Ad Alta Magazine 2023

Ad Alta Virtute

A message from the Principal

Welcome to this edition of the Ad Alta. I am delighted to report St Joseph’s continues to thrive and provide an excellent education for the current students entrusted to us by their families.

We have settled well into a post Covid educational environment and have learnt much from the experience of trying to teach and learn remotely. While remote learning certainly had its challenges, it saw our staff and students develop skills that they might not otherwise have attained. Our staff are more effective and proficient in the use of technology, including the online delivery of lessons and learning content, and most students have developed greater capacity for independent and selfdirected learning.

The work landscape awaiting our graduates is different to that of a generation ago and is rapidly evolving. Work (and tertiary study) is now increasingly “what you do” rather than “where you go” and a high proportion of workers and tertiary students now spend some part of each week working off-site and/or at home. We are committed to preparing our senior students for this world. In 2024 we will be moving to a timetable model that will provide us with the capacity to offer a blended learning environment for those students who have the capacity and desire to learn well in this environment.

In order to do this effectively we need space in which senior students can work independently. The next element of the College masterplan is the expansion and redevelopment of the College’s Arts and Learning Precinct

in the area adjacent to Queens Road. This will include the refurbishment of the Br Tom Howe building, development of an innovation centre and a significant expansion of the College library to include a senior independent study centre.

Upon enrolment the College commits to working with families to support the well-being and the learning of our students. These two obligations can’t be separated and they need to be seen as correlated. When a young person’s well-being is supported they can learn well, when they are learning well there is a positive impact on their well-being. In recent months our Old Collegians’ Association recognised the importance of supporting the mental health of our students and provided $30,000 funding to train staff in mental health first aid. On behalf of the students and staff I would like to thank the Old Collegians’ Association and recognise this significant commitment to supporting the well-being and learning of our students.

We are regularly reminded that we live in tough times for families, and the same is true for schools. As the costof-living rises, so does the cost of providing education. St Joseph’s is committed to providing quality Catholic education for every young person who seeks it, regardless of the financial capacity of their family. Through prudent financial management we have been able to keep our fees low and achievable for most families. Our all-inclusive fee in 2023 is approximately $6500, amongst the lowest of any like school in Australia.

Cooper McLeod is welcomed on his first day of Year 7 by Principal Tony Paatsch.

We are proud to be able to offer support for families for whom this fee level is unachievable. Due to the generosity of our community, including many old collegians we are currently able to provide full fee bursaries for 37 students who would otherwise not have access to a St Joseph’s education. We remain on target to achieve our goal of 50 bursaries by 2025.

US President Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying “when I do good I feel good.” Those generous donors who provide such wonderful opportunity for so many of our students have every reason to feel good. We also aim to provide all of our students and families with a similar opportunity for them to do good and support those less fortunate. In recent weeks I visited the community of Kensekka in rural southern Uganda. This community has been supported by our College for almost two decades. During that time we have purchased land for a school and the growing of food and coffee, built and funded a school (currently enrolling 200 students) and built a dam to provide water to the school. The Kensekka community remains desperately poor and under resourced but incredibly grateful for the gift of hope that we have provided for the young people in their community. As I departed I reflected on how good our community should feel as a result of our work in Uganda. The next goals include the connection to electricity, water purification plant and development of science teaching facilities, the latter of which will enable the school to receive some government funding to help pay teacher salaries.

In this our 88th year we continue to provide our young people with the opportunities to achieve excellence in any and all of their chosen fields. One significant development supporting this is our recent partnership

with the Liverpool Football Club International Academy. We still have more graduates on AFL player lists than any other school in Australia but in future may see a similar result from our soccer alumni.

It is always a pleasure to report on the achievements of our students outside of their classroom pursuits and I am delighted to share just a small portion of where our boys are doing so very well. St Joseph’s placed 1st in each of Public Speaking, Open Golf and Junior Division 1 Golf competitions and placed 2nd in Athletic Sports at the Associated Catholic Colleges competition. We hosted the Geelong Interschool Chess Tournament and managed to triumph by half a point to take first place. We also hosted the 2023 Reconciliation Trophy match which resulted in a resounding 111 point victory for the 1st XVIII team over St Bernard’s, Essendon. For the first time, we were triumphant over St Patrick’s College, Ballarat in the Respect Cup – recognising International Women’s Day - played at GMHBA Stadium.

Since the last Ad Alta we have had contact from many Old Collegians. I hope that you enjoy reading the Ad Alta and please stay in touch.

God Bless

Tony Paatsch

College leaders Jesse Conroy (Deputy College Captain), Jaeger Fawcett (College Captain) and Matteo Bove (Deputy College Captain) with Principal Tony Paatsch.

Tony celebrating winning The Respect Cup 2023 with Archer Jones (Jordan House Captain).

Students during Tony’s visit to Kensekka.

Tony with a local family in Kensekka.

News from the President

This year, the St Joseph’s Old Collegians Association (SJOCA) celebrates its 80th anniversary. What a fantastic history we have of connecting and supporting each other and our College. This year is no exception with an incredible achievement reached. In the past 25 years, SJOCA financial records indicate that since 1998, the SJOCA has donated more than $1 million to SJC and its student and alumni communities. This wonderful milestone sums up the spirit and generosity of our ‘Old Colls’ and their continued commitment to supporting the College and its students, now and into the future.

A warm welcome to the Class of 2022 who join the SJOCA as life members. Congratulations on completing your secondary education at St Joseph’s College, we hope you made many lifelong friendships through your journey and that you can continue your connection for many years to come through the Old Collegians Association.

We look forward to welcoming you back to the College as part of the Young Joey’s Connection (YJC), our young alumni program, which is a great way to connect in your initial years after leaving school. We encourage you to utilise the YJC and Old Collegians network for mentoring, employment opportunities or whatever support you need -we are here for you.

The second annual Old Collegians Race Day was held at the Geelong Racing Club on 12 August, 2022. Alumni, partners and supporters of St Joseph’s gathered for a luncheon in the MacFarlane Room for a fantastic day with friends and to hear from special guest, champion jockey Craig Williams.

The SJOCA made a significant contribution of $30,000 to the College to train staff in Mental Health First Aid Training. We are delighted to have been able to support this critically important investment in the health and wellbeing of current and future students.

On Friday 17 March, the annual St Joseph’s College Old Collegians’ Golf Day was held at Lonsdale links, Point Lonsdale. Over 220 players took part, which was a fantastic result and it was great to see so many alumni and members of our community embrace this important event. The conditions on the day were perfect for some quality golf.

We thank all our generous sponsors for their wonderful support once again. To our major sponsor, David Bowles and his team at Associated Cold Tread Tyres, we thank you for your outstanding support over many years. The annual Golf Day is a major fundraiser for our Old Collegians Association with money raised going towards the St Joseph’s College Bursary Fund and this year we are delighted to have raised $28,500 to contribute to the fund to support students in need.

Congratulations to the 2023 SJOCA Golf Day winners:-

AM Field – Shell Club

Nathan Warner, Tony Eastmure, Glenn Boseley, Nick Reed, Dean Pattison

PM Field – Frameline

Scott Pickett, Andrew Goddard, Stephen McLeod, Grant Ward, Damian Fiolet

It was fantastic to see alumni returning to Joey’s for their reunion celebrations. Our boarders and pre 1980 class groups visited the Edmund Rice Campus for a lunch in November while alumni from the ‘3’ and ‘8’ graduating years attended their reunion on May 20 with over 120 gathered to join old friends and new in the College staffroom.

The Remembrance Mass for Old Collegians, Staff and supporters took place in the Chapel on November 11 to honour those with a close connection to the College who are now in God’s care.

The SJOCA again donated $20,000 to the College bursary program, which assists families in need with the opportunity to send their boy to St Joseph’s College. The great response to the Annual Giving campaign in June raised $102,689 towards the Bursary Program and highlights the fantastic support of the wider College Community.

The purpose of the St Joseph’s Old Collegians Association is to connect alumni with one another, and with the College, and to do that we need your up to date contact details. If you have changed address, please notify the College.

Thank you to all committee members for their dedicated commitment to the Association and to St Joseph’s. Also, thanks to Kristen Gleeson and Zoe Povoas for their continued support and commitment to SJOCA.

Old Collegians 80th Anniversary

In 1943 in the midst of WWII, a significant event took place at St Joseph’s College. On 1 August the St Joseph’s College Old Collegians Association was established. Spearheaded by Louis Chamberlin who had been Dux of the College in 1940, his initiative received invaluable support from Brothers Foley and Brophy. Louis Chamberlin’s determination and persuasive skills resulted in 27 past students gathering for this inaugural meeting of old collegians. Despite the difficult circumstances of those uncertain times, with many old boys serving in the armed forces, it was unanimously decided an association of past students should be formed. The hope was that by forming an Old Collegians Association, support could be provided to the College and, more particularly, to those in the armed forces. Louis Chamberlin’s vison led to the founding of an Association that continues to have an enduring influence on the College and it’s past and current students.

The SJOCA’s first office bearers and committee members elected at this first meeting were:

Patron - Rev Br C. Foley

President - Mr Louis Chamberlin

Vice Presidents - Mr Max Kerger

- Mr John Graham

Hon. Treasurer - Mr Phillip Davie

Hon. Secretary - Mr Maurice Glynn

Hon. Assistant Secretary - Mr Rex Fagan

Committee

- Mr John O’Brien

- Mr John Gilman

- Mr Robert McDonald

- Mr Len Callander

- Mr Patrick O’Neill

of former students found enjoyment in each other’s company while remaining dedicated to their collective purpose.

1944 saw the Association becoming firmly established. The Josian, the ‘First Annual Magazine of the Old Collegians Association’ was published, and a commitment to raise £1500 for landscaping the main College oval was made. By December 1944 the Association had raised and presented £1250 to the College. One of the central and most profitable fundraising activities was a weekly dance, which was held every Saturday night in St Mary’s Parish Hall.

The College Heritage Centre is home to a collection which documents the history of the Old Collegians Association. Many of the early papers in the collection are fragile and yellowed with age, with faded ink and print that is difficult to read. However, these documents are invaluable in preserving the story of the formation and early days of the Association, giving us an insight into its activities and life during and after the war. These papers provide a glimpse into the effort and dedication of the first committee, this effort and dedication has continued throughout the years, with the Association remaining active, organising various social events and gatherings to bring together past students of St Joseph’s College and it continues to play a crucial role in supporting the College, current students and its members.

On 18 August, 1943, a letter was sent out announcing the formation an ‘Old Boys Association’, and gave notice of a Special General Meeting to be held at the College on Sunday 5 September at 2.30pm. This meeting which was attended by Br Foley and 40 old boys, consolidated the Association’s objective to support the College, foster camaraderie among past students and strengthen their bond. United by their shared experiences, this group

1943-44 St Joseph’s Old Collegians Association Committee -(SJCOA Heritage Collection).

