The Governor-General reviews the Cadet Unit - St Aloysius

ALOYSIAD 

The Magazine of St Aloysius’ College ‘Excellence in Education’ Issue XXXVIII • Winter 2004 

The Governor-General reviews the Cadet Unit 

St Aloysius’ College 

A Jesuit School for Boys _ Founded 1879

From the College Council 

Thanks and Farewells 

The year of celebration of 125 years of Jesuit education 

and 100 year on the Milsons Point site has ended 

with a spectacular outdoor Mass in the College 

quadrangle on the Feast Day of St Aloysius. The College 

family will long cherish memories of a great Anniversary 

concert and the talents and enthusiasm of the students and 

staff of St Aloysius’ College. The new College anthem is 

already known and well sung by the student body and the 

new tie, with some changes, is about to become part of 

College history. 

The Council is grateful to all students, staff, parents and 

the wider College community who participated in the various 

events and special undertakings for the year. Congratulations 

to all, and especially to those who added fresh responsibilities 

to an already busy schedule to ensure the celebrations took 

place. 

At the June 2004 Council meeting members farewelled 

and thanked the retiring Bursar, Mr Laurie Byrne who has 

served the College extraordinarily well for the past 22 years. 

He came to the College when Father Bob Bruce SJ was the 

Headmaster and then worked with Father Tony Smith SJ 

through all the years of his Headmastership. He leaves the 

College in a strong financial position, with high quality 

facilities, and well-maintained school premises. 

Mrs Christine Byrne, Father Bruce and Father Smith 

were special guests at the Council dinner in Laurie’s honour, 

Father Smith speaking in glowing terms of Laurie’s time with 

the College. Hon John Kearney QC (SAC 1938) and Mrs 

Kearney were also special guests at the dinner. The Council 

extends to Laurie and Christine the very best wishes for their 

future and our thanks for his great contribution to the 

College and her unfailing support. 

We welcome to the College the new Business Manager, 

David Green, who comes with long experience in school 

business management and a great enthusiasm for the College 

and its future. 

Council Meetings 

Council has held four meetings up to the end of Term 

II with the last of these held in our wonderful Junior 

School. Martin Lobo hosted afternoon tea for the 

Council members and treated us to a sample of the musical 

talents of some of the students. It is always a great pleasure 

to visit the junior school and to absorb the friendly and happy 

atmosphere there. 

Mr Kerry James AO, Chair of the Board of the new Jesuit 

Foundation spoke at the meeting outlining the intended 

directions of the Foundation in drawing together and 

promoting the varied ministries and works of the Jesuits both 

here and abroad. 

Father Daven Day SJ reported that he, the Chair of 

Riverview Council (Neville Harpham) and I had met recently 

with Cardinal George Pell at the Cardinal’s request. The 

Cardinal wants to conduct such meetings progressively with 

all Independent Catholic school councils in the Archdiocese 

of Sydney to meet and converse with the Chairs and to 

discuss issues around school governance, Catholic unity and 

the allocation and distribution of government funds for 

schooling. 

The May 2004 meeting of the Council took the form of 

the Annual two-day Retreat for the ongoing formation of 

Council members. Father Rector led the Council to reflect on 

and pray through some parts of the Spiritual Exercises of St 

Ignatius - a meditation on the Two Standards (Two Leaders, 

Two Strategies) and Christ the King and his Call. Members 

were asked to consider how the leadership personified by 

Jesus can be reflected in the way of proceeding at St Aloysius. 

The second day of the May meeting included the Annual 

General Meeting of the Council and an ordinary meeting. 

With some Council members due to finish their terms at the 

end of 2004 there was discussion on succession planning. 

Council also decided on a comprehensive review of Council 

policies, discussed some aspects of government funding at the 

State and Federal level and a number of other issues. 

A further four meetings of the Council will be held this 

year. We will be welcoming the Provincial, Father Raper SJ, 

to the September meeting. We will also monitor school 

developed goals for 2004 and consider implementing a survey 

of students, parents, staff and younger Old Boys to gather 

data on community perceptions and wishes for St Aloysius 

into the future. 

Jo Lonergan AM 

Chair 

A M D G 

Queen’s Birthday Honours List 

The College would like to congratulate John 

Bowie (SAC 1957 and SAC Staff 1960 - 1975) 

on the awarding of Membership of the Order of 

Australia (AM). John was recognised for service to 

education, particularly through the Jesuit Schools 

Board, the Association of Heads of Independent 

Girls’ Schools and the Loyola Institute. John is a 

former staff member of the College, Deputy 

Headmaster of St Ignatius’ College Riverview and is 

currently the Headmaster of Brigidine College St 

Ives. John has devoted all his life to the education 

and care of young people. A proud and loyal Old 

Boy of the College, John carries with him the 

mantra to be a ‘Man for Others’. 

Cover Photograph: 

The Governor-General, Major General Michael Jeffrey AC, 

CVO, MC (Retd) speaks with Stephen Payne (Year 12) 

whilst reviewing the Cadet Unit. See story on page 32 

2

From the Rector 

Since last I penned words for The Aloysiad, I have 

completed the final stage of my Jesuit formation, 

called tertianship, in the Philippines. Those 

associated longer with the College would recall Fr Iain 

Radvan SJ completing his in India a couple of years ago. 

It is a period wherein a Jesuit tries to recapture something 

of the novitiate experience when he first joined the order. 

It involves more studies of Jesuit history and spirituality. 

It also includes another thirty-day retreat, that lengthy 

Ignatian school of prayer. And there are new pastoral 

placements in which to engage, providing very fresh 

contexts in which to experience one’s life as a Jesuit and as 

a priest. A time, not so much to do as to be. A time to 

reflect. 

As I was enjoying the privilege of working with the 

dispossessed, the homeless, the youth on the street and the 

young prisoners in the National Penitentiary (pictured), I 

was trying to think how these experiences might be shared 

back in our very different and privileged world at St 

Aloysius’. So I explored the possibility of an exchange of 

students with the Jesuit Ateneo High School in Manila. 

Their school leadership was at once very keen on the 

proposal. I envisage that a small group of our students 

might be placed there for a number of weeks (perhaps in 

an overlap of both school and holiday time) to experience 

a Jesuit school within another culture, but more 

importantly, to participate in a number of immersion 

experiences – for example, working with, street children, 

the homeless, squatters or prisoners. Our Ateneo students 

there have such programmes and structures already in 

operation. We propose to begin it with Year 11 students 

later next year. 

Fr Ross Jones SJ with some of the young inmates of the 

National Penitentiary at Muntinlupa, just south of Manila. 

At St Aloysius’ we have a number of overseas 

excursions and links already in place, but only one of them 

(the Micronesian programme at Xavier High School in 

Chuuk) has a specifically service or consciousness-raising 

dimension to it. This year, Paul O'Byrne and Tim 

Karbowiak from the 2003 Year 12 have been serving 

there. 

Why do we support such overseas programmes? Why, 

for that matter, do we ask all boys to undertake service 

projects during their school formation? Not because we 

think that we have all the quick solutions, all the 

resources, all the knowledge. Not because we are “all 

together” and their lives are in pieces. Service is not a 

one-way street. It is not top-down charity. We stand 

alongside those on the edge because, though they have a 

claim on our talents and resources in their need, they also 

have much to share with us. The title of a popular book 

on community service says it all: Learning to Serve – 

Serving to Learn. For those with the opportunity to 

reflect, it is a learning time. Properly supervised, such an 

“immersion” will encourage the students to plumb the 

depths of such experiences as they wrestle with 

transforming questions such as: Where is God to be 

found in the struggles of the poor and dispossessed? 

What can they teach me about values, about what is 

important? What is their spirituality that they can share 

with me? Where is my poverty, what form does it take? 

Honest responses to such questions ineluctably lead to 

action – either internal (a changed attitude, a clarified 

value, a new orientation) or external (a commitment, a 

stand, a life of service). 

Just before Term began, both St Ignatius’ Riverview 

and ourselves celebrated the joint anniversaries of 125 

years of Jesuit education here in Sydney with a 

conference. We called it Shared Heritage – Shared Vision. 

From the beginning of that conference, we traced the 

thread of our education which has always been steeped in 

Christian humanism. An education about shaping 

character and values. It is as much concerned with open 

hands and caring hearts as with developing able and agile 

minds. In the era of our earliest schools, the Jesuits of the 

day were very fond of a maxim of Cicero – non nobis 

solum nati sumus, “we are not born for ourselves alone”. 

In more recent years, we have been using the adaptation 

of former Jesuit General Pedro Arrupe, that “we are men 

and women for others”. There was no escaping the place 

of generosity and the echoes of service in so many of the 

workshops and the exchanges of ideas that emerged in 

the conference. No doubting that our students today see 

beyond the confines of their campus to a world that is 

broken, to a people in need. In the course of those 

marvellous two and a half days, a number of alumni of 

both schools spoke movingly of how their Jesuit 

schooling had moulded them for such a mission. Born 

for others. Born for greater things. For me at least, that 

was sufficient to carry us into another century and a 

quarter. 

Fr Ross Jones SJ 

Rector 

3

From the Principal 

In a recent newspaper 

profile, the Federal 

Minister for Education, 

Hon Dr Brendan Nelson MP 

speaks of his Jesuit education 

in Adelaide: 

(the Jesuits)… taught me 

that four values underwrite a 

successful life. Commitment. You 

should consistently apply yourself 

to that in which you believe. 

Conscience. Continually ask 

yourself, ‘What is the right thing 

to do?’ Compassion. Always try 

to share another person’s pain, to place your self in their shoes. Finally, you 

will need courage – to have a brave heart. 

Dr Nelson’s words are not a bad summary of our hopes for 

Aloysians in their future lives. Conscience, competence, community, 

compassion, a questioning mind, a brave and generous heart, these 

are just some of the things we would wish for the graduate of a Jesuit 

school or university. I would add the virtue of faith, a faith in the 

God who is our origin and goal, faith in a God who walks with us in 

Jesus, and faith in ourselves as the artwork of God. 

To speak of our hopes for the graduate of a Jesuit education is 

not to think of an assembly line of graduates or of a set mould for 

them to be fitted into. Each student is valued as a unique individual, 

and if our education is truly about the formation of the whole person, 

then the products of our schools will be of necessity diverse. When 

we look for example, at some of the graduates of Jesuit education in 

politics, to keep to the Dr Nelson theme, they are a varied lot – 

Charles De Gaulle and Bill Clinton, Pierre Trudeau and Fidel 

Castro, President Kalam of India and so on. There is no mould here! 

Castro’s revolution closed his old Jesuit school yet he kept contact 

with some of his Jesuit teachers. No doubt old boys who go into 

poltics, like all of us, do not always live out the ideals we propose, 

and certainly there would be many political arguments between 

them. But can we not discern a common thread in their sense of 

commitment, of the common good, of involvement beyond one’s 

self? Jesuit education values the imagination, creativity and the mind 

– what matters in one real sense is that the graduate exercises these 

gifts rather than the answers they give. Thus Jesuits can value and be 

proud of old boys such as Voltaire or Descartes or James Joyce or 

Cervantes, even where their conclusions may strongly oppose beliefs 

we hold precious. 

Some of the boys here at St Aloysius’ hold, or will come to hold, 

views and beliefs quite different from those that I hold most dear as 

a Catholic and as a Jesuit. Does this mean that I believe our school 

has failed? If they are committed to what they believe and are true to 

those beliefs, if they are men for others and have brave hearts, then 

I would judge our mission here a success. Christian faith involves a 

sense of trust and confidence in God’s spirit at work in all and 

through all. Archbishop Romero wrote of ‘a future not our own’, 

whether it be from the perspective of teacher or parent or priest: 

We plant seeds that one day will grow. 

We water seeds already planted, 

knowing that they hold future promise. 

We lay foundations that will need further development. 

We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities. 

We cannot do everything but there is a sense of liberation in realising that. 

This enables us to do something, 

and to do it very well. 

It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, 

a step along the way, 

an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest. 

One of the seeds that we seek to plant is the intellectual seed – 

a love of learning, a respect for ideas, and ability to communicate, a 

desire to understand. Term II was framed with examinations, and is 

the only term in the school year in which all Year levels undertake 

examinations. One of our tasks at St Aloysius’ is to inculcate in the 

boys a sense of their academic talents, and of the responsibility they 

and we have to develop those talents in line with their potential. It is 

a somewhat difficult task to communicate to the boys the value of 

achieving academically, and the high expectations we place on them 

in this endeavour, while at the same time stressing the aspect of them 

working to their potential. As parents or educators we should take as 

much delight in a boy reaching 70% if that is the best he is able to 

achieve, as for a boy reaching 90% if that is his best. And we should 

have similarly high expectations of both. A risk we run in a school 

like St Aloysius’ is that a boy who has worked hard and achieves a C 

can under-sell his achievement. 

The ELLA results for Year 7, as an external assessment, give one 

measure of the academic standards here. In Writing our Year 7s had 

84% of the cohort achieve a ‘High’ result as against a State average 

of 32%; in Reading the figure for St Aloysius was 89% as against a 

State average of 34% and in Language it was 85% as against a State 

average of 38%. These excellent results should encourage those boys 

who work hard to achieve their best, knowing that even achieving an 

average mark at the College, if honestly attained, still places them 

well in comparison to all students in the State. In the same way they 

should know we have every right to expect of them the best they can 

give in their studies. 

During the Term we had the privilege of having Cardinal Pell 

visit the College. The Cardinal spoke with members of staff, was 

quizzed by a Year 12 Religious Studies class, spoke at line-up to both 

Senior and Junior schools, discussed Harry Potter with the Year 3 

and had a lengthy exchange with our Year 6 boys, who handled some 

probing questions with confident aplomb. The religious identity of 

the College is integral to its vision, and is in many ways acts as the 

soul of the school. The regular celebrations of the Mass at school, 

which so often draw upon the creativity and gifts of the students – 

wonderful choirs and orchestras, a rock band, Year 6 students’ 

dramatisations, student reflections and the like – give powerful 

expression to the religious identity of the school. Thirty students 

undertaking a voluntary four day Kairos retreat in the holidays are 

another expression of the Spirit’s work here. Student involvement in 

the St Vincent de Paul, Amnesty, community service, various 

charities all give practical expression to the Christian commandment 

to love. 

Another visitor to the College this Term was Aboriginal author 

and raconteur, Mr Monty Prior. Monty, as he has over a number of 

years, spoke to Year 10 about his upbringing as an Aboriginal 

Australian and about the challenge we share in the task of 

reconciliation in Australia. It was good to see the laughter and 

thoughtfulness that Monty’s words evoked in the boys. After a finale 

on the didgeridoo that included animal sounds, Waltzing Matilda 

and rap, Monty received very warm applause from the boys. The 

College stands beside Sydney’s great harbour and across from the 

great symbols of its business and cultural identity – the CBD and the 

Sydney Opera House. This is the world an education at St Aloysius’ 

is preparing its students to enter. Hopefully they will undertake that 

journey equipped to think, with hearts that are open to those in need 

and with a faith in a God who has gifted us with so much and who 

desires of each us that we use these gifts to their fullest potential. 

There can be no greater mark of 125 years of Jesuit education at St 

Aloysius’ than for a graduate to have been touched in mind, heart 

and spirit. 

Fr Chris Middleton SJ 

Principal 

4

From the Foundation 

2004 Annual Giving Appeal 

Honouring the Past – Securing the Future: 

Thank you to those members of the Aloysian Family who 

have so generously supported the 2004 Annual Giving 

Appeal, Honouring the Past – Securing the Future. 

To date, over $160,000 has been donated to the Appeal, 

making this the most successful Annual Giving Appeal 

conducted by the Foundation since it commenced in 1998. 

Members of the Aloysian Family are urged to make a gift 

in support of one of three projects: 

Building Fund: 

Gifts to the Building Fund will be directed toward the 

construction of Theatre-in-the-Round. This much needed 

facility will be used to stage all the College drama productions 

and will be used for visiting lecturers and guest speakers and 

will also be used for public speaking and debating. Every 

student at the College (Years 3 – 12) will benefit from the 

construction of this state-of-the-art facility. The Theatre will 

be dedicated to the memory of the late Robert Schneider 

(SAC 1959 and Staff 1987 – 2003), the first full time drama 

teacher at the College, who died in September 2003 after a 

battle with cancer. 

Library Fund: 

Donations to the Library Fund will be used to purchase new 

academic material for the Junior School and Senior School 

Libraries. Funds will also be used to re-equip the Junior 

School Computer Laboratory and the Music Department 

Computer Laboratory. 

Education and Bursary Fund: 

Gifts to the Bursary Fund will be channelled into providing 

means-tested academic bursaries, so that boys, who would 

not normally be able to attend the College due to their 

parents’ financial position, may have the opportunity to 

do so. 

Gifts to the Building Fund and Library Fund are fully 

tax-deductible, however (unfortunately) due to Australian 

Tax Office laws, gifts to the Education and Bursary Fund are 

not tax-deductible. 

In this the 125th Anniversary of the Founding of the 

College, I would urge all families to consider making a gift in 

support of the 2004 Annual Giving Appeal, Honouring the 

Past – Securing the Future. Your support is vital to the ongoing 

development of the College facilities. All donations, no 

matter what size, will be used to further enhance the facilities 

and teaching aides used by all our boys. 

Yes, I would like to support the 2004 Annual Giving Appeal 

I would like to make a gift of: 

$100 $50 $200 $500 $350 

$750 $1,000 Other $ ............. to the 

Building Fund – Theatre in the Round 

Library Fund – Library materials and new computers 

Bursary Fund – Bursaries and Scholarships 

Enclosed is a cheque made payable to the 

St Aloysius’ College Foundation 

Please debit my Credit Card 

Amex Bankcard MasterCard 

Visa 

Diners 

Name on Card: ..................................................................... 

Signature: ...................................................... Expiry: ......... 

Name: ................................................................................... 

Address: ................................................................................ 

Telephone: ................................... h ...................................w 

E-Mail: .................................................................................. 

I am an: 

Old Boy of the College - Class of 19/20.................. 

Parent at the College 

Past parent of the College 

Current or Past Staff Member 

Friend of St Aloysius’ 

I wish for my gift to the College to remain anonymous 

Please send me some information about leaving the 

College a Bequest in my Will 

Sons of St Aloysius’ – current and future – will benefit from your support 


47 Upper Pitt Street, Milsons Point NSW 2061 Fax: 02 9929 6414 Email: murray.happ@staloysius.nsw.edu.au 

5

From the Foundation 

Bequests and Wills 

The Foundation recently received advice from the 

estate of the Late R Bob Murtough (SAC 1932) that 

Bob had kindly left a bequest to the College 

Foundation in his Will. Bob was a passionate son of the 

College and he was grateful to the Jesuits and Staff of St 

Aloysius’ College for what the help and guidance that had 

given him and his family over the years. He saw his bequest 

as a way of saying ‘Thank You’. 

A bequest or a legacy is a cash sum or an asset such as real 

estate, shares or an insurance policy left to the St Aloysius’ 

College Foundation Limited in a person’s Will. The bequest 

may be left for a specific allocation to one of the Funds 

established by the Foundation (the Building Fund, the 

Library Fund or the Education Fund) or to be allocated at the 

discretion of the Foundation Executive to further the 

objectives of the organisation. 

