Lasallian Roll Call May 2019

A PUBLICATION FOR THE DE LA SALLE COLLEGE COMMUNITY – MALVERN – ISSUE NO: 46 – MAY 2019

CONTENTS Letters 2 From the Principal

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College Welcome / College Leaders

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VCE results up / VCE top achievers

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Yaluwo immersion — Sri Lanka

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New Year 9 Campus opens

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Tercentenary Celebrations

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Mother’s Day breakfast

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Mary Poppins pops

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The Horrigan Line

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A petrol head with a bright future

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Good animal practice

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Forensic expert at the top of his game

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Old Collegian in Australia Day Honours

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The Old Collegians’ Association

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Old Collegians’ Amateur Football Club

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50 Plus Reunion

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Class of 1969 Reunion

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Class of 1979 Reunion

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Class of 1983 Reunion

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Class of 1999 Reunion

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Where are they now?

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Vale Br Julian Watson

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Roll Call looking out for the environment As we communicated with you earlier in the year via email, the College is making the transition to a paperless version of Roll Call from September this year.

This is in keeping with the College’s commitment to reduce its impact on the environment recognising that paper products make up the largest percentage of all materials that end up in landfill, this simple act will have long term benefits for everyone.

We accept that this transition will take time and some of An early edition of Roll Call our readers may prefer to continue to receive the paper based version of Roll Call while others will prefer a paperless option which they can access on whichever device suits them.

The College understands that there may be some Old Collegians who would prefer to continue receiving Roll Call in hardcopy format via post. Should this be your preference, please email: oldcolls@delasalle.vic.edu.au stating you wish to receive the hardcopy version via post. Please include your current postal address in your email, so that we can make sure our records are up to date.

Kerry Martin

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor The Roll Call as usual gives us an up to date view of the activities of De La Salle at present an insight into so many past students. It is much appreciated. It was marvellous to read of Frank Toohey’s 100th and the celebrations surrounding it.

Brian Magree 1952 Dear Editor The latest edition of the Roll Call has so many extensive and fascinating reads, you and the team should be so happy with how far it has come!

Costa Haritos 2015

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Editor: Kerry Martin Production and photography: Jonathan Hewett Cover shot: Warren Bardsley Additional Photography: Josh Bainbridge, Sarah Ramantanis, Warren Bardsley

From the Principal Dear Old Collegians, Welcome to the latest issue of Roll Call; I am sure you will find within a great deal of news and information in relation to what is happening at the College since the last edition.

All in our community were thrilled when the 2018 VCE results were released in December – our best ever and vindication of a tremendous amount of collaboration, research and hard work by our dedicated teachers. A more strategic approach produced an improved performance, whereby staff utilised a wider range of data, set higher standards and pushed students more in areas designed to master the demands of formal assessments.

Perhaps the most exciting development has been the opening of the new Year 9 Campus on the site of the recently closed Holy Eucharist Primary School, in East Malvern. The culmination of nearly four years of planning, research and preparation, the doors opened in time for the first day of school in January.

vision and dedication to duty of Deputy Principal: Learning, Mark Gustincic, Head of Campus, David Alexander and Year 9 Learning Leader, Lauren Anderson. Supported by an amazing team of 13 teachers, mostly based at Holy Eucharist full-time and dedicated to the program and solely to this student cohort, David and Lauren have demonstrated leadership of the highest quality, often under not insignificant pressure, for various reasons. They are responsible for the outstanding success of the new campus.

We first wrote to the parish in August 2017 ­– and with the hard work and support of so many people – formally took over the lease in September 2018 and opened four months later after extensive refurbishment, assembling the staff team and developing curriculum, wellbeing and leadership structures. The result is there for all to see, and the De La Salle community are very proud of the achievements of all involved.

What the group concluded was that Year 9 at De La Salle College would benefit greatly from change, and a proposal emerged detailing the benefits of a standalone site and a customised program for Year 9.

In other developments we are soon to begin a major refurbishment of the Tower Building, which will be familiar to most of you, given it’s been there since 1929. While the external structure and appearance won’t alter much, due to its heritage overlay, the classrooms and hallways will be repainted, re-carpeted, new ceiling tiles and lighting will be installed, some windows will be replaced and old platforms and teachers’ desks will be removed. This will provide a fresh, new, clean and contemporary learning environment for the students, with plans in place to duplicate the process in the ageing Duffy and Murdoch buildings.

The first four months have been an unqualified success, largely due to the

During 2019, the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools and

This has been a significant project. In 2014, De La Salle College convened a Working Group of interested staff to review the arrangements at Year 9.

Over four years the group conducted extensive research of the current academic literature and visited a range of schools with successful Year 9 programs.

the Lasallian Family will celebrate the 300th anniversary of the death of our founder, Saint John Baptist de La Salle, Patron Saint of Teachers (1719–2019).

Events and celebrations are being held across the Lasallian world, planned to “honour our common heritage of providing a human and Christian education to the young, and the poor, and to promote the vocation of the educational ministry.”

As ever, sport is high on the agenda in 2019. The two major developments have been the ACC Swimming team’s terrific achievement in winning the ACC Championships for the second year in a row and the appointment of former Hawthorn triple-premiership hero Mr Peter Schwab as the College Director of Football. Peter has been working hard to revitalise the football program, coaching three teams and supporting the other coaches.

I commend the new Roll Call to you and hope to catch up with as many Old Collegians as possible at the various functions we hold each year.

Peter Houlihan Principal

Mission Action Day The College’s annual Mission Action Day was once again the culmination of the De La Salle spirit, hard work by organisers, and the generosity of College families and students to raise money for Lasallian missions around our region.

MAD organiser, Mr Chris Martin, said the day was an overwhelming success, bolstered by our students’ exuberance and commitment.

DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL

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A warm welcome to our new students More than 200 students were welcomed into the College community at the College Welcome Mass at St Patrick’s Cathedral earlier this month. Fr Christian Fini officiated the Mass congratulating our students on their exemplary behaviour. After the Mass each new student was formally welcomed by the Principal Mr Peter Houlihan, College Captain, Liam Jenkins and Br Peter Smyth FSC., and presented with a commemorative badge and blessing.

The Welcome Mass is an important event on the College Calendar bringing families and students together to celebrate the commencement of their life at the College. We would like to thank our families and students for being part of this important occasion.

By Kerry Martin

College Leaders

Standing: Eli Te Moni, Oliver Barr, Joel Lagastes, Joshua Webb, Kai Bloomfield, Sebastian Fernandez, Kristoff Soliven, Stan Lykourinos, Anthony Ryan, Michael O’Dwyer, Connor Fitzharris, Benjamin Coonan, Jack Barnard Seated: Taine Krough, Joseph Lloyd, Dillon Henriques-Gomes, Joel May, Amedeo Perri, Mr Peter Houlihan, Liam Jenkins, Morgan Morffew, Jonathan Avgeridis, Daniel Venturoni, Thomas Coyle

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VCE results up across the board The 2018 VCE results are a significant achievement and, to date, the best on record. The Principal, Mr Peter Houlihan, said he was extremely proud of the 2018 VCE results and congratulated students and staff for their efforts.

