PELICAN: SEMESTER 1, 2021
Alumni Reflection - Class of 1957
Jim Curran
V I B R A N T S P I R I T.
STRONG CHARACTER.
TA I L O R E D L E A R N I N G .
From the Principal, Mr Joe Zavone: We received this reflection from old boy Jim Curran during Term One of this year. Jim had been keeping an eye on the Eddies Cricket Facebook page. He reached out to the parent who runs the cricket page enquiring how to go about obtaining a cricket cap as he has no physical souvenirs of his time at St Edmund’s. We sent Jim a cricket hat and College tie pin. Jim is now 79. Canberra was his home for 60 years, followed by 17 years in Muswellbrook and for the last two years he has been living on the Gold Coast. Jim knew Bishop Pat Power, in fact they started kindergarten at St Christopher’s together in 1948. When Eddies opened they both enrolled and have remained great friends ever since. Five years ago Jim and his wife renewed their wedding vows in celebration of 55 years of marriage. Bishop Pat travelled to Muswellbrook to celebrate the Mass. My great thanks to Karen Hutchinson, one of College parents, for alerting us to Jim’s story. These are Jim’s cricket reflections from his time at St Edmund’s We used to play cricket on Wednesday afternoon against Canberra Grammar, Telopea Park, Saint Gregory’s and Queanbeyan. One of the greatest highlights of my days at Eddies was one afternoon when we were told there was special practice from 1pm till 3pm. We turned up and to our great surprise we were greeted by three Australian test players who had toured Great Britain in 1938, part of Sir Donald Bradman’s team. They were Jack Fingleton, who was an opening batsman and had two boys at Eddies, one was in my class. Then there was Stan McCabe, who was a brilliant batsman; he sold sports gear to the school and had a big sports store in Sydney. The third player was Bill O’Reilly, a great bowler who worked at Parliament House press gallery with Jack Fingleton. The practice went overtime and I missed the school bus home to Duntroon. When Mr O’Reilly found out he arranged for the Commonwealth car that came for them to take me home. When we got to my home there was a small gathering of people with my father who was very angry looking. He had asked my brother where I was and told him I had been at practice but did not see me get on the bus. We pulled up and Mr O’Reilly went up to my father. I did not know what was going to happen as dad was 6 ft 7 and O’Reilly was bigger. Mr O’Reilly beckoned Mr Fingleton and Mr McCabe to get out of the car (Stan McCabe happened to be my mother’s favourite player) and we all had afternoon tea together. PAGE 40
Alumni Magazine of St Edmund’s College Canberra