A bequest does not necessarily need to be huge, you must 

always remember your family and loved ones first, and leave 

a bequest to St Aloysius’ College in a way it does not intrude 

on your plans for those whom you love. A bequest is a very 

special gift that ensures that the spirit that is St Aloysius’ 

College can live on a flourish for future generations. 

To find out more about the St Aloysius’ College 

Foundation Limited, or to discuss your plans for a bequest in 

strict confidence, please do not hesitate to contact the Rector, 

Fr Ross Jones SJ on 02 9922 1177 or the Director of 

Foundation and Development, Murray Happ (SAC 1985) on 

02 9929 4692. 

Queensland Reunion 

On Friday 25 June the second annual Queensland and 

Northern NSW Old Boys Reunion was held at the 

Brisbane Club. Twenty-five Old Boys gathered to 

hear of recent developments at the College from the Rector, 

Fr Ross Jones SJ. Great Aloysian spirit and pride in the 

College was evident from all those who attended the event. 

Mark O’Sullivan (SAC 1960), Simon Lush (SAC 1974) 

and Fr Greg Jordan SJ (Headmaster 1974-1977) at the 


Special thanks must go to those Old Boys who travelled from 

Northern NSW and Rural Queensland for the dinner. 

The 2005 Dinner will be held on the Friday night 

preceding the Brisbane Rugby Test (date yet to be advised, 

but likely in June). 

Following the success of the Dinner, two Old Boys have 

agreed to act as organisers or contact people for Old Boys 

living in Queensland and Northern NSW. Peter Pynn (SAC 

1963) has kindly agreed to be the organiser for Old Boys 

residing in Northern NSW and can be contacted via e-mail 

at: pynnie_fiveisles@bigpond.com. Tony Murray (SAC 1969) 

has agreed to be the contact person for Old Boys in 

Queensland. Tony can be contacted via e-mail at: 

mtc1@optusnet.com.au or on 07 3870 4975 at work. 

The Foundation and Development Office plan interstate 

reunions regularly. These reunions are held so that Old Boys 

who cannot get to the College can have the College brought 

to them! For further details about the Reunion Programme, 

please do not hesitate to contact me at the College. 

Sons’ of St Aloysius – Current and Future – benefit from your 

support 

Murray Happ (SAC 1985) 

Director of Foundation and Development 

Paul Evans (SAC 1964), Peter Pynn (SAC 1963) and 

David Roberts (SAC 1963) having a drink at the 


6

The Gonzaga Society 

In 1998 the College established the Gonzaga Society for those 

Old Boys who have left the College more than 49 years ago. 

The Society meets twice a year, usually in May and at 

Christmas, for a Mass in the College Chapel and a Lunch. 

Membership of the Gonzaga Society is open to all Old Boys, their 

wives, the widows of Old Boys, Past Staff from the era and 

Jesuits who taught at the College. 

Members of the Class of 1955 having a drink with the 

Rector, Fr Ross Jones SJ at the Gonzaga Society Lunch 

On Wednesday 9 June the Gonzaga Society met for Mass and 

a lunch on the fourth floor of the College. The event celebrated 

the 125th Anniversary of the Founding of the College in 1879 

and over 85 members were present. The Mass was celebrated by 

the Rector, Fr Ross Jones SJ and was concelebrated by three Old 

Boy Priests, Fr Roger McGinley SAC (SAC 1937), Fr Brian 

Yates (SAC 1947) and Fr Hans Hendriks SJ (SAC 1949). It was 

great to see Fr Hendriks who had returned to Australia for a visit 

from the Indian Missions. Fr Hendriks has been working in 

India since the 1950s. 

To celebrate the 125th Anniversary, a large birthday cake 

was cut and the group sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to the College. 

The Gonzaga Society events are a great way for Old Boys and 

their wives to catch up and see each other. The next Gonzaga 

Society event will be held on Wednesday 1 December 

commencing with Mass in the College Chapel at 11.00am. 

Invitations will be posted in October. 

For further details about the Gonzaga Society and its events, 

please do not hesitate to contact Murray Happ (SAC 1985) in 

the Foundation and Development Office at the College on 

9929 4692. 

Members of the Gonzaga Society with (2nd from left) 

Fr Hans Hendriks SJ (SAC 1949) 

A M D G 

REUNIONS 

The Foundation and Development Office has organised 

two interstate Reunions for Old Boys of the College in 

the next few months. Old Boys living in these States, 

together with any Old Boys who may be visiting the areas at the 

time are more than welcome to attend. The purpose of these 

Reunions is to bring the College to those Old Boys who live 

outside of NSW. 

Inaugural Western Australia Reunion: 

The Inaugural Western Australia Old Boys Reunion will be 

held on Friday 1 October 2004 at the Western Australia Club, 

101 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000. 

The Reunion will commence at 7.00 for 7.30pm. The cost 

of the event is $75 per head including a three-course meal and 

all drinks. In accordance with Club rules, guests must wear a 

lounge suit or jacket and tie. 

All Old Boys residing in Western Australia will receive an 

invitation in August. Any other Old Boys interested in 

attending the event are asked to contact Murray Happ (SAC 

1985) in the College Foundation and Development Office on 

02 9922 1177. 

For further details, please contact either Murray Happ or 

Rev Fr Marc (David) Halstead OP (SAC 1954) on 08 9446 

2055 or via e-mail at: halsteadd@hotmail.com 

Victorian, Southern NSW and Tasmanian Reunion: 

Following the success of the inaugural Reunion held last year, 

it was resolved by those attending the dinner to make the 

Reunion a yearly event held on the Friday night prior to the 

Caulfield Cup Race Day. 

The 2004 Victorian, Southern NSW and Tasmanian 

Reunion will once again be held at Xavier College, Barkers 

Road Kew VIC 3101 on Friday 22 October 2004. The Reunion 

will commence with Mass in the Xavier College Chapel at 6.00 

pm followed by drinks and canapés on the lawn (weather 

permitting) with the Dinner commencing at 7.30pm. Wives 

and other family members are welcome to join us for the Mass 

and Drinks, but the Dinner will be for Old Boys only, as agreed 

to by those at the 2003 event. 

The cost of the event will be $60, which includes canapés, a 

three-course meal and drinks. The Rector of the College, Fr 

Ross Jones SJ, will be the Guest Speaker and will update Old 

Boys on recent developments at the College. 

Invitations will be posted to all Old Boys living in Victoria, 

Southern NSW (south of Wagga Wagga) and Tasmania in August. 

Old Boys travelling to Victoria for the Spring Racing Carnival 

or other business are more than welcome to attend the event. 

For further details please do not hesitate to contact 

Murray Happ (SAC 1985) in the College Foundation and 

Development Office on 02 9929 4692 or via e-mail: 

murray.happ@staloysius.nsw.edu.au 

7

Junior School 

From the Head of the Junior School 

It has been a very short and sweet Term but a most 

lively one in most respects. Celebrations of our 125th 

Anniversary have continued and rightly so they have 

centered round the life and times of the College’s young 

Patron, St Aloysius. A day great fun and frivolity was 

enjoyed by staff and students alike on June 4 when the 

SRC of the Junior and Senior Schools organised activities 

ranging from Sumo wrestling, jumping castles, Gladiator 

championships, Rock bands, Karaoke and dart-throwing 

to a staff Rock Band. June 21 saw the culmination of these 

celebrations with an outdoor Mass in honour of our 

beloved Aloysius Gonzaga in the College Quadrangle. 

The day’s liturgy consisted of a great mix of the new and 

the old and the traditional and the modern by way of 

music and fanfare opening, Gospel and recessional 

processions. Banners and balloons added a great deal of 

colour to this joyous occasion. 

Our boys showed their generous spirit once again 

when we as a Junior School community managed to raise 

an impressive total of $7,024 for Caritas Australia through 

Project Compassion appeal for Lent. At the Poor Man’s 

Mass on the occasion of the feast of the Sacred Heart, the 

Junior School reception foyer was covered in socks, jocks, 

hankies, soaps, shampoos and the like for our homeless 

brothers at the Matthew Talbot Hostel. 

Both academically and in co-curricular aspects, our 

boys continue to achieve outstanding results proving yet 

again that at St Aloysius’ College, we aim to produce men 

who are balanced in their development, boys who can 

experience making the most of all gifts that God has given 

each of them. Our results in the Year 7 ELLA (English 

Language and Literacy Assessment) tests were way above 

the State averages with more than 90% of our students 

being placed in the top two bands on a five bands scale. 

Four of our students (Paul Sindone, Matthew Jepson, 

Michael de Gail and Tom Ruehl) competed in the State 

Swimming Championships, with two of them, Matthew 

Jepson and Paul Sindone not only representing us at the 

All Schools National Championships in Brisbane, but also 

returning with three Gold medals between them. For Paul, 

who was a dual Gold medallist this year, it was a back-toback 

medal winning performance after 2003 in Adelaide, 

a truly magnificent achievement! 

In Music, we have seen a resurgence of choral music to 

complement our flourishing instrumental programmes 

and performances. Mrs Narelle Hissey and Miss Giselle 

Grape who run the Zipoli Choir and the Junior School 

Choir respectively have succeeded in enhancing the musical 

quality of our liturgical offerings. Congratulations to 

Zipoli Choir which was awarded First Place at the 

Northern Beaches Eistedfodd in the Primary Schools 

Division. Both in Rugby and Soccer, our teams have 

proven to be most competitive at al levels. Although we 

cannot match our unprecedented unbeaten records in 

Soccer in 2003, a number of teams have come close to it 

with just a single loss in the season with three rounds of 

the competition remaining. At this stage the under 10A 

Soccer team is still undefeated with 6 victories out of 6 

outings. Over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend 26 of 

our boys joined an identical number from Riverview at the 

annual Jesuit Winter Sport festival at Xavier College in 

Melbourne where boys and girls from the Jesuit and 

Sacred Heart Schools got together to celebrate friendship 

and our common heritage. 

In the classrooms, we have implemented the new 

Sydney Archdiocesan Religious Education Programme 

with great enthusiasm and professionalism. All teachers 

have been thoroughly in-serviced in the teaching of this 

new programme that has brought a renewed rigour to the 

teaching of religious knowledge and its application in real 

life. On behalf of the Junior School community, I wish to 

thank Mr Joe El-Khoury, the Junior School REC who has 

spent a great deal of his time, creativity and effort in the 

adaptation of this programme to include the teaching of 

Jesuit values and traditions to our students. Finally, I 

would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Joe on 

his prestigious and well-deserved Neita (National 

Education in Teaching Award) for excellence in teaching 

at the end of Term I. In thanking Joe, I thank many a 

teachers like him who work selflessly and give of their gifts 

to enrich the lives of our boys. 

Mr Martin Lobo 

Head of the Junior School 

Executive Editor: 

THE ALOYSIAD 


Editor: Murray Happ (SAC 1985) 

Assistant Editor: 

Printing: 

Circulation: 9,500 

E-Mail: 

Trish Flynn 

The Precision Printers Pty Ltd 

murray.happ@staloysius.nsw.edu.au 


Senior: 47 Upper Pitt Street, Milsons Point NSW 2061 

Telephone: 02 9922 1177, Fax: 9929 6414 

Junior: 28 Burton Street, Milsons Point NSW 2061 

Telephone: 02 9955 9200, Fax: 9955 0736 

Website: www.staloysius.nsw.edu.au 

8

Making A Difference 

As teachers, what drives them, certainly the vast 

majority of them anyway, is the desire to and the 

satisfaction of making a difference in the lives of 

impressionable young minds and hearts. If you have ever 

wanted to meet a fine example of a teacher who has 

without doubt succeeded in making such a difference in 

the lives of so many children, you do not need to go any 

further than our own Mr Joe El-Khoury. 

Mr Joe El-Khouray in Class 

If the proof of the pudding is in its eating, then first 

talk to the boys and their parents who have had the benefit 

of Joe’s influence in some shape or form. Kindness, 

patience, perseverance, a sense of fun, energy, enthusiasm 

and a genuine interest in the development of young minds 

are qualities that go a long way in the making of a great 

teacher. You will never be disappointed in any of these 

departments as far as Joe is concerned. To foster in a child 

the desire to learn, a love for knowledge and an 

understanding of self-worth are great gifts with which Joe 

is indeed blessed. 

Joe first started at St Aloysius in 1995 as a third year 

teacher having taught in a public school for the first two 

years. He had wanted to be a teacher from a very young 

age. He was a high achiever when he completed his HSC 

and was a ‘targeted’ teacher when he completed his 

teaching qualifications. As a first year teacher his 

superiors identified him as an outstanding teacher and 

when he did start at St Aloysius’ in 1995 it was apparent 

to all and sundry that he was indeed well ahead of 

his time. 

At the end of 1996 he decided for various reasons to 

work in the corporate world and stayed there until 

2001, while still keeping in touch with education and 

teaching part time at St Aloysius’. We were delighted to 

have him back in a full time capacity from the 

beginning of 2002 as a class teacher and Religious 

Education Co-Ordinator. A fact not known to many 

but I must admit at the risk of embarrassing Joe in that 

he had the option of accepting a job in the corporate 

world that was far more attractive in financial terms 

than as a teacher. He was prepared to make this 

sacrifice, as he was convinced of his calling as an 

educator. 

Joe is an innovator and an initiator. In his dual role as 

a class teacher and Religious Education Co-Ordinator he 

is at the forefront of change and we are truly blessed to 

have on our staff a man who is totally committed and 

selfless. 

Joe is a credit to the teaching profession and the 

NEITA Award is thoroughly deserved and a small 

recognition for his dynamic teaching and dedicated service 

to this school. On behalf of the College, particularly the 

Junior School community, I say "Congratulations Joe, and 

thank you for a job well done!" 

Mr Martin Lobo 

Head of Junior School 

9

Cardinal Pell visits the College 

On Thursday 20 May, the Archbishop of 

Sydney, His Eminence George Cardinal Pell, 

visited the College as a part of his programme 

to visit every Catholic School in the Archdiocese. His 

Eminence also took the opportunity to congratulate the 

College on celebrating our 125th Anniversary. 

Cardinal Pell with Mr Martin Lobo and Father Middleton SJ 

in the Junior School 

Junior School boys ranged from the teachings of the 

Church to more earthly matters such as where the 

Cardinal lived! 

His Eminence Cardinal Pell with (from left) Ms Lisa 

Aronson, Mr Paul Harkin and Mr Michael Rogan in the 

Senior Common Room enjoying morning tea with Staff. 

Cardinal Pell met with the Directors of the College 

and spoke to them of his vision for Catholic Schools in 

the Archdiocese, he then had morning tea with the 

Senior School Staff in the Common Room. 

His Eminence then visited the Senior School and 

spent time with the Year 12 Studies of Religion 

students. The boys were encouraged to ask His 

Eminence questions and comment on the Church’s 

social justice policy. Cardinal Pell was impressed with 

the attitude of the boys and the complex nature of some 

of their questions. 

His Eminence then visited the Junior School and sat 

in on a Year 3 and Year 6 Class. Questions from the 

Year 3 boys throw questions to His Eminence, Cardinal Pell 

To celebrate his visit to the College, His Eminence 

presented each boy and staff member with a memorial 

card and Prayer. 

Cardinal Pell taking questions from the boys in the Junior School 

Cardinal Pell chatting to boys in the Junior School yard 

10

A M D G 


Proudly Presents 

Just What The Doctor Ordered! 

A Night of Music and Song starring Old Boys of the College and current Students 

From Sacred Music to Gilbert and Sullivan and everything in between! 

Gerard Carter (SAC 1959) – Piano and Organ 

Melvyn Morrow (SAC 1959) – Compere and Writer 

Martin Cooke (SAC 1972) – Baritone with the Bavarian State Opera 

Tim Hayman (SAC 1972) – Tenor 

Patrick Donnelly (SAC 1972) – Bass with the Glyndebourne Opera Company, England 

Pastor de Lasala (SAC 1975) – Organist 

Greg McCreanor (SAC 1989) – Professional Singer 

Greg Stephens (SAC 1997) – French Horn – ex-SSO, now playing and studying in Germany 

Aloysius Academy Quartet – Dominic Meagher, Richard Meagher, Robert Sisson 

and Victor Wu (all SAC 2003) 

The College Zipoli and Chamber Choirs 

Funds raised from the Concert will be directed to 

the Anthony Wallington (SAC 1959) Memorial Music Scholarship, 

a Scholarship that will enable a gifted musician to study at the College. 

7.00pm, Saturday 4 September 2004 

in the College Chapel, 47 Upper Pitt Street, Milsons Point 

Suggested Donation: Adults: $20 

Children: $15 

Family Ticket: $50 

Supper will be served at the conclusion of the Concert 

For further enquiries or bookings, please contact Murray Happ or Trish Flynn 

at the College on 9929 4692 or e-mail: foundation@staloysius.nsw.edu.au 

11

Learning Enrichment 

Junior School Update 

Staffing: 

The Learning Enrichment Team in the Junior School has 

expanded with the recent addition of three part-time 

Teaching Assistants. We are excited to have Mrs Wendy 

Wong, Ms Emma Collinge and Mrs Erin Breznik joining our 

team. The role of the Teaching Assistants is to complement the 

fine work done by our Junior School staff in supporting the 

learning needs of our boys. More specifically, the role of the 

Teaching Assistants involves working closely with the classroom 

teachers to: 

Implement Individual Education Plans (IEP) to support 

identified students to achieve learning outcomes 

Plan teaching programmes 

Prepare reports for parents 

Assist with assessment and appraisal of students 

Research reference material for teachers 

Assist with the supervision of students in individual and 

small group settings 

Supervise quiet work of small groups of students in other 

than classroom situations 

Complete and maintain student records 

Prepare displays 

Photocopy resources and worksheets 

Prepare charts, diagrams, models 

Literacy: 

In 2003, spelling was identified as being an important area of 

literacy requiring support across Years 3 - 6. As a result, 

there is now a consistent approach to teaching spelling in the 

Junior School. The ACER (Australian Council for Educational 

Research) Spelling Test was used to identify students requiring 

additional support with their spelling. Individual Education 

Plans (IEP) have been designed to encourage students to use a 

range of effective spelling strategies. These IEPs also assist 

parents to support their son’s spelling at home. 

Spelling information evenings have been conducted to 

discuss ways that parents can support their son’s spelling at home. 

The information listed below was shared with parents and many 

of you may find it useful when supporting a child with his 

spelling. 

How is spelling taught in school? 

Spelling is taught by considering the four spelling knowledge areas: 

Phonologic: how words sound 

Morphemic: how words change form 

Etymological: where words come from 

Visual: how words look 

Students are shown how to spell words using all of these. 

Learning to spell is closely linked with learning to talk, 

listen, read and write. 

There is a daily focus on spelling. 

Spelling is taught in all years and in all subjects. 

Spelling is regarded as a tool for writing. It is important that 

students spell correctly in their writing and that they are 

able to check their writing for mistakes. 

