Michael Moloney

Former long-term staff member

One of the great joys of this part of my life is that I frequently meet ex-students who approach me to introduce themselves and ask how I am going. I often don’t recognise them initially. The little boy I had known has now grown into a mature adult. We sometimes trade stories over a cup of coffee or a meal. Often, I hear inspiring stories of remarkable achievements and sometimes there are sad stories of a life of disappointment. Whatever their circumstances I am always pleased to meet these men. It gives meaning to what I have been doing all my life. My story at St Edmund’s begins in 1960 when I received a letter from Br Landener inviting me to come to teach at St Edmund’s in Canberra. I had been recommended to him by a brother who had taught me at Nudgee College. Somewhat reluctantly I agreed to sever my ties with the Queensland Department of Education and come to Canberra for one year. When I arrived in January 1961 the building was very much smaller than it is today. Fourteen brothers lived in the Brother’s Monastery, on the McMillan Crescent end of the building. Next to the brothers’ kitchen there was a onebedroom flat opening onto McMillan Crescent.

This was where I lived for my first few years in Canberra. I got my meals on a tray from the brothers’ kitchen and my board was subtracted from my pay each week. Br Landiner had explained to me when he asked me to come to Canberra that if this didn’t happen, he really couldn’t afford to pay me. This arrangement suited me fine, though I must admit I was rather lonely at times. Br Landener was a strict disciplinarian and a hard taskmaster. He was particularly hard on the brothers and had instructed them that they weren’t to socialise with lay people outside school hours. This included me. At the end of that year, desperately lonely, I was ready to return to Queensland when I was persuaded to stay a little longer. I didn’t then realize the impact this decision was to have on my life and the lives of many others. Br Landener’s replacement was Br Jack Darmody. It took me quite a while to adjust to the more relaxed, gentle, and sensitive man. It was during his first year as Headmaster that I met a most wonderful girl and decided to get married. I went to Br Darmody’s office one night to tell him the news and ask if it would be alright if I invite him and a couple of the other Brothers to our wedding the following January. I also wondered if any I invited would be permitted to come. I couldn’t believe it when he replied, “I’m sure there will be a couple of carloads coming down from Gosford.” (The Brothers used to holiday in Gosford in those days). So, I invited them all, and all those who could came. The remarkable Br Owens had, at his own insistence, spent many hours beautifully handwriting and decorating all the place cards for our reception, Br Kerwin had prepared a beautiful boys’ choir to sing at our

Nuptial Mass, and Br Don Gallagher was there with his camera. I was very happy that I could share my special day with these men. They were my best friends and after my family the closest people to me. On the sudden departure of Br Darmody, Br Gordon Kerr came to take charge. I found Br Kerr to be a giant of a man in more ways than one. He was a man of deep faith, of clear farsighted vision, of insightful judgment, and he possessed a warm empathising personality and a disarming openness to new and radical ideas. He asked me to take charge of the primary school and appointed me to the first school board. Br Kerr purchased the property at Tuross, firstly as a holiday house for the brothers, but rather than seeing it lie idle he sought ways that the school could use it during the school term. The late sixties and early seventies were difficult times in boys’ schools. Pop culture, The Little Red Book and other media urged young people to reject traditional values and authority and to demand their rights. They were particularly encouraged to challenge their parents and teachers. On top of this the church was changing following Vatican II and boys were concerned about leaving school to be sent to fight in the Vietnam war. Discussing the difficulties of the time with Br Kerr and my counterparts at Daramalan, we concluded that one of the things our boys needed was a better relationship with their fathers. I drew up a program and with Br Kerr’s blessing and with the help of two priests from Daramalan, took our first group of ten fathers and their sons from Year 6 to Tuross for a weekend in March 1971. Br Owens and my wife Chris came along to look after the kitchen. With feedback from the participants and valuable input from others, the program rapidly developed. The weekends became so popular that we were soon running six a year. In 1972 Br Kerr attended a weekend and then continued to attend every weekend until he left St Edmund’s at the end of 1978. He had made an enormous impact on my life and became a dear friend to me and my family. Br Kerr’s replacement was the talented and dynamic Br Bob Wallace. Br Wallace had already been at St Edmund’s for eight years, so we already knew each other well. I am pleased that now, long after both of us have retired, we remain good friends. Br Wallace refurbished Tuross and built the bunkhouses so that it could accommodate 80 or more students and teachers. We developed programs and soon I was taking every primary class to Tuross for a camp. Br Wallace developed the Music and Performing Arts department and strengthened the sports programme. He built the grandstand on Owens Oval. I was shocked and humbled at the official opening of the grandstand when I learnt that it was to bear my name and then again in 1987 when I was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for my contribution to education. I was somewhat uncomfortable with this kind of recognition. Someone commented at the time that these things usually happened when a person died or at least retired. But I still had work to do. I wanted to make our primary school the best Primary school it could be and help make St Edmund’s the best school in Australia. It became obvious to me that one group of

