Meet local artist Ren Inei, one of our past students who is following his dreams since leaving St Joseph’s.
When I meet former students and talk about the school, a common observation is of the enormous range of opportunities that boys have at St Joseph’s today. One area where opportunities continue to grow is in overseas immersion experiences.
Once again this year our students have been involved in the Victorian Young Leaders to China program with students spending six weeks living and studying in China. Later this year, we will have a group involved in the Victorian Young Leaders to India program with a small group of Year 9 students spending three weeks on the sub-continent. These programs are in addition to the long standing language trips undertaken annually to China and Italy.
Last year, a group of 2018 Year 12 graduates travelled to East Africa spending time visiting and assisting in Christian Brothers ministries in Kenya. In 2019 the graduates will again include Kenya in their itinerary along with Mannya, Uganda; where the College has been involved in supporting education for over a decade.
As part of our commitment to reconciliation, students have the opportunity to visit and learn from our Indigenous communities in Daly River, Ampilatwatcha and the Tiwi Islands. We also have a group visit our nearest overseas neighbours in Timor Leste.
These experiences help equip boys for life in an increasingly globalised world and can be life changing. No wonder we marvel at the opportunities available for our students to learn outside the classroom.
My father trained a number of apprentices during his career as a builder. He worked on the very basic premise
that if a boy would “work hard and do what he’s told” he would be ok. St Joseph’s graduates of today are also required to think critically, collaborate, communicate, be creative and flexible and be literate in a range of areas including Information Technology and Media. This requires us to adjust our teaching and learning.
The Project Based Learning model of teaching and learning is now in place for most subjects from Years 7 to 10. It focusses on developing these 21st Century skills. Senior boys are also being exposed to the flipped learning model of instruction which requires more independent learning.
Adjusting curriculum and programs is only one aspect of providing high quality contemporary education. We also need to continue to improve facilities. We are now in the final stages of completing our current masterplan. The final two elements are the gymnasium at Westcourt (under construction and due for completion in December) and the extensions and upgrade of the Performing Arts Centre on our Edmund Rice Campus scheduled for 2020.
The Westcourt gym will provide an indoor basketball and multipurpose facility along with three teaching areas. The Performing Arts Centre extension will expand and upgrade the centre from its current 260 to 350 seat capacity. There is a lovely synergy to these final two projects providing opportunities for both sporting and music drama activities.
Earlier this year we were delighted to welcome Bishop Mark Edwards (OMI) to the College to formally open and bless the Peter Chanel Centre containing Music and
Science facilities and nine classrooms. Bishop Mark was joined by Chanel Old Collegian Fr Kevin Bates, a first day Chanel student. The Bates family have been closely connected both with Chanel and St Joseph’s with Kevin’s brother Phil having taught at both schools for lengthy periods. It is fitting to recognise the role of Chanel College in providing Catholic education in Geelong with the naming of this building.
One important measure of success each year is our VCE results. In 2018, 13% of our VCE students achieved an ATAR of above 90. The mean ATAR was 66.86, up from 66.45 in 2017. Improving the mean ATAR indicates we are providing more boys with access to a wider choice of tertiary courses should they choose to pursue a university course of study. 91% of our 2018 Year 12 boys were offered a place in a tertiary institution in the first round of VTAC offers. 72 of these were at Deakin University. The most popular courses were in areas of sport and engineering.
Dux of the College, Ricky Ivelja having achieved an ATAR of 99.3, Charlie Roach (Biology) and Pat Richards (Legal Studies) achieved perfect scores of 50. These students and all other award recipients were recognised at our awards ceremony at which we were delighted to welcome back Nick Maxwell as our guest speaker and presenter. In the most recent Ad Alta, I outlined plans for an organisational redesign of the College structure. This
new structure including sub schools commenced this year and is helping ensure that every boy is well known, well cared for and has the opportunity to feel part of the College.
Year 7 and 8 are now “Waterford”, Year 9 “Westcourt” at our Herne Hill Campus and our senior boys are “Mt Sion”. Boys at Mt Sion now belong to Butler, Brophy, Jordan or Foley House rather than a year level. The naming of the sub schools reflects our Christian Brothers heritage with Westcourt Edmund Rice’s birthplace and Waterford the site of his first school named Mt Sion.
Throughout its 84 years of educating young men St Joseph’s has helped prepare graduates to make their way in the world beyond school. At its simplest level this means that graduates depart with the “three Rs”, work ethic and a certificate. On a deeper level however, they leave with something far more important; a capacity and willingness to make the world a better place by the way they live their lives.
Tony
College Principal
For me 2018 was a very special year where I celebrated my 30 year reunion. The Annual Reunion was held in the Paul Tobias Centre on 2 June. It was great to see so many students from my class of 88, some of which made the trip from Queensland and Western Australia. Our friendships and connection to the College still remain strong which is something very special to St Joseph’s. The night started with a tour of the College and many past students commented on the development of the school and the new facilities.
For the second year, following on the success of the 50 year anniversary of the boarding house closing, we held another reunion for the Boarders with approximately 40 in attendance. This event continues to be very popular and it was great to see so many former students attend. It included a visit to the Heritage Centre in Shannon Ave and also highlighted the many changes that have happened at the College in recent years.
The Annual St Joseph’s College Old Collegians’ Golf Day was held at 13th Beach Golf Links Barwon Heads with just under 200 players taking part in an Ambrose-style competition. Both courses were once again in fantastic condition and made for a great day.
We thank David Bowles and Associated Cold Tread Tyres for being our major sponsor. It was great to see so many new players as we continue to grow the golf event. The Golf Day is a major fundraiser for our Old Collegians’ Association. Thanks to all of the players and sponsors who helped raise over $20,000 on the day. As in past years, we have donated this money to the College Bursary program, which assists families in need to afford the opportunity to send their boy to St Joseph’s College.
The Remembrance Mass for deceased Old Collegians, Staff and Benefactors was held on Saturday 10 November in the College Chapel. Fr. Prakash celebrated the mass with us. During this Mass the deceased were remembered and afterwards those in attendance enjoyed morning tea in the Paul Tobias Centre.
We continue to try and build our database of members and it is important that you keep your contact details up to date. Please notify the College if you change your contact details. In the next 12 months we hope to have a new website portal for the SJOCA to keep up to date with fellow alumni.
Thank you to all committee members for their dedicated commitment to the Association and to St Joseph’s. Also thanks to Kristen Gleeson and Julie Cole for their continued support and commitment to SJOCA.
Best wishes,
Justin O ,Brien President
In 2018 the College completed construction of a major new building which comprises nine general purpose classrooms, two science classrooms, two music classrooms one of which has the facility to record our students’ musical performances, meeting rooms, staff offices and an extension to the existing Band Room. The cost of this important addition to our building infrastructure was some $9M and the classrooms will be predominately occupied by our Year 7 students. A key feature of the design is the ability to open up the general purpose classrooms to provide double classrooms to support the project based learning initiative.
During the year, the College went to tender for construction of a Gymnasium at the Westcourt Campus. This project will provide much needed indoor sports facility space and will enable full year assembly to be conducted indoors. Construction will take place during 2019 in readiness for occupation in 2020 when Year 9 student numbers increase to 336. The facility will consist of a single basketball court, circuit training room, two classrooms, storage, maintenance shed and amenities. The cost of the project will be approximately $4.5M.
Designs were also finalised for an extension to the Peter Canon Performing Arts Centre (PAC). Currently the PAC can seat 260 and with the extension seating
capacity will be increased to 350 thus enabling a full year assembly to be undertaken in the facility. The works will involve an extension to the existing cantilever section over the quadrangle. It is expected that the College will go to tender for these works during 2019 with construction to take place in 2020.
The carpark in Queens Road was extended during the year to accommodate an additional 42 parking spaces which was desperately needed given the recent growth in student and staff numbers. Also the landing in front of the Cricket Pavilion was replaced and this now provides dry area storage underneath as well as extending the viewing platform. Netting was also installed above the existing cricket nets on Zampatti oval to provide protection to neighbouring properties from stray cricket balls being hit over their fences.
Terry Fowler Business Manager
In August 2018, the St Augustine’s Old Boys celebrated their 100th Anniversary with a luncheon at the College. St Augustine’s moved into the Bluestone building bordering Queens Road in 1857 and remained in Newtown until 1939 when they moved to Highton. St Joseph’s College opened in 1935.
Circa 1904 ‘Lay Brother Bruno Carroll undertook the planning and establishment of a formal European-style garden to enhance the entry to St Augustine’s from Aphrasia Street.’