How can I help a child with his spelling? 

Help him with those areas of spelling with which you feel 

confident. 

Remember that not all English words can be spelt correctly 

by “sounding out”, e.g. the words ‘you’ and ‘said’. 

Talk about how you spell, and what you do when you do not 

know how to spell a word. 

Have him write at home, e.g. filling in forms, writing notes 

to family members, writing phone messages and reminder 

notes, replying to letters, sending cards. 

Provide a dictionary and use it together. Remember that 

dictionaries are more useful if your child has a knowledge of 

the alphabet and how a dictionary works. 

Encourage him to try words, then praise the parts that are 

correct, and suggest what else is needed. For example, if 

your child has written litle for little, you might say, “You 

have five of the six letters right. One of the letters should be 

doubled. Can you tell which one it should be?” 

Encourage him to look at new words, say them, write them 

from memory, then check them. 

What should I do when a child asks how to spell a word? 

Ask if he can suggest any parts of the word. 

Make sure he has access to a dictionary. 

Simply tell him how the word is spelt. 

Senior School Update 

Tournament of Minds: 

Tournament of Minds is a problem-solving program for 

teams of students from both primary and secondary 

years. They are required to solve demanding, open-ended 

challenges from one of the following disciplines: 

Language Literature 

Maths Engineering 

Social Sciences 

St Aloysius College placed first in the Secondary Division of 

the Language and Literature section in the NSW State Final in 

2003. Fr Chris Middleton SJ facilitated the team which 

consisted of: Tom Hall, Michael Favaloro, Henry Newton, 

Roger Lumley, Tom Smith, Ben Kirkby and Andrew Boon. 

St Aloysius’ College will be entering two Senior Teams in 

the 2004 Tournament of Minds and I am pleased to say that I 

will be facilitating these teams. 

Tournament of Minds is an opportunity for students with a 

passion for learning and problem solving to demonstrate their 

skills and talents in an exciting, vibrant, and public way. 

Tournament of Minds has been one of the fastest growing 

national interschool programmes to challenge the youth of 

Australia and is now expanding internationally. It provides for 

the ever-increasing demand for sophisticated, educational 

12

opportunities. The rapidly increasing and widespread 

involvement of thousands of participants throughout Australia 

and internationally, demonstrates that Tournament of Minds is 

not only a worthwhile investment in the education of our youth, 

but is also an integral part of our collective future. 

Tournament's aim is to enhance the potential of our youth by 

developing diverse skills, enterprise, time management, and the 

discipline to work collaboratively within a challenging and 

competitive environment. 

The Tournament objectives 

To provide the stimulation of real, open-ended challenges 

To develop creative problem solving approaches and 

techniques 

To foster cooperative learning and team work 

To promote knowledge and appreciation of self and others 

To encourage experimentation and risk taking 

To expand and reward creative and divergent thinking 

To stimulate a spirit of inquiry and a love of learning 

To develop enterprise 

To celebrate excellence 

Real World Benefits 

Tournament of Minds looks beyond academic achievement and 

understands that the pursuit of excellence knows no boundaries. 

Tournament offers students a unique, total experience, 

providing challenge and growth through its six week problem 

solving structure. The Tournament process provides a platform 

for excellence and equips participants with strategies and skills 

which will support future success. 

The Challenge 

Teams are required to work together on a Long Term Challenge 

for six weeks without assistance from teachers, parents or peers. 

They are encouraged to explore possibilities and experiment with 

ideas as they endeavour to produce their best possible solution. 

They develop a creative and original way to communicate this 

solution to others, working within predefined parameters such as 

limited materials, complex challenge criteria and the deadline of 

Tournament Day. 

Students present the product of their ideas - their challenge 

solution - to a panel of judges and an audience on Tournament 

Day. They have ten minutes in which to present and must do so 

within a 3 metre x 3 metre performance area. 

The teams must also participate in an unseen, Spontaneous 

Challenge on Tournament Day. This challenge requires rapid 

interchange of ideas, the ability to think creatively and welldeveloped 

group cooperation skills. 

Judges for both the Long Term and the Spontaneous 

Challenges are professionals chosen from all areas of education, 

the arts and industry. They are thoroughly trained to enable 

them to assess the creative performance and technical aspects of 

the presentation. 

SAC has accepted the challenge… 

Teams of seven students from Year 7 – Year 10 will be invited to 

participate 

Teams in the Secondary Division will be a mix of students 

from at least two year levels (up to and including Year 10) 

with a minimum of two students from Year 7 and a 

maximum of four students from any one year. 

We are optimistic that our senior teams will be successful 

in the competition again this year. Stay tuned for further 

updates. 

Special Provisions Update 

Abig thank you to all parents and teachers who assisted 

with special provisions during the recent examination 

period. It was a mammoth task and I am extremely 

grateful for all of the support provided. I know that the boys, 

who were the recipients of these special provisions, were also very 

appreciative. 

In particular I would like to thank the following people who 

assisted with special provisions during 2003 and Terms I and II 

in 2004: Jan Matthews, Michele Curtin, Kerry Kiely, Mary 

Ashton, Debby Edwards, Margot Cooke, Bernice Maher, 

Caroline Linschoten, Linda Skinner, Julie Zwar, Ingrid McNab, 

Erin Breznik, Suzanne Tuckwell, Roger Ellis, Les and Louise 

Burgett, Alison McGee, Malcolm Ames 

If you are interested in assisting the Learning Enrichment 

Team during the next examination period, please register your 

interest by contacting Mrs Michele Curtin. Please let us know 

what day(s) and times would suit you best and if you would be 

interested in being a scribe, reader and/or supervisor. 

Michele is available Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. 

on 9922-1177. 

Workshops To Support Identified 

Learning Needs 

During the 2003 and the first half of 2004, Improved 

Communication Skills have assisted boys at St Aloysius’ 

College by presenting after school workshops on: 

Essay Writing Skills (for Years 10 & 11) – This was a step 

by step by step approach to essay/extended response writing 

from interpreting the question through to the final draft. 

Senior Study Skills (for Years 10 & 11) – This consisted of 

advanced study techniques which enhance self-confidence 

& academic success. 

In Term 4 there will be additional workshops provided to 

support boys with: 

Study Skills & Strategies (for Years 7 to 9) - Introduces 

essential study skills for high school success. 

Advanced Reading Skills (for Year 10) - This nine hour 

course trains students to read faster with better understanding 

and memory. Reading motivation is increased through the 

elimination of poor reading habits and the improvement of 

speed, comprehension and retention. With Advanced Reading 

Skills you have the opportunity to boost your school reading 

performance to a level you never imagined possible! 

Student and parent evaluations of these workshops have been 

overwhelmingly positive with many students showing a marked 

improvement in their approach to study and in their overall exam 

results. We are very pleased to be able to offer these courses 

throughout the academic year. 

Miss Linda Maher 

Head of Learning Enrichment 

13

Junior School Sport 

St Aloysius Year 6 AFL ‘9 a side’ 

team versus Cranbrook 

St Aloysius 9 goals 8 behinds defeated Cranbrook 

St Aloysius’ College scraped up a makeshift AFL 

team and trekked out to a cold and windy Dangar 

Oval to take on Cranbrook who are coached by 

Hawthorn legendary full back Chris Langford. 

Most of the Aloys team was made up from the rugby 

teams, so it was essential to run the first gamers through 

the basics of Aussie Rules. There were two objectives – to 

have fun, and to beat Cranbrook! 

The first quarter began with Cranbrook driving 

forward through two experienced campaigners, one who 

looked like a younger version of Warwick Capper! The 

rugby boys were finding it very strange playing the ball 

forward and handpassing was totally foreign, not to 

mention automatically running with the ball. Dom Byrne 

was causing some worry for the opposition at full back, 

and at the other end of the ground, Will Comino was 

creating havoc. Aloys finished the quarter down two goals, 

the only major kicked by Sam Wood. 

The second quarter was a closer affair with Sean 

O’Grady posting a goal late in that quarter. Fergus Buncle 

was showing his experience and class with Aussie Rules 

and collected many kicks defending in the backline. 

Callum Fountain was everywhere where the ball was and 

also picked up plenty of kicks. Other good players in that 

quarter were Chris Pirola and James de Lucia. The 

message at half time was clear. Let’s start tackling harder 

and use some of our rugby skills 

The third quarter saw a transformation. James 

Comerford, Will Thompson (Captain for the day) and 

Michael de Gail hit their straps. De Gail showed his class 

by turning on either foot and leaving the opposition flat 

footed. He kicked three goals for the quarter ably assisted 

by Comers who was enjoying tackling immensely. Will 

Comino had the job of tagging “Warwick Capper junior”; 

he did that and managed to get plenty of the ball himself. 

Will Thompson was being threatened with having to walk 

home after missing two sitters (easy shots) in front of goal, 

but redeemed himself with two majors (goals) for the 

quarter. Sam Wood, who looked like he has played the 

game all his life, was unbeatable in the ruck and really took 

Cranbrook apart. Aloys were in front, the mums and dads 

on the sidelines were on their toes, and even the umpire 

was doing a great job. 

The boys were gaining more confidence by the minute. 

Thompson and de Gail were seen driving the pack 

a la rugby style, which missed the umpire’s attention. 

Further goals to de Gail and Comerford put Aloys well 

ahead. 

At the final siren, a cheer went up from all Aloys 

players and parents. The boys chanted the school war cry 

with gusto, and then it was off to Krispy Kreme at Wynyard 

for a well-earned celebration. 

It was a fantastic team effort and I look forward to the 

Independent Schools AFL competition in late August and 

early September. So you Rugby and soccer guys, buy 

yourselves an AFL football and start practising your 

handpassing, drop punts and marking skills. 

Mr Bernie Buncle 

Parent 

Winter Sports Trials 

With the Rugby season and Soccer moved 

forward this year we were fortunate in the 

Junior School to run our Winter Sport trials 

over a period of six weeks which enabled all boys to be 

seen for equal amounts of time should they need to trial 

for another sport. It was also great to see a large number 

of parents offer their time to assist in the trials. We have 

started the season well in all teams but special mention 

must go to the 10A Soccer, Prep 2nds Rugby and the 10A 

Rugby side who were undefeated going into Round 6 at 

the time of going to print. 

Annual Canberra Tour 2004 

- Soccer & Rugby 

On a cold Wednesday morning at 6:30, a group of 

two teaching staff and an excited group of thirtythree 

boys were waiting anxiously to board the 

bus. All boys were very excited at the prospect of going 

‘on tour’ but also provided the boys with an opportunity to 

get to know their teammates and to make some new 

friends. 

Canberra Grammar School was the first game for both 

the soccer and the rugby and as the soccer game was 

played it was great to see first the Prep 1st rugby boys 

supporting their peers. When the game came around the 

boys were nervous, anxous and excited. Grammar had a 

huge pack in comparison to Aloys but the difference in 

pack sizes was cancelled out by determination and the 

enthusiasm that the boys showed leading up to the 

game. Michael de Gail (Year 6) was nominated as the 

Tour Captain and lead by example with big tackles, fast 

runs and good hands. Michael also received ‘Man of the 

Match’ award. 

Some great tackles and backline support saw Nick 

Donohoe (Year 6) (Fullback) score the first try along with 

Michael de Gail (Number 8) down the wing. Canberra 

responded with a five pointer but it was Callum Fountain 

(Year 6) who tunnelled his way through the large 

Canberra forward pack for another five pointer. Finally it 

was Cieran MacWhite (Year 6) who stole the ball and 

went on to run fifteen metres to score while Canberra 

stood around and didn’t know what happened to allow the 

ball just to ‘disappear’ from their hands. 

14

Final score, 20-5 with St Aloysius’ winning the trophy 

from Canberra after four consecutive years of Grammar 

wins. 

After the game the boys dispersed gradually to join 

their billets for a night practicing social skills. The next 

morning the boys were rearing and ready to get on the 

move again after what seemed like an enjoyable night away 

from home. As usual the tour song came on and the boys 

were in full voice for most of the way to Tudor House, 

Bowral as the fine weather continued. 

The boys started poorly with missed tackles allowing 

their opponents easy runs through the centre of the field. 

Average displays of kicking skills and passing by us 

allowed their backs to utilise the weakness finding plenty 

of spaces. 

The score ended up at 20-0 to Tudor House with the 

Aloysius’ boys needing to have a hard think about their 

focus on field and how to improve their overall game 

before we play Tudor House again in Round (8) of our 

competition. The tour song was played full volume and 

everyone enjoyed the tour immensely. Congratulations to 

all the boys for their excellent behaviour and on the parent 

feedback Mr Boys and myself received, that when the 

billeting families returned our boys to Canberra Grammar 

for departure to Tudor House. Good luck and lets 

maintain a high level of focus and performance for the rest 

of the season. 

Rugby Gala Day 

The Under 10 A and B teams played in a Rugby 

Gala Day at Latham Park, South Coogee. The 

10As started off playing the hosts, Coogee Prep 

School. This was the As first game of the season and it was 

many boy’s first ever game of Rugby. The game was close 

in the beginning as both teams defended fiercely, however 

the As ran away with the game in the second half to 

win 15-0. 

The second game for the As was against Arden 

College. Again, the As showed their dominance in attack 

with a very dynamic and quick backline punishing Arden’s 

fragile defence. The As forwards did the hard yards 

through the middle of the field with some great 

consistency in possession and stinging defence. The final 

result was the As defeating Arden 15-0. 

The As then played Tudor House – a team that looked 

quite impressive in their previous games. However, the 

fact that Tudor House had looked good in their prior 

games was the catalyst for the As to fire up and go out 

hard in both attack and defence. This led to a completely 

dominant performance and the As winning 25-0. 

The next game was against the Aloysius Bs team. 

Both teams played in a very good spirit whilst still tackling 

and running with passion. The Bs ended up being the only 

team to score against the As all day, but it was the As who 

were the major playmakers throughout the game and ran 

away with it in the end, 40-5. 

The final game of the day was against the second 

placed team at the time, Central Coast Grammar. CCG 

were quite a big team with some impressive players. 

However, the As were determined to win this Gala Day 

and came out to play their best game to date, with the As 

backline destroying the CCG defence to score a couple of 

tries. The ’s forwards ran over the top of the CCG 

forwards to both score and set up a couple of tries. The 

end result was an impressive 20-0 win to Aloysius’ 

A team. 

Overall it was an excellent performance by the As. 

The boys showed excellent sportsmanship throughout the 

day and supported their team-mates very well. All boys, 

both backs and forwards, contributed towards this 

excellent performance, however some outstanding players 

were Chris Skinner and Alex Perkins in the forwards and 

Luke Vevers, Ellis Freed and Louis Anderson in the 

backs. The As will only improve throughout this year with 

some hard, targeted training - so the season looks very, 

very promising! 

Mr Hegarty 

10A Coach 

Australian PSSA Swimming 

Championships Brisbane 2004 

Brisbane hosted the 2004 Australian Schoolsports 

Swimming Championships. We were fortunate in 

the junior school to be represented in the N.S.W. 

team by two outstanding swimmers — Paul Sindone (Year 

5) and Matthew Jepson (Year 4). All performed 

marvelously as the following summary shows. 

Paul Sindone - Gold medals 

11 years 50 metre breaststroke - 1st 

11 years Medley Relay - 1st 

In the 50-metre breaststroke event Paul established a 

new Queensland all-comers record. 

Matthew Jepson 

10 years Freestyle Relay – 1st 

10 years 50 metres Freestyle - finished 3rd (subsequently 

disqualified) 

10 years 50 metres Butterfly - 4th 

10 years 50 metres Backstroke - 5th 

10 years 200 metres Individual Medley - 5th 

It is indeed pleasing to report that upon conclusion of 

the Carnival, Matthew was Highly Commended by the 

NSW Team Management, other parents and older 

swimmers in the Team for the mature, sportsman-like 

manner in which he accepted his disqualification. I believe 

this speaks volumes for one so young and can only reflect 

positively on our College. Congratulations to Paul and 

Matthew on these results. 

15

Junior School Sport 

CIS Cross Country 

Congratulations to William Craft (Year 6) who 

competed at the CIS selection carnival for the 

NSW schools Cross Country Squad. William was 

the only boy representing St Aloysius’ and came a credible 

24th on the day in his age group. 

Jesuit Schools Winter Carnival 

The Jesuit and Sacred Heart Schools Winter 

Carnival is an annual event, which involves the four 

Jesuit Colleges of Australia – St Aloysius’ College, 

St Ignatius’ College Riverview, St Ignatius College 

Adelaide and Xavier College (Burke Hall and Kostka Hall). 

It also includes the two Sacred Heart Schools – Sacré 

Coeur Melbourne and Kincoppal – Rose Bay. This year the 

Carnival was held in Melbourne, over the Queen’s Birthday 

long weekend. Twenty-four tourists from St Aloysius’ 

College travelled to experience this unique opportunity of 

cultural and sporting exchange. 

From the moment we boarded the flights on Thursday 

it was obvious that the excitement and enthusiasm of the 

boys was going to ensure the success of the trip and as we 

arrived to meet our billeting families from Burke Hall 

(Xavier College) many friendships began. 

Friday saw a day excursion to the MCG, Federation 

Square (where we saw, met with and got autographs of the 

Wallabies) and sports activities at the Senior School. 

The focus of Saturday was spending time with families 

and the host families provided a diverse range of 

experiences for our boys. We wish to acknowledge and 

thank the host families for their warmth, generosity and 

hospitality. Without them this tour would not be possible. 

Throughout the tour, the staff of the Colleges also 

benefited from the opportunity to meet, share and celebrate 

the bigger picture of Jesuit schooling. 

Pretending to play cricket on the hallowed MCG 

Some of the Competitors in the Jesuit Schools Winter Carnival 

Sunday began with a friendship Mass, which gave us all 

an important opportunity to reflect on the importance of, 

and to thank God for, the gift of friendship. Three rounds 

of sports then followed involving netball (Kincoppal and 

Sacré Coeur), AFL (combined team with Riverview) and 

Soccer. AFL won one and lost two games, Soccer won all 

three of their games in division one. 

It is important to remember though that the success of 

the carnival was not measured by sporting results and how 

16

we began is how we finished; friendships formed, spirit 

nurtured and success shared. 

We would like to thank the parents for their support 

and trust in taking their sons away and to thank the boys for 

the outstanding manner in which they conducted 

themselves. They were a real credit to the College, their 

families and to themselves. 

Mr Scott Hardgrove,, Mr Trevor Dunne 

Winter Carnival Sportsmasters 

Athletics Carnival Wednesday 23 June 

Firstly I would like to thank all the boys for their 

excellent participation and enthusiasm on the day. 

The fact that every boy participated in one or more 

event ensured the success of their House and the overall 

carnival. Thankyou also to the parents who assisted on the 

day in the canteen, marshalling area, finish line, recording 

room and much more. Unfortunately there were not 

enough jobs to fill the demand, which is a reflection on the 

St Aloysius’ school community. 

With the introduction of pre entered names and the 

use of photo finish equipment it was a great start to the 

Athletics season, which begins next term and is an ideal 

opportunity for training to occur in the first three weeks of 

Term III (Dates and times were printed in the Program 

that was used yesterday). 