1943 Letter announcing the formation of the St Joseph’s Old Collegians’ Association - (SJCOA Heritage Collection).

The documents and publications in the St Joseph’s College Heritage Centre serve as invaluable resources for understanding and appreciating the Association’s formation and early days, as well as its continued influence over its 80-year history.

One of these, the 1944 Josian provides insight into the inauguration, business, and earliest activities of the Association. It informs of the activities and circumstances of Association members, many of whom were serving in the armed forces, (over 70 of every 100 Old Collegians served in World War II). The magazine also features photographs and obituaries of Old Collegians who had lost their lives during the war. The second edition, published in 1945, expanded its coverage to include a broader timeline of College life from 1935 to 1945, as well as the Roll of War Service and tributes to the Old Collegians who had fallen in WWII.

Josian ceased publication for some time, primarily due to the introduction of Virtus, the official College magazine, which dedicated a section to the Old Collegians Association. However, in 1958, an attempt was made to relaunch Josian to ensure that Old Collegians received dedicated updates. Unfortunately, this relaunch proved to be fleeting and no further editions of Josian were published.

In 1984, the Old Collegians’ Association once again sought to update its members through a newsletter format. This was timely as 1985 was the 50th Jubilee of St Joseph’s College, a significant milestone that saw a large number of old boys attending the Jubilee dinner. This newsletter, which does not seem to continue after 1998, provided updates on the activities and achievements of Old Collegians, events, and news from the Association’s President and the College Principal. In 1996 the St Joseph’s Old Collegians Association News was featured in term one edition of The Ad Alta for the first time. Today Ad Alta serves as the dedicated method of connecting with past students, providing updates on their activities and achievements and keeping them informed of the undertakings of the Association and College events.

The Old Collegians’ Association has a rich history and has played a vital role in preserving the memories and fostering the bonds of St Joseph’s College alumni. As it celebrates its 80th Anniversary, the St Joseph’s College Association serves as a testament to the enduring sense of connection between past students of St Joseph’s College and their continuing commitment to supporting the College and each other.

Susan Belluzzo Archivist - Heritage Centre

1946 Invitation to the St Joseph’s College Third Annual Reunion(SJCOA Heritage Collection).

1948 letter announcing the formation of the St Joseph’s Old Collegians Association Melbourne Group - (SJCOA Heritage Collection).

Building Works

As mentioned in previous building updates, 2022 was going to be a year of planning and preparation for the next phase of the College’s Master Plan.

During the 2022 year, a steering committee of staff and students, together with our architects PMDL McGlashan Everist, was fashioned to provide input and feedback for the exciting new project aptly named the “Arts and Learning Precinct Project”.

The original scope of this project changed from simply a total refurbishment of our Arts area or the Tom Howe Centre (also recognised as the old bluestone building or “B” Block), to encompass a new senior learning area to be situated upstairs at the rear of the existing administration building. A redevelopment of the Library space was also included to complement the senior learning area and create a flow between the two learning spaces.

The idea of the senior learning area was to create a space for senior students and provide them with a University-like environment and help them develop their independent learning skills and engage in self-directed study and learning.

Plans for the project have successfully been developed in the latter half of 2022 and the early part of 2023. The overall spaces have been designed and will now only need fine tuning in the areas of electrical and mechanical engineering etc.

The first Quantity Surveyor costing estimate has been received and the College remains comfortable with its ability to complete the project with a combination of internal funds, borrowed monies and any capital raisings that can be achieved.

It will be a staged project with the construction of a brand new building to be stage one. This will be constructed on the Queens Road boundary and will allow flexibility in decanting classes to this new space for the completion of the other stages. Our second stage will see the creation of the senior learning space and redevelopment of the library. Following this progression to the final stage three being the refurbishment of the Arts building.

The project is planned to be tendered in the second half of 2023, with works to commence before the end of the year. An initial flythrough video of the entire space has been produced and will continue to be fine tuned so that it can be linked to our website for public viewing when fully complete.

Other works that were completed over the 2022 Christmas break included the full refurbishment of our Senior building (A Block). These works included a full painting of the entire inside of the building, together with the supply of all new carpets, desks and chairs, operable walls and blinds. The teacher office spaces were also fully fitted out with new furniture and cabinetry.

New shade sails, as well as the replacement of some old sails, were recently completed at both campuses. The sails now reflect the black, yellow and red College colours and look absolutely fantastic.

The Westcourt Campus is undergoing a refurbishment of the current toilet block which will see the creation of new toilets within the existing space. It will also allow for the relocation of our maintenance area out of the lower level of the Gymnasium to allow the creation of a new weights and gym space for our high-performance subjects on offer for our Year 9 cohort.

Several other projects have been completed recently at Westcourt including a new large storage shed for our kayaks, bicycles, surfboards/wetsuits and their associated trailers. Other works at the campus included various upgrades to some classrooms and replacement of classroom furniture.

So with many minor capital projects completed in 2022 and early 2023, we now eagerly turn our attention to the next phase of the Master Plan and the turning of soil to commence the Arts and Learning Precinct project.

Andrew Dowd Business Manager

Concept drawings for the new building.

Campus Highlights

AFL Rookies

Year 12 SJC students Ted Clohesy and Osca Riccardi took a big step into the world of AFL after being selected in the Rookie Draft by the Geelong Cats in 2022.

They join fellow St Joseph’s Alumni, Tom Stewart, Sam Simpson, Jack Henry, Oliver Henry and Tanner Bruhn at the Cats.

Ted was the recipient of the 2022 Leo Turner Memorial Award for excellence in sport, presented by our Old Collegians’ Association. Ted has been heavily involved in AFL for many years representing his local club St Joseph’s FC, the Geelong Falcons and Vic Country teams.

Osca is the son of 288-game Geelong great Peter Riccardi and joined the Cats as a father-son selection. He is a hard-working midfielder who boasts a good footy brain to go with his solid work rate and endurance. Osca recorded the quickest time in the 2km time trial (6 minutes 17 seconds) at the State Draft Combine in 2022.

We wish them both all the best as they start out on their AFL journeys.

Acting PM pays a visit

Politically minded senior students had the opportunity to put some tough questions to Acting Prime Minister Richard Marles during his visit to the College on 16 November 2022.

The Year 10 Civics and Citizenship pupils conducted a Q&A session with the Geelong-based Minister for Defence as part of their politics and legal studies.

The lively session covered a broad range of topics including the environment and engine emissions, Australia’s commitment to the Ukraine, urban poverty and the major issues facing Geelong.

Mr Marles said he thoroughly enjoyed being put through his paces by the students who offered up insightful and thoughtprovoking questions.

“They were really good questions and it spoke to the thoughtfulness of the kids about the way they think about their community, their future and the world.

“If that is an example of the level of thought which is going on amongst our young people in this town we should have a lot of confidence about the future.”

Mr Marles said it was a pleasure to visit St Joseph’s which continues to make a vital contribution to education in Geelong.

“St Joseph’s College has been a great school for our region for a very long time. Over generations the school has been providing excellent education for young men,” he said.

“You only have to look at the St Joey’s alumni to understand the contribution that it’s made to Geelong. In lots of ways St Joey’s is a really, really important school for our town.”

Campus Highlights

Kai’s standout Westcourt creation

At SJC we love seeing creativity explored through so many ways and talented student Kai D, who is now in Year 10, got busy during his time at the Westcourt campus last year where he completed a fantastic and colourful mural.

The mural was part of a refurbishment in the student wellbeing space which supports students who are going through a tough time. Well done Kai on a fantastic artwork. You have certainly made your mark and now students can enjoy it for years to come.

Noah Burns wins Gold

Noah Burns (Year 10 in 2022) soared high to secure the gold medal in the pole vault at the Athletics Victoria, Victorian All Schools Championships at Lakeside Stadium on 5 November 2022.

The championship competition sees athletes compete against one another in their preferred discipline. Athletes compete for personal bests, and the opportunity to represent their state at the Australian All Schools Track & Field Championships.

Noah won the pole vault jumping an impressive 4.3 metres!

Tobias Servin

Congratulations to Tobias Servin (Year 9 in 2022) who competed in the Athletics Australia Australian All Schools Championships, running in the 400m final and taking home a bronze medal thanks to his impressive personal best time of 51.01.

Puffs Production

It was wonderful to see the College’s talented students take to the stage of the Peter Cannon Performing Arts Centre in August 2022 for the TriSchool Production of Puffs. St Joseph’s College was joined by Clonard College and Sacred Heart College to stage yet another fantastic show. The performance told the story of the Puffs who just happened to be at a certain Wizard School as the same time as a certain boy wizard who conquered evil. Described as “a tale for anyone who has never been destined to save the world”, the production proved to be a big hit with audiences. Congratulations to the cast, crew and everyone who helped to make Puffs such a success.

From the MCG to SJC!

Channel 7 sports reporter, Mitch Cleary (SJOC 2011) spent Sunday 13 November reporting from the T20 World Cup Final at the MCG before travelling to St Joseph’s to speak to our student leaders the next day. Mitch shared anecdotes from his journey since his school days and his pursuit of a career in the media. He spoke of his humble beginnings commentating on weekend community sport and juggling study, then his next steps with part-time roles at the Geelong Advertiser and KRock. Mitch who is now an experienced sports presenter took some time out from his hectic schedule to share tips with students on allocating time and energy early in senior school years to allow you to get a step ahead for when social and study commitments get busier. He also shared insights into being a confident public speaker, getting organised and pursuing your chosen career.

College Dux Lochlann Dess

Each year, our Year 12 students are challenged to achieve their personal bests. The Dux of the College recognises academic excellence in Year 12 and is awarded to the student who receives the highest Tertiary Entrance Ranking. Lochlann Dess is highly deserving of St Joseph’s College Dux award with an exceptional ATAR score of 98.8.

Lochlann was described by his teachers as an amazing student to have in class, he was eager to learn, always asked fantastic and on point questions, challenged himself and others around him and was an exceptionally deep thinker. He had a very analytical mind and was a very insightful and observant student and an extremely funny, genuine and down to earth person.

Lochlann’s commitment to study was second to none. He and his close group of friends pushed each other to succeed with a healthy dose of friendly competition amongst them; always trying to outrank each other on the very next SAC. His wild and off-the-wall sense of humour left a lasting impression.

Lochlann is studying a Bachelor of Engineering and Research Design at Australian National University in Canberra and is thoroughly enjoying living on campus and meeting other like-minded people.

McNeill Cup Winner Patrick Fitzgerald

Patrick Fitzgerald was elected as the 2022 School College Captain by his peers and teachers. He was highly motivated, fully committed and an overwhelmingly positive role model for students across all year levels. He was generous with his time both in school and in the wider community.

Patrick was an excellent ambassador for the College as a school tour leader for visitors, a Life Changer Mentor, an active participant in school assemblies, helping to organise the 2022 Winter Ball which raised $12,000 for local services, a Red Cross blood donor and he represented the school in ACC sport.