‘In 1911 large outdoor swimming baths (77 feet by 36 feet) were opened. The boys themselves doing the digging and evacuation work for this undertaking’. Check out the Heritage Centre Instagram page, to see photos of the College through the years. The Heritage Centre is open on Tuesdays, and other days by appointment. Contact the Archivist Susan Belluzzo by email Susan.Belluzzo@sjc.vic.edu.au or phone 03 5226 8100.
Quotes are from St Augustine’s and the Christian Brothers by Peter Chapman cfc.
Susan Belluzzo Archivist
St Augustine’s orphanage opened in March 1857 on Queen’s Road. It operated on the St Joseph’s site before relocating to Highton (the site now occupied by Christian College). Later St Augustine’s morphed into McKillop family services across a variety of settings.
Daniel O’Driscol was the first Master of St Augustine’s and managed the orphanage from 1857-1878. In 2011, St Joseph’s College purchased Noble Oval and renamed it “O’Driscol Oval” to acknowledge the original site of the orphanage.
There were guests present at the reunion who had lived in the orphanage when it was at Newtown, mostly in what we now call B block. The old boys all had amazingly diverse stories. It was really clear that they share an incredibly strong bond, because in a very real sense they were family to each other. The St Joseph’s site is their spiritual home and they will always be welcome here.
The St Joseph’s College Foundation was generously supported throughout the year by many donors who became members of the Foundation, joined the McNeill Society or gave during our Annual Gifting campaign for scholarships and building projects. The work of the Foundation would not be possible without the committed support of many from within the College community and I would like to take this opportunity to thank those donors, members and our Old Collegians for their ongoing generosity.
The Foundation has strived throughout 2018 to broaden its profile by hosting and aligning itself with a number of events and activities to help maintain our close links with the College community.
Our signature event each year has been the annual Foundation Dinner. This year we were pleased to host 100 members and guests who were able to enjoy an evening of catching up with old friends as well as hearing some powerful stories from special guests. On this evening, members were given the opportunity to hear first-hand about the profound impact the work of the Foundation and the College Bursary program has had on the life of a family within the College community. It has been life changing for this family.
We also heard a touching account from an Old Collegian, as he reflected on losing his father at the age of 10 and his motivation for wanting to give back to the College in the form of a bursary. Their inspirational stories really brought to life the work of the Foundation. For many Old Collegians, families and friends of the College our bequest program the McNeill Society is a wonderful way to shape a lasting gift and support the education of future generations.
Now into its second year, a social event for members took place on 29 November. The gathering of Old Collegians, past and current parents and staff was a great opportunity to thank and acknowledge everyone for their ongoing support of the College and the Foundation.
During the year the Foundation took the opportunity to reflect and capture the story of Old Collegian, Foundation member, past parent and McNeill Society member Mr Kevin Costa, whose relationship with the College spans 60 years and many generations.
Kevin believes every boy should have the opportunity of a St Joseph’s education and in leaving a bequest, Kevin will continue to part of College story going forward. Kevin’s inspiring account is available for viewing on the College website.
These activities are bringing the work of the Foundation to life in a meaningful way. We look forward to building on the success of the program in 2019 and beyond.
We thank once again the members of our College community for your commitment and support in
raising $60,000 through our annual gifting campaign. Your generosity of spirit will ensure the ongoing funding of educational programs and bursaries and affords every Joey’s boy the opportunity to strive for the highest.
As many community members would be aware, the College is embarking on a building development program at both campuses which will require significant financial resources. We will be appealing to the generosity of the College community to assist the Foundation and the College in bringing this vision to reality.
I wish to thank the Foundation management team, the College Board, and all the College support groups and staff members, for your ongoing support. We look forward to 2019
Paul McNamara Foundation Chair
Foundation Committee
Chairperson Paul McNamara
Treasurer Steve Madden
Secretary Kristen Gleeson
General Committee Warick Brown
General Committee Kevin Costa
General Committee Lucy Dripps
General Committee Heather Kelly
General Committee Roland Mrak
General Committee Joe Virgona
General Committee Maureen Zampatti
Students Jonathan Zarb, Ethan Gray, Harvey Carmody, Jurrin Romanis, Ned De Grandi, Daniel Corray, Phoenix Sweeten, Jake McCorkell, Haylee Tomicic and Alissa Grissenti and teachers Chris Lynch and Michelle Brodrick were joining the 8th annual St Joseph’s College and Clonard College immersion to Mannya, Uganda in November 2018. However, with one week until we were due to leave, a tragic dormitory fire took place in the Village of Mannya, where lives were lost and injuries sustained.
It was deemed not appropriate to visit Mannya, and the group was forced to either abandon the trip or find somewhere else to visit. Through the hard work of Michelle and Chris, an alternative trip and itinerary was quickly organised in 48 hours to take place in Kenya!
To immerse us in Kenyan culture and to experience life in such a different place, we visited a wide variety of organisations, centres and parishes, spread all over the country; including centres for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, a school for disabled and special needs children and a centre for those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. We also attended masses in different regions and even a three hour mass where to our surprise, not a word of English was spoken during the service!
The group was able to visit some animal sanctuaries, as well as a couple of days at the Masai Mara National Park, where we undertook a safari, sighting some of Africa’s most sunning wildlife! Throughout our time in Kenya, we experienced many new and exciting things.
Some highlights included running and participating in Edmund Rice Camps where great friendships were made, and home-visits in the Kibera Slum, home to over 1 million people in Nairobi. This was an eye opening experience which was somewhat confronting and really put life into perspective.
Ned and Daniel ran a respectful relationships workshop, where conversations and activities were run with a large group of kids and a deeper connection and understanding was formed between the group of Australians and the Kenyans.
After two weeks, the school group said their goodbyes to Jonathan and I as the group headed home. Jonathan and I were hosted by a group of Christian Brothers for four days in Nairobi prior to setting off to Tanzania to climb Mt Kilimanjaro.
The trek took five days to the Base Camp, but the greatest challenge was waking up at 11pm after two hours sleep, to trek the last seven hours up to the summit, where we watched the sun rise from 5895 metres above sea level. The climb was definitely the physically hardest thing I’ve ever done, but we felt so accomplished at the end of it.
These trips have definitely contained the most challenging and memorable experiences of my life, and will continue to change my life forever. We are all so thankful to St Joseph’s for the opportunity it provided us and the ability to see life from another perspective!
Held in February this year in the Pat Bourke Gallery, the third Alumni Exhibition showcased past students of St Joseph’s College whose careers range in talents and skills across various creative industries. The exhibition featured watercolour, acrylic and oil paintings, drawings, mixed media, architectural rendering, furniture design, printed digital illustration and animation.
Guests at the opening included past students and their families, current students, teachers, management and the wider St Joseph’s College community. The Arts Curriculum Area Leader, Leanne Adams and College Principal, Tony Paatch spoke to guests about the important role that creation plays in personal development and the impact it can have collectively. Alumni exhibitor, Charlie Purdy, also spoke of his time studying and how his arts education led him into the role of Visual Arts Teacher at St Joseph’s College. The Alumni Exhibition gives us the opportunity to stay connected to past students and shows current students the potential of their talents and how these can lead to creative career possibilities.
John Bohan (SJOC 1940) Surveyor, painter John enrolled as one of the first students at St Joseph’s College in 1935 at 12 years of age. John was employed as a surveyor’s assistant for Clive Thomas Surveyors, retiring from there in 1982. John discovered his talent in art during his conscription in the Australian Army, where he drew fellow comrades. It wasn’t until the 1970s, where John took an interest in learning to paint, drawing inspiration from places he travelled to.
Thomas Lentini (SJOC 2009) Furniture designer/maker Thomas completed the Diploma in Furniture Design & Technology in 2011, followed by the Associate Degree of Furniture Design in 2012 at RMIT. His education led to employment in the highly regarded studio workshop, Lowe Furniture. In 2017, Thomas established his own workshop in Melbourne, Studio Thomas Lentini, in which he specialises in custom and made-to-order solid timber dining and boardroom tables.
Charlie Purdy (SJOC 2014) Secondary school art teacher
Charlie studied Bachelor of Visual Arts and Bachelor of Secondary Teaching at Australian Catholic University, and is now employed at St Joseph’s College, teaching Art and Visual Communication from year levels 7 to 10. Charlie also enjoys making art works in his spare time, some personal and some commissioned.