It was also great to see that every boy followed 

instructions relating to the technical side of the day, 

especially with the field events that were held earlier in the 

morning. Thankyou again and congratulations to the 

following boys who received age champions. 

House Results Athletics Carnival 

Campion House 492 Points 

Owen House 

396 Points 

Southwell House 355 Points 

Oglivie House 351 Points 

Age Champions 2004 

Under 9s Oliver Wetzlar 48 Points 

Under 10s Matthew Reynolds 28 Points 

Runner Up Robert Darwell 28 Points 

Under 11s William Craft 59 Points 

Runner Up Andrew Brotherson 26 Points 

Under 12s Timo Blundell 28 Points 

Runner Up Michael de Gail 23 Points 

Progressive House Points To Date 

With only the Fr Schneider Cup to be contested between 

the 4 Junior School Houses the standings are as follows; 

Owen House 1028 Points 

Campion House 1093 Points 

Southwell House 1129 Points 

Oglivie House 918 Points 

AFL at St Aloysius 

AFL is alive and well this year due to the handwork 

by Mr Bernie Buncle (father of Fergus in Year 6). 

Mr Buncle was involved in the selection, training 

and co-coaching of the combined Riverview Jesuit Squad, 

which travelled to Melbourne. Its great to see an 

enthusiastic parent body willing to help out in so many 

areas of school life and thanks again to Mr Buncle for all 

his hard work and dedication in making AFL was it is in 

the Junior School. 

Report on the Term Three Fitness 

Classes 

The commencement of the Health and Fitness 

classes in Term III has been a tremendous success. 

The feedback we have received from teachers has 

been very positive, with comments such as how much 

learning has been improved due to the relaxed nature of 

the boys in the classroom. 

The main improvements and wins are: 

Increased levels of: coordination, proprioception, 

balance and sensory awareness. 

Increased levels of aerobic capacity – when we first 

commenced many of the students where overweight and 

unfit. This led to boys being unable to participate beyond 

the warm up phase. 

Improvement in attitude towards a willingness to 

participate in sport 

Spirit of competition – a heightened sense of confidence 

to compete and win. 

There is an array of great potential in some of the boy’s 

that to present has been left untapped due to lack of 

physical development, and attitude. 

An understanding of their body’s and how through 

stretching it can address stiffness and soreness 

Well done to all students. During the upcoming 

holidays we encourage parents and boys not to allow all 

their hard work to go astray; keep up the exercise and 

running. We look forward to seeing them in Term III. 

While location still continues to be a challenge, we 

were able to overcome this by the combined efforts of 

having three people walking and directing boys to and 

from school. 

Mr Clayton Kearney 

Head Coach 

17

Farewell Laurie Byrne 

In late June, the 

College Council 

hosted a farewell 

dinner to our Bursar, 

Laurie Byrne, on the 

occasion of his retirement 

after twenty-two years’ 

service to this College. Fr 

Bob Bruce SJ, the 

Headmaster who employed 

Laurie was in attendance, 

as was Fr Tony Smith SJ, 

who paid tribute to 

Laurie. An extract from Fr 

Smith’s speech follows: 

“My ties with Laurie go back many years. In terms of 

longevity in position, Laurie was Bursar and had been for 

a number of years when I arrived at St Aloysius in 1985. 

He lived in Normanhurst and Christine was Bursar at 

Loreto Normanhurst. From Normanhurst the Byrne 

family travelled to Milsons Point and not the least, in the 

entourage was Alo, the black poodle. How often did I hear 

the cry go up in the neighbourhood: “Alo! Alo! Where are 

you?” In his latter years Alo went blind but still had the 

run of a very busy Milsons Point and managed to avoid 

any serious accident on our congested roads – in spite of 

his blindness”. 

“Tonight I perform this simple duty with a sense of 

real appreciation for service over and above the call of duty. 

Tony Smith, St Aloysius’ College and the Society of Jesus 

have a great debt to pay for Laurie’s faithful and creative 

response to the Bursar’s position at the College”. 

“Our history goes back over nineteen years. I remember 

in my first year, 1985, when I was Deputy Headmaster 

your faithfulness to Fr Bruce SJ, the Headmaster of the day, 

and who is with us tonight. Even though you knew that I 

had been appointed to the position of Headmaster you 

remained faithful to Bob through to the end of the last day 

of the year. In that little fact I became aware of your great 

integrity. In my eighteen years of office I knew that once 

the die had been cast you were behind me. Yours was never 

a blind obedience and we had a few tussles a long the way 

but when the matter was resolved, in my favour or yours, 

the matter was over and we lived with the decision”. 

“I look at our achievements: the genesis of a College 

Foundation; the installation of a stained glass window; the 

implementation of a College Council; the improvement of 

the school property and the associated buildings; the 

development of the school archives; the commissioning of 

a history of the school; the acquisition of the College 

organ. Who will ever forget the heady days of the Sydney 

Harbour Tunnel and the monthly meetings with the Joint 

Venture? Then there were the celebrations of those years: 

1988 and the Bicentenary celebrations; 1991 and the five 

hundred years of the birth of Ignatius and the 450 years of 

the foundation of the Society of Jesus; 1998 and the 

celebrations of the 150 years of the Society of Jesus in 

Australia; 2000 and the Olympics and the studios on our 

roof; Millennium Magic and the party to end all parties on 

this fourth floor to welcome in the new millennium; 2003 

and the celebrations of 100 years at Milsons Point and 

2004 and the 125 years in the history of St Aloysius’ 

College. Then there were the buildings – the Junior 

School, Jesuit Community, the Senior School of Wyalla, 

the refurbishment of Floors 4 and 5 of the main school, 

the Learning Centre, the Administration and Teacher 

areas, the Art Complex, the Centre for Learning Support, 

a new Canteen, a re-vamped Canisius Room and, last but 

not least, the Student Toilets”. 

“Tonight I am going to speak of a facet of your life at 

this school which few have only dimly perceived. You have 

a reputation of being tough in your professional 

relationships and some from time to time might have 

complained about one incident or another. But what few 

will ever understand was your incredible contribution to 

the betterment of the life of the teacher at the College. 

You were transparent in your dealings with teachers. If pay 

increases were passed then our teachers were the first to 

receive their rise. You streamlined the sports emolument 

where teachers were incalculably better off under the new 

arrangements. When it came to developing a teacher 

facility then it was you who ensured that our staff rooms 

would be better than most others. Every teacher received 

a computer and a phone – unknown at the time in other 

areas of our educational environment. Yours was the 

responsibility of the whole domain of Information 

Technology and the deliverance of what I believe is one of 

the best computer systems, which serve the College, the 

staff, the students and their families. You mastered the 

teachers’ award to the point where I would always go to 

you for advice before I would make a move in the 

industrial environment. Your pursuit of excellence in the 

teaching workplace through the encouragement of creative 

pay structures assured the best possible teachers in the best 

possible positions. Your share in the kudos of academic 

excellence won by this school owes much to your 

determination to ensure the best possible education at the 

best possible price. How could I forget child protection 

and mandatory notification, occupational health and 

safety and the privacy legislation, and the immense tasks 

associated with those areas? I can’t even guess at how 

much I have left out”. 

“Again not many will appreciate the long hours, which 

you spent on school-related tasks - Council and subcommittees 

of Council, the Foundation, the Finance 

Committee, the Building Committee, the IT Committee, 

the Occupational Health and Safety Committee and so 

many ad hoc opportunities. I can’t remember when you 

last took your Christmas annual leave – there was always 

something going on back at school. I respected your 

18

esponse – if there was something on which you should be 

part of then you would always be there”. 

“A number of years ago I was in one of those 

interminable meetings which education seems to attract 

and those responsible for the area of activity sought 

“expert” help in some aspect of the work at hand. On this 

occasion one of our Church committees was seeking 

associates who might offer the advice which only bursars 

can give. So I had no hesitation in putting your name 

forward. Since then you have been coopted by the 

Catholic Commission for Employment Relations, the 

Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes, the 

Catholic Education Commission. You have been an 

integral part of the Bursars’ Association of the Association 

of the Heads of Independent Schools of Australia and the 

Bursars’ Association of Jesuit Schools. I know that the 

Jesuit Refugee Service will always be grateful for the 

regular representation which you made on their behalf. 

Your name is well known as a rigorous negotiator in the 

area of finance for this school, for schools and for the 

Society of Jesus. Your mastery of this area of expertise is 

acknowledged widely. 

“Some of you will know that Laurie and I share an age 

– although he is one day older than I am. Although you 

are some years short of gaining a senior citizen’s card, I 

know that the thought of retirement, though attractive is 

not in your make-up. I can only wonder about where life’s 

journey will take you in its next stage. Perhaps a little 

fishing and the occasional DVD will be mixed into 

whatever course you chart. What ever you do, know that 

the good wishes of all gathered here tonight go with you”. 

“So, good friend, may the Lord’s richest blessings 

descend on you, Christine and the family. Accept our 

gratitude for a task well done, for years hardly spent, for a 

commitment second to none. Thank you”. 

Fr A V Smith SJ 

Headmaster 1986 - 2003 

Honour the past … 

Invest in the future. 

For 125 years St Aloysius’ College has been a leading 

academic and cultural centre, an enduring source 

of pride for generations of students, friends and 

Old Boys. Help us sustain this level of excellence 

and reach new goals of growth and achievement 

by making a financial contribution to the College. 

Giving to St Aloysius’ is about much more than the 

amount you contribute; it’s about giving something 

back. It’s about reaffirming the Jesuit tradition 

of educating ‘Men for Others’ – timeless ideals 

that have sustained and motivated us through 

the best and worst of times. 

For more information on how you can support 

St Aloysius’ College please call 

Murray Happ (SAC 1985) on 02 9929 4692 

or murray.happ@staloysius.nsw.edu.au 

19

Senior School 

2004 St Aloysius’ Day 

It has always been said the Aloysius boys like to party, 

and they didn’t disappoint for Aloysius Day 2004. 

The Student Representative Council was once again 

accorded the honour of throwing the biggest party on the 

Aloysius’ Calender. The Student celebration for Aloysius’ 

Day took part on 4 June. (No one seemed to mind, or 

notice this date was not in fact the Feast Day of our 

Patron, St Aloysius). This aside the day was once again a 

huge success. Commencing with an entire school assembly 

in the Great Hall to pay tribute to the Firsts winter 

sporting teams for 2004 the school was already in a relaxed 

mood. 

A BBQ, always popular with boys! 

A complimentary doughnut upon leaving the Great 

Hall lifted the energy levels and the fun started. With two 

jumping castles, a mechanical surfboard and a gladiator 

ring all staged in the courtyard there was no shortage of 

party atmosphere out in the open. All Year Groups had a 

fair go at each activity and the Year 7 Co-ordinators, Mr 

Clarke and Mr Harkin did their best to imitate Russell 

Crowe in the Gladiator ring. 

The queue goes on, and on ... 

Mr Mark Norton and Miss Robyn Chin with some Junior 

School boys at the St Aloysius Day Picnic 

Just over in the Canisius Room the Junior School had 

taken charge. The Sumo and Sock Wrestling activities 

were very popular and doubled as sport training for many 

participants. Other activities also included Ring Toss, Can 

Throwing, Balloon Shaving and a few games of Darts. 

The Auditorium showcased the various musical talents 

of the school. Throughout the day there were continuos 

bands performing well-known hits and even some of their 

own songs. The atmosphere was electric and provided 

many a rock fan with a ‘good day out’. 

Just next door in the Gym, the sports freaks were on 

fire. A multitude of Basketball competitions and Soccer 

juggling activities kept the crowd entertained and the 

gym full. 

Over the road in Wyalla the BBQs were running hot. 

As usual there was never a shortage of people willing to 

help cook and the service was second to none. Cold drinks 

ensured all participants were kept well hydrated and 

always ready for more action. 

In the usually quiet Wyalla Common Room the noise 

was blasting with Aloysians strutting their stuff on the 

karaoke machine. Mr Livingstone whilst just warming up 

his voice was the hit drawing massive crowds. 

The activities were almost complete and now all that 

was needed to complete the day was the drawing of the 

SRC ‘Hot Seat’ and the singing and guitar-playing 

prowess of the Aloysius Teachers band. Mr Langley 

showed what rocking was all about with his electric guitar 

and Mr Livingstone and Miss Zinkin provided the vocals. 

The party was now complete and with the Olympic torch 

sailing its way to Jeffreys Street Wharf the students of St 

Aloysius’ departed another Aloysius Day content they had 

celebrated in style. 

The SRC once again master minded the operation and 

with the watchful eye of Mr Livingstone the day 

proceeded with the utmost fun and enjoyment for all. 

Ian Skinner 

College Captain 

20

Social Justice 

Towards the end of Term I this year, as part of our 

studies on Social Justice, Year 10 was divided into 

class groups and were lucky enough to hear from 

various speakers on their experiences and knowledge of 

social justice. 

10.4 and 10.5 were fortunate to hear from the Rector, Fr 

Ross Jones SJ, who last year completed his Tertianship, one 

of the final stages of his Jesuit training. As part of his 

programme, Father Jones spent much of last year in the 

Philippines, working in the National Penitentiary in 

Manila. He spent a lot of time, with other Jesuits in the 

Prison Ministry, in the Juvenile Detention Centre, where 

young offenders are educated and skilled for an early release 

and reintegration into society. It was a place of hope. 

One of the key messages to come through Father’s talk 

about his time with the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service was 

the very widespread corruption in the system. Some of his 

time was in the medium security complex (8,000 inmates, 

but designed for half that number) housing prisoners from 

a wide range of ages and backgrounds. Father Jones showed 

us photographs of some of the prisoners who didn’t look 

much older than us. 

He made the point that life inside a prison resembles in 

many ways life outside the gaol walls. If you have money, 

you can pretty much live a relatively comfortable life-style. 

But so many prisoners have nothing, and live on the meagre 

meals and bare bones shelter provided by authorities. But at 

the other end of the scale, we were told about one particular 

convicted Congressman, very wealthy on the outside, who 

took that influence inside when he was sentenced. This 

inmate lived a life of luxury. He was so wealthy his 

connections were enough to allow him to build his own 

home inside the gaol walls. Not only did he have a house, 

he had hired help as well, with maids, cooks and cleaners 

looking after his every need. If he wanted something special 

for dinner, his cooks could go to the shop-keepers within 

the prison who had set up stalls, selling just about anything. 

They are able to bring goods into the gaol by bribing the 

guards. Nearly every prisoner needs the small income from 

prison sales (food, handcrafts, cigarettes, etc) to stay alive. 

One inmate collected plastic cups, melted them down and 

created sculptures to sell, one of which he gave to Father 

Jones. 

Father Jones also spoke about the complex social 

relationships that existed inside his prison. Gangs control 

much of the daily life, with an elaborate hierarchy ranking 

prisoners according to their roles in the gang. There were, 

for example, commanders, mayors, jurors, and 

disciplinarians. One difference in the Philippines prison 

system was that conjugal visits for wives and girlfriends were 

common. Many long-term prisoners had families. Some 

prisoners even married their girlfriends while inside, with 

the sacrament provided by the prison chaplain. 

One thing to come through strongly from Father’s talk 

to us is the way a prison mirrors life outside, but to a more 

concentrated extent. Inside prison, you have your kingpins, 

making decisions that affect their population inside in much 

the same way as our politicians make decisions outside that 

impact on our lives. Many small businesses operate inside. 

There is a primitive democracy at work, which elects 

inmates to particular positions within the gang. As 

everywhere, money is power. 

Another lasting impression is the contrast between our 

prison life here in Australia and in the Philippines. 

Although our society has its own problems with injustice, 

we are still far from the extent of corruption and lack of 

human dignity that characterises the system working in this 

Manila prison. 

Oliver Olds 

Year 10 

SRC Reflection Day 

On 8 March, the newly elected students of the 

Student Representative Council of 2004 under the 

guidance of Mr Livingstone, on a clear and 

stunning day, traveled to the College Oval for the Annual 

SRC Planning Day. 

Our day was full of new ideas and planning for the newyear. 

Under the leadership of Ian Skinner (College 

Captain), John McCormack and Nick Stapleton (Vice 

Captains) and the chairmanship of Dominic Dwyer- 

Hutchinson we stuck to a very tight agenda and we stayed 

focused on the task at hand, working for our fellow 

Aloysians. Each of the Years, 7 through 10 have been set up 

with a Year 11 student as a mentor and someone who can 

check up on their progress on their assignments for the year. 

So a lot of the time was spent writing up the main goals and 

tasks for the year with the direction and timelines finalized 

so we know when each project is due and when they have to 

see Mr Livingstone for assistance and checkups. 

Topics that were brought up and discussed at the 

meeting included the new and improved Breakfast Club, 

the SRC Notice Board, the SRC Dance, and the first steps 

in organising SRC Day and new and upcoming 

competitions. 

We would like to thank Mr Livingstone for all of his 

assistance and help during the day; the day would not of 

been possible without you. We would also like to give a big 

thank you to Father Middleton SJ for giving up some of his 

time from his busy schedule. His support was much 

appreciated and for attending our formal meeting in the 

afternoon to oversee all of the ideas put forward on the day. 

Overall the day was very successful and worthwhile and 

we are waiting for new ideas so don’t hesitate to get in 

contact with your SRC members and give them all written 

proposals and we will try our best to get your ideas in 

motion. 

‘SRC- We Represent You’ 

Matt Walker 

Year 11 

21

Senior School 

125 Years of St Aloysius 

On Monday 21 June 2004, St Aloysius’ College had 

a Mass to commemorate 125 years of Aloysian 

education. It was held in the Senior School 

quadrangle where staff and students of the Senior and 

Junior schools congregated to participate in this historical 

occasion. 

It was evident that significant planning and 

preparation had taken place. The quadrangle was a blaze 

of colour and excitement, covered with balloons; house 

banners (Southwell, Campion, Ogilvie and Owen). Blue 

and gold ribbons and huge gold banners with our school 

crest. There was row upon row of chairs, which were 

quickly filled as students hurried in to find a good seat. 

The Mass was presided over by Fr Ian Radvan SJ and 

Fr Ross Jones SJ who presented every part of the Mass 

perfectly. The school choir and the school band conducted 

by Mrs Mastro, Mr Hissey and Mr Quinane sounded like 

voices from heaven. 

At the end of the Mass a blue and gold balloon, 

representing our school colours were released into the air 

in celebration of 125 years of our Jesuit school, St 

Aloysius’ College. 

This Mass was the culmination of yearlong events 

celebrating 125 years of Aloysian education and will long 

be remembered by the students and the staff who 

enthusiastically participated. 

Michael Cerbara, Year 7.5 

Some of the Choristers relaxing before the Mass 

James Dixon (Year 12) conducts the massed Choir 

The sea of faces celebrating the Feast of St Aloysius 

The combined Stage Band performing at the Mass 

22

Languages Department 

Leap into Language 2004 

This year again, Years 9 to 11 French participated in 

a Leap into Language Drama Workshop. Boys 

were encouraged to perform in French in role-play 

and drama games, which they did with great panache and 

skill. Skits were amusing and well thought-out despite 

being only given a few minutes preparation time. Year 9 

French did the workshop for the first time and once over 

their initial shyness were able to get involved fully in the 

activities. 