Patrick was an participant of the St Joseph’s Sustainability Team, part of Triumph Lite Music Festival Sales Team, a Movember advocate for Men’s Health and he eagerly assisted Year 7 Homerooms, acting as a buddy to younger students.

Patrick was always an inclusive leader, welcoming and encouraging others and is a worthy McNeill Cup winner. Patrick spoke at the Mt Sion awards ceremony and here is what he had to say:

Good morning to all staff, students, parents, caregivers, and guests.

Firstly, it’s a tremendous honour to be back on campus today alongside some of my fellow graduates in recognising our cohort’s successes in 2022. As I’ve said plenty of times before, I couldn’t have asked for a better bunch of blokes to embark alongside on this six year long high school journey. So, to each of my fellow 2022 graduates here today, well done on all your well-deserved achievements. I’m sure you are all very eager to get into the next chapter of life and pursue your dreams. And so, I’m wishing you the best of luck and I’m eager to see where you all end up!

On 18 January, 1942, an old Joey’s boy and one of the original house captains, Flight Sergeant John ‘Jack’ McNeill, made the ultimate sacrifice in Singapore while fighting for this country. Following his passing, John’s father donated this award in memory of John, honouring his courage and selflessness. To be awarded such an incredible award honouring a man who in the face of such brutality and violence, stood tall and fought against injustices so that

we could live freely today, is quite overwhelming. Not only that, this award has been given to many young men before me, of whom I thought I would never and could never stand alongside in gratefully receiving the McNeill Memorial Cup. If I’m going to be honest, when this was first announced, I felt underserving to receive this award. I have never fought in a war. I’ve never seen life’s taken before. And I certainly haven’t made the sacrifices John made. It wasn’t for a couple of after the announcement that I realised that this is not what the award recognises and certainly not what it celebrates. While yes, the award recognises efforts in study, sport and conduct, from my interpretation, I believe this award is about the ability within everyone, whether you’re good at sport or music or academics, whatever it may be… the ability within everyone to stand up for what is right and to leave an everlasting legacy, just as John did. I mentioned during the investiture speech late last year that leaving a legacy is a common pursuit of mankind. To know that once you’re gone, your name and what you stood for will be forever remembered by many, and hence, you will live forever in the minds of others. But, legacy, I believe is often confused. Many think that to leave a legacy you’ve got to be famous, rich or a celebrity. But that is not the case. In fact, the most honourable legacies come from individuals who help others and stand up against the wrongs. Just like you and me, John once sat here, questioning whether his name would be remembered. While John’s circumstances were saddening and unfortunate, his name was and is indeed remembered and still honoured some 80 years later. And this is all because he wasn’t afraid to stand up for what is right. Luckily for us today, thanks to Sergeant John McNeill’a noble service, the majority won’t have to see combat. However, that does not mean there isn’t wrongs still in this world. So, for the current students in the room, don’t become overly fixated on being rich and famous, but instead try to think what you can do to help others by standing up for what is right. Because if you do, not only will your name will be forever celebrated and carved into the minds of many, but you will help make the world a better place, just like John McNeill did.

Before I wrap this up, while I’m up here, I would like to also acknowledge all parents, caregivers, and teachers. I’m a firm believer that everything is a product of there environment. You guys help pave the way for young people to become genuine, kind, caring and authentic people. If any of you think what I’ve said today is an original thought, you would be mistaken. My Dad and Mum have told me every day, for the last 18 years, to stand up for what’s right, and so without them, I certainly wouldn’t be here today, just as I’m sure my fellow graduates wouldn’t be either. So, one last thank you to the parents, caregivers and teachers.

Finally,I would like tofinish on a quote from Margaret Chase Smith who said “The right way is not always the popular and easy way. Standing for right when it is unpopular is a true test of moral character”.

Once again, it is a true honour. Thank you, and always remember…

Ad Alta Virtute. Strive for the Highest.

Patrick receiving the McNeill Cup from Principal, Tony Paatsch.

Foundation Spring Soirée

A wonderful evening was celebrated on 24 November 2022 when the SJC Foundation held its Spring Soirée at the historic 1915 venue at Federal Mills.

About 90 attendees gathered on the mezzanine floor where they were treated to welcome drinks and a wide selection of gourmet canapés.

A highlight of the evening was the wonderful musical entertainment provided by school band All That Jazz, who were also supported by acoustic artist Lewis Music. The gathering was a chance to get together to enjoy each other’s company and celebrate the achievements of the Foundation over the past year.

Principal Tony Paatsch addressed guests on the evening to provide an update on College happenings, in particular plans for the new Arts and Learning Precinct Project building.

Erin Penton, Andrew Penton and Cameron Ling.

Fiona Podbury and Anne Thomas.

Joanne and James Fatone.

John Fitzgerald, Jane Mithen, Christine and Peter Rudd.

John Loughnan, Ted and Kate Parke, Elaine Costa, Anne Thomas and Margaret Loughnan.

Martin Ching, Kylie Oliver and Daniel Clarke.

Maureen and Greg Bryant.

College Foundation

St Joseph’s College, over many years has become one of Victoria’s most significant and aspirational Catholic boys’ Colleges where boys start their higher learning journey, attend and grow within the walls of the college into the great young men that leave here at the end of their schooling life. The SJC Foundation’s goal is to provide financial support so the College can continue to provide an environment that encourages growth and achievement for our boys. As well as directing support to the facilities that support the boys’ learning, the Foundation also works to ensure access to a Joey’s education for those who can least afford it.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Old Collegians and community, we are able to implement successful

initiatives to generate ongoing income and grow a diversified portfolio of investments to provide long-term financial growth that supports the College and students in financial need.

All of this work is only made possible by the generosity of spirit that exists throughout the Joey’s community and I am so delighted to Chair the Foundation as we continue our commitment to support Joey’s boys now and into the future.

The impact of Annual Giving in

2022

Sharing the stories of our Past Students

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.

Warick Brown Foundation Chair

Where are they now? Mark Blackney (SJOC 1979)

I was always a bit of an academic cruiser at school. I mainly enjoyed sports and mucking around with friends. However as year 12 began I took on the challenge of working hard at my grades. I still managed to make it to the first 18 football and play in the Herald Shield final. I was also part of the Geelong regional golf team. To my great surprise at the end of the year I was awarded Dux of the school and the McNeill Cup for leadership sport and study.

I ended up going to the University of Melbourne staying at Newman College. I started science but eventually transferred into medicine. I lacked the confidence to start a major course such as medicine after finishing school but after a while realised that this was a career that was suited to me. I spent eight years at university altogether, always poor but somehow getting by.

During my medical degree I was fortunate enough to win some awards in anatomy and surgery. I did my internship and training at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. While I was at medical school I did an elective at the Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre. This is a relationship that continues to this day. I worked there as a medical student, sports doctor and later as an orthopaedic surgeon.

I trained in Orthopaedic surgery and then travelled internationally to the US working at the Mayo Clinic and also in Dublin, Ireland. I came back to Australia and opened practice in 1998 specialising in Foot and Ankle surgery with an interest in sports medicine.

Since then I have been one of the main orthopaedic specialists treating athletes including many AFL teams and the National Athletics team. Many of these people were household names that I helped at critical moments of their career. A bit like working on a Formula One team. A lot of stress but great to play a role.

I have now been an orthopaedic surgeon for 25 years and practice at the St Vincent’s Private Hospital in East Melbourne. I was the inaugural chairman of the Foot and Ankle Council for the Asia-Pacific Orthopaedic Association from 2016 to 2020. I have trained many surgeons from the Asian regions and this has been very fulfilling. My wife, Caroline and I share four children, two dogs and a cat. My running days are over but I can still swing a golf club quite well and play tennis every week.

My memories of St Joseph’s are of many football games, handball at break times and making silly jokes in the back rows of classrooms with mates. There was a year when myself and my three brothers were all at the school together and that was pretty cool. Brother Maguire was my cricket coach in my early high school time. He was a strict and firm coach but I learnt a lot. But he also played golf at Torquay where I was a member and we played together occasionally where I got to call him Tom. It was good to see another side of our teachers. Brother Casey was liked by all the students but I think even he would admit that he was a better football coach than a chemistry teacher... I have had many interesting personal experiences in my career. One day I walked into my consulting room to find the Govenor General coming to see me as a patient. It was then I thought that maybe I wasn’t too bad at my work. I was also part of the medical staff at the Presidents Cup golf tournament in 2019 and was able to be close by when Tiger Woods was playing. A strange experience was being in Hawaii when there was an accidental nuclear missile alert. The whole island was shut down and it was a crazy 90 minutes until we found out we were not in mortal danger.

If I have any advice to students it would be to take on difficult tasks. This is the path of growth and fulfilment. Doing things that are challenging will energise you and help you to discover talents that you did not know you had. But the real superpower is hard work. Farmers will tell you this, elite athletes will tell you this and great musicians will tell you the same thing.

Conference in Turkey.

In surgery with Caroline.

Blackney Boys.

Where are they now?

Chris Scaddan (SJOC 1993)

My time at St Joseph’s was always leading me to a career in radio and the music industry, but I needed a couple of years to figure myself out and really go for it. I graduated from St Joseph’s at the end of 1993 and commuted to Melbourne Uni for a couple of years studying Law and Arts. I took a break in 1996 and got heavily involved in community radio (3YYR, now The Pulse) which put me on the right path towards working professionally in the media. I picked up at RMIT in 1997, studying Media & Radio and never looked back.

Like I said, it was always going to happen. In years 11 and 12 (VCE), I studied Media with St Joseph’s teacher, Larry Davis, learning about the ‘Big W’ of journalism (who, what, when, where, why), watching the intricacies of Hitchcock films, before starting to shoot with VHS video and SLR cameras, and using a basic cassette deck to record interviews and demo radio programs. I remember sitting in the SJC A.V. room, recording fake ads and interviewing friends for a 30-minute radio show that was submitted as a group assignment. I received a VCE Award in 1993 for my Media Studies achievements but didn’t pursue it straight away.

After a few years at RMIT in Melbourne, I moved to Sydney at the end of 2000, picking up freelance production work with ABC Radio and eventually getting a start at triple j. From there, I never let go, working my way up from producing programs and projects, to leading the on-air teams and eventually managing the entire operation. And we kept growing it too, adding Unearthed and Double J as their own radio stations in 2014, and building the Hottest 100 into an unmissable January event. Right now (2023), we’re celebrating 20 years of Like A Version, another segment that I developed with the triple j team.