“There were significant increases across the board with improvements in all the key data from previous years,” “The Median Study Score for 2018 is 32, up from 30 last year and 29 in 2016. To leap three places in two years is indeed momentous.”

“The percentage of Study Scores 40 and above is 7.22%, up from 6.43% last year and 5.3% in 2016.”

“The Median ATAR is 73.15, up from 67.60 last year and 64.18 in 2016.”

“The percentage of students with ATARs in the 70 – 99.96 range is 57.62, a dramatic increase from 45.86% in 2017.”

“While there is an impressive range of superb individual results, with many students doing exceptionally well, the unprecedented high standard they have set as a cohort is most noteworthy”, he said. Mr Houlihan congratulated Units 3 and 4 teachers who invested time, effort and expertise in teaching and mentoring students. “With the state median for all subjects at 30, our Study Scores

which ranged from 34 – 38 range places us at the very top of the scale when compared with any of Victoria’s highest performing schools. The overall improvement is a testament to the targeted approach and diligent attention to detail of the 2018 cohort and the positive relationships our teachers form with the young men they teach.”

College Dux Harrison Cook’s favourite VCE Study was Chemistry so it is not surprising it was his best VCE result. He attributes his success to a combination of factors, a brilliant teacher, relevant content matter and extensive online revision materials which allowed him to continually improve throughout the year.

As the College Dux for 2018. Harrison’s 98.25 ATAR awarded him a ViceChancellor’s Scholarship for Excellence at Monash University where he will study Biomedicine (Scholar’s Program).

His goal is to practice Medicine and eventually qualify as a Neurologist.

Harrison efforts across six VCE Studies achieving a Study Score over 40 for four of the six subjects is quite an achievement. Harrison admits he was not particularly sporty, nor creative but

College Dux, Harrison Cook

simply motivated to achieve. “I never stood out academically in primary school. In fact, some of my NAPLAN results, specifically English were below average,” he said. He believes that coming to De La Salle in Year 7 offered him the greatest opportunity in his life.

“The opportunity to be welcomed and embraced at the College, a school that truly cares about its student’s wellbeing and encourages self-growth and resilience, enabled me to succeed,” Harrison said. Principal Houlihan congratulated Harrison for maximising his potential and willingness to work closely with teachers and peers alike.

“Harrison sets a tremendous example for all De La Salle students,” Mr Houlihan said.

By Kerry Martin

VCE top achievers

Standing: Angus McLean, Jack Barnard, Fletcher Bird, Patrick Walsh, Trent Puddy, Thomas Malota, William Canning, Xavier Rhoden, Ethan Powell, Matthew Deen, Billy Cooke, Amedeo Perri, Harry Wolstenholme, Zachary Cobucci, Robert Ranzolin, Alexander Parker Seated: Romolo Persi, Benjamin Richter, Ethan Boyd, Ethan Wong, Brandon Luu, Liam Bonato, Mr Peter Houlihan, Harrison Cook, Jordan Burns, Tom Pagonis, Luke Saldanha, Zachary Mulholland and Dylan Shipperd

DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL

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Year 12 Yaluwo With their VCE exams behind them, the 2018 Yaluwo volunteers departed for Sri Lanka on what would be the social justice experience of a lifetime.

Spending almost one month away from home, the group of eight Year 12 students and three staff worked alongside their fellow Lasallian brothers and sisters at Diyagala Boys Town Technical School near Colombo refurbishing a common room for students and guests.

Deputy Principal – Faith and Mission, Mrs Rana Brogan said “the Yaluwo program demonstrates how Lasallians commit to living their lives in solidarity with the poor and the most vulnerable.

Our Year 12 students who embarked on the Yaluwo Immersion answered God’s call to live and serve their fellow Lasallian brothers and sisters. An experience that provided them with an opportunity to appreciate our Lasallian vocation of service and touching hearts.”

“It was heartening to witness our students fully immerse themselves in the work and the community at Diyagala, recognising that an immersion experience is about building relationships with others, not just doing something for others.”

The students spent days sanding wooden cupboards, painting walls and polishing ceramic floor tiles to create a

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vibrant common room, aptly named, The Yaluwo Parlour, in honour of the group. Congratulations to the 2018 Yaluwo volunteers, Oliver Burke, Finn Carey, Jacob Carroll, Ky Morgenthaler, Heath McCullough, Panos Menidis, Hayden Rideg and Hamish Sutherland and staff members Mrs Rana Brogan, Mr Chas Thompson and Mr Anthony Freeman for their commitment, dedication and individual contributions.

By Kerry Martin

New Year 9 campus opens The College’s new Year 9 Campus was officially opened on 9 May by the Mayor of Stoninngton Mr Steven Stefanopolous (1992).

The new campus, which is located on the former site of Holy Eucharist Primary School in East Malvern, is the College’s first dedicated campus catering exclusively for Year 9 students.

The Principal, Mr Peter Houlihan, praised the hard work of the Year 9 team for their dedication in preparing the campus for its first intake this year.

“This campus is the culmination of a lot of hard work, determination and innovation,” he told invited guests including, Br Calixtus and Br Michael and Year 9 student leaders.

Head of Campus, Mr David Alexander, said the new campus has brought excitement and positivity throughout the Lasallian community.

maturity through initiatives such as Rites of Passage, Lasallian Service; the Duke of Edinburgh (Bronze) Award; city experiences and immersion electives,” he said.

By Kerry Martin

“The new campus is significant move for the Lasallian community as it represents, what is believed to be, the first Lasallian school across 80 countries to open a separate campus exclusively for Year 9 students. So this 2019 cohort will be etched in history,” Mr Alexander said.

“Our teachers, who bring a great mix of energy and experience, have quickly established an environment where students are empowered and selfmotivated. This energetic environment has been evident since day one,” Mr Alexander said.

“A focus of the Year 9 program is building student’s independence and

DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL

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This year the Lasallian community around the world is commemorating the 300th year since the death of The Founder, St John Baptist de La Salle. De La Salle College, Malvern marked the Tercentenary with a combined Founder’s Day celebration on May 17 across all four Lasallian schools in Melbourne. The theme of the Tercentenary is “One Heart, One Commitment, One Life”.

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To commemorate the Tercentenary Roll Call invited two members of the De La Salle Brothers community to share their reflections on the milestone with our readers.

Br Tony Cummins (1979) is heading up the Australian celebrations of the Tercentenary. After graduating from the Novitiate, Br Tony took up his first teaching role in Armidale (NSW).

Since then he has taught at Lasallian schools in Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland, as well as taking on responsibilities to coordinate the vocations ministry, youth ministry and the Lasallian Volunteer program in the District of Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea.

Currently he is teaching at St Bede’s in Mentone.