Year 11 Speaking Afternoon 

In Term II Year 11 French classes from Loreto 

Kirribilli and St Aloysius’ College got together for an 

afternoon of speaking French. Having played an 

icebreaker game where they had to find someone in the 

room who lived in a flat, owned a horse, went up the Eiffel 

Tower and so on. The students from both schools got into 

the spirit of the activity quickly and lots of French was 

being used. 

We then had some fun and played the TV game 

Perfect Match but with a difference. We gave each 

student an identity or personality so that they were not 

being themselves, such as football hooligan or female 

Russian shot putter or Japanese tourist. Each group of 

four students were given a question, one student had to 

ask the question and the other three had to answer the 

question with an answer that they would expect from 

that stereotype, but in French. The students were 

allowed to dress up in character and then had to 

perform to the group, who had to listen carefully to the 

answers and decide what the personalities of the 

performers were. Everyone had tremendous fun and we 

all finished the afternoon with French bread, chocolate, 

and an unseasonal ‘Bûche de Noël’ or Christmas 

Chocolate log. 

Year 12 Speaking Day 

At the end of Term II, the College hosted a Year 12 

HSC French Speaking Day for the Association of 

Independent schools. The day ran from 9am to 

1pm and one hundred and sixty students from twenty two 

independent schools attended. Students were given the 

opportunity of doing two interviews each with teachers 

from other schools, many of whom are HSC examiners 

themselves. This was the perfect opportunity to get over 

the nerves of facing an examiner other than one’s own 

teacher. All the feedback from both our own students and 

students from other schools was positive and they were all 

a lot more confident about facing the oral exam at the end 

of August. 

Mrs Karen Downes 

Head of Languages 

Latin 

Year 12 Latin Study Day 

Our Year 12 Latin class spent an interesting and 

instructive day at Ravenswood on 18 June. Seminars 

specifically aimed at the Year 12 Syllabus were presented 

by university-level lecturers who are the leading 

authorities in Australia on the prescribed texts. The 

lecturers worked through the themes and language of the 

set texts, and addressed the texts on a more academic level 

than the average classroom. Highlights included the talk 

on the Extension topic of elegiac poetry, with the very 

enthusiastic Terry Ryan, and Associate Professor Dexter 

Hoyos’ address on unseen translation. 

Kevin Lee Latin Quiz 

On Tuesday 22 June, representatives of eleven high 

schools gathered at Shore to battle it out in the alwaysentertaining 

Kevin Lee Latin Quiz. It was St Aloysius’ 

first time at the quiz, and our two teams were excited and 

confident – rightfully so, as it turned out. Our mixed team, 

consisting of four boys from Years 8 and 9, and our Year 

10 team, also of four, came triumphantly through their 

respective preliminaries and the semi-finals, in an often 

nail-biting evening. Both teams came in third out of the 

eleven participating schools, with the Year 10 team getting 

a tense last-minute tiebreaker answer (the literal meaning 

of Caligula’s name is, of course, “Little Boot”). This is an 

outstanding result. Congratulations to all involved, 

especially our “cheer squad”! 

Ms Lisa Aronson 

Latin Teacher 

What on 

earth 

are you 

doing for 

Christ’s 

sake? 

www.jesuit.org.au 

Br Ian Cribb SJ 

PO Box 6071 

Hawthorn VIC 3122 

E-mail: cribbi@mira.net 

23

Senior School 

Human Rights In Zimbabwe 

The following report was sent to the College from our 

brother Jesuit School, St Georges in Zimbabwe. 

It was 3.40 pm Monday 3rd May, the day before the 

Second Term was due to reopen. The Staff Briefing of the 

morning was over; the crisp clear blue of a wintry Zimbabwean 

sky gleamed through my windows and the noisy chatter of 

returning boarders keen to meet up with their fellows, if not 

eager to have returned to school, filtered in from the 

background. 

Incongruously enough two police constables were shown 

into my office, Dzvairo and Mutinyinde; they said they had 

come from 'DISPOL' (the rather Orwellian abbreviation for 

Harare District Police Headquarters) to tell me to close the 

school with immediate effect. To do such a serious thing, I 

replied, I needed written authorization; please could I see it. 

No they none, but I could phone their superior officer. Several 

attempts to do this were unsuccessful, so I asked them to record 

my extreme reluctance to carry out this instruction without 

having sight of any official document. On their way out, I 

suggested that if the school had to close tomorrow, they should 

go and warn our near neighbour and parent (His Excellency, 

the President, Robert Mugabe) that he could not send his son 

to school. A wry grin indicated their reluctance to perform this 

frivolous request. 

In truth this police visitation did not take us completely by 

surprise as messages from schools in the country areas about 

police closing their gates trickled in from midday. The day's 

headlines in the 'official' newspaper had also indicated that 

something was afoot; although the Chairman of the ATS - the 

local private schools' umbrella association - had been assured by 

the Permanent Secretary only a week before that school 

closures were not on the agenda and this had lulled us in to 

believing that closure was not a likely outcome. Any remaining 

doubts were dispelled the next morning when a couple of police 

constables were manning our gates by 6.00 am., and we were 

left with no alternative but to ask boarders to return home, and 

the day scholars were not allowed through the gates. 

A 'softening up' process was launched on Wednesday 

evening whereby various Heads around the country were 

arrested, and maintaining the fiction that they were responsible 

for raising fees, the Police brought charges against them for 

supposedly violating the Education Act. Two rather aggressive 

young constables knocked on my door at 7.00 pm. And said 

that they were taking me in. This was a little euphemistic; they 

had been sent on foot from Harare Central Police Station - a 

distance of about five kilometres – and unless I could provide 

transport, on foot we would be returning. On the grounds that 

I would phone to borrow school transport, I was able to make 

several calls for assistance before I drove us to the Police 

Station. 

A rather unpleasant Inspector Rugara oversaw the taking of 

my particulars before I was led below to the holding cells to be 

detained overnight, according to them. No charges were 

preferred. Happily for me, I was released about half an hour 

later - the result, I think, of a phone call from someone in 

authority. Ordered to report back at 8.00 am. on Thursday, I 

was indeed charged with violating the Education Act by raising 

fees and then released. My friend and colleague, Jon 

Calderwood, the Rector of Peterhouse was detained for 

eighteen hours at Marondera Police Station. 

More cheerful information reached us on Thursday that an 

application to the High Court by the PTA of our Prep. School 

to have the Minster's closure of schools declared illegal was 

successful. The Prep school was permitted to open on the 

Friday and the police at their gate removed. Despite this 

successful legal outcome other schools including ourselves 

continued to be blockaded by the Police. School Authorities 

were informed to collect documents from the Ministry of 

Education office which were to inform them what fees 

could be charged, to sign their agreement to these documents, 

and to return them by Friday at 4.00 pm. or risk the 

'nationalization' of their schools. If they signed, the police 

would be removed and schools would be allowed to open on 

Monday next. 

In our document we were to be allowed to charge 

approximately one third of what our Finance Committee had 

recommended. Board Members hastily gathered on Friday and 

consensus was quickly reached that this was not a viable option. 

The document was not signed and we now await the response 

to this situation with some apprehension. According to local 

media, however, a majority of schools have signed and will be 

allowed to open on Monday. We may follow the Prep. School's 

route and seek an injunction in the High Court to have the 

closure declared illegal. 

The issue of fees is, of course, related to hyper inflation 

which is at levels of 600%. (At Independence in 1980 the 

Zimbabwean Dollar was on a par with the UK Pound. A 

Pound now trades at close to Z$10,000) In order to retain staff 

most schools have endeavoured to keep salaries on track with 

inflation. Schools are self-supporting, depending entirely on 

their fee income for survival. Inflation and mismanagement 

have wrought havoc with the government education sector; we 

were informed by the media that eighty government and 

mission school Headmasters were recently suspended by the 

Ministry for increasing, with parental consent, their 'voluntary' 

levies without Ministry approval. 

Fees in the private sector, and levies in the government 

sector do require Ministry of Education approval; but the 

Education Act also requires the Ministry to respond to any 

such applications 'without delay'. Perhaps fearing the wrath of 

their political masters should they give the wrong answer but 

also recognizing the problems on the ground, the Ministry has 

become increasingly dilatory about making any responses to 

applications, seeking refuge in silence, and schools have gone 

ahead and implemented their fee and levy increases without 

formal approval. (We submitted our application for fee 

increases in December and prior to the current contretemps 

had had no formal response.) 

Brendan Tiernan, 

Headmaster St George's College, Zimbabwe 

Footnote: In May 2002 Brendan Tiernan was charged with 

violating Zimbabwe's notorious Public Order and Security Act 

when he expressed to the parents of the school his opinion that the 

2002 Presidential Elections had not been free and fair. No court case 

has yet resulted. 

24

Ancient History 

Ancient history began this year with the study of 

archaeology and techniques used in uncovering the 

great mystery of the ancient world. This involved 

looking at the use of both archaeological and written sources, 

the preservation and destruction of evidence, technology and 

heritage issues (ethics). 

Both Year 11 classes were lucky enough to have Old Boy 

of the College Brendan Rigby (SAC 2001) return to share 

his experiences as an ancient historian. Brendan began with 

explaining a bit about his course at Sydney University and 

further than just the study of archaeology, the process a student 

would undertake in order to become an archaeologist. 

correct tax had been paid to ensure ethical issues could not 

prevent the excavation from continuing. Once certain areas 

had been taken apart, recorded and plans drawn up it was 

vital that care was taken with the reconstruction in order to 

successfully recreate the structures in their original form. The 

visitors were given permission to take certain fragments as 

memorabilia of the experience which is a very unique practice 

in the excavation of archaeological sites. 

Brendan touched upon the cultural experiences he soaked 

up which included the consumption of local delicacies, 

lifestyle and he was able to attend a wedding at which he celebrated 

his birthday and was presented with a gift. 

Brendan’s address was beneficial for the audience to listen 

to. Despite the fact that it was directly related to the work 

we were being introduced to, it also broadened our minds to 

possible studies which we previously had not considered to 

undertake at University. But most importantly the ancient 

historians had been presented with an ideal which must be 

considered by all who choose to study the subject: there is 

more to ancient history than just Greece and Rome. 

On behalf of the Year 11 Ancient History students I 

would like to thank Brendan for generously offering his time 

to share with us his knowledge and experiences from such a 

wonderful adventure. 

Daniel Tardo 

Year 11 

Mr Good, Brendan Rigby (SAC 2001) and his brother David 

Rigby (Year 12) at the Year 11 Ancient History lecture 

After a certain number of years spent studying, students 

are given the opportunity to take an active part in an archaeological 

dig organised through the University. Brendan was 

fortunate enough to embark upon a journey which took him 

to a site in Uzbekistan. This ancient civilisation despite having 

little or no status had very interesting buildings and 

structures. Each were constructed with mud bricks which 

meant the archaeological process mainly involved the 

removal and measurement of each brick. Brendan explained 

that the procedure was delicate because of the fact that the 

bricks had the tendency to crumble if handled incorrectly. 

The team who ventured over were given the aid of local 

workers from the area who happily worked for the daily sum 

of US $1. 

Brendan commented on how friendly the locals were 

despite having difficulties with communication. He mentioned 

that every morning his team were picked up from 

their humble accommodation and spent the long truck ride 

to the site trying to formulate some kind of conversation 

with the workers. 

Any objects such as pottery were removed from the site 

and taken away for further observation. One excavator had 

filled all the corridors in his house with artefacts and was 

held responsible with their safekeeping. The government 

had no problem with what was being done to the land as the 


Privacy Collection Notice 

1. We may collect personal information about you from 

time to time. The primary purpose of collecting this 

information is to enable us to inform you about our 

activities and the activities of St Aloysius’ College and 

to keep alumni members informed about other 

members. 

2. We must have the information referred to above to 

enable us to continue your membership of St 

Aloysius’ College Old Boys Union. 

3. As you know, from time to time we engage in 

fundraising activities. The information received from 

you may be used to make an appeal to you. It may 

also be used by St Aloysius’ College and St Aloysius’ 

College Foundation Limited to assist them in their 

fundraising activities. If you do not agree to this, 

please advise us now. 

4. St Aloysius’ College Old Boys Union may publish 

details about you in the Aloysiad and the College’s 

website. If you do not agree to this you must advise us 

now. 

5. You may seek access to personal information 

collected about you by contacting the Director of 

Development care of the College. 

6. If you provide personal information to us about other 

people, we encourage you to inform them of the 

above matters. 

25

Senior School 

Chris Morrow, Carlo Colossi, Alex Patten 

Maths Department 

To celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the College, 

the Mathematics Department selected Year 8 

students to take part in a celebratory Mathematics 

design competition. 

Boys were asked to design an Anniversary logo to 

celebrate the schools’ quasquicentary. The logo was to be 

created using geometrical instruments, including 

Mathematical symbols and/or shapes. It was to represent 

aspects of College life and principles of Mathematics in 

general. 

The Two Greats – SAC + Mathematics 

rock plus two rock equals three rock” this 

is what may have been said by the first human 

“One 

beings and thus the beginning of 

Mathematics. Another significant beginning is the 

establishment of St Aloysius’ College in Sydney. 

Think back 125 years, to 1879, to when Sydney was 

live with trams and Europeans. A small group of Jesuit 

priests decided to found a school in the inner city of 

Sydney, Woolloomooloo to be precise. It was to be called 

St Aloysius’ College in honour of the great saint of Italy 

that died at 23 years of age. It started as a very simple 

school, just as Maths did. And just as Maths has it also has 

survived all the way to the 21st century - 2004. 

Back Row: Matthew Nicholson, John Hartigan, Rupert Holmes 

Front Row: Dennis Woerde, William Argent, Andrew Smith 

Back Row: Nicholas Cooper, Malcolm Gandar, Daniel Bodle 

Front Row: Michael Brennan, Alex McLean 

All boys showed great talent and with their many 

designs and suggestions for a logo. The Mathematics 

Department is proud of the many entries that the boys 

produced. Prizes were awarded for originality, creativity 

and presentation. 

The Year 8 students are to be commended for their 

involvement in the competition. Their designs reflected 

the spirit that is an intrinsic part of the Aloysian 

community. 

Miss Stella Robinson 

Middle School Mathematics Coordinator 

Now, in this day of fast computers and geometric 

equations the Mathematics Department came together 

with the idea to bond the two greats (SAC and Maths) by 

making a contest of the mind and of the soul, to make a 

new logo for St Aloysius’ College and in doing this 

incorporating a Mathematical sense of bonding. Using 

computers and geometry sets a large portion of the school 

set out on this task. 

With so many entries there had to be an elimination 

process. And so from the 26 March the teachers had the 

task of choosing the few winners out of the colossal 

amount of entries. These winners then received praise and 

prizes at the Wednesday line-up in front of the whole 

school. They all received posters of tessellation art. Now 

these entries hang high up in the Maths room for all to see 

and aspire to. And therefore bringing together the two 

greats: SAC and MATHS. 

Congratulations to all the winners and all that 

participated! 

Adam Pasfield 

Year 8 

26

Personal Development, Health and 

Physical Education: Driving School 

Excursion 

On Thursday 27 May and Friday 28 May seventeen 

students from the Year 12 Personal 

Development, Health and Physical Education 

class visited HART (Honda Australia Road craft 

Training) at St Ives and completed a under 25s survival 

skills driver training day. In the majority of cases the boys 

brought their own car, had their Provisional licence or 

Learner licence and approached the day with great 

enthusiasm and energy! 

The excursion was organised in conjunction with the 

topic we are currently studying in 2 unit HSC PDHPE, a 

major core, Health Priorities in Australia, which deals 

with factors affecting morbidity, and mortality, of which 

accidents and injury due to car accidents plays a significant 

role in the 17-25 age group. The following RTA statistics 

also make the importance of driver education in this age 

group quite clear with: 

33% of all fatalities and injuries due to driver fatigue are 

in the 17-25 age group 

Approximately 76% of fatigued drivers aged 17-25 years 

involved in casualty crashes are male 

In 2000 young adults aged 17-25 years made up 

approximately 41% of all speeding drivers involved in 

casualty crashes and 95% of all crashes are due to human 

errors. 

This course was designed specifically with the needs of 

the under 25-year-old driver in mind. The boys learnt that 

the 17 – 25 age group holds around 16% of all the licenses 

in the state but account for more than 25% of all the 

crashes. Road trauma is the single biggest cause of death 

among young Australians. When in their cars the boys 

experienced the factors contributing to the five main crash 

types. Almost 90% of young driver crashes occur within 

these five crash types (25% rear end, 19% side on, 17% 

opposite directions, 14% off road on a curve, 14% off road 

in a straight) and are primarily due to inexperience, 

misjudgment and poor decision making rather than any 

lack of skills in operating a car. This course focused on 

how a driver can make choices that directly influence the 

degree of risk they are exposed to when driving. The 

emphasis is on prevention rather than cure. 

Topics Covered on the day included: Self evaluation, 

Occupant Safety, Curves, Braking Technique and ABS, 

Crash Avoidance Space (Stopping distances), Same 

Direction and Side on Crashes, Fatigue, Distractions, and 

Head On Crashes. 

The driving instructors constantly challenged boys 

throughout the day with engaging and practical 

demonstrations. At one stage with boys in the car the 

instructor demonstrated ABS braking while approaching a 

parked car at speed as well as a demonstration of the lack 

of control of a vehicle when it skids, it was a great practical 

learning experience for staff and students alike. 

Thanks go to Mr Watson, Mr Cronin and Mr Taylor 

who spent the two days as assistant drivers to the L plate 

drivers and to all the Year 12 boys who had a fantastic 

attitude toward the day and to HART driving school for a 

extremely professionally run course which suited boys 

because it was predominantly practical and extremely 

relevant! 

Mr Simon Board 

Head of PDHPE 

St Aloysius’ Lunchroom 

Hello everyone!!! A big warm greeting from the St 

Aloysius’ lunchroom. During this Term the 

lunch room has been open on average three days 

a week and seen at least twenty students visit the lunch 

room each day. The lunchroom is proving to be a very 

popular venue. 

During the exam time the room was opened up as an 

additional study and learning venue which saw anything 

from fifty to one hundred students stop in and study 

throughout the day. 

The lunchroom is designed to be a welcoming and 

happy environment, which is an alternative to the 

schoolyard and Bradfield Park. So if you feel that you 

would like to come around and join us at lunchtime we are 

located next to the library and would love you to join us. 

Ms Emily Moran 

Youth Minister. 

St Vincent de Paul Student Group 

The St Vincent de Paul group have continued to 

raise the profile of the group and its purposes, and 

to raise funds for the services of the Society in 

Sydney. We held the annual Trivia Quiz for the Tutor 

Groups, in two rounds, the finalists (Ms Robinson’s 

group) winning a huge supply of lollies (kindly donated by 

a parent, Mr Aboud). The inaugural Indoor Soccer 

Challenge between the Vinnies group and the Amnesty 

International student group was held in the Great Hall at 

lunchtime before a roaring crowd of supporters – Vinnies 

won convincingly! This Term we have also tried to add an 

explicitly spiritual dimension to the group by attending the 

Thursday morning mass in the Gallery Chapel. 