Stuart Murray and Leigh Ryan (SJOCs 1997)
Using their skills and talents in illustration and 2D/3D animation, Stuart and Leigh started Geelong’s sole animation studio, Pillowfort Creative. Collectively, they have worked for commercial companies such as, Toyota, Coca-Cola, Aeroplane Jelly, and have worked on animated TV shows for Galaxy Pop (Get Ace) Working Dog (Pacific Heat) and The Grossery Gang (Moose Toys/ Cartoon Network) and smaller commissions.
Dominic Versace (SJOC 2011) Architect
Dominic studied a Bachelor of Architecture at Deakin University and completed his Masters of Architecture in 2016. Currently, Dominic works at Plus Architecture on Melbourne’s St Kilda Road where he is exposed to exciting design challenges and continues to develop his skills.
Jimmy Vo (SJOC 2011) Visual merchandiser, artist
Jimmy’s Fashion Design and Technology VET studies in VCE led to an interest in the fashion retail industry leading to the completion of a Diploma of Visual Merchandising and a Diploma of Interior Design and Decoration. Jimmy landed the role of Senior Visual Merchandiser at Gluestore, the flagship store in Melbourne’s CBD. He is currently studying an Advanced Diploma in Building Design and Construction to start a new journey of his creative career. In his spare time, Jimmy creates mixed media artworks, both personal and commissioned.
Have your work displayed in our gallery at our next exhibition. Open to all past students in creative industries. Contact: Julie Cole. Phone: 5226 8149. Email: julie.cole@sjc.vic.edu.au.
Thomas Lentini
On Wednesday 13 March, 130 guests gathered at Truffleduck to celebrate the Josephines’ 21st Anniversary. The Josephine’s were formed to provide an avenue for College families, in particular mothers, to stay connected and feel they will always be a part of this wonderful community that is St Joseph’s College Geelong.
We hold two social events annually in March and October. These gatherings are not only catching up with one another or making new friendships, we also raise funds to support the College Educational Support Program and the Paul Tobias Needs Based Scholarship. Funds for the Educational Support Program are used for purchasing equipment to enhance the learning and emotional development of these beautiful boys.
We host a special guest speaker at every Josephines event. On the evening we were joined by Paul Hulett, Executive Manager at GMBHA and board member of the Kids Plus Foundation. Paul and his partner Bec’s youngest, daughter Grace, has spastic quadriplegia cerebral palsy. Paul told his family story and all present were moved and inspired. Bec and Paul cope with adversity and hardship daily, with great support from extended family and services. The tremendous love they share was overwhelming and uplifting.
We were thrilled to be joined by Past Principal, Peter Cannon and past Development Office Managers John Fitzgerald and David Formosa. John and Peter were instrumental in the formation of our Josephine’s and we feel blessed to have been a part of this group for 21 years.
Thank you to Deb Nash and the Truffleduck team for the beautiful venue, delicious food and welcome.
Sadly, shortly after our beautiful celebration, our dear friend and fellow Josephine, Mary Hose passed away. Our thoughts and prayers are with her beloved Jack and all their precious family and friends. Mary’s love is with you always, deep in your heart. A gentle, beautiful, quietly spoken lady has left lasting memories with us all. Now in God’s loving care.
We look forward to our next gathering which will be lunch held on Friday 11 October at Mt Duneed Estate. Please save this date, all are welcome!
For people to be successful they need to have great guidance and encouragement. This is something that stands out when you enter life as a secondary student at St Joseph’s; the staff challenge and embrace hard working students wanting to get the best out of themselves. The students are very supportive of one another, which creates a great culture for people to try their best. To achieve a goal, internal drive is key. If you want to achieve something, I urge you to take opportunities that have been provided to you. This is an essential part of growing as a person and a student that could even mean challenging yourself in the classroom. I encourage all students, to move out of your comfort zone, try new things and embrace the College and I’m sure this will lead to you getting the best out of yourself. There are many opportunities at Joeys. St Joseph’s Football club and other football programs allowed me to gain many key relationships that helped me on my journey. At school, I always tried to make as many friendships as I could throughout my cohort and also with my teachers. If you show people that you have interest, it will create a great environment for them to help you get the best out of yourself. There will be many ups and downs but just take on the challenges and learn from the mistakes.
A highlight for me was my first Joeys school camp. It was the start of getting to know people outside a school environment and have some fun. It really stands out to me that on reflection it is so important to go out of your comfort zone. Meet and learn about other people because at this stage in your school life you still have another 6 years with your cohort. My view is, that if you’re
connecting to other people, then you are accepting other people. At this College it is evident that we are all in this together.
Another great experience was the school sports days, not only are they great competition but once again it is another opportunity to be part of something that can create great memories. Being part of a House is something that you should take pride in, that’s why I’m excited for the College to be moving in the direction of growing the profile of the House groups because the competition is a great way to embrace the school.
One of my favourite moments from my time at Joeys was winning the Herald Sun shield in 2016, something we hadn’t done for 10 years. To be able to represent the the College in a grand final on the MCG came with great pride. The school has an amazing history in and outside of the classroom and anyone that comes through Joeys has the opportunity to make a positive impact on such a great school.
The time at the College comes and goes very quickly, so make sure you make the most of it because there are so many great memories to be created. Just have fun, be supportive and strive for the highest.
Sam Walsh
The McNeill Society has been established by the St Joseph’s College Foundation to recognise and honour those who remember the College in their will.
The McNeill Society has been named after John McNeill, (SJC 1935-1937) A foundation student, John McNeill was a pupil at St Joseph’s during the first three years of its existence. One of the original House Captains, he took full part in all school activities, he was possessed of considerable ability as an athlete and was College Athletics Champion in 1935, 1936 and 1937.
John enlisted in the RAAF in March 1940 and in April 1941 Sergeant / WAG John McNeill (wireless air gunner) set sail from Australia, arriving in Singapore on 11 April, (Good Friday). He was immediately sent to Kota
Bharu the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base of operations in Northern Malaya. John returned to Singapore as the Japanese launched concurrent attacks on Malaysia and Pearl Harbour on 7 & 8 December 1941.
John McNeill was killed in a flying battle over Singapore on January 18th, 1942, age 23, he was the first St Joseph’s boy to be killed in action.
Although many successes may seem individual, there are always many people that have guided and helped behind the scenes. I am most grateful for all these people as they have put in time, effort and made sacrifices for me, especially my family, teachers and mates. I cannot begin to thank my parents enough, making sacrifices to send me to such a great school, to give me the best opportunity to be happy and to succeed. My teachers were not only excellent in teaching me the required content but also were role models and sharers of life lessons beyond school. As a student you really find this as you progress through senior school.
I think the greatest memories you form from school happen when teachers and students are just able to be themselves and step out of any façade. In the classroom my greatest memory will be that of my Year 10 maths class. It was just an awesome group of kids with a great teacher that had such a good environment. I also especially cherish the memories of ‘Adventure Race’ in Year 9. It was just a time where students and teachers, regardless of how close friends you were, would just enjoy the outdoors together.
During Year 12, there were times where I felt like just taking a step back and doing less work, however I found motivation in having a ‘no regrets’ mindset. I would think to the future of how I would come to regret doing less. I would think of how I would regret potentially jeopardising five years of high school work. Secondly, you hear a lot of people in all aspects of life saying how different things would be “if they had done this” or “if they had done that”, and I didn’t want that to be me.
I found that the most important part of life, in and out of school is balance. Most people understand the importance of balance, however fail to realise that it is subjective for an individual. Rather than seeking what is best for them, people often seek a fixed, optimal amount of time studying, or training etc. I found this for myself at the start of the Year 12. I would go to the library every lunchtime to study, spending little time with my mates. However, I was already putting in enough time, and ultimately realised whilst having a good score holds importance for a year, having mates to support you and share happiness holds importance throughout a lifetime. And I believe my decision to spend lunchtimes with my mates and finding a balance benefitted me so much more than study could have. However, this is not a ticket to do less work, some people may need to spend more time studying, hence the subjective nature. At Joey’s we’re all so privileged, so just try to make the most of all facets of school life, to have a balanced, happy lifestyle.
What a privilege it is to be able to write about my son, Alex Cochrane’s time at St Joseph’s College for the Ad Alta Virtute. Alex is a great young man who loves his family, friends, his dog and his work. He is a hard worker and respectful and will do anything for those he cares about.
After graduating from St Joseph’s, Alex completed a Work Education Course at the Gordon, which gave him a chance to experience many facets of trade. He always loved gardening with his family here and in the UK and after work experience with Shaun McDonald in landscaping, realised this was the path for him. In the next two years, Alex completed a Certificate II in Horticulture and then Landscaping at the Gordon. However, it is St Joseph’s that had such a positive impact on the man Alex is today and as a mum, I am truly grateful.