“Imagine how the small community of Brothers felt on Good Friday, April 7th 1719, when they learnt that the earthly life of their ‘Father and Founder’ had come to an end in his 68th year. While the leadership of the community had been assumed by Br Barthélemy from 1717, there must have been a sense of despondency and grief, perhaps even despair in losing the one who had inspired and animated them. Just five years earlier the ‘principal brothers’ had written a letter to Fr De La Salle, imploring him to return from the south

of France to give hope and strength to this fledgling community. In the spirit of obedience, he did as they had requested. As we fast forward to 2019 – the Tercentenary of the Entry into Eternal Life of St John Baptist de La Salle and the Year of Lasallian Vocations – we are a very different and much larger community of followers of our ‘Father and Founder’, Saint John Baptist de La Salle: the patron saint of teachers.

The Tercentenary Year is a once in a lifetime event and a wonderful occasion for everyone associated with our Lasallian schools and works across the globe – a time to celebrate who we are and from where we’ve come since the death of the Founder. We celebrate with Lasallians in our District of Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Papua New Guinea and acknowledge the legacy of St John Baptist de La Salle in 80 countries around the world.

We also recognise 2019 as the Year of Lasallian Vocations which gives us all an opportunity to show in a tangible way that we are Associated for the Lasallian Mission with the theme: “One Heart.

One Commitment. One Life.” Today more than 3,500 Brothers, 95,000 staff in 1,200+ schools, centres and communities throughout the world serve the needs of over 1,000,000 young people.

As we contemplate what life would have been like for that early community of Brothers on the death of the Founder, we are encouraged to examine our own vocation, our own call as Lasallians as we consider how St John Baptist de La Salle and those Brothers lived with ‘one heart, one commitment, and one life.’ As we celebrate 300 years of such

a rich charism and the many lives this has affected, we can ask ourselves how we are called to live out this Lasallian charism today.”

Br Michael Carroll was a student at De La Salle from 1952 until 1955. In 1956, together with five other De La Salle students, he entered the Brothers Juniorate in Sydney to complete his secondary studies before taking the Brothers habit and beginning his training as a Brother in 1959. Br Michael taught extensively throughout NSW and New Zealand and later at St Bede’s. He was a valued member and Director of the Malvern community until recently before retiring to the Mentone community.

“For me this Tercentenary Year is an opportunity to give thanks to God for the life and work of St John Baptist de La Salle in responding to the needs of the children of the poor and working class of his day. I also give thanks for the gifts of the spiritual and pedagogical teaching of De La Salle that have enriched my life as a Brother. As an aging Brother in this Tercentenary Year, I am inspired by the way that the vision, life and teaching of St La Salle have increasingly been taken up by the teachers and educational leaders in our Lasallian schools with insight and commitment, not only here but throughout the world.”

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Mother’s Day Breakfast This year’s Mother’s Day Breakfast was another sellout success with more than 500 mothers and sons filling the College gymnasium. The guest speaker, Mrs Anna Di Medio, shared her experiences as a De La Salle mother.

With all four of her boys representing the College in athletics, Anna has been involved in Little Athletics for 16 years with all four of her sons in coaching, leadership and age group mentoring roles. The Parent Network, who organize the annual event, would especially like to thank everyone who supported the event and contributed generously to the fund raising efforts on the day. Thank you to Michelle Pearson and Lou Harris from the Parent Network for their hard work to make this event such a success.

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Mary Poppins pops The College’s recent co-production of Mary Poppins with OLSH, Bentleigh, at The Alexander Theatre, was a standout success. The musical, produced by the College’s Drama Coordinator, Mr Andrew Murrell, with musical direction from Orchestra Coordinator, Mr Luke Serrano, showcased the talents of our students together with the cast from OLSH Bentleigh.

The Principal, Mr Peter Houlihan said, “the musical, which extended to four performances was exceptional. The music, acting, singing and dancing were all terrific, however the real value in these shows often comes from the sense of belonging, self-worth and satisfaction the cast and crew gain from their involvement.”

“Mary Poppins seemed to be one of the most demanding, complex, long and challenging shows for students to tackle. That they did so, in such splendid style, is a credit to all involved and as we say each year, will do wonders for the ongoing growth and development of the performing arts at De La Salle. Congratulations to Andrew Murrell, Luke Serrano and the myriad of other volunteers who worked around the clock to produce this outstanding, extraordinary presentation of Mary Poppins.”

By Kerry Martin

DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL

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The Horrigan line The Horrigan family have been associated with De La Salle College for more than a century. Joe Horrigan (1920) was a member of the first class in 1912 and since then a long line of Horrigans have followed in his footsteps. His youngest son Barry (1957) spoke to Roll Call about his family’s relationship with the Blue and Gold tradition.

The Horrigan family is synonymous with Malvern. Joe Horrigan established the family business, J. Horrigan Firewood in 1932. The business remains in the family under the management of his grandson, Mark.

Sadly, Joe passed away in the 1980’s but his legacy lives on through his extended family and for son Barry, the College remains a part of his family.

Barry and his older brothers Ron (1953) and Kevin (dec.) (1955), spent their early years in East Hawthorn and attended St Joseph’s Primary School. Subsequently the Horrigan family moved to their new home in Malvern, not far from the College and Barry later moved to his own house but still very much a Malvern resident. Barry said that he enjoyed living so close to his old school. “It is wonderful living so close to the College as my grandchildren would pop in on

their way home from school and visit me,” Barry said.

As young boys the Horrigan brothers would walk from East Hawthorn to the College, quite a distance. “I remember walking home each day after school in my blue and gold blazer. “The 45-minute walk home was always an adventure,” Barry recalls.

In those days newer suburbs like Mount Waverley were considered a long way away. “Nowadays students come from all over Melbourne, a reminder of how successful the College has become,” he said.

Barry recalls how different school life was in the 1950s without the luxury of central heating or air conditioning.

“There was a little heater in the corner

of the classroom to warm the teacher, the rest of us would be sitting with our coats on shivering and trying to learn,” Barry said.

As a student he played tennis and even sang in the school choir. “Everybody was in the choir, it didn’t matter whether you could sing or not.”

Like the choir, there were many other activities to keep students active. “There was a great camaraderie between the students and the De La Salle Brothers, particularly at lunch time. Br Jerome Foley was the Principal at the time and encouraged us in numerous sports.” Br Jerome also taught Barry’s father and Barry remembers how Br Jerome would often remind Barry that he had taught his father, a very sobering thought for a young boy.

Being the youngest of three, Barry would always get the hand-me-down uniforms from his two older brothers but he didn’t mind. It was just the way things were done.

He studied English, Maths, Science, Geography and Latin. He admits however he wasn’t a brilliant student but he did manage to pass.

Like many students, Barry decided to take on a trade and after passing his Intermediate Certificate, he went into plumbing.

“They asked ‘what do you need to become a plumber?’ and I said ‘Year 9’ and then they said ‘great, you’ve passed!’”

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Old Coll first Australian President of the IAJ

Barry met his wife Pat, who was a school librarian, 57 years ago and together they had two sons, David (1980) and Mark (1987). David followed in his father’s footsteps and took over the plumbing business, while Mark took over the family wood yard started by his grandfather Joe all those years ago.

Barry also ran the business for a period of time.

"Dad was originally a carpenter," says Barry. "In the 1930s there were seven other wood yards by the railway line near Malvern Station and the wood came in by train." Horrigan’s, however, is the only one still operating.