My time at St Joseph’s led directly to triple j starting the Unearthed High competition in 2008. In the early ‘90s, there was immense musical talent around Geelong, with many fellow SJC students starting bands and making noise on the local scene. I have vivid memories of lunchtime bands playing Stooges, AC/DC and Jane’s Addiction covers from the science block balcony. I remember Xavier Rudd playing ‘Shivers’ at a school assembly in the gym, and his older brother Dom’s band

playing ‘Anarchy In The UK’ and ‘Blitzkreig Bop’ to a cross legged collection of year 10s in the drama room. Rock bands like She Freak, Amba Fear and Warped all featured Joey’s students while they were still in high school. It taught me that there was young talent in every high school that deserved to be heard. So we kicked off Unearthed High as an annual competition to find Australia’s best high school aged bands. Every year, high school artists upload their demos to the triple j Unearthed website, we pick finalists and play a heap of them on the radio. Over the years, finalists and winners have included the Kid Laroi, Montaigne, Hockey Dad and Genesis Owusu.

In my time at triple j, I was lucky to travel around Australia producing our One Night Stand concerts in regional and remote parts of the country who didn’t see a lot of live music. We’ve put on concerts with the Hilltop Hoods, Flume, Powderfinger, Silverchair, The Living End, John Butler, Tash Sultana, Vance Joy and Peking Duk. These were huge, all-day events with tens of thousands of people turning up for the live music.

At every One Night Stand, I’ve made sure we gave an opportunity for a young, local band to play. In fact, across everything we’ve done at triple j, I’ve always made sure we opened doors for new, younger artists to break through, find radio airplay and get to the next level. Sometimes that’s been the next generation of musicians connected to Geelong and St Joseph’s, like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Yirrmal. It’s a value that stretches right back to my time in high school, discovering that brilliant music was often right in front of us, literally playing in the quadrangle at lunchtime.

I’m still here at the ABC, working on future strategy for audio & radio. The media is constantly changing, the barriers to entry keep falling. That little radio demo I made in year 11 that no-one heard (except Mr Davis), has been replaced by anyone with a laptop and a microphone starting a YouTube channel, or a podcast, or posting to TikTok and Instagram, sharing your life, your ideas, your art with anyone around the world. Everyone has a voice. Make sure you use yours

Chris Scaddan

Mark Scott, Malcolm Turnbull, Clare Bowditch & Chris Scaddan. Chris Scaddan - triple J 40 years exhibition.

Where are they now?

Ignatius Rudd (SJOC 2013)

I compose this article from Larrakia country in the Northern Territory, and I pay my respects to the Larrakia People and to the Wadawurrung People, who kindly hosted me for my early life and my time at St Joey’s. I graduated from St Joey’s in 2013 and was fortunate enough to be accepted into a medical degree at the University of Adelaide. This was a six-year degree, with the first three years based mainly at the university undertaking subjects in Biomedical Science, and the final three years based at the hospital conducting full-time clinical placements.

My time at the University of Adelaide was busy. When I wasn’t attending lectures or studying, I was trying to squeeze in as much socialising as possible. From an academic point of view, the highlights of my time at the University of Adelaide were as a clinical medical student. This involved attending the hospital each day and following the doctors and nurses on their ward rounds, in clinic, in the emergency department, and in the operating theatres. These placements took me from the major metropolitan hospitals in Adelaide, to rural and remote South Australia, to as far as the Mater Dei Hospital in Malta and the National Referral Hospital in the Solomon Islands. During this time there were few medical experiences I had not witnessed by the age of 24! I loved this time as I was able to combine my love for the sciences with real-world examples, and I was afforded the opportunity to make meaningful change in people’s lives.

After graduating from the MBBS in 2019, I began my career as a doctor at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. The beginnings of my career were marked by hard work and the challenges of the pandemic. I only practiced as a doctor for about two months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Australia and this changed the way we practiced, and will continue to practice, forever. In 2021, I relocated to Victoria and undertook a year as a surgical resident at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne. The highlight of my time at the Alfred Hospital was being part of the Alfred Burns Unit, dealing with some of the state’s most serious burns injuries.

Despite my interest in burns surgery (and all other areas of medicine for that matter), my passion is Obstetrics & Gynaecology (O&G). My love for O&G was unlikely. I grew up with six older brothers and attended an all boys’ school… an unlikely candidate for a career in Women’s

Health! I think, however, that my experience in a big family, and with all my siblings having families of their own, has shaped me into someone who loves being a part of a specialty which enables you to join someone on their journey to having a baby.

In 2022 this passion took me to the Mercy Hospital for Women in Melbourne and in 2023 it has taken me to the O&G department at the Royal Darwin Hospital in the Northern Territory. Another interest of mine is in rural and remote medicine and working with our First Nations People. I owe this in part to the college. In year 10 I attended Darwin and the Daly River Region with a bunch of Joey’s boys, led by Mr Holt and Mr Jones. This trip was a real eye-opener into the challenges facing our First Nations people. I am thrilled to be back in Darwin and surrounds.

Like many others, my parents were my biggest influence. For my siblings and I, it did not matter what our interest was, as long as it was met with hardwork and passion, it was praised. They dedicated their lives to us and our prosperity, and I have learnt through my time that many are not blessed with this. So be kind to your parents!

In 2019 I delivered over 20 babies in the Solomon Islands during an elective medical placement. This was a formative experience in my journey to O&G and will stay with me forever.

In 2021 I witnessed a sharp rise in self-harm burns injuries at the Alfred Hospital during our lockdowns. It was a sobering experience for me and demonstrated to me how fragile humans can be and how important community and socialising is for some people.

Dressed as an Elf on Christmas Day at The Alfred during the pandemic. The burns team.

Me pictured here with a baby I delivered in the Solomon’s.

I plan to return to the Mercy Hospital in Melbourne later this year to continue my training in O&G.

“Not failure, but low aim, is a crime” – James Russell Lowell

My late grandmother said this time and time again. For me, like many young boys at school, I lacked confidence in my academic ability and was not naturally gifted. During my early years at Joey’s I did not think I was capable of anything more challenging than the standard classes. I suffered many low scores on tests (despite putting in lots of work), and it was disheartening. I kept working hard and I eventually got there. I was put into advanced maths and English and kept chipping away at these into the VCE years. From then on, I made it my goal to get into medicine, even though it seemed like such an unattainable goal. At that time virtually no one from Joey’s went on to study medicine, and no one in my family had. I almost felt foolish applying for the degree. The words of the above quote would always echo in my head and fortunately I was rewarded with dux of the college and an opportunity to study medicine. It has remained my inspiration to this day.

So, my advice is to do exactly that, set your sights high, you would be surprised what you can achieve.

To Brennan Houghton, who endured a lengthy battle with cancer that stole much of his teenage years and ultimately his life, not long after we graduated, when we were only just beginning life. I think of him often.

Mr Philip Bates for teaching me kindness and compassion. Mrs Vicky Mills for encouraging curiosity.

Mrs Palmer for believing in my ability in mathematics.

Mrs Kerry Drever, Mr Craig Browne, Mr O’Connell and all my other year 12 teachers for their extraordinary dedication.

MICHAEL KING

Left to right: Josh, Jesse, Zac, Xav, Mum/Dad, Me, Max and Dom. All graduates of joey’s.

Ignatius Rudd

Where are they now?

Xavier Huxtable (SJOC 2020)

I graduated from Joey’s in 2020, yes that year we would like to forget! For me the pandemic was a mixture of both good and bad, like for most of us.

Usually my surfing took me away from my schooling for competitions and training, nationally and internationally. I knew I had to juggle Year 12 and my surfing commitments. By March 2020 I was stuck here for the first time and this meant that my focus was my studies. Lucky living in Jan Juc, I was still able to surf daily and keep up my skills during this time.

My ambition was always to try and give surfing a go, to make a career out of it. My first year out of school and I was to travel and start competing in Qualifying Series nationally. Unfortunately in February, 2021, whilst training in Queensland, I injured my knee and had to have surgery. Covid was still present and 2021 was another year where I had to move my focus into rehabilitation of my knee and work.

2022 I started my campaign in the Qualifying Series. I had been training in Queensland over the summer with the High Performance Center. After completing the series I finished 13th in Australia Oceania. I traveled to Indonesia in June 2022 and competed in two competitions one in Nias, an Island off North Sumatra - finishing 9th and the other in Krui South Sumatra - finishing 13th. In November I won my first WSL competition at URBNSURF Melbourne. I then came 2nd in the Phillip Island QS.

2023 my sole focus again was to better 2022. Training for a month in Queensland, having specialised training for the upcoming QS competitions. With my results from late 2022, I was sitting in a great position to make the next step - Challenger Series. After completing the series with some great results and some not so good, I finished the series at 13th. To make it through to the Challenger series, surfers need to finish in the top 10.

Surfing is a challenging sport at times, nature sometimes does not like to work in your favour. Surf conditions in some parts of NSW can be as small as 1.5 ft and I still have to compete. Frustrating thing can be when I’m away traveling up north in small conditions and back home the surf is pumping! I have been taught over many years that I need to excel in all conditions that are presented to me.

Easter 2023 I won the Victorian Trials for the Rip Curl Pro as a wild card, to compete with the CT surfers. I had competed once before after receiving a wildcard when I was 16. This year was super special. Again, like 2019, I had my first round against Kelly Slater and Jack Robinson -number 1 surfer for 2022/2023. I came second in the first round beating Kelly. The next round I was to compete again with Jack Robinson, this heat I won. It all felt surreal, trying to keep my nerves and still keep composed and put all my training and knowledge into action. I can still hear the cheers from the grandstand, each time I rode a good wave during that heat.

Round 3, this being the round of 16. I again put everything into this heat, I came away with no win but an immense knowledge and gratitude. This is the best result so far for my career and one that I can learn from and take into the 2023 campaign.

As I write this my aim is to get in the top 10 of the QS for 2024 and then compete in the Challenger Series. To make the Championship Tour (CT) the surfers have to be in the top 10 of the Challenger Series. My dream has always been to be a pro surfer and I hope one day that this dream comes true. I have thought of other options, a back up plan. I may possibly follow in my dad’s footsteps of studying osteopathy.

Xavier Huxtable

Xavier is carried from the waves after winning a wildcard to the Rip Curl Pro.

Xavier knocked out world no.1 Jack Robinson in the Round of 32 (Photo:Ed Sloane/World Surf League).

Xavier took the Bells Beach surfing championships by storm (Photo: Beatriz Ryder/World Surf League).

Where are they now?

David Motorniak (SJOC 2016)

It’s such a pleasure to be writing back to St Joseph’s where I graduated only in 2016. A very big hello to everyone!

After finishing up at Joey’s, I moved to Melbourne and started studying medicine at Monash University. The career grows you up quickly and moved me out to Bendigo, Karratha, Mildura and across the city over the years to get a breadth of training.

As much of my training happened over COVID, I looked around for a bit of a break and was lucky enough to take a year off and complete an Honours year in Bioethics at Oxford University, writing my research thesis on the ethics of lockdowns – a very relevant topic at the time and one I still write on and teach about at the university. Unfortunately, I only made it over to the UK for about six weeks given our travel restrictions. I made the most out of the situation and picked up a job as a Public Health Officer for the Department of Health, contact tracing during the peak of the pandemic. The job ended up being fascinating, putting me at the frontlines in a critical period – you’d wake up and read the headlines about a case you interviewed just the night before. The job also took me to an area of passion –public health, a not so sexy but very important science, one that saves more lives than any medicine. Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to publish my first peer-reviewed article in the field. After things quietened down on the COVID side, I went back to Monash University, finished off my MD in 2022 and was grateful to graduate with the Sophie Davis Prize for the highest marks across the degree.