From a young age, Alex had needed a significant amount of support with life and learning. We moved from the UK to Geelong when Alex was ten years old. He began schooling at St Patrick’s Primary where he was very well supported. As Grade Six was nearing its end, the move to St Joseph’s was daunting. We met Mark Turner, Special Needs Coordinator at Joeys, who immediately initiated transition programs to help with the move.
Damian Harrington, was Alex’s Year 7 Homeroom teacher, who was brilliant for him in his first year at St Joseph’s. Alex was fortunate to be also paired with Education Support Officer, Ange Wilson. This was an invaluable friendship that lasted his whole journey at Joeys. He was very well supported by many of the fantastic Learning Aides over the years including, Raelene, Kim and Lisa. Alex also knew he could hang out in the Special Ed area
room anytime he needed at recess or lunch and from all accounts, would often pop in for a chat!
Mark coordinated Alex’s schooling for six years. He was Alex’s friend and mentor who supported him in every way and motivated him to work hard. Mark together with Year Level Leaders such as Andrew Scaddan, ensured that adjustments were made so that Alex could engage in his learning and feel success. The Special Education Unit helped Alex in all areas of his life, both socially and academically.
During Alex’s time at Joey’s, he had many fantastic teachers and although it is a big school, he felt comfortable knowing he had teachers he could trust and go to if he needed. There are too many to mention, but to Alex’s teachers that supported him with friendship and guidance, please know that your kindness, compassion and good teaching, is remembered and appreciated.
Alex is now 22 and along with mowing and landscaping labouring jobs, now works at Barwon Valley Golf Club on grounds maintenance. He works with Colin Foster and another ex-Joey’s boy, Ben Casanelia, Manager of the club. He is very lucky to be part of such a great team and is loving his new endeavours.
St Joseph’s helps boys to become good people, not just good students. Respect for individuality and inclusivity were always paramount. We are forever grateful that Alex was able to go to such a fantastic school where he was given the support he needed to reach his full potential. He was able to venture into the world with life skills, confidence and friends. I guess that’s all a mum wants for their son.
Its hard to believe that this year represents 25 years since I have graduated from St Joeys. Upon reflection and having lived a considerable portion of my life, travelling, working and experiencing a great many things, there is or was ever, no better place to go to school than St Joeys. It kind of sounds a bit cliché when you read these reflective articles about past students that only ever get asked to write them because they were highly decorated College Captains that have been titans of industry that would burst into flames before they ever said a bad word about Joeys, but it’s true… St Joeys is a special place that shaped who I am today. As a 25th year graduate, father of three (Maggie, Albie & Duke) and husband to Carly (a Sacred Heart graduate) – it couldn’t ring truer that St Joeys school is still a part of my life and will be for ever.
As was a path commonly travelled amongst my peers, I graduated in 1994 and successfully enrolled at Deakin Commerce where I studied for 5 years to receive my degree and work for my father at his accounting firm in Geelong. I think deep down I knew that sitting behind a desk would drive me mad, but I was savvy enough to know that tertiary education and professional experience would serve me well in my future. That job certainly didn’t set my world on fire but upon reflection I will be eternally grateful to my Dad for providing some structure and experience that would hold me in good stead for life.
So off to London it was, packed my bags and decided a working holiday was the way to go for the next couple of years anyway. I landed a semi-useless gig in the U.K. to pay the bills and travelled around Europe experiencing life with friends the way only an adventurous 25 year old could. Getting a bit tired of the long London winters I found myself drawn to the sandy beaches and highly lucrative, rich and famous lifestyle of private motor yachting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Running private mega yachts was something of a learning curve for myself an accounting graduate, but it was a rare time in my journey where life was lived to the fullest and, boy oh boy, if those walls could talk… but those files are sealed. Needless to say, I burned the candle at both ends but upon reflection it was surrounding myself with some pretty astoundingly successful people (mega yacht owners) that gained me some valuable life knowledge and experience.
Finally getting all the above out of my system it was time to finally come home and get serious about my life and future. It was not long after returning I was fortunate enough to discover the love of my life Carly – a former Sacred Heart student – the irony of travelling the globe and marrying someone from your sister school was both blinding and a blessing. It was then when we decided to
embark on our hospitality journey where an opportunity to open a café arose in an extremely high-profile building that my father Greg was building in central Geelong. Realising that I need a footing in the industry that I was surely destined to conquer, I bought a little-known florist coffee shop in Highton and thus created my business 63 Degrees. The name was all about the perfect coffee temperature and it was a hit. Being super busy and ambitious, we decided to acquire another site in Pakington Street which in time, as the largest site, would act as head quarters for our entire operation. Soon then the Harrison Place building was opened and the third 63 Degrees was launched. During this time, we had three children so just to make things a little more hectic we launched a fourth venture at Cotton On HQ – Fuel Café that is still in operation but we are no longer associated with, but again some corporate association with a global
company – invaluable. We now cater some high-profile events like ‘Bells – Pro Surfing’ at which Joeys had a Year 10 competing against a legend Kelly Slater.
With all this happening, kids, work and life it became apparent that there was a gap in the market of catering for private function, weddings, birthdays and special events that was not being fulfilled; cocktails. So, we (my wife Carly) then developed a mobile boutique cocktail bar ‘Sip Sip’ which we now take with us to major catering events, set up and serve customised cocktails for fun. Its fair to say it’s a been wildly popular concept and lucrative addition to the business.
Since then as a local business owner I have learned a few lessons that have served me well. The most important is you can work yourself into the ground, but nothing can replace time with family. Having a family and its trials and tribulations has allowed me to pair back my professional ambition and narrowed my focus on what matters. Having a special needs son Albie with autism has allowed me to realign my priorities and focus on his and our other children’s futures. Its difficult to express the level of commitment and responsibility required to parent our beautiful son Albie through his life so far. Having a child with autism changes your life forever immeasurably and it turned our world as we knew it upside down, but we believe he is a blessing every day. I think as a Dad, St Joeys has prepared me for the challenges that life has presented so far and I can’t express the feeling of security I get from knowing that Albie will one day attend the same school I did, and will thrive as I did as a Joeys boy.
So, my advice is this, if you want to be rich – work your butt off. If you want to be happy – do something you
love every day. The greatest commodity in life is time –you can never get it back, so spend it doing something meaningful with it and your life – with the people you love.
My journey to board at St Joseph’s began a long, long time ago. It was 1945. World War II was still raging across Europe and the Pacific. Allied bombers were blasting Berlin, General MacArthur was about to capture Manila and Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin were meeting at Yalta to plan for the future. Almost three-quarters of a century ago but memories remain fresh.
As a shy and timid 12-year-old from a tiny one-teacher, one-room, eight-pupil school in the wilds of Wonwondah East deep in the back blocks of the Wimmera, I was totally intimidated by all that confronted me at the top of the Aphrasia Street hill. The buildings were big and forbidding and there was a crush of more than a hundred boys--all older, bolder and stronger than me. The group of no-nonsense Brothers led by Oswald Adams were demanding and belonged to an education genre that seemed to bear no resemblance to my former teacher-the gentle Honor Koenig who had run State School 2472 with such kindness and care.
For a start, there was the humiliation of a nick-name bestowed by “the big boys”. First it was Dunny with its embarrassing toiletry connotations. That gave way to something only marginally better--Sardy (“because you look like a sardine”). Finally, both were superseded by Bro “Tiger” Maloney who, in an early class, couldn’t remember my name and shouted “Hey, you, Fred”. It stuck. Somewhat better than before!
My mother had remained in Geelong for the first week to assist if needed. But my cries for help went unheeded. I was no celebrity but “Get Me Out of Here” was the plea in a note sent every afternoon with a day-boy who lived near where my mother was staying. Her reply was straight forward: “If you want to be a journalist you need an education you can’t get at home”.
I stayed because that’s what I desperately wanted to be. And life at SJC improved so that when I left, at the end of 1949, I looked back on those five years with not only pleasure but also with great gratitude because they set me firmly on the road towards a 70-year writing career which I follow still. Much credit lies with Br Maurice Howard who was the English teacher. He was a personal Roget’s Thesaurus, someone who taught me how to use words and how to put them together. As well, he kept secret the identity of Richard the Roving Reporter (me) who published the underground school newspaper that often raised the ire of many.