students at risk, and needing special help, were those in sole-parent families. With the support of Bishop Pat Power and two school counsellors I set up a sole-parent support group. This group met monthly at the school and at each of these meetings we had an invited guest to help them with what they identified as one of their needs. These women (the group was nearly all women) met each other socially outside these meetings and were a great source of support for each other. At their request we took a group of

eleven mothers and their sons to Tuross, again with the support of Bishop Pat, the counsellors, Chris, and some school staff. This was a rich experience for all concerned and became an annual event. When the Falkner Report was issued by the Diocesan Catholic Education Commission in the early nineties suggesting that the St Edmund’s Primary School be closed and St Edmund’s and St Clare’s amalgamate to form a co-ed secondary school and college, I was approached by many of our parents who were concerned about the suggestion. I called an off-campus meeting of all concerned parents where they formed a committee to draft a response. I wanted it to be their response, not mine. Eventually the proposal was rejected, and the schools remained as they were. One of the highlights of my time at Edmund’s came in 1996 when the Provincial Leader wrote to invite me and my wife Chris to accompany a group of brothers on a pilgrimage to Ireland, Rome, and The Holy Land for the beatification of Blessed Edmund Rice. This was a wonderful time where we renewed old friendships and developed new ones. In Ireland we followed the life of Edmund from Callan where he was born, to Waterford where he began his ministry, to Cork and Dublin. From Dublin we flew to Rome for the beatification on October 6. What a day that was. I had never before been part of such a mass of people all with the same focus. I had a strong feeling of belonging to a universal church. From Rome we flew to Tel Aviv where we began our pilgrimage. Led by a priest who travelled with us we visited all the important places in the life of Jesus. At each place we had a liturgy, often a Mass, with a shared gospel reading. At Cana Chris and I renewed our wedding vows before the group. One day we were on the Sea of Galilee, in a replica first century boat, called a Jesus boat. The water was perfectly calm with a glassy surface when we were asked to imagine the storm and the fears of the Apostles and then reflect on the fears in our own lives. My thoughts returned to Canberra where all my fears were. In the Gospel reading that day Chris had been asked to read the words of Jesus and it was significant to me to hear her say, “Do not be afraid, I am with you”. This journey gave me a deeper understanding of a Gospel Jesus. In 2000 I gave up all my responsibilities in the primary school except for the Father and Son weekends and my rugby and cricket teams to write the history of the first 50 years of St Edmund’s. This task at the outset meant getting the school archives in order, and then delving through the Brothers’ archives in Balmain, the diocesan archives in Canberra and a trip to Melbourne to talk to the only surviving brothers from the first staff. While this task proved to be much bigger than I at first anticipated, I had the book completed and printed by early 2003 ready for release as part of our 50th Jubilee celebrations in 2004. In 2002 the Christian Brothers celebrated the Bicentenary of Edmund Rice Education. As part of their celebration they had a medal struck. I felt humbled and honoured when I was invited, with a small number of others, to be presented with this medal at a Mass in Sydney. Today I keep myself busy with my growing and dynamic family, my activities as a member of the Fellowship of Australian Writers, and a portrait painting group that meets each Tuesday in the M16 Art Space. I get satisfaction from the fact that my two sons have benefited from their Eddie’s education and their two sons are now at the school and loving it. I feel very comfortable that I can go to Mass each Sunday celebrated by my Parish Priest who was once a small boy in my fifth class.