Barry is proud that the family business has provided employment for numerous Old Collegians working during their university studies.

“When I ran the wood yard I had several De La Salle boys working for me part time. They’d be out there playing footy, going up for marks, they were all good fun,” Barry said. These days the tradition continues and Mark still employs many Old Collegians at the wood yard.

Many descendants of Joe Horrigan have attended the College over the last 117 years. Barry’s older brother Kevin, ran Horrigan Panels in Malvern Road for many years but sadly passed away in 2017. Kevin’s sons Peter (1982) and Nathan (1996) are both Old Collegians, as is Peter’s son Matthew (2014) and grandson Edward McMahon who is currently in Year 10.

Barry Horrigan saw his last grandson, Joseph (2018) graduate from the College last year, after four generations

of direct involvement with the College, while another grandson, Lewie Holmstrom, graduated in 2016. Barry believes that it won’t be long before their name returns to the College, making it the fifth generation of Horrigan boys to wear the blue and gold.

It is heartening to know that Barry and Pat religiously read and keep all the past editions of Roll Call. “It’s great when it comes out, we read it from cover to cover. It’s lovely to see what the boys are doing these days.”

Barry is also most impressed by the development of the College. “It has come a long way since the days when I was a student in the tower building.”

By Costa Haritos (2015) Costa Haritos is currently studying journalism, politics and international relations at Swinburne University of Technology

Opposite page top left to right: Ron, Kevin (dec.) and Barry Bottom: Class of 1912 – Joe Horrigan front row 5th from left This page above: Barry with son Mark Below: Peter, Matthew, Kevin Horrigan with Br Julian Watson

The Hon G Tony Pagone, QC, (1972) has been elected as the President of the International Association of Judges (IAJ). His appointment marks the first time an Australian has held this high office.

The IAJ is the pre-eminent international association of judges, bringing together almost 90 national associations of judges from around the world.

Justice Pagone is a co-opted member of the Governing Council of the Judicial Conference of Australia. He recently retired from the Federal Court of Australia where he served as the national coordinating judge of the Taxation National Practice Area since 2013.

Justice Pagone served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria before his appointment to the Federal Court. Prior to that he practised at the Victorian Bar. In accepting the Presidency, at the Annual Meeting of the IAJ, in Marrakesh, Justice Pagone said: “We know and understand the work that judges do, and we know and understand the vital importance of that work to freedom, safety and an orderly society. We know also about the vulnerability under which judges work and live, and therefore of the need to foster and preserve judicial impartiality and the rule of law.”

DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL

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A petrol head with a bright future As the 2018 Leader of Team Swinburne Formula SAE, Tom McCausland (2014) got to indulge his passion for motor sports while completing his Product Design Engineering studies.

Formula SAE is an international student competition centered around the design, construction and racing of an internal combustion or electric race car.

McCausland led Team Swinburne Formula SAE, a squad of designers, business students and engineers who design, build, test and compete a fully electric ‘Formula Student’ style race car.

He has been a member of Team Swinburne since 2015 and this year he is in his 4th year of a Product Design Engineering degree.

“My role as Team Leader is to coordinate people, equip the engineering personnel, develop the vehicle and attract new sponsors and partners to the project.”

McCausland has a good track record at the helm with Team Swinburne currently ranked in the Top 20 cars in the world.

“It's been a tough challenge and a steep learning curve but is a great introduction to what I want to do in the future.”

“Every year we compete against teams from USA, Germany, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia and Australia,” he said.

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The Team’s $150,000 car, which runs on twin electric motors producing 80kw continuous power and a 450 volt

battery, can reach speeds of 100 km in 4 seconds with a top speed of 140 kilometres and hour.

McCausland’s love of fast cars was sparked when he was only five years old. His father, who was a part of the Holden Racing Team, ignited the passion. Since then he has always been interested in or involved with cars.

This year Tom commenced a two-year industry placement and hopes to work in motorsport management when he graduates in 2020.

By Kerry Martin

Good animal practice “If we could talk to the animals, learn their languages, think of all the things we could discuss,” reflected the mythical Dr Doolittle. Similarly, Chris Guimmarra (1998) has always had the knack of communicating with our furry friends and, as a veterinarian, he spends his days caring for their needs.

Guimmarra began his veterinarian practice in rural Victoria where he honed his medical and surgical skills on all kinds of non-humans. He admits the job was a steep learning curve, being on call and travelling long distances, often late at night, to look after beef cattle, horses, alpacas, sheep, goats, pigs as well as a range of exotic domestic pets.

“You had no idea what to expect when the phone rang. I recall being called early one Sunday morning to attend to a cow that had become wedged between two trees and was very distressed. I had to anaesthetise the cow so that the farmer could cut the tree down with a chainsaw to free the animal,” he said.

“On another occasion a pig hunting dog had been wounded in thick scrub. On surgical exploration, I removed a footlong wooden stake from its abdomen along with one meter of injured bowel.”

After his rural apprenticeship, Guimmarra moved back to Melbourne and is now a partner at the Hampton Veterinary Hospital, where he has been for the last 10 years.

While the job is immensely rewarding it also has many emotional demands.

“A Veterinary career is a diverse and emotionally challenging one,” he said.

“The job is psychologically taxing, there are many beloved “fur children” that can be saved against all odds but there are also many sad cases that cause significant grief.

Emotional resilience is an important attribute for all Veterinarians.”

It is not unusual for him to put in a 12-hour day.

“Mental health has always been an area of concern for our profession owing to high stress levels, dealing with grief and loss and poor work life balance. As an industry we must remain proactive and vigilant in this space.”

“Vets are perfectionists, forever trying to improve our skills and knowledge in order to improve case outcomes.

Every time a family expresses heartfelt gratitude for caring for their pet is a highlight to me. Very strong human bonds are also formed in times of pet euthanasia which I see as a great privilege for a Veterinarian.”

Guimmarra is a strong advocate for the rights of animals and committed to improving animal welfare.

“The key issues facing the Veterinary industry are ongoing public animal welfare concerns relating to puppy farming, horse and greyhound racing and live export. As an industry, I think we have made considerable progress in the past decade through education and surveillance at the grassroots level.”

On top of his busy schedule at the Hampton Vet Hospital, Guimmarra also works as track vet for Greyhound Racing Victoria.

Coming from a medical family, from the outset he was interested in a medical vocation. “I saw Veterinary Science as a fulfilling and intellectually challenging career that was well suited to my subject strengths”.

“I grew up on a property where we owned dogs, cats, rabbits, goats and alpacas, so I always had an affinity with animals.”

The diversity of the profession was also very attractive to him. “I am a Physician, Anaesthetist, Surgeon, Radiologist and Dentist each and every day.”

Guimmarra played for the De La Old Collegians Football Club for a couple of years but admits that these days his AFL experience is confined to supporting his beloved Demons.

“My De La Salle days helped shape my identity and values, instilling the virtues of honesty, integrity, hard work and mateship. These values have been very important in my personal and professional life for the last two decades.” Being a vet also has its physical demands and he keeps fit playing tennis and skiing.