After leaving Geelong, it was back to the bush to take a cadetship with the Horsham Times in the days when country newspapers insisted you do just about everything. We published twice a week. The night before when you finished writing there were proofs to be read and metal ingots to be carried from the storeroom to the linotype operators. Home at midnight, back at 4am to take the papers off the press, bundle them, do a town delivery round then grab a quick breakfast before starting the cycle all over again at 9am.
After a couple of years a general reporting opportunity opened at the Melbourne Herald. Some time later a different chance—European Correspondent for Australian Associated Press. So the next four years were spent in London with assignments in Britain and across the Continent. Many involved sport with perhaps the most interesting being Richie Benaud’s 1961 tour of England which lasted six months. It was the last of the traditional tours in which Australia played every 18 counties as well as matches in Scotland and Ireland and festival games and, of course, the Tests. There were also the major tennis tournaments such as Wimbledon
and the French Open, the British Open Golf and Olympic Games in Rome and Tokyo.
Back in Australia I transferred, as Southern States Editor, to The Australian which had just been founded by Rupert Murdoch. This was just before Murdoch went to London to start his international empire which meant he was on the spot to demand at midnight or dawn why you had done this or hadn’t done that—a demanding, impatient and hard-to-please character.
During my six years at The Australian I had the opportunity to do some consulting for Time Magazine and that led, in 1973, to an offer to become their South Pacific Correspondent. For the next 25 years I worked for what was then the world’s largest media organization writing not only for Time itself but also its many other publications which included Life, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and Time-Life Books.
The canvas was indeed as broad as the territory which covered Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the nations big and small from Fiji and New Caledonia to the many island countries as far east as Tahiti and Samoa. Occasionally there were forays into Asia including a visit to North Korea which then would not accept any of Time’s American reporters, a Papal tour and a journey with Charles and Di. Essentially the magazine was interested in political and economic happenings, and there were plenty of those usually conducted at the highest level.
There were many memorable occasions, several involving Prime Ministers--the sacking of Gough Whitlam which produced an unprecedented three Australian cover stories in five weeks; a visit to China and Japan with Bob Hawke including a seat at his banquet table in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing; and many
conversations with the contrasting PMs from New Zealand—the pugnacious “Piggy” Muldoon--and the disarmingly informal David Lange who often provided pizzas at his humble Auckland home.
Disasters both natural (Cyclone Tracy’s demolition of Darwin) and unnatural (the Antarctic crash of the Air New Zealand jet) were covered along with mini-coups in Suva and Port Vila. There were compulsory biennial visits to the towering Time-Life building at Rockefeller Centre in New York where out-of-town correspondents had to swap roles with high-flying Editors so they would not lose sight of the urgency and accuracy that attended their copy when it came in each week from the many farflung bureaux around the world.
It was an extraordinary journalistic experience but when retirement came it was not the end of the writing road. Waiting was that iconic Australian, R.M.Williams, who was about to launch “Outback”, a magazine publishing the stories of the rural people and the faraway places he loved so much. Ahead lay meetings with the likes Gina Hancock and the Kidmans, visits to the Birdsville Track and the great cattle stations and mining operations of the centre, west and north.
It offered a new and different career which has, at the end of 2018, provided 20 entertaining years with hopefully more to come. Fitness fanatic Br O’Brien, who conducted an intense physical exercise class, would feel vindicated. As I continually flunked the parallel bar, the roman rings and just about everything else, he often remarked: “You’ll never make a gymnast, son, try something else”
I grew up in Belmont and went to Oberon Primary School as a child. In 1980 I started Year 7 at St Joseph’s College. This was a huge change for me as my primary years were in a much smaller school community where all of the students lived locally. Adjusting to a huge all boys school and having to wear a uniform took a little while to get used to but I made a heap of great friends very quickly. I have so many memories of my times at St Joseph’s and can rattle off story after story if given a chance. I still really enjoy bumping into past students and reminiscing about all of the adventures and misadventures of our times together in high school. These were formative years for me and I think they have contributed hugely towards me becoming the person I am today.
After leaving St Joseph’s College I had a fantastic year at the Gordon TAFE completing a tertiary orientation program (T.O.P) in art and design. This was a really strong course that set me up for university. Next step was a Bachelor of Arts (Applied Arts) completed at Deakin University from 1987-1990 at their Warrnambool campus. These were an exceptional few years. Lifelong friendships and memories were made in Warrnambool. I was very fortunate to meet an exceptional person also studying fine arts with me. We got married in 1993 and now have four wonderful children with the youngest a current student at St Joseph’s. University was a great time of my life but once finished I struggled to find any consistency in my arts practice outside of its supportive environment, structures and discipline. I drifted from job to job and ended up working as a painter and decorator. This was fine for a while but I did feel like I was not capitalising on all of the studying and qualifications I had achieved. This led me to head back to university completing a Bachelor of Education (Post Graduate) at Deakin University, Geelong from 19961997.
My first year of teaching was actually at St Joseph’s and this was a very surreal experience. I was now teaching
alongside some of my former teachers and having to run classes in some of my old class rooms. It was a great experience though and it was excellent being a part of a vibrant arts faculty. I then went on to teach for two years at Catholic Regional College now St Ignatius College and a further twelve years at Belmont High School as a specialist art and visual communication teacher.
Working as a teacher was very fulfilling on so many levels but I always felt I was only able to express my own creativity to a certain point within the classroom. I purposely set about trying to determine what it actually was that I wanted to pursue in my life. An open day which included a guided tour of a mostly disused industrial heritage building in Geelong become the catalyst for the current direction in my life. Visiting this building triggered the idea of opening a commercial art gallery. Things moved quickly from this point. I invited a close friend to join me and we found a great old building that we thought would suit our dreams and goals beautifully. The R.S. & S. Woollen Mill located down the river end of Pakington Street, Newtown is now the home of Boom Gallery.
We opened as a small gallery and coffee bar in 2011 and since then we have found many opportunities to grow our business in Rutland Street. Over the years the gallery has expanded in size and now incorporates a café, three exhibition galleries, design gallery and an extensive stockroom. We also have been able to provide lots of opportunities through other buildings like Factory 21 and Boom Makers an opportunity for artists, makers, designers and other creative professionals to find a place to work and make. Rutland Street in Newtown has now become a hive of activity. Each day I am able to go to work and am blessed, encouraged and inspired by all of the exceptional people that have chosen to be a part of the Rutland Street Arts Precinct.
I think it is important to pursue your dreams and to try and do something meaningful with your life. Something
that not only benefits yourself but also contributes significantly to others and to the community to which you belong. I think my time at St Joseph’s College and the motto of the school ‘Ad Alta Virtute’, ‘To Strive for the Highest’ has been foundational in my life. I want to thank the school for every opportunity they gave me to learn and grow in my teenage years and I wish all past and current students and staff the very best life going forward.
At the beginning of this year, the College welcomed back past student Nick Maxwell as our special guest speaker at our Senior Awards. Nick gave an inspiring speech to our current students about the importance of setting yourself goals and continuing to work towards them even when you may suffer some knockbacks. He spoke fondly of his friend Michael Carmody (dec SJOC 2001) who tragically passed away in 2007 just as he was pursuing his passion for teaching. Nick still is a big part of supporting the Carmody Foundation which holds an event at our College each year. Nick reflected on the talents of other past students and how being a man of good character sets you in good stead to pursue your goals. Fantastic advice.
Nick is recognised for his excellent leadership capabilities, becoming a successful Leadership coach with the Melbourne Storm, GWS Giants and an advisor to Leaders in business. He is currently working at Collingwood Football Club where he is the Leadership and Culture manager for the club, working with the AFL, AFLW, Netball and Administration.
‘Corio Bay Dreaming’ is an artwork by Ren Inei which hangs in the College’s Peter Chanel Centre. A mad keen fisherman as a teenager, Ren would grab a window seat in his SJC classroom and look out over Corio Bay. Inspired by that memory Ren’s painting focuses on where the sky meets the water - the space that divides the mystery of what lies beneath with the great wonder of the sky and the heavens above
“ It is not just the education you get, it’s not just the opportunity to do music or sport or business or art; this school makes you a better person.
We can foster and develop talents, but it’s really hard to actually teach character. And that’s the basis of what this school gives you”
- Nick Maxwell
TOP GUN. I’m sure many of you are familiar with Tony Scott’s 1980s blockbuster, highlighting the elite flying of Naval fighter pilots. What many of you may be unaware of though, is that a St Joseph’s College Old Collegian joined the ranks of Naval fighter pilots long before TOP GUN hit screens in the 80s…
Graduating in 1960, Barry Diamond joined the ranks of the Royal Australian Navy in 1962, beginning his military career as a Tactical Coordinator (Observer) on the then new, anti-submarine warfare helicopter, the Wessex 31A. After being successfully accepted into the flying training course in 1965, Barry embarked on what would be a challenging, yet incredibly rewarding and successful career as a Naval fighter pilot.