Fr Iain Radvan SJ 

27

Senior School 

A Year of Musical Monuments at 

St Aloysius’ College 2003-2004 

Iremarked to the two thousand five hundred or so members 

of the Aloysian community assembled at the Sydney Opera 

House Concert Hall on the evening of March 31 that 

“Schools often like to mark their milestones with monuments!” 

St Aloysius’ College has just completed a twelve-month 

period of celebration of our wonderful school and its fascinating 

history. With two birthdays (125 years since foundation and 100 

years at Milsons Point) to celebrate, it seemed when planning the 

year, only fitting that the Aloysian musicians both past and 

present and the extended music staff would be invaluable 

contributors to the ‘public face’ of our celebrations. This has 

indeed been the case over the past twelve months. This article 

chronicles four of the “musical monuments” recalled at the Opera 

House, which have marked this historic Aloysian milestone. 

MONUMENT ONE : Mass of Celebration July 31 2003 

The first major musical ‘monument’ of the anniversary year 

was the preparation and performance of formal liturgical 

music for the Commemorative Mass to mark the opening of the 

festivities held in the grandeur of St Mary’s on the feast of St 

Ignatius on Thursday 31 July 2003. The musical forces involved 

included an augmented College Choir and soloists, the Chamber 

Choir, the Junior School and Zipoli Choirs, the Brass Consort 

and an augmented College Orchestra - a truly collaborative 

effort, which involved the skills and hard work of student 

musicians, old boys, parents, music staff as well as a large number 

of our visiting instrumental tutors. 

The music for this event included a setting of the Mass by 

Mozart the well-known Coronation Mass in C for choir, soloists 

and orchestra. This setting of the Mass is significant for us in 

Sydney as it was the first major work performed in the original 

St Mary’s Cathedral by a fledgling Cathedral Choir of men and 

women in the 1820’s only about forty years after the setting was 

written by Mozart in Salzburg (whilst the young colony was 

struggling for life on the shores of Port Jackson). 

The soloists for our special event were Lindy Montgomery – 

Soprano; Narelle Hissey - Mezzo Soprano; Gregory Mc Creanor 

(SAC 1989) - Tenor and Andrew Quinane - Bass. Other works 

performed in the liturgy included Laudate Dominium also by 

Mozart and the wonderful Steal Away by Michael Tippett. 

The Brass Band performs at St Marys’ Cathedral 

Choristers at the Cathedral 

Naturally Fr Chris Willcock SJ our Australian Jesuit composer 

was represented in the program with a performance of his 

moving hymn Take Hold of Me Lord. 

In order to ensure that the liturgy and music would be more 

present and meaningful for all in the vast expanse of St Mary’s 

Cathedral, teams of professional sound and vision specialists 

were engaged by the College to provide not only quality sound 

amplification but also 18 large closed circuit TV monitors to 

enhance the visual experience of the Aloysian Community in the 

congregation. A commemorative DVD/Video recording of the 

event was released in September and proved a most popular 

Christmas gift amongst our community. Some weeks after the 

Mass, the College Choir, the Chamber Choir, soloists and Mr 

Peter Kneeshaw (our College Organist) committed much of the 

music from the opening liturgy to recording. Indeed much of the 

music of the year of celebration has been recorded in order to 

release an archival commemorative compact disc. This disc is in 

production and will be available to the community late in 2004. 

MONUMENT TWO: The Fr Christopher Willcock SJ 

Instrumental & Vocal Competition October 2003 to 

March 2004 

Asecond Musical Monument to mark the year of celebration 

was inaugurated by the Music Department in the form of an 

annual performance competition to be titled the Fr Christopher 

Willcock SJ Instrumental and Vocal Competition. With composer Fr 

Willcock SJ as patron, the aim of the competition is to foster at 

St Aloysius’ College a culture of inclusivity and acceptance of all 

types of musical excellence in performance. A large number of 

prizes were organized including a beautiful silver perpetual 

trophy, which in the first year of the competition would be 

presented at the Anniversary Concert in the Sydney Opera 

House. 

The event, open to all student musicians currently studying 

at the College proved an instant success with the boys. The first 

round of the competition featured more than forty of our 

Aloysian musicians of all types performing every genre of music 

from Baroque vocal arias to Rock and Roll. After a number of 

hotly contested rounds spanning several months of feverish 

preparation and performance the field was narrowed down to 

four finalists: Aidan Gandar (Y11) – guitar; Angus Ryan (Y11) 

- cello; Diran Fabricatorian (Y11) - clarinet and Nicholas Perry 

(Y12) - alto saxophone. The Grand Final of the competition was 

held on Sunday 7 March, 2004 - the afternoon of the annual 

College Open Day. The four soloists performed at a very high 

standard before the adjudicator Mrs Elizabeth Swain OAM (one 

28

of this country’s finest music educators), who awarded first place 

to saxophonist Nicholas Perry. He stunned the audience with a 

truly amazing performance of a contemporary piece Two 

Fantastics for Alto Saxophone and Piano by Jeno Takacs. Nicholas 

then went on to perform this work with his associate artists Mrs 

Sia Mastro before the patron of the competition on the stage of 

the Opera House Concert Hall on the evening of 31 March. 

This talented pair received a well-deserved standing ovation 

from the Aloysian community. Indeed a fitting Musical 

Monument and one, which we anticipate, will become an annual 

Aloysian tradition of musical excellence. 

MONUMENT THREE: The Anniversary Concert 

Sydney Opera House March 31 2004 

Undisputedly our biggest ‘musical monument’, indeed the 

largest single event marking the year of celebration was the 

spectacular 125th Anniversary Concert, which attracted a 

capacity audience to the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall. The 

event involved over 700 Aloysian musicians who performed 

flawlessly and with great professionalism. The atmosphere in the 

Concert Hall was something, which I am sure all who were 

present will always remember. 

The programme was constructed in two sections: The first 

half showcased a number of current performance ensembles and 

soloists culminating in the performance and presentation of the 

Fr Christopher Willcock SJ Instrumental and Vocal 

Competition trophy to inaugural champion musician Nicholas 

Perry. The second half of the concert was constructed as a 

musical pageant of 125 years, a journey in sound and vision 

tracing the development of our College from its inception to the 

present day. 

Hosted by talented orator and pianist Jason Rushton (Y11) 

the pageant unfolded through hundreds of images in chronology 

on large screens whilst our musicians performed musical items 

from each of five periods. The musical forces assembled for the 

concert included Massed Choirs of over 600 boys in Years 5 – 8; 

the College Choir augmented to 150 singers with Old Boys and 

parents; an augmented college Orchestra of 120 players with past 

students and parents; the Chamber Choir; The Fathers’ Choir; 

Senior Jazz Ensemble; Stage and Concert Bands; and the KJ All 

Stars. 

A feature of the concert was the premiere performance of a 

newly commissioned College Anthem, Ad Majora Natus written 

by Fr Willcock to mark the anniversary year. This new anthem 

will become a permanent fixture of college special events and 

liturgies and represents in word and music the ideals inherent in 

the college motto “Born for Greater Things”. The text of the new 

anthem is as follows: 

Ad Majora Natus C. Willcock SJ 

In a land that holds its secrets locked away from careless eyes, 

We are called to look more deeply, hold the earth, and scan the skies; 

With this knowledge comes belonging, with belonging comes respect, 

As our links become more sturdy, gentle use succeeds neglect. 

We belong to one another by the common thred we share. 

We are kept alive by others; we hold others in our care. 

When we say we’re “men for others” it means striving for “the more”, 

It means speaking for the pow’rless, it means standing with the poor. 

We are called to breathe a spirit, and a spirit to impart, 

We are called to read the myst'ries that spell meaning for the heart; 

We are born to seek the greater by embracing what is less; 

We are born to find our master in signs by which we bless. 

For these things are we born for: 

God to seek and know and serve; 

Ad Majora Natus, ad Majora Natus. 

The willing participation of so many of our extended 

Aloysian community either as musicians on the concert platform 

or in behind the scenes work over the six months preceding the 

Anniversary Concert was nothing short of remarkable. 

MONUMENT FOUR: Mass for St Aloysius 

21 June 2004 

The final ‘musical monument’ for the anniversary year took 

the form of student musicians in combined choir, orchestra, 

brass consort and cantors leading the singing in an open air Mass 

for the Feast of St Aloysius. Held in the Senior School courtyard 

on Monday 21 June 2004, the Mass was a very relaxed expression 

of our Aloysian ideal. This was an ‘at home’ event with the 

liturgical music created by the student musicians of the college 

for the boys of the college. Indeed the arrangement of the School 

Song (repeated from the Concert in March) was realized and 

conducted by Music Co-Captain, James Dixon (Y12). 

With a flight of balloons the celebrations of the College 

anniversary year came to a fitting conclusion. The contribution 

of the music department and all of our extended family of 

Aloysian musicians throughout the year has been remarkable. 

Music has made a memorable contribution to this very special 

year. The contribution of the many has been truly inspiring. My 

sincere thanks to every student, old boy, parent or teacher who 

made this amazing year of music possible. 

Truly a year of Musical Monuments at Milsons Point! 

An archival Compact Disc recording of Music from the Year 

of Celebration will be released in semester two. 

Mr Michael Hissey 

Director of Music 

29

Drama 

Senior Drama Productions 

This year’s Year 11 Drama class is the strongest that 

we have had in the 5 years of HSC Drama at the 

College. With such productions as Bugsy Malone, 

Tom Sawyer, Lockie Leonard, Oliver, Anything Goes (PLC 

Sydney), Arsenic and Old Lace, Unman Whittering and Zigo, 

Stand By Me and The Insect Play behind them, they were 

ready for a major challenge. 

Accordingly two plays were selected for production – 

one to be directed by Mr Peter Gough and the other by 

the new Drama teacher, Ms Heidi Dixon. 

Spring Awakening 

In 1879, just a few months after St Aloysius’ was 

founded, a significant event took place in Aarau, a 

small town in Switzerland. 

Spring Awakening: Mark Horler, Jeremy Lardner, Michael Peters, 

Angus Hector, Daniel Nolan, Michael Kennedy, Alex Elliot 

Frank Wedekind, the son of a German doctor from 

Hanover, was living there with his parents. During what 

can only be described as a veritable wave of suicides among 

the boys of Aarau, two boys named Rotner and Ruetschi 

shot each other to death. On the night of the event, 

sixteen year old Frank and his friend, Schibler, were on 

their way home from a tavern when they came across the 

bench near a suspension bridge where the two schoolboys 

had just been found and the bodies removed. Rotner and 

Ruetschi had not been able to come to terms with their 

sufferings and had found no other way out except to shoot 

each other. Frank was utterly devastated. He knelt by the 

bench, dipped his handkerchief in the blood and wanted 

to die on the spot. The next morning Frank was still very 

distressed and implored Schibler, on his knees, to lend him 

his father’s pistol. After much to and fro they finally came 

to the conclusion that they should start a new life in the 

memory of the two dead boys and swear blood 

brotherhood for ever and ever. 

Ten years later Frank wrote Spring Awakening. The 

play introduced Melchoir as the fourteen year old 

Spring Awakening: Michael Kennedy, Patrick Schneider 

protagonist who has to come to terms with the deaths of 

his girlfriend (during pregnancy) and his best friend (from 

suicide). After falling from grace as the top academic 

student in his form, and breaking out of a Reformatory, 

Melchoir ends up in a cemetery where he must confront 

the grave and ghost of his dead friends and determine the 

future course of his own life. Frank based the play on his 

own experiences and those of his schoolfellows. Almost 

every scene corresponded to an actual incident. 

Frank published the play himself in 1891 with an 

inheritance from his father. It immediately created 

controversy and was put in the same class as Ibsen’s Ghosts, 

Strinberg’s The Father and Miss Julie and George Bernard’s 

Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession, which all dealt with sex. 

The first English translation production was in 1958 at 

the University of Chicago and today it is performed 

around the world on a regular basis. If fact next year it will 

open on Broadway as a Rock Opera. The translation we 

used was one commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare 

Company from Ted Hughes, the British Poet Laureate, 

in 1997. 

The play is a tragi-comedy dealing with sexual 

ignorance, repression, stress, depression, violent abuse, 

obsession with death, homosexuality and suicide. And yet 

there is a great amount of comedy in the play, just as there 

is in all life. The last two scenes are quite uplifting, 

presenting a positive friendship and a resilience to face the 

future. 

The class took to the play not just because of its 

extremely relevant content, but also because of the 

challenge it put upon the cast. Under the guidance of Mr 

Gough, the cast took form and they began to bring out not 

only the deeply emotive side of much of the play, but also 

the brilliant comedic side. It was the experience and talent 

of the cast that really pushed the play over the line. Most 

notable were the performances of Michael Kennedy as 

Melchoir, Patrick Schneider as his friend Moritz and 

Michael Peters as the Headmaster and Hans. Other 

members of the cast were Jeremy Lardner as the Masked 

Man, Daniel Nolan as Herr Gabor, Richard Murray as 

30

Despite numerous stressful rehearsals without the 

company of female roles, the class pulled off an hysterical, 

colourful and slick production. 

A Midsummer Night’s Dream was a combination of love 

triangles, power struggles and ‘ham’ acting with a dash of 

glitter on the side. It was a post modernistic/ 

Matrix/hippy/panache fairytale style, with the brilliant 

stage designs of Mr Patrick Connelly, dazzling the 

audience. 

Spring Awakening: Michael Kennedy, Ellyse McGee 

Ernst and Alex Elliott, Angus Hector, Joey Crews and 

Mark Horder playing all the other male characters. 

We owe a debt of gratitude to the wonderful Year 11 

girls from Mount St Benedict who gave up a large amount 

of their time for the production, and, without whom, the 

production would not have been possible. They dedicated 

themselves to the task and truly showed their theatre 

talent and professionalism. 

The play was very well received by those who saw it 

and highly commended for its brave tackling of sensitive 

material – a truly Ignatian undertaking of humanity in 

education. 

Mr Peter Gough and Daniel Nolan (Year 11) 

A Midsummer Nights’s Dream 

When given the choice to do a Shakespearean 

comedy one must consider the following: 

Understanding the language 

Understanding the humour in the language 

Getting the audience to understand both aspects. 

So with a highly talented class, led by new teacher, 

Miss Heidi Dixon, all three objectives were accomplished. 

A Midsummer Nights’s Dream: Patrick Richardson, Nicholas Halter 

The story involves four lovers, who become lost in a 

forest and under the spells of a cheeky, mischievous fairy 

called Puck, their relationships are turned upside down. 

The struggle between the King and Queen of the fairies 

(Oberon and Titania) and the lively bunch of ‘wannabe’ 

actors (the Mechanicals) including the odd love affair 

between Titania and Bottom the ‘ass’ captivated the 

audience. This was topped off with ‘the Mechanicals’ 

hammed-up, sidesplitting performance of ‘Pyramus and 

Thisbe’. 

All this could not have been successful without the 

help of Miss Dixon who managed and directed the play in 

a fun and professional manner. Many thanks to all the 

mothers, fathers and friends, who supported us this year, 

in our last class performance at St Aloysius’. 

A good Midsummer to you all! 

William Clark and Nicholas Halter (Year 11) 

A Midsummer Nights’s Dream: Michael Gemmell, Rahul 

Sagar, Matthew Mazza, Thomas Pigott, Melinda Pedavoli, 

William Clark 

31

Cadet Unit 

SACCU Annual Passing Out Parade 

College Oval 20th June 2004 

In this anniversary year, I well remember a very moving 

Passing Out Parade held at this Oval in 1975. It came at 

the climax of the cadet year, but in a year in which the 

government of the day had decided to disband the Australian 

Cadet Corps. 

That decision followed the tabling of a governmentcommissioned 

report suggesting, on a cost-benefit analysis, 

there was little to be gained from supporting cadets, since so 

few cadets ever moved on to join the armed forces. Alas, it 

was a very utilitarian assessment of the place and the value of 

cadets. 

The Honorary Colonel of Cadets for Australia was the 

Reviewing Officer for that parade. There were a large number 

of former CUOs in attendance and a crowd of more than one 

thousand. The usual ceremony this time included a Beating 

of the Retreat, symbolising the disbandment of the College 

Cadet Unit, and its Colours were handed back to the 

Headmaster, Fr Greg Jordan. 

Understandably, that was a very emotionally charged 

occasion. It drew to conclusion an era of the College’s life in 

which Cadets had played such a high profile. In an earlier 

period when St Aloysius’ was so small and had a struggling 

reputation in the sporting arena, the Cadet Unit and its 

CUO James Crittenden receiving inaugural Conspicuous Service 

Award from Reviewing Officer Major Ron Armstrong OC 176 

Air Dispatch Squadron 

SUO Toby Messina escorts Reviewing Officer Major Ron 

Armstrong as he inspects SACCU on parade 

activities were the school’s great extra-curricular strength. In 

times when classes or sporting teams never went on interstate 

or overseas excursions, our Unit travelled – across the country 

and also to New Zealand. They visited other schools, enjoyed 

civic receptions, went sightseeing and paid official visits to 

Governors General and other dignitaries. The Unit had its 

own distinct uniform and insignia which marked it out from 

others. It was said that the young ladies of Loreto thought 

that our CUOs especially cut very dashing figures in their 

service dress. There was an annual Cadet Ball before school 

formals were ever dreamt of. We were the first unit to move 

directly into the field on Annual Camp, avoiding rather 

tedious preparatory days in huts at Singleton – a feat which 

those who administered cadets thought not possible. 

When the reality of the loss of cadets finally hit home, 

there were those at the school who determined that the 

College would raise a Unit under its own auspices. And 

without resources and funding from the Army that was going 

to be no mean effort. There were no salaries for Officers of 

Cadets. We created our own ration packs. Cadets 

manufactured three hundred bright orange-coloured hutchies 

from industrial plastic. They kept out the elements, but were 

somewhat deficient in terms of camouflage. We 

supplemented the remnants of uniforms left behind with 

items purchased from disposal stores. Stores and troops were 

transported at our own expense to non-military camp sites 

lent to us by parents and other friends of the College. 

Communications were improvised with items purchased from 

Dick Smith’s stores. 

Why? For a two-fold intention. To continue to provide 

boys with situations whereby they could develop confidence 

in themselves and learn teamwork with others. And to 

provide boys bred in an urban environment the opportunity 

of experiencing life in the bush. 

However, with the passing of a year, a new government in 

Canberra re-established Cadets. Whilst many schools did not 

raise their old Units, at St Aloysius’ the year’s independence 

witnessed our Unit moving in ever-creative ways. The Duke 

of Edinburgh Award Scheme flourished. A Canoeing 

Platoon was established, building canoes and spending 

annual camp time navigating the upper reaches of the Hunter 

River. There was a specialist Rock Climbing Platoon. With 

32

the accession of a Land Rover, the Mechanics Platoon 

emerged. Cadets stripped and rebuilt engines, and had their 

first taste of driving long before they could officially take to 

public roads. Senior cadets in a Commando Platoon were 

sent out to bivouac for days at a time, issued with little more 

than a bag of flour, a canteen of water, and a live chicken. 