Guimmarra lives in Melbourne’s bayside area with his wife Pia and sons Henry (6) and Wesley (4), a doting German Pointer and a charming deaf cat.

“Most importantly I work hard at being a great parent and role model to my boys as they embark upon their own school life.”

By Kerry Martin

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Forensic expert at the top of his game As the Head of Victoria Police’s Fire and Explosion Unit, John Kelleher AM PSM (1970), has spent the last 30 years investigating the factors that lead to disasters caused by fire and explosives.

Early in his career, Kelleher was a young forensic investigator on the Russell Street Police Headquarters bombing, regarded at the time as Melbourne’s first experience of urban terrorism. Since then, Kelleher, now an international expert in his field, has investigated almost 5,000 fire and explosive incidents here and overseas, including as a forensic investigator assisting the AFP/ Indonesia National Police response to the 2002 Bali Bombings. This year Kelleher marks 30 years of service to forensic investigation for Victoria Police.

He took time out of his busy schedule to talk to Roll Call.

Kelleher’s forensic career started in the Explosives Branch of the Victorian Mines Department, which later came under the Worksafe Victoria umbrella. After five years learning about the making and commercial side of explosives, he moved to the Victoria Police Forensic Department where he has worked ever since.

The role of a fire and explosives investigator has its challenges often involving complex and confronting scenes and Kelleher has had his fair share, including the Russell Street Bombing, the Longford Gas Plant explosion, the Bali Bombing and the Black Saturday bushfires.

As an expert in the field, who has been published and referenced, he is often called on as an expert witness in the prosecution of incident perpetrators, some high profile.

In 2009, he was called as an expert witness at Australia's largest and longest terrorism trial of the Melbourne home-grown Muslim terrorism cell, led by self-proclaimed sheik Abdul Nacer Benbrika, and last year he testified in the case against four men accused of plotting to use homemade bombs to attack Melbourne landmarks on Christmas Day.

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Kelleher’s service has not gone unrecognised. In 2003 he was awarded the Public Service Medal, and in 2014 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his significant service to the community, as a forensic specialist in the field of fire and explosion investigation.

There is no typical job description for an explosives expert. “Each morning I look at what fire or explosion scenes need to be attended, and discuss with my team who will go where, and who will stay in the laboratory to analyse samples and write reports. For example, yesterday I flew to Mildura to investigate a house fire where two people were injured. Today I attended a bomb scene in Geelong, and collected fragments of a device to be analysed and reconstructed over the next few days.”

Kelleher is quick to acknowledge that he is part of a very dedicated team of people. “I work with dedicated and talented people who help communities all around Melbourne and Victoria in difficult times.”

With constant improvements to forensic technology, Kelleher says that forensic science has recently gained prominence. “I think Victoria Police, particularly in recent years have recognised and embraced areas like mine, which provide specialist support and advice.”

“The Victoria Police Fire and Explosion Unit is now comparable to that of the American or British police,” he says.

“Results which used to take weeks or months are now available in hours or days, so that forensic results can provide real-time information to investigators. These days Victoria Police is highly regarded nationally and internationally in this area.”

Along the way Kelleher has been fortunate to have had opportunities to study overseas and, more recently, to teach in America, Thailand and Indonesia, where he was a senior lecturer in the Post Blast Analysis Course, Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement.

As a student at De La Salle College, Kelleher excelled in maths and science.

He continued on and completed a Bachelor of Applied Science (Chemistry, Physics) and Bachelor of Arts (Mathematics) at Monash University.

“I was fortunate that the teachers I had at the College encouraged me to study, and gave me a foundation in the physical sciences which I have always been grateful for.”

Kelleher says STEM subjects can take students in a number of directions.

“The hard science subjects do not just lead to academic careers, but can lead to a wide variety of science-based occupations, such as forensic science.”

To become an explosives expert one needs a unique set of skills. “Chemistry is most important and Physics is useful.”

But he admits that not everybody is suited to the work.

By Kerry Martin

Old Collegian in Australia Day Honours Michael Brosnan (1966) has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his services to the community in the not for profit sector.

Brosnan, a longtime community leader in the Sapphire Coast region, chairs a local social justice group called the Social Justice Advocates which provides crisis housing for homeless people in the shire.

Brosnan said that he first became aware of the plight of those less fortunate when he was in Year 10 at the College.

“I was actively involved in everything the College had to offer, sport, music and cadets but it was volunteering at the then Kew Cottages which opened my eyes. I was confronted with the needs of others less fortunate than ourselves,” he said. He later went on to work at Ozenam House helping to feed the elderly and homeless.

He recognizes that his life growing up in Melbourne was very easy compared to some. “My education was a privilege and I became aware of others who had fewer opportunities.”

After graduating, Brosnan studied at Monash University and joined the Victorian Education Department as a teacher. He held various roles in the Department in both the English and Technical Divisions, and at one point was the Executive Officer of the English Standards Committee.

“My first school was the former Glenroy Technical School in Melbourne’s north.

It was another world,” Brosnan said.

“As a way of understanding the student

cohort I became a Probation Officer to learn about the young people I was teaching.”

“People talk about affordable housing, these people are way below being able to afford anything other than their cars.”

“Those years as a probation officer opened my eyes to social issues that I didn’t even know existed. The school had a sizeable indigenous population which had been relocated to the city from Lake Tyers. They were housed in a hostel with very little support away from their families which was a dire situation.”

The Group is also active in a range of initiatives across the shire including migrant and refugee support, asylum seeker support and programs to assist young and indigenous people. It also runs an annual pop-up op shop which helps fund its programs.

Brosnan still regards teaching as his strength. “Teaching was my career highlight. I really enjoyed working with kids in need.”

In 1982, Brosnan and his family had a sea change, relocating to Pambula on the Sapphire Coast, NSW. Soon after settling in the area he met a young Nigerian Priest who got him involved in local social justice issues and subsequently with some encouragement he formed the Social Justice Advocates Sapphire Coast.

The Group assists homeless people in the local area by providing several crisis accommodation options including six caravans. “The caravans are not ideal but they are better than sleeping in your car,” Brosnan said.

Brosnan said demand for emergency accommodation in The Shire at the moment is unprecedented. “The demand is frenetic and the nature of our clients is also changing. We are dealing with a lot of single parents and older women in particular who are desperate for housing.”

Brosnan said the demographics of The shire are changing. “We now have over 50 nationalities in the area and each year we organise a multi-cultural festival.”

Brosnan, who shows no signs of slowing down, also works with Lasallian schools in Papua New Guinea, travelling frequently to assist with local projects.

Last year he went to PNG six times.

He is a strong advocate for the WeCare Foundation, an initiative where PNG women support women and children in ‘settlements’ which are more like slums.

“They set up Early Learning Centres for the children aged 3 to 5 years.

Pambula Rotary, of which Brosnan is a founding member, has provided funds to build a toilet block for one of the Centres.

Brosnan does not anticipate that the demand for community service will decline any time soon. In fact he believes there will be a growing need.

“There is a growing number of people in the community who are marginalised and need support. I encourage people to get involved to try and help those in need,” he said.

