famed Hawthorn AFL club.
In primary school he gained a scholarship to De La Salle College where he studied until 1947. He enjoyed the College where he was a capable student, playing many sports, especially Australian Rules football, and became captain of St Austin’s House. He was also in the cadets where he rose to the lofty rank of Company Sergeant Major, which resulted in many jokes at home. His elder brother John Kennedy (1945) was team captain from 1955 to 1959 and later coach, taking the Hawks to five grand finals and three premierships.
Reunions Class of 1987
Friday 23 June 7.30pm
Racecourse Hotel, Malvern East
Class of 1997
Friday 28 July 7.30pm
Prahran Hotel
John's son also played for Hawthorn as did his grandson Josh before moving to his present role with the Sydney Swans. After terms at Australian country and urban schools from 1952 to 1984, Br Ignatius was sent as Principal to the Brothers' high school at Bomana near Port Moresby where he remained from 1985 to 1993. The following year he moved to Mount Hagen where he was to stay until 2012 involved in teacher training at Holy Trinity Teachers College which has produced over 1,000 teachers now working throughout PNG. Condolences to the Kennedy family. Kerry Martin
Rest In Peace Patrick Nicoll 1941 Robert Fitzwilliam
1941
Ron Malouf
1945
Leo Bohan
1946
Fr Peter Quin
1947
Leo (Br Ignatius) Kennedy
1947
Class of 2007
Friday 11 August 7.30pm
Racecourse Hotel, Malvern East
Dal McGary 1948
Class of 2012
Friday 1 September 7.30pm
Racecourse Hotel, Malvern East
Frank Andrews 1949
Class 0f 2016
Friday 15 September 5-7pm
Kinnoull-Peppercorn café MOFS High Tea Wednesday 20 September
High Tea afternoon
The Gables, Malvern East
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John Shine 1949 Des Pearson 1949 Vin Pilkington 1952 Gerard Selleck 1954 Douglas Johnston
1954
Fr Michael Jackson
1957
Anthony (Tony) Maher
1960
Dan Gostelow 1964
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De La Salle College 1318 High Street Malvern 3144 Victoria Australia T: +613 9508 2100 www.delasalle.vic.edu.au
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