Right now, I’m a junior doctor at St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne and starting applications to enter Basic Physicians Training in 2024 – the pathway doctors like cardiologists or neurologists take, though I’m still deciding

where I want to end up. I’ve also continued studying and am halfway through my Master of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, with a view towards working overseas. Medicine, fortunately, is a job that can take you anywherelocation and jobwise. Your real skills aren’t so much about remembering rare diseases or performing slick surgeries (though I’d say that’s important too) and much more about being able to communicate with your patients, their families and your colleagues. You spend so many years inside hospitals that you get very comfortable with the gowns, beeping machines and speakers going off – you have to shake yourself out and remember to most people, a hospital is strange, that your patients need someone to remember that and reassure them.

The job shines a light on inequality and how injustice impacts our health. I remember that all the Joey’s boys will have their classes on Edmund Rice, the mission of the Christian Brothers and I’m sure the College has an even stronger focus on enacting social justice than when I attended. I remember these lessons feeling very distant when I was in highschool and it’s only with some real-world growth that it started to make sense. I’d advise that every boy keeps this in mind when considering where they go in the future – not necessarily their careers, but how they think about the world, politics and the issues affecting their community.

There are other fond memories of SJC, and warm mentions are needed to all my teachers, who are still chatted about fondly in catchups. I spent two or three rehearsals a week in the SJC music department and though I haven’t picked up a clarinet in six years, I wouldn’t change a thing for all my friends and memories there. I’ve been proud to follow my grandfather and older brother in coming to Joey’s and wearing the tie.

Even though I’m now in a career that shows a clear path ahead and have lots of passions, I’m entirely still in the same shoes as I’m sure many Year 10, 11 and 12 students are now – what to do with my life? I’m sure there is pressure from your parents, teachers and most of all yourself about deciding something to do. It can be a good thing, pushing you on to try something and take an opportunity – which I think you should. What is important to remember: it’s okay to not be sure! There is so much out there and being young men just entering the world, there’s so, so much out there still to find. Try something, change your mind, do it again, figure out what you value and stick with it. If that doesn’t work, start that path again and most of all remember that we’re all just getting started. Good luck –and if anyone is interested in medicine being that path, feel free to reach out!

Where are they now?

Damien Gardiner (SJOC 1994)

Even though I left Joey’s almost 30 years ago, I still look back incredibly fondly on my six years at the school from 1989-1994. Some of my best memories, and certainly my longest-lasting and strongest friendships, were all forged during this time, and I will forever be indebted to Joey’s for providing such a wonderful foundation.

I started Arts at Monash University immediately on leaving school. That wasn’t the original plan as law was always the objective, but my ENTER was a bit short so I needed to transfer after getting through first year. That experience alone was a great lesson – missing out on my preferred course after Year 12 was only a short-term hurdle, and it taught me that there’s always more than one way to achieve your goals.

After five years at Monash, I started work at Mallesons Stephen Jaques, which was then (and still is) one of the largest commercial law firms in Australia. Without having the foggiest idea what a commercial lawyer actually did, I found myself becoming one, although it was only ever meant to be a short term stopover. Those unfortunate enough to have been in one of my classes, particularly Year 11 and 12 English and Legal Studies, will have been in no doubt that I was heading to Canberra, as I was obsessed with politics from a young age. Indeed, that’s the only reason I ever wanted to study law. The idea of being a commercial lawyer for longer than three years would have sent shivers down my spine.

As fate would have it, my first client meeting was at the now closed Hazelwood Power Station. It was impossible not to be transfixed. The scale of the operation, the complexity of the issues and the inherently practical problems that needed to be solved was all-consuming. It was from that time I thought maybe I could give this five years, then transition to politics. It was also at that moment that I became an environmental, infrastructure and major projects lawyer, and it’s an area I still practice in. It’s an incredibly dynamic and fascinating area that continues to evolve, and we cover a terrific range of issues on a daily basis. These can range from native title issues, approvals issues on major mining, infrastructure and energy projects, through to contamination matters and prosecutions on industrial sites. Right now, we’re leaning heavily into energy transition, and are doing a lot of work on new electricity generation and transmission projects. After 12 years at Mallesons, I moved across to Clayton Utz, another major Australian commercial law firm, and I have been a partner there since 2012. More recently, I have been the Partner-in-Charge of the Melbourne office, which

has been a great experience. While any management role has its challenges (and there are days when I wonder why I’m doing it!), they provide a great opportunity to contribute to the broader success of a business or organisation. It’s a real privilege to be entrusted with any leadership position. Any desire to go into politics has now long evaporated. This is another great lesson I’ve learned. Life takes all sorts of twists and turns, and the only certainty with the best laid plans is they’ll probably change. It’s critical to pivot your direction when the winds change, in my case, the longer I spent as a commercial lawyer, the more I appreciated the challenges and opportunities that would come up. Also, the more exposure I had to our political processes and systems, the more I realised it wasn’t for me. Spending time away from my beautiful wife and three great kids would also make that life impossible. There’s not an ounce of regret that I left that by the wayside. Without doubt, it was my time at Joey’s, along with the wonderful guiding hand provided by my parents, that laid the foundations for the way I approach whatever hand gets dealt. We had some terrific teachers and mentors at the school who left a lasting and positive impression on us, and I’m always proud to say I went to Joey’s. Indeed, Damian (Jack) Gleeson, our Year 10 coordinator, remains a close personal friend. There were so many teachers who went above and beyond to help us become the best students we could, and to get the best results we were capable of. Looking back, I can see how devoted to their roles they were, and how they always responded positively to students who were having a real crack. Joey’s provided a very positive and nurturing learning environment. Seeing how much the school has improved since we finished, particularly with all the building and other improvements, it’s clear that those opportunities will now be magnified.

As important as any of this is the strength of the personal relationships the school fostered. My three closest mates remain the three closest mates I had at Joey’s, and we still see each other regularly and always pick up where we left off. Those friendships are the most valuable legacy of my time at the school.

Joey’s instilled in me the importance of getting involved, making a contribution, not taking anything for granted, being adaptable and resilient and working hard for the results you want. They’re the values we now try and instil in our kids, and are the best words of advice I can give to the younger students and alumni today. That, and being grateful. And I’ll always be grateful to Joey’s.

Damien Gardiner

Liverpool FC partners with St Joseph’s College

Liverpool FC International Academy Australia has expanded its youth coaching program by partnering with St Joseph’s College to form the first Liverpool FC Academy Australia in regional Victoria.

The vision for the new high-performance soccer program at St Joseph’s is to use the combined resources of SJC and Liverpool FC to create an environment that mirrors the one experienced by players on a high-performance pathway in the UK.

This means not only a high quality and authentic LFC football program developing players technically, tactically and physically, but also input into social and mental development, career pathways and life skills such as communication, teamwork and leadership.

The partnership will also see the school host a range of Liverpool FC community training and holiday programs available to all aspiring players in the region, the first of which took place in April and saw over 300 children from areas across Geelong attend the community event.

Principal Tony Paatsch said it was exciting to be the first school in the Greater Geelong region to partner with Liverpool FC International Academy Australia. “We are thrilled that our students will have access to a world-class curriculum via this world-class soccer program,” he said.

Old Collegian Matthew Spiranovic (SJOC 2006) who attended the partnership launch is no stranger to elite football having played for Australia at the FIFA World Cup. “The new partnership will only improve and elevate this already fantastic College to greater heights. I look forward to what the future holds and can’t wait to see more future Socceroos come through the College” he said.

Principal Tony Paatsch and Matthew Spiranovic.

Launching the Liverpool International Academy Partnership.

Liverpool Academy Community Clinic on Zampatti oval.

Students enjoying a Liverpool Academy session at SJC.

Cameron Mooney, Cameron Ling, David Wojcinski and Matthew Spiranovic.

LIA Technical Director Kevin Grima with SJC students.

A Few Reflections on 40 Years at Joey’s Simon Taylor (SJC Teacher)

Brendan Long (ex Joey’s School Captain 1980) and I, commenced at Joey’s in 1984 as teachers of Physical Education. Maths and Religious Education were the other two subjects allocated to me. In none of these curriculum areas was I given a course outline. I received a Maths text book the day before I started teaching the subject and as far as PE and RE were concerned, I was left to my own devices. In the end, Brendan and I developed a reasonable PE program for the Year Levels we taught, and I managed to borrow RE materials from another Catholic school. I was pretty ‘green’ as a Maths teacher back then, and I think it was ‘Megs’ Millard who managed to help me get the class through that first year!

In 1984 I was also Homeroom teacher of 7 White – one of three Year 7 Homerooms. This class and Year Level, included Michael Mansfield who went on to play football for Geelong and Carlton, Ben Casanelia who now fronts KRock football, and Mark Neeld who played games for Richmond and eventually went on to coach Melbourne. Mark is the current coach of South Barwon in the Geelong Football League.

In 1986, I put a submission before Principal, Brother Howe, that I/we be able to develop a Grampians Camp program for Year 10. Starting the Grampians camps, is one of the achievements I am most proud of. Since 1986, thousands of Year 10 and then later Year 9 boys, have been on our Grampians camps. One of the things (amongst others), that I liked so much about these camps and the challenges we set for students, was that the experience was a great ‘leveller’ for boys – not all the machismo lads did well, and some who others thought lowly of, rose to the occasion. As an example, while Cameron Ling Captained Geelong to a Premiership and played hundreds of AFL games, he was not so well equipped to take on the challenges of abseiling!

Some ‘big’ personality Year 10 characters, were in full swing in our first camps’ year. Tim Bourke (now Victorian Chief Magistrate), ‘Spooker” Hardwick, ‘Mozza’ McCoy and Mick Wright (recent SJC teacher), were as mischievous as any who have come after.

Russ Zampatti and Col Silcock (volunteer) were always involved up until well into the 2000s. Russ was a huge help and whilst not a teacher, was often called upon for advice and/or to lead a group. Col’s involvement was wonderfully charitable and he always looked forward to these camps. Col became (in)famous for multiple experiences over the years, some of which included: navigating to places and then getting lost along the way; losing the school ute’s car keys, only to hours later find them in his tent; kindly going last to cook on a commune fire, only to then spill the contents of his meal on his lap, and; going for one of his training runs up Mt William and not returning for 4 hours, ignorant of the fact that a search party including Parks Victoria had been out looking for him.

In 1989, Peter Cannon who took over the Principalship from Brother Howe (and as such became Joey’s first ever lay Principal), appointed me as Year 9 Level Coordinator. Whilst I spent most of the next 28 years Coordinating Year 9, I ended up also at Years 8 and 10 on rotation. I feel

privileged to have been afforded this role over my time at Joey’s, and I think for the better part, I mostly got things right.