By Kerry Martin DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL

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The Old Collegians’ Association Over the Easter break I had the opportunity of sharing a meal with Br Tony Cummins (1979) who is the youngest Old Collegian Brother.

Tony, who came to the College from St Michael’s Ashburton in 1974, was a member of the senior choir and represented the College in ACC tennis.

He said that his Christian values and a desire to help others had inspired his decision to become a Brother. “I always had a strong desire to do something for others,” Br Tony said.

In 1980 he joined a group of 20 postulants in Sydney and took his first vows in 1984.

At the age of 22, his was appointed to De La Salle College, Armidale NSW where he was Year 7 Coordinator of a cohort of 95 students. Br Tony remained at Armidale, NSW, for three years before moving to Henley Beach in Adelaide.

In 1989 he was appointed to St Bede’s, Mentone with Br Quentin O’Halloran at the helm. There he undertook responsibility for caring for boarders while teaching part-time before taking his final vows in 1990.

Br Tony was transferred to Malvern in 1992 and spent two years as the Years 8 and 9 Coordinator.

He subsequently attended a formation course in Rome before taking up the appointment of Vocations and Youth Ministry Director for the period 1997 to 2003. He then returned again to teaching, first at La Salle College Bankstown Sydney and later De La Salle, Mangere in Auckland.

In 2009, he returned to Malvern as the Director of Postulancy and was later appointed to the Brothers’ headquarters in Sydney, returning to Vocations and Youth Ministry.

Br Fred Sheridan with Br Anthony

In mid–2017 he was given responsibility for the District of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Pakistan Tercentenary celebrations. (see page 7)

Still passionate to teach, last year he returned to St Bede’s, Mentone where he teaches Religious Education to Years 7 to 12.

Reflecting on life as a Brother, he says he has been the privileged to walk beside so many people young and old who have simply needed the presence and support of a Brother.

Fast approaching 40 years with the De La Salle order, Br Tony said that the Brother’s original purpose of working and living “together and by association” was just as relevant today and will remain the challenge going into the future.

Mr Tony McIlroy President Old Collegians

From the Archives Late last year, I was contacted by Ms Eleanor Russell, who lives in Ireland, and has a unique connection to the College.

Ms Russell’s grandmother is the cousin of one of the College founders, Fr Simon Hegarty who came from Ireland to Malvern in 1912.

A photograph of Fr Hegarty, dressed in his WWI uniform, had hung in the family home for a long time and she had decided to donate the photo to the College archives. Printed on paper, mounted on fine linen and embellished in part with charcoal, the rare photograph is a welcome addition to the archives for which the College is extremely grateful to receive.

Fr Hegarty, who was the Parish Priest of St Joseph’s Malvern in 1912, was

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instrumental in the appointment of the De La Salle brothers who established the College in 1912. Two years later, Fr Hegarty left Australia to volunteer as a War Chaplain in the First World War, however his legacy lives on through the name of one of the College’s junior classes. Another donation to the archives came from Old Collegian Paul Atkinson who has gifted four ACC Programmes from 1985–1988 to us.

ACC Programmes are an important part of our collection. If you have any ACC Programmes that you would like to donate we would love to hear from you.

Stay posted for news of the Archives on Facebook.

Ms Jessica Attard, College Archivist jattard@delasalle.vic.edu.au

Year 7 Hegarty Class Captain Larry Dell, and Homeroom teacher, Mr Adam Jacobs, with the rare photograph of Fr Hegarty.

De La Salle Old Collegians Football A new season, a new President, new Committee members, a new Senior Coach, new challenges, a new team?

Undoubtedly, the story of 2019 thus far has been the emergence of a ninth team at our great club. Our Women’s Masters team (Over 35s), known as the Cannons, burst onto the scene at Waverley Oval with no less than 37 players in the squad. Coached by former ruckman Pat O’Callaghan, the Cannons posted a win within their first four rounds despite the vast majority of the team having never played the game. We look forward to many more wins ahead and welcome all families associated with the Cannons to the Club.

The appointment of new Senior Coach Peter Schwab certainly had tongues wagging late last year, and he’s been warmly welcomed by all players, officials and supporters. At the time of writing we haven’t quite seen the fruits of our pre-season labour, posting only one win from the first five games and enduring a couple of heavy losses, but we all know how quickly seasons in the VAFA can be turned around.

Our Under-19 program is travelling well with a vast array of talent coming through and plenty of wins across the three teams on the board. Our Open Age Women’s team, The Guns, have posted a win early which was fantastic, and our Men’s Masters Team (the Dino’s) remain undefeated as they target a third successive flag.

Off-field, we continue to welcome the De La Salle community to our wonderful events, both at the club for our home game luncheons, and off site. Our Season Launch saw over 300 guests attend Zinc at Federation Square, to hear from an array of special guests.

Premiership Tiger’s player, Alex Rance,

addressed the audience just two days after his much-publicised knee reconstruction, while Collingwood’s Ashleigh Brazill gave us a unique insight into her life as a dual sport athlete with the Magpies for both AFLW and Netball. Demon great David Schwarz delivered our annual toast to football this year, and in a surprise segment, AFL General Manager of Football, Steve Hocking and premiership Hawk, John Kennedy Jnr, took us behind the scenes of the famous 1989 Grand Final between the Hawks and the Cats, as we near its 30–year anniversary.

Thus far we have raised significant funds for Breast Cancer by hosting a sold out Ladies Luncheon in Round 5, and we look forward to building on our ongoing tally for motor neurone disease with our annual FightMND Cup clash with Old Trinity in June.

We welcome people from near and far to be a part of the Club as a member, and there are membership categories available for all budgets. If you would like to support the club, please do so online at www.delasalleocfc.com.au/ membership-packages/ – we would love to see you at the footy!

Go Dees!

Troy Buntine

DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL

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50 Plus reunion Kooyong Tennis Club was the venue for the 50 Plus year reunion lunch in March. More than 100 Old Collegians enjoyed the convivial atmosphere and first class meal as they listened to Br Gerrard Rummery reflect on his vast experiences in Australia and overseas, including his time at the Vatican. Br Gerrard, who had taught many of those in the room, was positively captivating.

Amazingly, he looks younger than most of us. His memory is truly astounding

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and his recollections are crystal clear.

College Principal, Mr Peter Houlihan, also addressed the gathering, outlining the College’s strategic plan and impending developments. The best part of the day was, as always, catching up with Old Collegians from our era, swapping tall stories of days long past. A De La Salle education is fondly remembered and the camaraderie lives on forever.

Barry Lyons (1966)

Class of 1969 Reunion The well-attended reunion of the Class of 1969 at the Kooyong Tennis Club started on a sombre note as we paid our respects to those of us who have passed away. Others wanted to be there but either distance or illness conspired against it. 50 years is a long time and there have been two previous reunions over the years; the 30th and the 40th anniversaries. There were lots of questions for each of us. What have you been doing since Year 12? Do you have a partner or family? Have you retired yet? Some of us were able to summarise half a lifetime in 25 words or less, other were more verbose!