Barry’s initial posting saw him commence training on the A4G Skyhawk fighter attack aircraft. Capable of a large weapon payload, air refuelling and admired for its wide versatility, the Skyhawk became a highly regarded, formidable attack aircraft. Several promotions throughout his Naval career saw Barry obtain a flight instructor rating and subsequent posting to the Royal Australian Air Force instructional team of staff at RAAF Base Pearce for two years.
Following this in 1973, Barry joined the HMAS Perth (Guided Missile Destroyer) and three years later assumed Command of the Fleet Air Arm Front Line Fighter Squadron, VF 805, flying the A4G Skyhawk. Also, whilst on deployment to the United Kingdom for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee celebration in 1977, he was fortunate enough to fly what is commonly referred to as, ‘The Harrier Jump Jet.’
Among other accolades, Barry was accredited with more than 500 aircraft carrier deck landings in the A4G Skyhawk, believed to be the most carrier landings on HMASMelbourneinthataircraft.HeretiredfromtheRAN on the 31 January 1982 with the rank of Commander.
Following his career in the RAN, Barry held a myriad of other roles including several managerial positions with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, General Manager of Flight Operations at Qantas Airways and Chief Pilot of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. During this time, Barry also flew a number of other advanced aircraft including several corporate jets and helicopters.
After these stints, Barry’s aviation aspirations were steering towards the training sector. Motivated by the high cost of flight training, in 2002, Barry sought to establish a professional flight school that would gain a reputation for quality training at a fair price. His endeavour saw the successful formation of the Sydney Flight Training Centre which grew to train approximately one-hundred overseas students per year. Operating twenty aircraft and two flight simulators, it became the largest operator of the Liberty XL2 trainer aircraft in the world and was awarded a contract to train overseas airline cadet pilots.
Unfortunately, the Global Financial Crisis had a profound effect on the aviation industry, in particular, pilot training. This resulted in the forced closure of the Sydney Flight Training Centre in 2009.
Fast forward to June 2018 and I find myself, a Graduate of the Class of 2016 volunteering at a class reunion. As luck would have it, I struck up a conversation with an Old Collegian and ex-student pilot of Barry’s
Barry Diamond after his 500th Aircraft Carrier deck landing on the HMAS Melbourne. Perth, 1977.
and keen aviator, who reignited my passion for flying. Following introductions with Barry, we set out a program for myself and what once seemed like a financially insurmountable goal became a very real possibility - the road to becoming a commercial pilot.
Despite all of his professional highlights and successes, Barry still insists that one of his greatest achievements is: “Having had the opportunity to train young aviators.” When asked to provide his best advice for St Joseph’s College alumni, Barry said:
“When I look back on my aviation career I don’t believe that I could have packed anymore in. Had it not been for the unconditional support of my parents and the sacrifices they made, in particular their decision to send me to St Joseph’s, my future career may have been very different. In my later years at St Joseph’s I can vividly recall looking skywards and seeing military jets flying overhead, which I suspected were operating from the Laverton RAAF Base or Avalon Airport. I wondered how you could become a pilot in one of those aircraft and that thought today would be something like `how would I go about becoming an astronaut’. Six years after leaving Joeys I was in the Navy’s Fleet Air Arm and I was flying one of those military jets! I attributed that outcome to the outstanding dedication of the Christian Brother’s
teaching staff, in particular Brother Irvin and Brother Peter Faulkner, and I have to say I don’t think I made it easy for them! My message to today’s alumni is “be bold, follow your dreams and you will be rewarded”. In my 53 years as a pilot, I cannot count how many times people have said to me “I was going to be a pilot, but ….. happened and I wished I had followed my dream.”
Now instructing students part-time at Barwon Heads airport, Barry continues to sustain his passion for flying, whilst being able to experience the pleasure of seeing students like myself achieve their aviation dreams. A generous, humble man, Barry epitomises what it means to be a Joeys boy.
It was the 25 April 2015, when I saw the news flash on TV about the devastating earthquake in Nepal, and shortly thereafter, receiving a call from my Nepalese friend (Lachhu Thapa) living in Canberra advising me of the catastrophic impact of the disaster. Some weeks later, it was revealed that around 9,000 people lost their lives and the country was in desperate need for assistance. In August that year, Lachhu and I set up a not for profit foundation called REACH for Nepal, where the objectives of the foundation are defined through the acronym ‘REACH’ - Rebuild, Educate, Assist, Children/ Communities (giving) Hope for Nepal. What sets the foundation apart from many others, is that every dollar raised in donations is sent to those in need in Nepal. All work in Australia is done on a voluntary basis.
Over the last three and a half years, more than 100 people have travelled to Nepal through the foundation and we have raised over $100,000 to assist in a rebuild program at the grass roots level, in remote and poor parts of the country. Invariably, the response from people participating in these projects is “we have given these people so little, and they have given us so much”.
We now have schools and the University of Canberra actively participating in a range of activities with the University incorporating work in Nepal as part of their health degree course. The focus of their work is to educate women and children in villages on hygiene and nutrition.
The work of the foundation was formally recognised on the Nepal National Day in September 2018 when I received one of four awards presented by the Nepalese Ambassador to Australians for their contribution in making a difference in Nepal. I feel very privileged and blessed to be able to facilitate the connection between
people here in Australia to those in Nepal, and as a result, the people from both countries are so much better for the experience.
Personally, I love the work I do for the foundation as it ticks all the boxes important to me. I am semi-retired and now have the time to pour my energy into what I feel really passionate about. It gives me great joy to make a real and tangible difference in the lives of people in small villages, and to give those travelling to Nepal an experience that will last with them forever. I am also a very active person and I love trekking and taking in the views of the majestic Himalayan mountains, and together with the beautifully natured Nepalese people, it makes leading groups in Nepal a wonderful and truly rewarding experience.
Many of the people travelling are students, the leaders of tomorrow, and they walk away with much to think about. Many of the children they see in villages have very little, but they are so happy, and perhaps more bewildering, is that they can beat the older visiting boys in soccer, playing with bare feet!
Some people say that helping a handful of communities in Nepal is not going to change the world, but the assistance we provide through the foundation changes the world for those communities. The foundation is directly aligned with the values most important to me, with our focus being ‘every life matters’.
My family and St Joseph’s College were instrumental in my faith journey and the values I hold in life, something to which I am still very much committed and grateful. At one point in my time at St Joseph’s College, I had four of my brothers (George, Joe, Rob and John) attending at the same time, as well as my father George, who was
teaching Maths and French. Six members of the family at the same school, which therefore resulted in an article and photo in the Virtus.
Soon after I graduated from Deakin University in 1979, I started a career in IT, culminating in the CIO role in running Medicare and other major government health related programs. My wife Gabrielle and I are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary this year and we have three boys, all pursuing their individual calling. Jonathan our eldest is about to head off to live in the UK with his English born wife Johanna. Paul our second son is Parish Priest at St Joseph’s in Canberra, and Daniel is in Melbourne studying and working in a specialized IT area.
In addition to my role as co-founder and director of the foundation, I am occasionally requested to undertake short IT consultancy assignments, and 12 years ago, I set up my own mindfulness, meditation and yoga business, running courses and classes enabling people to maintain a sense of perspective and calmness despite the stresses of life.
Life for me has been an amazing journey (with many ups and downs) and I am still learning new things and being
It is not only our past students who have a connection with St Joseph’s, our staff also share both friendships and memories of their time at the College. We love to find out who has been enjoying retirement and its adventures along with the news from those who are pursuing their careers in a variety of different places.
Guests were treated to a preview of the upcoming College Production “Shrek” which had their rehearsals underway. All were impressed by the new Peter Chanel Centre with its bright new modern classrooms, fabulous new music and band facilities and wonderful views. There were comments that the College has come a long way from some of the teaching spaces some past staff used to work in!
We were also very fortunate to have past Principals
Peter Cannon and Paul Tobias and current Principal Tony Paatsch in attendance.
Come and join us at our future gatherings.
Contact: Julie Cole. Phone: 5226 8149.
Email: julie.cole@sjc.vic.edu.au.
challenged in many ways. In hindsight, I can see my life being divinely inspired and infused with grace. The challenge is to have this trust in God in every moment, being open to what life has to offer, and to recognise the opportunities to help and support each other. You don’t need to scratch too far below the surface in anyone’s life to see that there is some degree of hardship.