They had to make shelters, forage food and collect water as 

best they could. Most returned. These were exciting times. 

So has this Unit flourished for ninety years – now under 

a new configuration, but in continuity with the same 

objectives: relationships, resilience and challenging 

experiences. Let us hope that the young men that the Unit 

farewells at this ceremony can take with them into the future 

those same strengths and so many satisfying memories. 

Today, we also award prizes for outstanding service and 

ability. In a College monthly newsletter, written during the 

First World War, a boy describes one such distribution of 

prizes at his cadet parade. He writes: 

There is a prize of £2 ($4 today, but a significant amount 

then when the basic wage was £4 per week) for the winning cadet 

squad (of fourteen cadets), to purchase a trophy or to be used for 

any other purpose voted for by the winners. However this is only 

a sideline, because it is for the honour of winning that Aloysians 

work and not for prizes. 

They are high-sounding words for a boy. Perhaps because 

it was a sentiment forged in wartime years. But honour and a 

pure desire to do well and to push at the boundaries have 

always been a quality of this Unit. Long may it be so. 


Rector 

Year 12 cadets at Ceremonial Mess Dinner, 20 June 2004 

Governor-General Reviews Unit 

Each year on the Friday closest to the anniversary of the 

Japanese miniature submarine attack on Sydney 

Harbour (the night of May 31/June 1) a 

commemorative service is held at the Defence of Sydney 

Monument, North Head. This is adjacent to the old School 

of Artillery site with, fittingly, panoramic views down the 

length of the harbour to the city. The majority of participants 

are school children (both primary and secondary) drawn from 

schools in the area and this year the service was held in the 

morning of Friday 30 May. 

The cadet unit has provided the Guard for this event for 

some years now and was honoured this year to mount a 

guard for the Governor-General, His Excellency Major 

General Michael Jeffrey MC. Under the command of the 

unit RSM, WO1 Geoffrey Clifton-Smith (Year 12) the 

guard was drawn exclusively from Year 12 cadets. After 

receiving a salute from the guard and inspecting them His 

Excellency congratulated them on their bearing and delayed 

proceedings while he spoke of the value of service to the 

community and of his belief in the worth of Defence Force 

Cadets offering this opportunity to young people in the 

community. (See cover photo) 

Our annual ceremonial parade was held at the college 

oval on Sunday 20 June in brilliant winter weather – fine, 

sunny and cool. There were several splashes of colour while 

the unit was on parade. Thanks to old boy Captain James 

Slattery (SAC 1996), currently posted to the Third 

Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, the unit marched to 

the skirl of the pipes and the beat of the drums of his 

battalion band. Our own banner escort party provided some 

colour of their own by wearing the white belts, white flag 

buckets and red sashes recently acquired by the unit for 

ceremonial use. 

A new award was added this year to the cadet prize list. 

To be known as the Conspicuous Service Award it will be 

made at the discretion of the Officer Commanding of the day 

to recognise conspicuous service given by a cadet to the unit 

and to the wider school community over a lengthy period. 

Criteria for consideration are dress and military bearing, 

leadership, initiative, demonstrated concern for the needs and 

welfare of fellow cadets, school staff members and others, 

given with good grace and humour. A true witness to the 

Ignatian injunction that we should be men for others. 

The inaugural Conspicuous Service Award has been 

made to Cadet Under Officer James Crittenden (Year 12). 

Bagpipes and drums as a vehicle for “pop” music were a 

discovery made by all those present at the formal mess dinner 

in the Great Hall to farewell the Year 12 cadets at the end of 

their service in the unit. Combining electric guitar, vocals and 

some very clever drumstick work three pipers and three 

drummers held one hundred and twenty diners enthralled. 

The colour at this dinner was provided by the red mess jackets 

worn by serving officers from our foster unit and by the new 

white mess jackets purchased for the use of our own cadets. 

The unit has been given good leadership this past year by 

Senior Under Officer Toby Messina and Regimental 

Sergeant Major, WO1 Geoffrey Clifton-Smith. In their 

speeches they each spoke of their experiences as cadets over 

the past five years and of the challenges of leadership. 

Our annual promotion courses were held at the end of 

Term II. Eighty-seven cadets attended practical and theory 

tests conducted at school, Holsworthy Army Range and at a 

residential phase at Naamaroo Conference Centre. The 

promotions lists and postings for the new cadet year will be 

on the cadet notice board when Term III commences. 

Major Anthony Chandler 

Commanding Officer 

33

Pastoral Care 

Retreats, Camps and Reflection and 

Activity Days 

2004 was the third year and the final year that all members 

of the Senior School would simultaneously be involved in 

participating in a Camp, Retreat or Reflection and Activity 

Days. This all took place on the last three days of Term I. 

There were no major changes from last year, other than the 

inclusion of a Kairos Retreat for Year 12, and different locations 

for some places. The Year 10 Camp at Otford was flooded out 

and therefore we had to move the Year 10 students from this site 

to Grose Vale with one of the other Year 10 groups. 

I would like to thank all the Old Boys, Jesuit Novices, 

parents, teachers and members of the Aloysian Community who 

volunteered to assist. The sacrifice of their time and effort and 

their lack of sleep meant our students were able to experience a 

rewarding time. So many people have had such a positive impact 

on our Aloysius gentlemen. 

The locations for each of the Retreats were: 

mark). The two best activities for me were BMX, where you 

went round a muddy course on beaten up bikes with pathetic 

brakes, and abseiling where there was a seven or fifteen metre 

wall to go down. I went down the seven metre one along with all 

the other people who were scared of heights. Overall the camp 

was fun, the food was of medium quality standard and sleep was 

as rare as hens’ teeth so at the end I was happy to get a good 

night’s sleep and a proper home cooked meal. 

David Boyd 

Year 7 

Year 8 Activity and Reflection Days 

On Monday 5 April, Year 8 began its Retreat. The main 

theme for the Retreat was “Building Bridges”. It was 

essentially to help us to make friends. To some, and 

indeed many, going to school for school “camp” was not the ideal. 

But the retreat proved to be more than we thought. 

YYear 

Location 

7 Crusaders Conference Centre, Galston Gorge 

8 St Aloysius’ College 

9 St Aloysius’ College 

10 Grose Vale Conference Centre and Mangrove 

Mountain Conference Centre 

11 Elanora Heights Uniting Church Conference Centre 

12 Kerever Park Conference Centre, Bowral, 

Chittick Lodge, Gerringong 

Grace Lodge Conference Centre, Yarramundi 

To appreciate what each year experienced I have asked a 

representative from each Year to write a report on what they 

learnt at their particular location. 

Year 7 Camp 

On 5April 2004, Year 7 went on their Annual Retreat. 

We arrived at Bradfield Park in the morning to get our 

names marked off the roll. The buses slowly arrived and 

we got on them in Class Groups. After 2 hours of talking, jokes, 

reading ‘Mad’ magazines and singing, (the wheels on the bus 

mainly), we arrived at our destination, Galston Gorge. It had 

rained over night and our friendly bus driver told us that he 

would throw our bags into the mud unless he got four volunteers 

to help him, (somehow the volunteers failed to catch my sleeping 

bag!). We trampled into the Dining Hall and were sorted into 

our day groups and our sleeping groups. Then the Camp 

Manager gave us a talk on the rules and we were allowed to eat 

our lunch. After lunch we walked down to the cabins. Each cabin 

had four rooms and each room could sleep six boys. The teacher 

with us sorted us into our rooms but as soon as he left the cabin 

we all chose our own rooms with our friends in them. The camp 

provided a range of activities. These were: archery, abseiling, 

BMX, low ropes course, swimming and ball games. My group 

started off with archery. 

The Talent Show was a memorable event and the judges 

were pretty harsh (one group got negative numbers in their 

Year 9 boys enjoying the retreat 

We arrived in the morning at the regular time (8.30-ish), 

which received a few grumbles, and lined up in the Wyalla 

Common Room. We began with a prayer before being split into 

different groups. We were divided into six groups alphabetically 

and we were given two teachers. For my group, we had Mr Good 

and Mr Newton. 

After the prayer, we filed off into the different classrooms of 

Wyalla and began our first activity – after moving everything 

into the room. On Monday, we used a booklet. This activity 

Year 8 boys working on a group project on retreat 

34

Lunch being served to Year 8 and 9 retreatants 

involved grouping friends and family according to how close they 

were to you. 

After recess on Monday, we watched another movie, October 

Sky. This was set in America in 1969, and the main character was 

a young boy. The boy loved rockets, and was always trying to 

build miniatures that worked. But his town didn’t care about the 

Apollo programme, or his efforts. The boy was part of a family 

of four: his mother, father, older brother and himself. His father 

was a kingpin at the coalmine, and as such wanted his sons to 

become miners. The older son was fine with this, the younger 

son wasn’t. The main point of the story was the boy trying to do 

what he loved, but also to earn his father’s pride. In the end he 

achieved this – and as Apollo 11 went up, his rocket flew. 

After lunch, which was extended and involved playing rugby 

on the smooth Wyalla grass, we went down to Bradfield Park for 

sport. This was probably the best part of the day, and I’m sure all 

of Year 8 would agree with me. Mr Watson organised soccer and 

touch-footy fields, in the midst of grandparents and couples 

having picnics, for us to play on. We played in our groups, i.e. 3 

played 4, etc. we finished up around 2.45 and went back to 

Wyalla for a dismissal. 

On Tuesday, the teachers organised a rotation of activities. 

Groups 1 and 2 did the same thing, 3 and 4 did the same thing, 

and 5 and 6 did the same thing. In the time before recess, my 

group (3 and 4) went to a talk by an Aloysius’ parent called Mrs 

Pearman in The Bellarmino. This was an interesting talk. She 

spoke about drugs, especially alcohol, and the effects they have 

on us. She told us that alcohol affects the development of the 

brain and is especially dangerous for people up to the age of 

about 22. She gave us all the information about alcohol and 

discouraged us from drinking too much, especially before we had 

fully developed. It might help some Year 8s to make the right 

choices in the future. 

Then, we continued the rotation. My group went up to the 

computer rooms to research smoking and drug abuse to answer a 

work sheet. At the end of our research activity, we rotated again. 

Group 3, my group, went down to the Canisius Room. Then we 

were directed by Fr Radvan SJ to prepare for the Stations of the 

Cross. Every Year 8 was put into a group of about four or five, 

again alphabetically, and told to paint a modern day image to 

represent a certain Bible verse. In the afternoon Mr Watson set 

up a sports rotation. 

On Wednesday morning, after the prayer, we watched a 

movie, which was all about drinking and peer pressure. It had 

interviews with people that had suffered from alcohol or peer 

pressure. I enjoyed it, as did most Year 8. After the movie, we 

talked about it and what its message was in our groups before 

going to recess. 

After recess, we had to go through the Stations of the Cross. 

Our paintings from Tuesday had been hung up around the 

school, and we made our ‘pilgrimage’ to each. At each station, 

the painters of each picture would explain the image and read the 

verse they were given. 

After lunch, we had our concert. As the teachers were 

uncertain about the weather for sport that afternoon, Ms Mastro 

had organised a concert. The more confident Year 8s got up in 

front of the rest of their peers to sing or tell jokes. Acts ranged 

from drum solos to an off key rendition of the Yellow Submarine 

and Monty Python’s Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life. A 

good way to end the retreat would have been to get all the 

teachers up on stage. 

All in all, the retreat was fun. 

Robin Jordan 

Year 8 

Year 9 Activity and Reflection Days 

At the end of first term the students of Year 9 were 

presented with the annual camp. Although first 

impressions were glum, the Reflection and Activity Days 

actually proved to be quite a success. Despite the fact there was 

no hiking, or a canoeing journey, but the exercise provided a 

much more powerful journey… a journey of the mind. 

Throughout the camp we resided in Year 7 classrooms where 

we had discussions and did work revolving around the concept of 

every day heroes. Our learning environment was a relaxing one 

in that it evolved around discussion groups. 

As part of the ‘Every Day Heroes’ theme of the camp a 

‘motivational film’ was arranged for us at the giant Imax screen 

complex in The Bellarmino. Essentially this film outlined who 

were every day heroes actually were. This was viewed along with 

a sound track of the latest music. So we were offered big-hearted 

stories, backed by pop music and computer effects, which seem 

to be out of step with the world Year 9 students actually interact 

with and that form part of their lives. 

Other than our mental journeys in understanding “heroes’ in 

our society we also had physical learning experiences on the 

camp. On the physical side, each day we made our way down to 

Bradfield Park to get some exercise. We engaged in activities, 

including touch football competitions and soccer tournaments. 

Although the originality of these games in relation to camp was 

questionable, all who participated had a great time. 

The major part of the camp concentrated on drugs (learning 

about them that is.) During the day Mrs Jill Pearman came into 

school to educate us on the topic of illicit drug use. This was 

timely because Year 9 students are now old enough to relate to 

the issues presented. 

Finally we had the Father/Son night, which tested the physical 

and mental ability of both father and son. The activities pushed us 

to our limits but provided a good time and a stronger link between 

father and son, which at our age isn’t always nurtured 

After doing numerous activities at school all Year 9, with 

their parents, were asked to attend a drug education night, early 

in Term II. This was to further discuss the issues raised at the 

Activity and Reflection Days. This night was a huge success with 

35

Pastoral Care 

attendees being addressed by a professional drug councillor, Mrs 

Pearman; a police officer, Mr Suffield; and a student Toby 

Johnstone. 

The Year 9 Activity and Reflection Days were both mentally 

and physically fulfilling and lived up to the expectations that we 

as students have of a school camp. 

Toby Johnstone 

Year 9 

Year 10 Retreat 

Gross Vale Uniting Church Camp 

The scene was set; the buses were ready to depart Bradfield 

Park for Otford and Gross Vale. There was bad news, 

however, the Otford Retreat Centre had been flooded 

and thus the buses could not access it safely. So, off we all went, 

the ninety of us, to Gross Vale to begin what beckoned to be a 

successful and most entertaining three days which was certainly 

a good icebreaker between Term I and the exams which were 

approaching in Term II. 

The theme was ‘Vocation’ which loomed above many of us, 

as we thought of subject choices and ultimately a career choice. 

The idea, however, was much simpler; it looked at our future on 

a very broad scale and encouraged us to think about the 

directions we will take both physically and emotionally. 

The first day was more of an organisational period than 

anything else, however, with Year 10s uttermost co-operation, we 

were able to have a few good sessions with our small groups and 

then a valuable reflection on the life of one of the Jesuit novices 

helping with the retreat. 

That night was certainly a huge success with the somewhat, 

energetic and rather excited boys, successfully put to sleep with 

out too many misshaps. Everybody slept well with sufficiently full 

stomachs after a great dinner and numerous helpings of fruit. 

The sleep, we realised, was a much-needed one as the next day 

was full of activities and reflections, including a feature article 

session and a wonderful ride on the flying fox and the 

ropes course. 

That night, after another great meal, we all attended a very 

moving Easter Stations of the Cross ceremony to which many 

people contributed. The boys were then treated to a talented 

talent quest where many people either embarrassed themselves or 

pulled off a stunning skit in front of the somewhat tough crowd. 

We then had the opportunity to watch a movie or turn in for a 

good nights rest. Most decided the latter option and the camp 

was in total silence with over ninety boys asleep straight after the 

movie finished. The teachers also got a good sleep and when we 

woke for a hearty breakfast, everybody was ready for a good 

group affirmation session. We received all our affirmations from 

the night before and discovered all the good things that others 

had written so openly about us. 

We then had a further vocational session with our group 

leaders where we had a few discussions about our futures and 

then a quick clean up before the buses arrived. 

All in all, the retreat certainly was a wholesome experience 

where I am sure each and every boy learnt something and took 

away something useful. I would also like to thank all the staff 

who made the retreat possible. 

Jack O’Donoghue 

Year 10 


Anew year and a new retreat, a chance to find out about 

new people and find our place in our school community. 

Not only our school community, but other communities 

that we might not even realise. But questions were buzzing 

through everyone’s head. What will the activities be like? What 

will the food be like? With all the lollies, sound systems, CDs, 

magazines and footies packed, we awaited for all these mysterious 

questions to be answered. 

The activities throughout the day and night were a mix of 

spiritual and practical skills. One of the most controversial activities 

and one of the most enjoyable had to be ‘+3-3’. The idea was 

that the teacher read out a statement, the +3 station meant you 

strongly agreed; the 0 station meant you were neutral and -3 

meant you strongly disagreed. There were some very sensitive 

issues concerning aboriginals, immigrants, church law, refugees, 

school policy and many other subjects. Discussion became quite 

heated. It was lucky that Mr Varjivandi was in the middle to stop 

the madness. But after the activity everyone was friends again. 

No one realised such a similar group of boys could have such different 

opinions. 

The second night’s activity brought out the feminine side of 

us boys as well as an opportunity to use teamwork skills. The 

fashion parade was a chance for those ‘metrosexuals’ to strut their 

stuff and design an outfit out of newspaper. The winner was 

rather controversially decided to be the very foxy Ed Doyle. Well 

done to all our lovely models. 

The camp was a great opportunity to get to know people you 

forgot even went to our school and to strengthen already existing 

friendships. The end of the camp meant many questions 

answered. The activities were interesting, more social and a lot 

more enjoyable. 

Laurence Mullan 

Year 11 

Year 11 boys at the conclusion of the Stations of the Cross on 

the Year 11 Retreat 


The 2004 Kairos Retreat, for the twenty or so Year 12 who 

partook in it, was the epitome of the many school retreats 

and camps throughout their schooling years. The Kairos 

style of retreat was one that had not been experienced by boys at 

Aloysius in the past and for the few who were chosen to take part 

in this College first; it was very much a step into the unknown. 

36

Overall the camp was definitely one of the most rewarding 

experiences of my schooling at Aloys, and I’m sure the others 

boys feel the same. We would like to thank the teachers who 

organised the retreat, especially Fr Middleton who brought the 

Kairos retreat to Aloys. Kairos is a very memorable retreat for 

myself and I’m sure it will be memorable for many Aloysians in 

the future. 

Vincent Floro 

Year 12 

Fr Middleton SJ celebrates Mass on the Kairos Retreat 

We embarked on our journey on a cloudy Sunday in April, to 

Gerringong where the three-night retreat was to be held. The 

camp was run by teachers including Mr Gould, Miss Moran, Mr 

Sindone and Fr Middleton SJ, but also by the student leaders, 

Edward Hastings, Sal Quattroville, Jordan Gallagher, Connor 

Tierney and Paul Sullivan who had already experienced a Kairos 

retreat in Adelaide. 

The camp was made up of many different sessions. Some 

sessions were held at night and others during the day. The 

sessions were meant to help us ponder and explore our own 

selves, our relationships with family, friends and those important 

with us, and also to discover God’s place in our lives. Some 

nights the sessions would go very late but the lack of sleep added 

to the experience. 

Winners are grinners! 