The sheer diversity of life paths was extraordinary. I shared a drink and a story or two with people who, at school, were in completely different friendship groups. The passing of time had brought us together. I was also amazed to hear the school now has three campuses! We were all the beneficiaries of a great educational start in life and we hope the more recent classes will meet at their 50th anniversaries with as much achievement and enthusiasm as ours.

Dr Paul Nash, College Dux (1969)

DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL

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Class of 1979 Reunion It may have been a dark and stormy night in Melbourne on Friday 10th of May, but that didn’t stop for one second past students from the 1979, Year 12 class gathering together for a great night at the Racecourse Hotel!

It was terrific to catch up with each other over a few ales and some tasty food and reminisce about the De La Salle days, and all that has gone on since!

Forty years is a long time and whilst we may boast that we still feel and act young at heart, our hairstyles or, lack of (for starters), may give another

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impression. Judging by all the laughs, the good humour, and the exaggerated stories, it was a night which everyone enjoyed. It was great to catch up with classmates, some of whom travelled long distances to be part of the proceedings.

We raised a toast to our Old Collegians who couldn’t be present, whilst we heard about the current and future directions of the College.

Thanks to the Old Collegians and the school for hosting a fantastic night.

Andrew Mullaly (1979)

Class of 1983 Reunion What a great night we had at the London Tavern in Richmond last October. More than 60 Old Collegians turned up for their 35th Reunion. Given that our reunions are every five years, it’s not surprising that there is next to no need for polite re-acquainting. We just get straight into it. We did however have a couple of old boys who hadn’t been to a reunion since school so it was particularly pleasing to see them fit in so quickly. The standard of banter and discussion was so good that midnight and pub closing time came way too soon. A number had flown from interstate to make the reunion

while some long lost connections were re-established by those who couldn’t make it this time but vowed to come to the next one. The task over the next few years is to get as many of the 223 boys from the Class of ’83’ to come along.

The reunions are a pretty simple formula – good blokes in a good atmosphere!

While 35 years is almost three times the amount of time we spent in school and a lot has happened in all our lives since that time, the bond of De La Salle brotherhood will remain forever. Well done mates for making this such a great night.

Ted McKernan (1983)

DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL

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Class of 1999 Reunion On a cold night in April, the class of 1999 gathered to celebrate 20 years since we’d donned conspicuous blazers – unless you count the dashing velvet number Michael Krezel graced the reunion in!

Despite the passing of time I’m pleased to report we’re all holding up pretty well. In fact, some of us seem to have ‘Benjamin Buttoned’ and are looking younger – and more handsome – than ever (cough Liwa Becker).

Over drinks the conversation quickly

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flowed from Liwa’s age defying appearance to those married with children grilling the single guys about life on Tinder. We’ve clearly come a long way since dial-up in the Kinnoull library.

There was also plenty of reminiscing about school camp disasters, sporting victories and favourite teachers, most of whom may not know the profound effect they had on us. Thank you to Pam Leeding for organising such a terrific night and here’s to seeing everyone again in 10 years.

Shaun Topp (1999)

Where are they now?

Nathan Beaumont (2010) is teaching at Oakleigh South Primary School after completing his teaching degree at Swinburne University. Nathan is also the Coach of the Under 18s Sandringham Dragons.

Joshua Paul (2018) is one of four high school graduates from La Salle schools around the world who are spending their newfound freedom by going “back to ‘school” as Lasallian volunteers with Aboriginal students in Perth, WA. (pictured below right)

in recognition of his bravery while as a former Senior Police Constable he was seriously injured while on patrol 32 years ago.

Elliot Fabris (2015, College Captain) and Miles Fabris (2012 College Vice-Captain) recently featured in a commercial for the James Harper Clothing Company. The commercial, directed by Darcy Conlan (2012) also featured the College’s voice teacher Francesco Fabris.

Terry Butler (1966) lives in Hawthorn and is a microbiologist.

Dermot Breen (1969) is a credit manager.

Paul Nash (1969) is an IT Director.

Tony Hunt (1969) is a firefighter.

Paul Danaher (1961) works in warehouse distribution.

Geoffrey Campbell (1969) is a General Practitioner and lives in Warragul.

Jeffrey Carberry (1966) lives in Blairgowrie and is a chemical engineer

Declan Martin (2017) stood as the Labor Party candidate for Brighton in the recent Victorian State Election.

Declan came within 500 votes of winning the seat.

Anthony Liston (1969) lives in Middle Park and is a Town Planner.

Michael Heeney (1967) is an accountant living in St Leonards.

Anthony (Woody) Wilson (1970) lives in Brighton and is a marketing/event manager.

Dominic Sandilands (1997) has been appointed the new CEO of Corryong Health. Dominic was previously with Far North Queensland Health.

Angelo Lucia (1965) is an engineer.

Michael Coughlan (1961) lives in Hawthorn and is a meteorologist.

Allan Hogan (1960) lives in Paddington, Queensland and is an executive in the defence industry.

Sam Wignell (1961) lives in East Ivanhoe and is an air traffic controller.

Brandon Luu (2018) won the Principal’s Award for best in show at the 2018 De La Salle Arts Awards.

Brendan’s painting of his grandfather was featured on the cover of the last Roll Call.

Chris Loft (1969) lives in Maryborough Queensland and is an accountant.

Tom Sandilands (2000) is Managing Director of Sandilands Export. Tom took over the reins from his father, Peter Sandilands (1967).

Br Bill Firman (1960) has returned to Australia as the new Head of the Brothers Community in Malvern. Br Bill spent the last seven years in South Sudan overseeing the Lasallian mission.

Graeme Pender (1976) was awarded a Victoria Police Gold Star

by Assistant Commissioner for acts of bravery.

The Award was

Matt Windley (2007) After 10 yers as a sports journalist with the Herald Sun, Matt has stepped out of the media to head up southeast Melbourne's A-League licence bid. And while the Dandenong/ Casey project was controversially pipped in favour of a Western Melbourne outfit in December, we hear there might be yet more to come from this story yet. Stay tuned!

Fr Peter Murnane’s (1958) book Archways to the Infinite, my Journey Towards the Transcendent (Garratt Publications, Mulgrave, 2018) was launched at St Dominic’s Priory Camberwell in November. The book, which has been described as ‘A pilgrimage searching for the sacred’, traces both a personal and universal journey from birth to death. Its speaks of the interconnectedness of matter and spirit, and love as the unifying principle of life.

Dominic Jones (1983) is a Cairns based ceramics artist.

Mark Bergin (1983) is the Chair of the Melbourne Design Awards.

Jonathan Turley (1983) is an IT consultant.

Gerard De Silva (1983) lives in Brisbane and is a landscape architect.

Joe Chamoun (1983) is the Australia/ New Zealand sales manager for Baxter Healthcare.

Peter Waldron (1983) is the Director of the Arrow Group.

Nick Hollier (1983) is a site manager in construction. He has two girls, Sophie and Ruby, and a son Tommy.