Held at the beautiful 13th Beach Golf Course on Sunday 24 March, over 170 players took part in an Ambrosestyle team competition. The conditions for the day were ideal and once again both courses were in immaculate condition.
We are thrilled to announce that the day raised just over $20,000 which directly supports the College Bursary program and affords those boys most in need the opportunity to belong to our wonderful community. This tremendous result was made possible through the collective generosity of players and terrific sponsors. A big thank you to David and Alex Bowles from Associated Cold Thread tyres for once again supporting the event as our master sponsor.
Winners
Beach Course - 63 Degrees (Simon Bryant, Jono Bryant, Brett Sutherland, Grant Sutherland, Daniel Walsh)
Creek Course – Harmon Group (John Harmon, Mark Deverall, Ted Mithen, Marcus Nash, Chris Browne)
Runners Up
Beach Course – Tudor Group (David Tudor, Cameron Tudor, Alex Hickey, Mick Higgins, Gavin Brown)
Creek Course – Winchelsea Trading (Cameron Parke, Steve Cole, Anthony Worland, Brett Castle, Wade Vautier)
In the history of St Joseph’s College Cricket, we have had only three students who have made a century for the College. This year, we were lucky enough to get all three of these players to return to the school and catch up with Mick Hinds, who was present as Coach for all of those matches.
Who hit a century for SJC?
Jimmy Bartel
(SJOC 2001) - 106 N.O against CBC St Kilda on 8/3/2000.
Andrew Harriot
(SJOC 2004) - 100 against Salesian College on 19/3/2003.
Sam Hall
(SJOC 2001) - 113 against St Paul’s College on 14/3/2001.
Over the past 12 months we have celebrated our 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 year reunions. We welcomed 200 old classmates as they gathered together in the Paul Tobias Centre Staffroom on 2 June. This was a change of venue from the College Gym that has hosted a large number of these reunions in the past. The Staffroom provided a warm and friendly environment and guests enjoyed a few drinks as they caught up with old friends.
Pre-1979 Lunch Sunday 4 August
Old Collegian & Current Son Breakfast Friday 26 July
Generational Breakfast TBC
Boarders’ Reunion Friday 8 November
SJOCA Remembrance Mass Saturday 9 November
Class of 1969 50 Year Reunion Saturday 9 November
Our doors are always open for our past students to come and visit, part of the excitement is never knowing who may come back to share their story.
In August we welcomed back some past students who attended the College (some over 70 years ago!) for a casual morning tea and catch up. We were excited to be able to offer a tour of the school along with some entertainment from our music ensemble. To our guests - thank you for coming to see us at “Joey’s”.
David McGregor, College Captain 1991. Pictured with his sons & nephew - current SJC Student Hamish Codd.
Ken McDonald, Ken was both the 1951 College Dux and the McNeill Cup winner!
On Friday 12 October we welcomed 40 guests to our College Boarders’ Reunion. It was fantastic to see our past students enjoying a day back at St Joseph’s talking to our current student leaders about their time here.
These four gentlemen all attended St Joseph’s in its founding years and it is lovely to see they are still part of our College family today.
Tom Gurrie (SJOC 1938), Des Podbury (SJOC 1944) College Captain & McNeill Cup winner and John Bohan (SJOC 1940).
Anthony Smith (SJOC 1944), Des Podbury, Tony Paatsch - College Principal and John Bohan.
Cameron Johnston (SJOCA 2010)
Philadelphia Eagles rookie punter Cameron Johnston had a fantastic 2018 season breaking two Eagles records for: 1.Best Gross Punting Average (min. 40 punts)
2.Best Net Punting Averag (min. 40 punts). Cam is currently placed as #3 best punter in the entire National Football League. On a recent trip back to Geelong, Cam celebrated his engagement to Tia Williams from Ohio and caught up with some of our Old Collegians.
Ashley Thompson (SJOCA 2018)
Ashley was a familiar face on stage as a principal performer in the Tri-College productions over the last few of his schooling years. He was also a member of the College music groups. St Joseph’s was excited to hear that Ashley was accepted to study at the National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) after applying to study there this year.
Jackson Davies (SJOCA 2012)
Jackson Davies first picked up a camera in the classroom of Leanne Adams where he developed the confidence to pursue photography beyond school. His talented work is now part of a feature film “Brother’s Nest”, and his photographs have appeared on billboards on the Westgate Freeway, buses, cinema posters and in the background of Channel 7 television show Sunrise.
Jacob Loughnan (2017) & Oliver Loughnan
Both brothers were selected to play in the U20 Ultimate Frisbee team representing Australia in Canada, August 2018. Since that game, both young men have continued to pursue their sporting goals with further appearances at Ultimate Frisbee among other fitness pursuits.
Jase Lydom (SJOC 1990)
Jase and his family were selected to represent Australia and take part in the “Xventure Family Challenge”, a New Zealand TV show, that pits families against each other, in a series of team activities. Filming was at the stunning Eagles Nest, Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Although they did not progress to the finals, they all enjoyed the experience and adventure. Jase currently runs the Geelong Boxing and Obstacle Training gym.
Sam Walsh (SJOC 2018)
Sam Walsh was drafted to Carlton Football Club as the number one pick in the 2018 AFL Draft. Sam has had a huge year both on and off the field capped off by winning the prestigious Leo Turner Award for Excellence in Sport as well as the College’s highest honour for students, the McNeil Cup at the graduation ceremony before going on to debut for Carlton. He has made an excellent start to his AFL career.
Seamus Spanner (SJOC 2018)
Seamus has shown incredible skill and determination in almost any water sport he has taken up. Last year Seamus attended the Under 18 Australian Marathon Kayak Titles. Seamus won the K1 event and received a silver medal in the paired K2 event. Seamus was then selected to represent Australia in the World games in Portugal. Seamus is currently training at Penrith Olympic Course for Kayaking with the goal to be qualifying for an event in China in October.
Brayden Ham (SJOC 2017)
Brayden was drafted to the Essendon Football Club as AFL Draft pick number 72. Brayden always represented the College in Cross Country and Football with great determination. The College community congratulates Brayden and wishes him the best of luck in his future AFL career.
John Callahan (SJOC 1958)
On Australia Day, John was awarded the Australian Fire Services Medal. The AFSM is the highest honour an individual in the fire and emergency services can receive and only a few are handed out every year. They are awarded to individuals who have made remarkable contributions to CFA and their communities. John a CFA volunteer and mentor with over 55 years of firefighting experience, who as far back as 1971 was leading the charge to make the organisation a fair and inclusive environment.
Do you know a past student’s story we can share?
This magazine is for all of our past students, and as such, we would love to feature more stories from our Alumni. Some of your classmates may be too humble to put up their hand, we have found that some of our most inspiring and interesting stories come from friends and family members mentioning “hey, did you hear about.....”
We are proud to share the everyday stories of our “Joey’s Boys”. If you think you can help us or would like to include a story of your own, please get in contact with us at any time throughout the year.
Contact our Community & Development Office:
Phone: (03) 5226 8120
Julie Cole - Fundraising & Alumni Coordinator. julie.cole@sjc.vic.edu.au
Kristen Gleeson - Director of Community & Development. kristen.gleeson@sjc.vic.edu.au
Lauren Salcombe - Publications Officer & Website Manager. lauren.salcombe@sjc.vic.edu.au
Natasha Solczaniuk - Events Coordinator. natasha.solczaniuk@sjc.vic.edu.au
Susan Belluzzo - College Archivist. susan.belluzzo@sjc.vic.edu.au
(extracted from John’s eulogy written by Geoff Shaw).
John was born in Geelong and was the second child born to Camillus and Frances Shaw. Living close to the College at the grandparent’s Hassett household at 199 Noble Street meant a short walk across the paddock to St Joseph’s each day. During those early years, John’s interests included art and drawing and in particular painting with water colours. He performed well in the classroom and excelled on the sporting fields in both cricket, football and athletics, representing the College on many occasion. His excellent hand eye coordination also meant John was a champion handball player amongst the other students. In 1950, John was presented the most prestigious award, the McNeill Cup for his outstanding contribution to College life.