Joey’s introduced Chinese as a LOTE subject in the 1990s and as a means to promote Chinese, we embarked on running tours to China for students and the extended Joey’s community. Anne Thomas led these in the early years and in 2005, I was fortunate to take over this role from her. For the next 15 years, Wei Zhang and I ran biennial China tours, peaking in 2015, when our tour group totalled 68 people.

The China tours, have not been the totality of my Chinese experiences. Claire Brown (ex SJC Deputy Principal) and I, facilitated three, six-week immersions to China as part of the Victorian Young Leaders to China program. In 2017 whilst spending time at SICFLS (Shanghai Industrial and Cultural Foreign Languages School), we opened dialogue about commencing a sister-school relationship. Subsequently in 2018, we ran a program for a dozen Shanghai students at Joey’s over a two week period and then later in that same year, took that many of our own boys to Shanghai, to be immersed in a similar experience at their school. Although we are still engaging in conversation with SICFLS, unfortunately COVID has temporarily interrupted the continuance of these exchanges.

Around 2017, I returned to the classroom as a full-time teacher, no longer responsible for coordinating a year level. Initially this came with some challenges, but thanks to a support group of teachers including Anna Fazio, Katerina Giacammazzo and Gemma Grey, I was able to make a successful transition back into the classroom. In the last six years, as a Year 7 and 8 subject teacher of: Humanities, RE and Maths, I have found to be some of the most rewarding years of my whole career. I loved teaching remotely during COVID, as I equally did in 2021 and 2022 in my role as a Year 7 Homeroom teacher.

Joey’s has been good to me and I’d like to think, I have made a reasonable contribution to its growth. In concluding this piece, I wish to highlight three outstanding students who embrace the values and ideals of the ‘modern’ St Joseph’s. Jaegar Fawcett (College Captain), Luada-Kadahl Mooney (Year 9) and Sasindu Costa (Year 8), represent all that we could ever hope for as young males leading their peers into the future.

Simon Taylor

Learning to sail in retirement, under the tutelage of current Joey’s teacher, Chris Conroy.

Fashion Dinner 2022

A fabulous night of fashion and fundraising was once again on the menu at Mount Duneed Estate for the 2022 St Joseph’s College Fashion Dinner.

The room was abuzz at the glamorous event on 19 August which is an important fundraiser for the St Joseph’s Kensekka Vocational School in Uganda.

It was brilliant to see 200 attendees gather inside the venue where they were welcomed with a delicious cocktail, compliments of Sip Sip by 63.

Led by our MC for the evening, Kylie Oliver, the 22nd annual Fashion Dinner once again showcased an array of gorgeous fashion – from relaxed casual styles through to stunning bridal looks.

The runway shows featured the latest collections from Eyewear on Pako, Own Kind, Ghanda, The Collective Hub, Pearls & Roses (Bridal and Lifestyle), Shortlist, Eddy Elias, Elm, and St Goliath.

As always, our models did a fantastic job, with a few familiar faces from the College community stepping up to strut their stuff for a good cause.

Nathan Ashton from Gartland confidently took the reins to conduct the all-important Live Auction, doing a stellar

job to help reach the final fundraising total of more than $22,000. The ever-popular silent auction was also a big success.

The talented Matt Baird Duo provided wonderful musical entertainment and guests were treated to a delicious three-course meal by Mount Duneed Estate.

College Principal Tony Paatsch then took to the stage to thank everyone for playing their part in helping vulnerable youth to gain a life-changing education at the St Joseph’s Kensekka Vocational School. A heartfelt video from the Kensekka staff and students was another highlight of the night.

Thank you to everyone who supported the event, in particular the major sponsors Gartland, Sip Sip and The Ponds. We could not do it without you.

Huge thanks also to the Parents & Friends team, the amazing local businesses who supported the evening through their donations, the fashion houses for being part of the night, Sip Sip for the cocktails and the events team at Mt Duneed Estate.

We look forward to seeing you all at the 2023 Fashion Dinner Fundraiser on Friday 20 October at Mt Duneed Estate.

Emily Van Der Vlist, Fiona Clarke, Lydia Watson, Danny Moore, Raquel Martin and Amanda Jerinic.

Rhona Pedretti, Julie Holt and Kirsten Hood.

Pearls and Roses Lifestyle models Lilly Byworth, Ariahn George, Peyton Milne, Yolanda Fulton-Richmond, Milli Holt, and Eve Cannon.

Melissa Maccora, Jane Farrow, Sally Maes, Melinda Seitshiro, Anya Freeman and Stacey Moorfoot.

Milli Holt models for Pearls and Roses Bridal.

Judy Jones, Pauline Sutterby, Amanda Panozzo, Carla Juric, and Kate Betts.

SJOCA 2023 Golf Day

The sun was shining for the 2023 SJOCA Golf Day held on Friday 17 March at Lonsdale Links in Point Lonsdale. Two hundred and eighty-five players took to the course in what was a fantastic day for all.

In addition to a fabulous day of golf, the event raised $28,500 to support the College’s Bursary Program –enabling those who could otherwise not afford to attend St Joseph’s, the opportunity to study and thrive with a Joey’s education.

This incredible result would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors and the participation of our players. Huge thanks once again to long-time SJC supporter, David Bowles of Associated Cold Tread Tyres for your loyalty and commitment over the last 28 years.

SJOCA 2023 Golf Day Winners

AM Winners

Shell Club : Nathan Warner, Tony Eastmure, Glenn Boseley, Nick Reed & Dean Pattison

PM Winners

Frameline : Scott Pickett, Andrew Goddard, Stephen McLeod, Grant Ward & Damian Fiolet

AM Winners - Shell Club

PM Winners - Frameline

Kieser team.

Billys Birdies team.

Cotton On Foundation team.

Penfolds Grange Raffle Winner – Matthew Gow.

Hoban Recruitment team.

Team Trak.

SJC Ad Alta team.

Times News Group team.

IDAWS team.

McKinnon team.

SJC Race Day

A terrific day at the races was enjoyed by all who attended the second annual Old Collegians’ Association Race Day on 12 August 2022.

Cats great Cameron Ling (SJOC 1998) was once again MC for the day and happily took questions on all things football from the crowd.

Over lunch college supporters, families, and past students were also treated to a surprise visit from champion jockey Craig Williams who shared insights on his career during an interview with Joey’s alumni and local sports broadcaster Tom King (SJOC 1996).

Williams also spoke passionately of his recent humanitarian trip to the Ukraine with his Ukrainianborn wife Larysa where they delivered a large number of trauma kits to frontline soldiers.

Accomplished thoroughbred horse trainer Jamie Edwards, of Emsley Lodge, was also interviewed during the afternoon.

St Joseph’s College director of Community and Development Kristen Gleeson said the race day, which was held in the McFarlane Room at Geelong Racing Club, was once again a terrific success.

“It was a great opportunity for everyone to stay connected and enjoy a fun day at the races,” he said.

SJOCA President Justin O’Brien thanked those who attended the annual event.

“Terrible conditions outdoors made it ideal to host an indoor luncheon and connect with many in our community,” he said.

Erin Holdsworth and Reshma Mathew.

A group enjoying an afternoon at the racetrack.

Phil Wilson, Paul Kelly, Paul Bongiorno and Matt Leith.

Jockey Craig Williams being interviewed by Tom King.

Will McKenzie, Angus O’Brien, Darby Waldron, Tania O’Brien & Kylie Oliver.

Rod Taylor and Tom King.

Kristen Gleeson and Justin O’Brien.

James Fatone, Jessica Harding, and Marcus Smith.

Reunions 2022

A wonderful group from the Class of 1972 returned to the College on 25 November 2022 to celebrate their 50-year Reunion. An informative tour of the College was followed by lunch and refreshments in the Maureen Bryant Boardroom where conversations flowed and many memories were shared.

Graham O’Halloran made the trip from Queensland to catch up with old mates and this included John Davis who drove the same FB Holden station wagon he once borrowed from his grandmother as a Year 12 student to make the trip to Joey’s from his home town of Birregurra. The station wagon now belongs to John and he even parked it in Queens Road, just as he did back in his school days.

“I was five years old when I went with my grandmother in 1960 to pick up the then new Holden station wagon from Burnside and McClure Holden in Moorabool Street, South Geelong,” John recalled after the reunion.

“I was photographed standing in front of the station wagon on my First Communion Day. It was late October, early November, 1962 and I was seven years old. Ten years later, in 1972, I drove the Holden to St Joseph’s for Year 12.

“Now, 50 years on from 1972, my eight grandchildren enjoy travelling in the Holden.

“In a few years, one of my grandchildren will attend St Joseph’s. From what we were shown (on the day of the reunion), I believe my grandson Lenny Davis will receive a wonderful educational experience.”

Meanwhile, the Pre-1980s and Boarders reunion was held on 11 November to coincide with the College’s annual Remembrance Mass in the chapel.

Old Collegians travelled from near and far to attend the reunion and a great afternoon was enjoyed by all.

Class of 1967 alumni, Wolfgang Gertis, gave a fascinating talk about his work as the chief engineer at Spirit of Tasmania.

On Saturday 20 May, 2023 classmates celebrating reunions from years ending in 3 and 8 gathered from across the country to enjoy refreshments and finger food, a tour of the campus and of course, catch up with old friends and new.

Old Collegians’ President, Justin O’Brien (1988) who was celebrating his 35 year reunion, spoke of the tremendous community among Old Collegians’ and the enduring mateship that they enjoyed.

Many stories from school days were shared, including recalling the old pool and the rifle range.

A big thank you to all those who attended reunions in 2022/3. It was a pleasure to host you and we hope you had a memorable day.

Class of 1972, 50 year reunion.

Class of 1972, 50 year reunion.

Graham O’Halloran, John Davis and Peter Teague.

The Class of 1972 inspect the PAC.

Class of 1983.

Class of 1988.

Class of 1998.

Class of 2008.

Class of 2013.

Class of 1988.

Class of 1993.

Class of 2013.

Class of 2018.

Josephines Autumn Dinner

Deb and her amazing Truffleduck team welcomed our Josephines’ for the annual Autumn Dinner in March. It was a glorious night and guests mingled out in the garden, caught up with friends and met our newest members.

Jacqui Richards and Natalie Clifford, at their very first Josephine’s Autumn Dinner since taking over the role as co-presidents, welcomed everyone as our MC’s for the evening.

Mark Turner’s replacement, Octavia Rae was welcomed with open arms as she shared with us her journey leading up to her time at SJC. Octavia filled us in about amazing things the Learning Diversity team are doing to support all of our students with strategies, tools, encouragement, independence and inclusion not only within their days at SJC but also within their communities.