DE LA SALLE COLLEGE LASALLIAN ROLL CALL

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John Sabine (1950) had a show Old Jack Meets Banjo Patterson in the recent Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Desmond Tobin (1956) has recently published a new book, Just a Man Called Phonse – The Anything but Ordinary Life of A.V.(Phonse) Tobin. Des, the second son of Phonse and Vera Tobin was born in 1938, commenced work at Tobin Brothers Funerals in 1961 and was CEO from 1983 to 1998 and Chair from 1988 to 2002. Des and his wife Margaret have four children and 11 grandchildren and live in Melbourne.

Just a Man Called Phonse is published

by Killaghy Publishing.

Br Denis Loft (1965) has been appointed to the position of Director of Donor Projects commencing this month.

The major component of Br Denis's work will involve leading the District Twinning program which provides financial, material and staffing support from Australian and New Zealand Lasallian schools to Lasallian schools in Pakistan and Papua New Guinea.

Dr Andrew Badrock (2000) is a medical research scientist at the University of Manchester, U.K. He is conducting research into the causes and treatment of melanoma and multiple neurological diseases. His current project focuses on understanding Labrune Left to right, the Badrock men: Matthew, Andrew, Alan, Stephen and Michael Syndrome, a fatal neurological condition Stephen Badrock (2005) is a project that affects mainly children, with no cure engineer with Boral Australia and is identified at this time. In July this year, based in Brisbane. On the 7th July Andrew will be moving to the University 2018, he married Melissa Gumbleton of Edinburgh where he will further his in Cobram/Barooga. Stephen's best research. man and two attendants are all Old Collegians and completed Year 12 in 2005. Stephen completed his VCE in 2015.

The Badrock family, left to right: Lisa, Matthew, Andrew, Alan, Anne, Stephen, Michael and Theresa

Matthew Badrock (2003). After serving in the Royal Australia Navy for six years, Matthew took up a federal government position with Safe Work Australia. He is currently working in the Workers' Compensation policy section and is based in Canberra.

Br Denis with College Captain Liam Jenkins and St Edwin’s Captain Sebastian Fernandez

Alan Badrock (1969) joined Victoria Police as a Police Cadet and rose to the position of Senior Sergeant. He was the Officer in Charge of the Burwood Police Station before he retired in 2012 after 44 years of service. Alan and his wife, Anne who live in Glen Iris, have six children, four boys (featured right) and two girls. Alan is kept busy with family activities and volunteering with the St Vincent de Paul Society.

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Michael Badrock (2010) has recently completed a Bachelor of Media Production at the Australia Catholic University, Melbourne. Michael lives in Melbourne.

Vale Br Julian Br Julian Watson passed away peacefully on 12 April at Mary Mackillop Aged Care in East Hawthorn. Br Julian will remembered for his remarkable record of service to the District and his longevity and tremendous health, which only really began failing him less than 12 months ago. In March last year the College community was privileged to welcome Br Julian back to celebrate his 80th anniversary of service as a De La Salle Brother.

Br Julian who was born, Keith James Watson on the 8th January 1922 at East Melbourne, was the second eldest of four children. He was educated by the De La Salle Brothers at St Ignatius School in Richmond and entered the Brothers Novitiate at Castle Hill, Sydney on 21st January 1938. Two months later on 18th March, 1938 Keith took the habit of the De La Salle Brothers and proudly adopted the new name Br Julian Bernard.

A stellar teaching and leadership career ensued, highlighted by a powerful and broad reaching influence on many thousands of students and a variety of De La Salle Colleges around eastern Australia and New Zealand.

In 1940 Br Julian began work at De La Salle College, Marrickville, and throughout the 1940s made significant contributions at De La Salle College, Orange and De La Salle College, Cronulla.

Br Julian moved back to Melbourne in 1947 to take up a role at De La Salle College Malvern. For three years he taught the Scholarship class of Year 8s and at one stage taught his younger brother Ray (1954) Many Australian and New Zealand Brothers credit Br Julian with being a genuine pioneer as he was primarily responsible for the successful establishment of three De La Salle Colleges in New Zealand.

In 1953 Br Julian became Principal and Director at St Mary's School, Blenheim in the South Island of New Zealand, the first Lasallian school in NZ. He would later move to Auckland and take on the roles of Principal and Director at De La Salle College, Mangere East.

Ever the expansionist visionary, Julian

then became Principal and Director of Francis Douglas College at New Plymouth, a role in which he served with distinction for 10 years.

Julian then returned to Australia where he worked at De La Salle College, Scarborough, in southern Queensland.

It was then back to his beloved Malvern from 1978–1987 where he operated as a teacher and Community Director.

Julian’s skills were sought after in a range of spheres and in another interlude he found himself at Mentone as Director of five young Brothers in formation.

The beginning of 1989 saw Br Julian return to Malvern where he served as Deputy Principal and Community Director until 1993. In 1994 he was appointed Assistant to the Brother Provincial, Br David Hawke .

The following reflection was delivered by Br Julian’s brother, Ray (1954) as part of his Eulogy at his funeral in St Joseph’s Malvern.

“He was a private person with a practical bent seen in his gardening, building, and teaching. He had a wicked sense of humour and was a Francophile (Letters continued from page 2) Dear Editor, I am writing to convey a reflection of Br Julian Watson, not explicitly covered in fine eulogies delivered at his recent funeral. At the Funeral I sat beside Peter Juliff, both of us children of workingclass families, who were taught by Br Julian in St Leo’s Scholarship Class (Year 8) in 1951, in the days when he and most teachers used the strap often.

Alongside his prayer books on the coffin, for us, a strap would not have been out of place. However, in our experience, Julian was strict but fair. He knew his subjects and imparted the necessary knowledge to people like Peter and me.

As a result, that year, we and couple of dozen others won four-year Junior Government Scholarships that took us through De La Salle to Year 12. Peter and I agreed that with Br Julian’s tough coaching we were given a secondary education which, because our parents could not afford it, we would not have had otherwise. We were there today to say ‘Thanks to Br Julian’.

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Yours sincerely

Richmond boy! In life he sought neither power nor riches. Though humble, he held firmly to his convictions to the point of resisting any worldly or ecclesiastical authority he believed to be acting unjustly.

A scenario from the Depression– stressed Richmond in the early 1930s, allows us to glimpse the family attitudes which formed him. Picture him walking up the hill towards St Ignatius. Vera, his younger sister is holding his hand.

Their lunches are in the school bags on their backs. Both carry an extra lunch for any classmate who has no lunch of their own. His upbringing made him very open to learning about the ideas and works of Jean Baptiste de La Salle.”

May he Rest in Peace.

Rest In Peace Frank Toohey Patrick Leane Laurie Smith Peter Dew Frank Candela Gerry Teague David O’Connor Chris Geehman Len Russo Collin Layton Aldo Torcasio Justin Tippet Robert Comito Adam Vanderfeen Bradley Dobney

1933 1948 1948 1949 1950 1952 1967 1969 1970 1975 1978 1979 1987 1993 2009

Val Noone (1956) Follow us on Twitter @dlsMalvern or @SportDeLaSalle

De La Salle College 1318 High Street Malvern 3144 Victoria Australia T: +613 9508 2100 www.delasalle.vic.edu.au

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