In his final years at St Joseph’s, John declined an offer to play for the Geelong Cats as his number one passion was cricket. John’s talent and success in district cricket soon saw him selected in the Victorian team where his ability and reputation continued to rise. He established himself in 1955-1956 as an opener scoring 82, the highest score in the match in the first match of the season. John was on the verge of an Australian test selection, when at age 24 he was struck on the head by a fast, short pitched ball. The blow was more serious than first thought and John spent several weeks in hospital recovering from a blood clot on the brain. During John’s recuperation after hospital, he stayed in Queenscliff and worked on his golf swing and in the span of two weeks he won both the 1955 Queenscliff Golf Club Championship and the Geelong and District Golf Championship. A remarkable feat!
John began the 1956-1957 season where he made 508 runs, the first of four consecutive season in which he made more than 500 runs. He was the second highest scorer in the 1957-1958 Sheffield Shield season with
751 runs. John was then selected in the Australian 14 man touring team to New Zealand in 1959-1960 where he top-scored with 120 into the first match innings victory over Auckland. John was instrumental in helping Australia avoid defeat throughout the tour.
In the 1961 season, John was struck by an additional nasty blow to the head during a Shield match, spending time once again in hospital. He retired from first-class cricket before the 1961-62 season with over 3200 runs and 55 matches.
John’s working life saw him start as a commercial artist for an advertising firm and he worked at the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works as a draftsman on the greater Melbourne Scheme. John also carried out some freelance work for the architects at 101 Collins Street, Melbourne’s tallest building at the time.
John a keen and talented golfer, met his wife Elisabeth at the Metropolitan Golf Club and they went on to spend many happy years together. John is survived by his siblings David (SJOC 1945) and Geoff (SJOC 1953).
We mourn the loss of the following Old Collegians in the past 12 months. Our hearts go out to you all as we pray “That God will welcome these faithfully departed into his loving arms. And that precious memories will be a comfort to those left behind, knowing that their love will live on in their hearts forever.”
Bill Amor (SJOC 1941) College Captain
Nathan Bond (SJOC 1993)
Robert Di Battista (SJOC 1969)
Ian Dominguez (SJOC 1956)
Maurice Lockie (SJOC 1940)
Tony McMaster (SJOC 1953)
Dr Joseph Meade (SJOC 1960)
Maurice O’Brien (SJOC 1953)
Paul Radelczyk (SJOC 1980)
Jonathan Sarantis (SJOC 2010)
John Shaw (SJOC 1950) McNeill Cup Winner
Matthew Sheedy (SJOC 1959)
Louis Tardrew (SJOC 1971)
James Travers (2004)
Albert Weiss (1960)
9 Grams
13th Beach Golf Club
63 Degrees
AGM Construction Supplies
Annie Clifforth Millinery
Aqtive Business Consulting
Arbonne
Ark Clothing
Artist Photographer
As Daisy Does
Ash Reed Locksmiths
Associated Cold Tread Tyres
Barwon Club
Bellarines Collection
Belmont Physiotherapy
Bendigo Bank
Barwon Food
Bawon Water
Bindokas Plumbing
Bistro St Jean
Blood Toyota
The Book Bird
Boom Gallery
Box Office Cafe
Callaway Golf
Coffee Snobs
Coles Coaches
Community Care Chemist
Costa Asset Management
Cotton On
Deb Johnston - Tupperware
Diveena’s Cakes
Driftwood Cafe
Ebb And Flow
Eddy Elias
Effective Skin Care
Elephant And Castle
Executive Travel
Fagg’s Mitre 10
The Fitness State
Freida And Gus
Gartland Real Estate
Gazman
Geelong Cats
Geelong Confectionery
Geelong Indoor Plants
Gold Diggers Arms
GPP Property Group
Hello World Ocean Grove
Highton Village Florist
Hogans Axle Correction
Intimo
IST Auto Shop
Jodi Dunell
Joe Villarosa - The Olive Tree Man
Jovic Accounting
Jumpt
K Mac Powerheads
Kelly & Associates
Kennedy King
Kings Funerals
Laboratory
Lamisaru
Lanae
Lauren Barton Art Live Eco
Livewire Park
Lorne Hotel
Louise King
McHarrys Buslines
MD Dolder Builders
Merv Jennings Signs
Medical Centre Pharmacy
Milana’s Lingerie
Mind, Body, Salt
Minerva Road Groccer
Mobile Travel Agents
Mooch Designs
Mt Duneed Estate
Narellan Pools
Natures Direct
Natural Henry
Neck Of The Woods Cafe
Officeworks
Oliver
Paul Hood from AFLW
Paywise Salary Packaging
Pearls & Roses
Peter Toyne’s Clubhouse Golf
Pizzas With Attitude
Platter Co by Jade
Qloset
Quaff Hair Quirk Collective
Ripeto
Ross River Resort
Sally Wilson Holistics
Salon Ge Jay
Sawyers Arms Tavern
Scooda Branded Merchandise
Scotchmans Hill
Sip Sip
Smooth And Tan Specsavers
Stage Two
Steigen
St Goliath
The Ponds
The Sands Torquay
The Valley Inn
Times News Group
Totally James St Dental
Trak Constructions
Travel Managers
Trees Adventure
Upstate
Vanders
West Carr & Harvey
Westcoast Hair Supplies
Winchelsea Trading
We would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank the many local businesses and companies who have generously supported our fundraising efforts throughout the year.
We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the members of our community for their thoughtful and generous gifts to our 2018 Gifting program. With your support, the Foundation is able to continue to assist with the significant programs undertaken by the College, enhancing the day to day learning of our students. Thank you for enabling our Joey’s boys’ to ‘Strive for the Highest’.
Adams family
Joseph and Val Adamski
Sam and Fina Anwari
Rolf Audrins
Adam Bampfield
Barker family
Steve and Samantha Beggs in loving memory of Michael Beggs
Brett and Cath Bentley
Michelle Bishop
Mr David Bourke
David and Sue Bowles
R and M Brodrick
Selina Bruce
Gary and Elizabeth Cannard
Peter Cannon
Mrs Bernerdene Carthew
Thomas Cashin
Jeff and Julie Cole
Karen Conheady
Gerard and Eugenia Consedine
Elaine Costa
Stuart and Tara Costa
David and Karen Costa
David and Elizabeth Curtain
Shane Dawson
Geoff and Maria Dean
Todd and Jacqui Devine
Kerry Drever
Marcus and Lucy Dripps
Janis Earle
Colin and Ann Edmondstone
Johanna Evertsen-Mostert
Emilio and Maria Filiti
Fitzgerald family
Kevin, Liam & Damian Flanders
Lauren Flint
Michael and Satina Forsyth
Peter and Karen Foxwell
Rocco amd Vincenza Gagliardi
Ken & Robyn Gannon
Mr Garipoli & Ms Barker
Cassie and Sam Gleeson
Kristen and Lauren Gleeson
Michael Goss
Anthony and Carmel Gove
Kristen Grant and family
Dominic and Giovanna Greco
Greg and Margaret Grima
James and Catheine Gulli
Hale family
Stuart and Deborah Higgins
Barry Hill
Josephine Howells
Anna Hudson
Mr & Mrs R Inei
Irving family
Lawrence and Sandra Jelley
Nick Jones
Peter and Suzanne Kelly
Kings Funerals
Mr S Kinna & Ms C Molony
Katerina Kirkovski
Harvey and Bridget Lang
Graham and Karen Lay
Richard Lawysz
Andrew Loughnan & Sons
Margaret and John Loughnan
Paul and Leanne Lucignani
Chris Lynch
Steven and Wendy Lyons
Maas family
Daryl and Margaret Martini
Kirsty Maselli
Adel Mawson
Damian and Carolyn McCormack
McDine family
Darren and Kristine McGinn
Paul and Janet McGrath
McHarry’s Buslines
Flynn McIntosh
Kate McLaren
Janine McLean
Bruce and Yvonne McNeel
Vicki Mills
MSP Photography
Mullins family
Angelo Natoli
Mr & Mrs A Nguyen
Michael Noonan
David and Jessica O’Brien
Peter O’Connor
Daniel O’Farrell
Tony and Louise Paatsch
Simon Piasente
Pile family
Mari Portaro
Richard and Marilyn Proctor
Samuel Querella
Mark Rayson
Mark and Lorette Rimmer
Peter and Christine Rudd
John Sabljak
Lauren Salcombe
Russell Schostak
David and Joanne Senftleben
Steve and Draz Sesar
Janet Sgambaro
Shum family
Bradley Smith
Natasha Solczaniuk
St Joseph’s College Staff
Ken and Jit Tantanouvong
Tom and Ana Trupkovic
Christopher Valmadre
Matt Walsh
Zara Walter
Westcarr & Harvey Accountants
Kieran and Julie Whelan
John and Inez Woods
Michael and Clarie Wrigley