We were lucky to hear from guest speaker Kgshak Akec and her journey from a young child to now as a writer, poet, storyteller and lover of words. From the moment she learned how to write in English at the age of six,

Kgshak has been writing out the stories that live inside her mind. Kgshak’s first novel, Hopeless Kingdom, was a joint winner of the 2021 Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. Kgshak has a connection to our Joey’s Community as she was a Sacred Heart student who studied here in Year 12 in 2013 and her brother Kaul is currently studying Year 12. Kgshak’s anecdotes were moving and our guests were so intrigued by her that they bought up all of the copies of her new book, Hopeless Kingdom, that were for sale on the night.

We would like to thank Truffleduck for hosting us as well as Kgshak and her family for joining us for our annual Autumn Dinner. We look forward to seeing everyone at our Spring Lunch on Friday 1 September at Lonsdale Links.

Any mums of former or current SJC students who would like more information or to attend one of our events please contact:

Jodie Warrick - Events and Community Engagement Coordinator - 5226 8122 jodiew@sjc.vic.edu.au

Young Joey’s Connection

Maintaining meaningful and lasting connections between St Joseph’s College and its most recent alumni is at the very heart of the Young Joey’s Connection (YJC). Working in partnership with the Old Collegian Association, the YJC aims to assist our “young” Old Collegians’ as they navigate life after secondary school, offering mentoring and networking opportunities, as well as organising social events designed to keep the connection alive.

The world beyond the hallowed grounds of St Joseph’s is one of endless possibility, but it is not without its obstacles. By drawing upon the experience of those who have come before the YJC endeavours to foster the next generation of leaders, innovators, and problem solvers. Live music is just one of the many experiences that always manages to bring people together, and the YJC annual ‘Live and Kicking’ band night is a testament to this fact. Returning to the Barwon Club Hotel in 2022 for its second year running, the event once again proved to be a night of outstanding talent and entertainment, showcasing all that our local up-and-coming musicians have to offer. Live and Kicking 2022 featured a jampacked setlist including bands Mongeese, the Foxhounds, Dysphoriac and Slide My Way, as well as solo performances from Finbar Cleary (SJOC 2020), Patrick Consedine (SJOC 2017) and Michael Moreno (SJOC 2019) as DJ Micoduct.

For some of the younger musicians, this event was their first major public performance since leaving St Joseph’s and they could not have asked for a better debut gig.

In addition to providing aspiring musicians with an opportunity to cut their teeth on the Geelong live music scene and get their name out there, events such as these also offer Old Collegians’ the chance to re-connect with old mates, swapping stories from their past as well as their plans for the future.

With the sheer amount of musical talent that the St Joseph’s alumni have to offer there can be no doubt that Geelong’s local live music scene continues to remain live and kicking! Keep an eye out for this year’s YJC event to be confirmed at a later date.

Nathan Fox

The McNeill Society

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. It enables us to thank and recognise – privately or publicly – those for their generosity towards the College. Often St Joseph’s College is not able to thank a donor in his or her lifetime and the McNeill Society allows us to express our gratitude in the here and now.

Our hope is that it will also encourage others to include a gift to St Joseph’s College in their will.

The McNeill Society has been named after John McNeill (SJC 1935-1937). A foundation student during the first three years of the College’s existence, John was one of the

original House Captains and took full part in all school activities.

Foundation members and solicitors Andrew and Erin Penton have generously offered a FREE WILL writing service for anyone wishing to support the St Joseph’s College Foundation through the McNeill Society.

For more information contact: Kristen Gleeson - Director of Community and Development. 03 5226 8100 kristen.gleeson@sjc.vic.edu.au

Rob Threlfall Foundation Member and SJC Alumnus (1984)

The Foxhounds performing at the YJC annual Live & Kicking band night.

“My family and I would like to help make sure that boys in the future have the same opportunities that I did by going to Joey’s, receiving a very good education and making life-long friends. Running the school and investing to ensure long term sustainability cost money. I am proud to be a member of the McNeill Society and it provides me with an ongoing sense of belonging. I trust my bequest will make a difference. ”

Vale Kevin Costa (SJOC 1961)

St Joseph’s College and the St Joseph’s College Foundation were deeply saddened at the passing of Kevin Costa (SJOC 1961).

Kevin joined St Joseph’s as a boarder in 1955 with his older brother Anthony. Kevin has been a much loved and respected member of the SJC community for many years and was instrumental in launching the SJC Foundation in 1995. He served as Chair from 1999 – 2009 and remained on the committee until his passing, retaining a great passion for our College. He was thrilled to receive a 25-year service award to the College and the Foundation at the Foundation’s 25-year celebration in November 2021, with fellow long serving committee members Dr Joe Virgona and Peter Rudd.

Kevin’s stories of his time at St Joseph’s, in particular as a boarder, are legendary and he attended all the reunions over many years. He was a true friend of St Joseph’s who will be greatly missed by his fellow Old Collegians and by all of the members of his St Joseph’s family. Rest in peace Kevin. ‘Take it easy’

“Kevin and I were on the Foundation since its inception. I only knew of Kevin and his brother, Tony, through their marvellous fundraising efforts, selling fruit and vegies at the Joey’s Fete back in the ‘80’s. I was a true outsider, having gone to St Bede’s in Mentone, and very green when it came to helping out at a Catholic College. Kevin took care of that. Both of us educated at the “School of Hard Knocks”, he kept me in hysterics about the wholesale fruit market where I worked as a student from 1.00am-7.30 am. He, remembering counting sugar bags fullofmoneyandwhowasgoingtorobhimnext.Ofcourse there were more than the required expletives said all through the Foundation journey; and he would definitely be “cancelled” in today’s social acceptance. The man stood taller than the tallest of AFL players. As a parent the heartache and suffering both Kevin and Lorraine had to bear through their journey was unfathomable. The lessons Kevin taught me in parenting, business and philanthropy were immense.

And I’ll never forget that man”

Peter Rudd (SJC Foundation Chair 2010-2017)

In Remembrance

“There have been few people that I have known that have had a greater zest for life than Kevin. My particular observation has come from Kevin’s long commitment to St Joseph’s, especially its Foundation. This has particularly been the case in recent years. Kevin brought his energy to all things Foundation and in particular the extraordinary and supportive way he worked with each of the Foundation officers John Fitzgerald and Kristen Gleeson and their colleagues. In some way he became the Foundation’s soul. How wonderful it has been to be in the presence of someone with such optimism, energy, faith and always a magic smile”.

Peter Cannon SJC Principal (1989-1999)

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.”

John Bohan (SJOC 1940)

Geoffrey Brown (SJOC 1968)

Kevin Costa (SJOC 1961)

Ned Clements (SJOC 2021)

John Crotty (SJOC 1949)

Frank Curypko (SJOC 1966)

Scott Grayson (SJOC 1985)

David Jones (SJOC 1999)

Jonah Lear (SJOC 2022)

John Mahoney (SJOC 1949)

Peter Morgan (SJOC 1950)

Brendan O’Brien (SJOC 1949)

Christopher Pianto (SJOC 1976)

Desmond Podbury (SJOC 1944)

Leo Russell (SJOC 1940)

Barry Tennant (SJOC 1955)

John Thomas (SJOC 1951)

In Loving Memory of John Bohan (SJOC

The College community was deeply saddened to learn that John passed away on 30 June. Earlier this year John celebrated his 100th birthday.

John enrolled as one of the first students at St Joey’s in 1935 at 12 years of age. During his schooling years, he was an avid reader and a keen cricket and tennis player. He had very fond memories of his teachers and the strong friendships that were formed.

After leaving St Joseph’s in 1940, John commenced employment as a surveyor’s assistant for local Geelong company Arthur Clive Thomas Surveyors.Between 19411945, John was conscripted to the Australian Army based in the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland, it was during this time John discovered his initial interest and talent for drawing, often sketching his fellow army comrades in pencil.

Years later John began painting scenes from photographs he took during his travels to Central Australia and from places further abroad including Japan and Croatia. John often drew on his imagination to add fictitious characters, animals and objects to the landscape.

John had a loving and deep affection for his family, his parents and his younger brother Kevin.

During his senior years, sadly John’s eyesight deteriorated and he could no longer view his works. He kindly gifted much of his collection to St Joseph’s, so that

In loving memory of Leo William Russell

(SJOC

1944)

The College was saddened to hear of the recent passing of Leo.

Leo grew up on a dairy farm in Mt Moriac. He attended St Joseph’s College where he was named College Dux in his final year in 1944, although he had only three students to beat in his graduating class! Leo then attended the Gordon Institute of Technology Geelong, completing a three year Civil Engineering Diploma. He played cricket for Barrabool in the Geelong Cricket Association, football for the Modewarre Football Club and was a member of the 1947 and 1952 premierships.

Leo and Athol married at St Bernard’s Church Geelong on 24 April 1954. He was the father of six childrenColleen, Gerard, Michael, Chris, Paul and Louise. In 2007, Leo and Athol moved to Hervey Bay where Colleen lived. Athol sadly passed on 7 January 2018 at age 88 after 63 years of marriage.

Leo maintained a keen interest in all sports, particularly racing and football, right up until his death and was particularly proud that his grandson Tom ended up at the Cats.

1940)

future generations may gain pleasure and inspiration from these works. A sample of his works are on display in the Peter Chanel Building and is known as the “John Bohan Collection” and one artwork currently hangs in the Principal’s office at the College. To John’s family, the College extends its heartfelt sympathy. He will be missed by his fellow Old Collegians and by all of the members of his St Joseph’s family. Rest in peace John.

Remembering Brendan O’Brien

(SJOC

1949)

Brendan and I were boarders at St Joseph’s College in Geelong in the late 1940s. We were both country boys, from Speed and Wonwondah East (near Horsham), respectively and our similar rural backgrounds contributed to our coming together. The final year class of 49 bonded tightly. We respected each other and we helped each other whether it was in the schoolroom or on the football field where, by the way, Brendan was a dashing and totally fearless half-back flanker. If you stood between Brendan and the ball you did so at your peril!

I passed on the sad news to Alan Bruce, one of our few remaining classmates. His reaction was pertinent indeed: “Brendan was a rock solid character and a true blue lad from the Mallee”. They are words with which I agree wholeheartedly. Even though our paths didn’t often cross lately, we still kept in touch. Brendan often phoned to talk about old times. Loyalty was his hall mark. Goodbye dear friend, a valued figure in my life.

John Dunn.

Old Collegians Association Honour Board

President

Lou Chamberlain

Lou Chamberlain

Maurice Glynn

Tom Gurrie

John Fox

John Fox

Frank Kerley

Frank Kerley

J Costa

David Shaw

Kelvin Darcy

Des Podbury

Des Podbury

Bendan Redden

Robert McDonald

Robert McDonald

Maurice O’Brien

Maurice O’Brien

John Elias

John Elias

Mick McCoy

Mick McCoy

Noel Mullen

Noel Mullen

Terry Shanahan

Terry Shanahan

Brian Fowler

Brian Fowler

Les Birrell

Les Birrell

Des Guinane

Ross Millar

Ross Millar

Robert McGovan

Robert McGovan

Des Podbury

Peter McDonald

Peter McDonald

Owen Bourke

Owen Bourke

Damian Podbury

Peter Madden

Peter Madden

Paul Love

Paul Love

Paul Love

Peter Madden

Peter Madden

Peter Madden

Peter Madden

Peter Madden

Peter Madden

Peter Madden

Justin O’Brien

Secretary

Maurice Glynn

Maurice Glynn

Rex Fagan

Rex Fagan

J Costa

Des Podbury

Des Podbury

Des Podbury

Des Podbury

Des Podbury

Des Podbury

Ken McDonald

Ken McDonald

Ken McDonald

Robert O’Toole

Mick McCoy

John Elias

Mick McCoy

Mick McCoy

Noel Mullen

Noel Mullen

Noel Mullen

Jim McKeag

Jim McKeag

Jim McKeag

Jim McKeag

Denis Davie

P Wood

P Wood

Hugh Bloink

Ross Millar

Peter McDonald

Mark Davie

Mark Davie

Mark Davie

Mark Davie

Mark Davie

Mark Davie

Mark Davie

Damian Moynihan

Damian Moynihan

Damian Moynihan

Damian Moynihan

Damian Moynihan

Damian Moynihan

Damian Moynihan (Sec/Treas)

Damian Moynihan (Sec/Treas)

Damian Moynihan

John Fitzgerald

John Fitzgerald

Andrew Scaddan

Tom Bennett

Tom Bennett

Nick Jahnecke

Treasurer

Philip Davie

Cedric Patterson

Lou Chamberlain

Ern Davie

Des Podbury

J Costa

J Costa

J Stafford

J Stafford

Peter Langston

Brendan Redden

Stanley Murtagh

Maurice O’Brien

Maurice O’Brien

Des Podbury

Ken McDonald

Mick McCoy

Terry Shanahan

Terry Shanahan

Terry Shanahan

Kevin Diamond

Kevin Diamond

Christopher Morgan

Damian O’Brien

Damian O’Brien

Mick McCoy

Mick McCoy

Mick McCoy

Mick McCoy

Mick McCoy

Mick McCoy

Mick McCoy

Mick McCoy

Mick McCoy

Matthew Bourke

Des Guinane

Des Guinane

Des Guinane

Des Guinane

Des Guinane

Des Guinane

Des Guinane

Shaun McGiffin

Shaun McGiffin

Jim Pollard

Dr Joe Virgona (Vice President)

Dr Joe Virgona (Vice President)

Jim Pollard

Dr Joe Virgona (Vice President)

David McCusker

David McCusker

David McCusker

Sam O’Dwyer

Sam O’Dwyer

Thank you for supporting the St Joseph’s College Foundation in 2022

Anoynmous 6

Leanne Adams

Joe and Val Adamski

Arthur Reed Photos

Rouse Ashton

Rolf Audrins

Declan Audrins

Adam Bampfield

Peter and Rebecca Barker

Trevor Bassett

Brett and Cath Bentley

David and Joan Beretta

Michelle Bishop

David and Jody Bourke

David and Sue Bowles

Andrew Branchflower

Ric and Michelle Brodrick

Warick Brown

Selina Bruce

Greg and Maureen Bryant

Chris and Jacinta Burke

Kaue Caminha

Tristan Carson

Jeff and Bernerdene Carthew

Tom Cashin

Joanne Chappell

Adam Chalmers

Peter and Louise Clatworthy

Terry Coburn

Coles Coaches

David and Ines Collins

Cassandra Coogan

Steve and Julie Cooper

David and Karen Costa

Kevin and Lorraine Costa

Ashley Crook

Shane and Sue Dawson

Catherine Day

John Day

Dominic De Grandi

Geoff and Maria Dean

Trevor Dess

Lucas De Stefano

Lachlan Doak

Ben Dormer

Andrew and Jacinta Dowd

Judy and Scott Dower

John and Katrina Draper/

Harmon

Kerry Drever

Marcus and Lucy Dripps

Jan Earle

Robert Evans

Johanna Evertsen-Mostert

David Fanning

Paul and Fiona FitzGerald

Kevin and Kathy Flanders

Fr Peter Foley

Ken and Robyn Gannon

Cassie Gleeson

Kristen Gleeson

Michael Goss

Jason and Kristen Grant

Jack Greco

Davod and Rosheen Green

James and Catherine Gulli

Dan Hale

Dean and Heather Harris

Oscar Hart

Jacky and Dennis Hateley

Barry Hill

Michael Hoare

John Hoban

Gary Hogan

Phillip Holmes

Jules Holt

Geoff and Bernadette Houghton

Anna Hudson

David Hunt

Danny and Leah Irving

Carl and Pauline Jones

Nick Jones

Simon and Renee Jovic

Christopher and Joanna

Keegan

Heather Kelly

Gavin and Sue King

James Lamont and Rachel

Beech

Richard Lawysz

Cameron and Nicole Ling

Andrew Loughnan

John and Margaret Loughnan

Simone Lucas

Quentin Lydall

Brad Lynch

Chris Lynch

Anthony and Patricia Maas

Bernie and Louise Madden

Di Makings

Mary Malone

Shiela Mansfield

Daryl and Margaret Martini

Kirsty Maselli

Adel Mawson

Darren and Lisa McDine

Barry and Felicity McFarlane

Christopher McFarlane

McHarry’s Buslines

Raymond and Holly McIntosh

Janine McLean

Paul and Cathy McNamara

Daniel Mendoza

Andrew and Erin Mensch

John Mildren

Vicki Mills

Guenter and Sue

Moosbrugger

Roland and Melinda Mrak

Alexander Mrak

Gavin and Lynne Mullins

Darrell and Debra Nash

Justin and Jo Nelson

Craig and Samantha Norris

David and Jessica O’Brien

Justin and Tania O’Brien

David O’Brien

Peter O’Connor

Daniel O’Farrell

Jenny O’Keeffe

Ann O’Neill

Tony and Louise Paatsch

Stephen and Sena Palmer

Anne Papke

Ted and Kate Parke

Andrew and Erin Penton

Josip and Debbie Peretin

Pierce Phelan

Terry and Margaret Phillips

Simon Piasente

Mr Jason Pile and Ms Leanne

Rivett

Lisa Pope

Sam Querella

Mark Rayson

Keelly Rae

Mark Rayson

Leanne Rivett

Rachel Roche

Tony and Anne Ross

Dominic and Rachel Rudd

Brenton and Trish Rudd

Craig and Kirsty Russell

Sue Russell

John Sabljak

Natasha Scanlon Russell

Janet and Rob Sgambaro

Sandra Silo

Russell Schostak

Virginia Schubert

Lauren Sedgman

Kevin Shannon

Karen Shum

Jack and Tracey Simic

Joanne and Neil Slater

Brad Smith

Natasha Solczaniuk

Raymond Spanner

Rebecca Spark

Steven Stojanovski

Simon Taylor

Ethan Taylor

Robert and Fiona Threlfall

Agnes and Joseph Tong

Mark Turner

Archer Warrick

Tenace Van Dyke

Joe and Kerri Virgona

Matthew Walsh

Adele Watt

Natalie Welsh

Brian Weston

Joy Whiteside

Tania Willard

John and Inez Woods

Michael and Claire Wrigley

Meleah Zanos

Wei Zhang

Supporters

We would like to acknowledge and sincerely thank the many local businesses and companies who have generously supported our fundraising efforts throughout the year.

63 Degrees

The Arborist Geelong

Ali Waight Stylist

Amanda LaBonte

AmazingCo

Anther Gin

Anthony Costa Foundation

Aqtive Business Consulting

Arthur Reed Photos

Associated Cold Tread Tyres

Austins Wines

Barwon Club

Barwon Heads Golf Club

Basil's Farm

Bellarine Uniform Supplies

Book Bird

Bottles & Barrels

Brush & Bubbles

Callaway

Carpet House

Clyde Park

Coastal Golf Victoria

Coles Coaches

Corio Bay Health Group

Waurn Ponds

Cotton On Foundation

Cotton On Group

Cucina One 12

DeGrandi Cycle & Sport

Ebb & Flow Wellness Studio

Eddy Elias

Edge Clothing

Elizabeth Bell Ceramics

Elm Lifestyle

Ena Pelly

European Affair

Eyewear On Pako

Flower Bowl

Freckleberry

Frameline

Gartland

Geelong Arts Centre

Geelong Cats

Geelong Cellar Door

Geelong Confectionery

Geelong Construction Supplies

Geelong Lyric Theatre Society

Geelong Racing Club

Geelong Real Estate Co

Geelong Sports Medicine

Geelong United Basketball

Geelong Weaving Mill

Ghanda

Gold Diggers Arms Hotel

Good Huis

Happiness Is

Harry Brown

Heart of Hepburn

Hoban Recruitment

IDAWS

Innovative Splashbacks

IST Auto Shop

Jade & June Co

Kimmy Hogan

K Mac Powerheads

Katrina Coburn

Kelly & Associates

Kennedy King

Kieser

Kings Funerals

La Campa

Lauren Barton Art

Lethbridge Wines

Lipari Espresso Bar

Livewire Park

Lonsdale Links

Mayfield

McGlashans Estate

McHarry’s Buslines

MD Dolder Builders

Meet Me At Marys

Merv Jennings Signs

Middle Child

Mt Duneed Estate

Murphys

Mystery Rooms Geelong

Nest Seven

One Day P.A.

Own Kind

Oxley Garages

Paywise Salary Packaging

Pearls & Roses

Pearls & Roses Lifestyle

Peggy & Finn

Professional Hair Care

Hair and Beauty

Pinot & Picasso

Plan Group

Pre-Loved Geelong

Prestige Jayco

Project Ten

Provenance Winery

Qest Infrastructure

Quirk Collective

Rebecca Kate Artist

Rip Curl

Sara from The

Collective Hub

Sawyers Arms Tavern

Scale Facilitation

Searoad Ferries

Shell Club

Shortlist

Simply Cupcakes

Sip Sip by 63

Skin Hub

Smellies

Smooth Tan

Spec Savers

Squires Loft Torquay

St Goliath

St Joseph’s College Foundation

Stage Two

Still Muse photography

Suki Clay

Teddy & Nola - Nicole Lucas

Terindah Estate

The Cheese Society

The Collective Hub

The Forest Collection

The Fresh Food Merchant

The Gordon

The Lon

The Ponds Hotel

The Valley Inn Hotel

This Is Ocean Road

Times News Group

Trak Construction

Tree Tops Adventures

Tremul Constructions

Union Cellars

Upstate Yoga

Villawood Properties

Walkers

Warrick Home Builders

West Carr & Harvey

Westcoast Windows

Whiskery

Whitford

Winchelsea Trading

Wonder Yoga

Zenith Business Advisory

Front cover image of Handball Courts was donated by Terry Murphy – SJC 1952. All images on back cover have been sourced from the St Joseph’s College Heritage Collection.