I was fortunate enough to be part of the first Year 12 

Aloysius’ Kairos Retreat and am thoroughly convinced that 

this is one of the most moving and challenging retreats for 

many students. The retreat is largely student led with adults 

present and therefore brings a new direction to your existing 

retreats. 

Next year we hope to have a larger proportion of Year 12 

boys attending the Kairos Retreats on a voluntary basis. Year 12 

students will be allowed to study for their mid-year examinations 

while the rest of the College attends the Retreats, Activity and 

Reflections Days and Camps. Kairos Retreats will be offered at 

various times throughout the year in the holidays. 

Mr Chris Gould 

Director of Pastoral Services 

A group session at the Kairos Retreat 

The retreat was very much centred around group work and in 

the groups that we were divided into we were able to have 

excellent discussions. We had plenty of free time to go to the 

beach, play touch footy, listen to music, play guitar and generally 

have a relaxed time. 

All the guys who went on the retreat got to know each other 

much better, which is important, especially in a Year Twelve year. 

This retreat was, for all the Year 12, the last retreat they would 

ever go on at Aloysius, and this made the retreat even more 

enjoyable. It gave us a chance to relax, away from the stress of the 

HSC and just spend time with mates. 

The start of another session at the Kairos Retreat 

37

Parents & Friends 

The College Open Day in March was a busy day for 

the Parents’ & Friends’ Association and despite the 

wet weather a good crowd were shown through the 

campuses by very willing parents and students. We also 

manned friendly Devonshire Tea Cafes and a busy BBQ. 

Separate Cocktail Parties or Dinners have been held by 

Years 3,4,5,7,9,10 and 11 and these were very well supported 

by parents and a terrific opportunity to catch up with friends 

and make new acquaintances. The Class Parents have all 

done a wonderful job organising these events all held at 

different venues and with different themes. Thank you all 

very much. From these occasions additional dinners have 

been planned and held by individual classes to get know each 

other some more and establish new friendships and the 

network. 

In the lead up to the 125th Anniversary Concert the 

P&F were busy supplying BBQ lunches and afternoon teas 

for various rehearsal groups as well as helping with 

supervision on the actual day of performance. 

Congratulations to the Music Department on such a 

wonderful concert. 

Family Masses and Morning Teas have been held for 

Year groups 6, 8 and 11 since March and we look forward to 

Years 5, 9 (the Father Whitely SJ Shield) and 10 having 

theirs during next Term. Again, our thanks to the Class 

Parents who have organised the morning tea. 

The P&F have been supporting the College by supplying 

and/or serving food and drink for the “Conversations with 

Ignatius” evenings, the Music Department with lunch for 

the visiting CAS musicians rehearsing for their concert and 

the Lawrence Campbell Oratory Competition. 

The College Oval Canteen has been buzzing with 

activity at home games from serving breakfast to bleary eyed 

parents who arrive for the early games, through to lunch and 

afternoon tea with home baked cakes and freshly brewed 

coffee. Thank you to the many parents who volunteer an 

hour or two on these days. 

During all this time the Year 11 parents have been busy 

organising this year’s Valete Mass and Dinner and there have 

been craft days every two weeks at College Oval. 

On 6 May a packed College Oval enjoyed a wonderful 

talk by Past Aloysian Parent Pip Gormly to celebrate 

Mothers Day with good food and wine and on 17 June 

another ‘full house’ at the College Oval saw many parents, 

parents of Old Boys and friends enjoy the Annual P&F Card 

Day. 

Working Committee Meetings have been well attended 

with lively discussion and super morning teas supplied by 

various year groups. We would encourage the new parents 

who are available at 9.30am on the first Monday on the 

month during Term to come along to College Oval and join 

in the school community. We had our first Forum for the 

year and heard reports from both the Rector, Fr Ross Jones 

SJ and the Principal, Fr Chris Middleton SJ as well as the 

P&F Committee. The next Forum is on September 14 at 

8pm. 

The last Sunday before the end of Term saw a smart 

outfit at the Cadet Passing Out Parade and we thank the 

parents of Year 9 and 12 who assisted with morning tea on 

that occasion. 

All in all another busy period for the Parents’ & Friends’ 

Association and I would like to thank my committee who 

have worked tirelessly throughout this time and all the 

parents who have given their time and organisational skills to 

the many functions. I hope you have all enjoyed your 

experiences and have made new friendships by working 

together. 

In Term III we can look forward to our shopping day to 

the factory outlets on 10 August, more parents functions and 

Year Masses, helping with the College Art Show on 27 

August, the Junior School Grandparents Day on 16 

September. I make special mention of the Indian Bazaar 

which although held at Riverview is in fact a fundraiser for 

the Jesuit Missions. The P&F will again be running a cake 

stall (we will be asking you to cook some of your best cakes) 

and some other interesting things and we urge the parents of 

St Aloysius’ to support this very worthwhile cause. 

Mrs Rose Tompsett 

President 

Look Mum No Hands! 

James Scott (Yr 11), James Dixon (Yr 12) and James 

Goldrick (Yr 11) playing a piece composed for 6 feet (and no 

hands) on the occasion of the recent Queensland Organ 

Music Society visit to the College. 

38

Jesuit Refugee Service 

The Jesuit Refugee Service Winter Solstice Ball 2004 

held at the Sydney University on June 19 was a 

memorable evening, and one that brought light from 

darkness. 

L to R; Sir William Deane AC KBE, Fr Steve Sinn SJ, 

Lady Helen Deane and Daniel Street at the JRS Ball 

On the eve of World Refugee Day, Sir William Deane 

AC KBE, honoured the gathering as Guest of Honour and 

spoke to "The Danger of Losing Our Way". Sir William 

challenged those present and the community at large with his 

profound and meaningful message. He said "I believe that the 

greatest challenge which we Australians, particularly young 

Australians, face in our current national environment is to 

avoid being indifferent to the essential truths that life does 

have greater meaning than material selfishness and success 

and that the ultimate test of our worth as individuals and as a 

nation is how we treat the most disadvantaged and vulnerable 

of our fellow human beings." 

Hugh Riminton, distinguished journalist, masterfully 

added to the global picture of crisis for refugees, and the need 

to accompany them, especially children. 

Some two hundred and fifty young Old Boys of St 

Aloysius’ and Riverview, many of whom are committed to 

social service activities, attended the occasion with their 

friends and the venue was aglow with candlelight on the 

iceberg decorations. ‘The Frocks’ band and the after party at 

Kings Cross continued with united camaraderie. 

The evening will long be remembered as one of great 

goodwill, warmth and generosity for refugees in Australia and 

in the fifty countries where the Jesuit Refugee Service is 

represented. 

The next major event when we can continue to support 

the works of JRS will be the Melbourne Cup Luncheon at 

Dockside, Cockle Bay, Darling Harbour. Further 

information will be advertised in various publications nearer 

to the event. 

Mrs Ailsa Gillett 

Convenor 

JRS Friend/fundraising Committee 

Olympic Flame in the Colleges’ 

Backyard 

On Friday 4 June, the Olympic Flame visited Sydney 

as the starting point for its tour around the globe 

before the start of the XXVIII Olympiad in Greece 

in mid August. 

The Flame was carried over the Harbour on the deck of 

the yacht ‘Sydney’ before it wound its way around the 

Harbour foreshore and on to the Olympic Park at 

Homebush. The flame was enthusiastically greeted by 

hundreds of Aloysians who had spent the day enjoying a 

picnic to celebrate the Feast of St Aloysius. One Olympic 

organiser commented that it was great to have the boys so 

enthusiastically greet the flame, especially with members of 

the world media covering the event. 

Like so many important events in the history of our 

nation, the College was in the box seat with the best view 

in town! 

L to R; Anna Dunstan, James Roger, Sally Bramma and 

Mark Decarvalho enjoying the JRS Ball 

39

Senior School Sport 

Swimming 

Following the CAS Championships in March, a 

combined CAS Team was selected to compete at 

the Combined Independent Schools 

Championships. This included ten Aloysian Senior 

School swimmers who competed well at the CAS titles. 

Eight boys from the Junior School were also invited to 

represent following strong performances at their meets. 

Included from the Senior School were Oliver Loomes, 

Nick Bateman, Jonathan Mastrantonas, Stefan 

Prendergast, Sam McConnell, Vincent Stokes, Luke 

Veverka, Chris Sudarmana, Chris Chan and Mark 

Sindone. Junior School reps were Michael De Gail, 

Patrick Prendergast, Matthew Jepson, Tom Ruehl, Paul 

Sindone, Robert Darwell, Kieran Joel and Elis Freed. 

At the CIS Championships, Sam McConnell was 

simply outstanding competing in nine events, winning 

seven individual events and being in two winning relays. 

Sam broke the 14 Years 50 metres butterfly record. The 

Junior Boys relay team (Sam McConnell, Vincent Stokes, 

Stefan Prendergast and Luke Veverka) broke the freestyle 

record by 3.5 seconds and the medley relay by 1.5 

seconds. 

Matthew Jepson (Year 4) won three individual events 

in the 10 Years including establishing a record in the 50 

metres freestyle. Paul Sindone won the 11 Years 

breastroke in record time whilst his brother Mark was 

placed second in the 12 Years breastroke. Michael De 

Gail too was placed second in the 12 Years breastroke in 

the Junior division. 

Following the CIS Championships, ten boys were 

selected to represent the College at the All Schools 

Championships. They were Sam McConnell, Vincent 

Stokes, Stefan Prendergast, Luke Veverka, Chris Chan, 

Mark Sindone, Michael De Gail, Paul Sindone, Matthew 

Jepson and Tom Ruehl. 

At the All Schools Championships, Sam McConnell 

won four events and broke two records. His relay team of 

Vincent Stokes, Luke Veverka and Stefan Prendergast 

won the 14 Years relay. Sam was consequently picked to 

represent NSW at the Australian Championships. Mark 

Sindone was placed fourth in the breastroke. 

At the Junior School State Championships, Paul 

Sindone won the 11 Years 50 breastroke in State record 

time. Matthew Jepson won the 10 Years 200 individual 

medley and was placed third in two other races. The 

freestyle relay team of Paul Sindone, Tom Ruehl, 

Matthew Jepson and Michael De Gail finished fourth. 

At the Australian Schoolsports Swimming 

Championships in Brisbane, Sam McConnell won six 

medals (two gold, three silver and one bronze). Paul 

Sindone collected two gold medals which included a 

Queensland record in the 50 breastroke. Matthew Jepson 

won a gold in his freestyle relay. 

Basketball 

At the end of the CAS season, the annual Fr A V 

Smith SJ Trophy was played in the Great Hall 

against St Ignatius College, Riverview. For the 

second year running, the Aloys 1st V were able to win the 

game 77-66. Fr Smith was at hand at the function to 

present the trophy to the winning captain, Adam Fisher 

(Year 12). 

Three boys were selected for the CAS 2nds who beat 

both ISA and GPS (Adam Fisher, Justin Fontana and 

Tom Wright (Year 10). 

Tennis 

Following the completion of the summer season, 

two players, Conor Tierney (Captain) and David 

Lee were selected to represent CAS 2nds against 

GPS. 

Presently six rounds have been played of the winter 

season. Our current 1st IV are a young side and have 

struggled against strong opposition. However they did 

manage to win a competition match against Trinity 

Grammar School with Steven Goh (Year 10) making one 

of his rare appearances for the 1st IV. Steven is contracted 

to Australian Tennis and is heavily committed on 

Saturdays, playing in overseas and interstate tournaments. 

In late June he travelled to the UK to play in the Junior 

Wimbledon Competition. 

However our other age groups are enjoying much 

success, especially our Year 7s and Year 8s. 

I would like to publicly thank Mr Steve Russell, our 

retiring MIC, who has done much for tennis in the 

College over the last four years. Mr Terry Watson will 

replace him as MIC. 

Rugby 

It would be fair to say that our 1st XV side has not yet 

played to their true potential so far this year. In a 

mixed season of results, the team after a promising 

display against St Ignatius’ (8-25) has beaten St Patricks’ 

College Strathfield (15-13), St Pius X College (21-5), 

Sydney Grammar School (12-11) but lost their first CAS 

game to Trinity Grammar (19-28). However the team 

showed glimpses of their best form, disposing of 

Cranbrook 23-17 in their second competition match. 

The holiday period ahead sees the team travel to 

Brisbane with the 16As and Prep 1st XV for important 

matches in preparation for the remaining three competition 

games next term. The 1st XV also play the visiting English 

Jesuit College Stonyhurst at the end of the break. 

The 14’s and 13’s travel to Canberra in the last 

weekend of the holidays to play two games against 

Daramalan College and St Edmund’s. 

Before the holidays, CAS teams were picked to play 

both the GPS and ISA. Seven Aloysians were selected 

40

with four in the 2nds (Andrew Geldens, Jonathon Owen, 

Nic Stapleton and Daniel Baxter) and with three in the 

3rds (Paul Sullivan, John Corpuz and Patrick McCabe). 

Patrick McCabe (Year 11) has since been selected in the 

NSW Under16 Rugby team. Three players have been 

selected in the Under 16 CAS team to play GPS. 

The 2nds have won both of their competition matches 

narrowly and at the death in both games. The 16As 

coached by Old Boy Michael Spalding (SAC 1985) have 

been unlucky in a number of their games but are a 

competitive outfit. The 15As, coached by Old Boy and 

now staff member Michael Taylor (SAC 1985), won their 

first ever CAS game in the Senior School when they 

defeated Trinity 3-0 recently. 

The Under 13s are a strong age group. The As beat 

Trinity 12-8 and drew with Cranbrook 10-10. The other 

three teams in this age group have had their wins 

throughout the season. Old boys Matthew Dolce (SAC 

1999) and Jeremy May (SAC 2002) are coaching some of 

our Under 13 teams. 

All teams have three tough CAS games ahead next 

Term with Barker, Knox and Waverley to play in that 

order. The final two games however are home matches. 

Soccer 

After an inauspicious start to the season with a 

heavy loss to St Ignatius in the first official trial 

game, the 1st XI have turned things around 

remarkably in the last month. The team has won both 

CAS competition games against good teams, Trinity 4-1 

and Cranbrook 2-0, to remain undefeated with Barker. 

The team is playing an excellent brand of football and are 

in line for possible premiership honours 

The 1st XI have also qualified for the next round of the 

Independent Schools Cup having beaten Waverley and 

St Andrew’s so far. 

Eight of the side have made CAS teams, including 

Paul Dietz, Conor Tierney, Matthew Walker, Simon 

Roddy in the 1sts. In the 2nds, Mark O’Reilly and Phil 

O’Byrne were selected whilst Justin Waller is in the 3rds 

and Andrew Perkes is listed as reserve. 

Throughout the grades, many wins have been 

registered during the season. In last Saturday’s round 

against Cranbrook, of the twenty games played, the 

College won sixteen and drew two matches. 

A number of Old Boys are coaching various teams 

including Peter West (SAC 2001) (2nds), Andrew Perkes 

(SAC 2001) (10Cs), Byron Michalandos (SAC 2001) 

(9Bs), Paul Anguita (SAC 1999) (8As), Brendan Rigby 

(SAC 2001) (8Bs) and Ben Wilford (SAC 2001) (7Bs). 

An overseas tour to England and Italy has been 

organized for likely 1st XI future players as part of a 

development tour. Boys from the present Year 9, Year 10 

and Year 11 have been chosen from basically the A teams. 

They will leave at the end of November and will play a 

number of games against some fellow Jesuit schools and 

will also attend a number of premier league soccer games. 

Jesuit Soccer Tournament 

During the middle week of the June/July holidays, the 

College hosted the Jesuit Schools Soccer Tournament at 

the College Oval. 

The fact that we were the bridesmaids yet again may 

give thee erroneous impression that our players are not 

good enough or not up to winning. This idea must be 

dispelled at once. 

Our players are fantastic. They are committed, well 

trained, focused and a match-winning combination. Proof 

of this is that we were the only undefeated team by the 

finals of the competition. We played with great skill and 

spirit in the finals, but were beaten by two very quick goals 

from Riverview. 

The success of the tournament is due not only to the 

excellent standard of the games, but also to the overall 

sportsmanship of the players. In addition the tremendous 

support given to us by so many people, the College 

administration, Mr Chris Millar at the Oval, Mrs Pat 

Horton with catering, Mrs Gail Deligny and Mrs Kathy 

Fitzgerald with clerical work, and last but not least the 

wonderful parents, who daily provided billeting, meals, 

comfort and great vocal support for our team. 

There were many fine moments during the games, too 

many to enumerate, but Matt Walker's (Year 11) man of 

the series award and Matt, Mark O'Reilly (Year 12) and 

Mark Pieterse's (Year 11) inclusion in the Australian Jesuit 

Soccer Team, were definite highlight for the College. 

Mrs Caroline Linschoten 

MIC Soccer 

Volleyball 

The 1st VI have won three of their six competition 

matches so far with the team playing two rounds 

of the competition. Unfortunately they lost 

narrowly in their last game to the undefeated Sydney 

Grammar who replaces Cranbrook in the winter season. 

The team is hoping however to be the top CAS side in 

the competition again providing they overcome Barker 

next match. The 2nd VI have won two of their 

competition games. 

During the season, three boys qualified for CIS 

selection. They were Matthew Walker and John Caristo. 

Cross Country 

Asmall number of runners have been competing 

each week at the combined CAS/GPS meets. 

From these events, a CAS team was selected to 

compete at the CIS Championships at Eastern Creek. 

The following were selected: James Crittenden, Graham 

41

Senior School Sport 

Purcell, Alex Godbold, Brendan McLenaghan, Ben 

Kirkby, Joseph Craft and Ben Klarich. 

The following were well placed at the Championships, 

Purcell (7th), Godbold (6th), and Craft (6th) and have all 

been selected to represent CIS at All Schools. 

Captain James Crittenden (Year 12) has been chosen 

to run for CAS Opens at the annual CAS/GPS challenge 

in Term III. 

Athletics 

The athletics season has been moved to Term III 

and will officially commence straight after the 

rugby and soccer has finished. It will be a short six 

week season with the CAS Championships this year being 

held mid week at Homebush and will commence early 

afternoon and finish early evening. 

Justin Langley, MIC, and Clayton Kearney, Head 

Coach, will be in charge of the team again this year. They 

will be assisted by both professional outside coaches and 

Old Boys including distance coach Donald Maclurcan 

(SAC 1999). 

A large number of boys have been training on Tuesday 

afternoons in preparation for the season along with 

playing their winter sports. 

John Corpuz has been picked as Captain and he will be 

well supported by Vice Captains James Jackson and John 

McCormack. 

Chess 

The College is currently fielding three chess team in 

the school. Presently two of the teams are 

undefeated at the end of Term II and are top teams 

in the northern region. They take on the other leading 

schools next term in finals. 

Congratulations to the Opens, Nathaniel Lasky 

(Captain), Diran Fabricatorian, Tynan Young and Tom 

Larcher and Intermediate, Sean Gomes, Alex Bryden, 

Edwin Nels\on and Peter Farmakis. 

Debating 

Congratulations to the 1st III Debating Team, Ed 

Hastings (Captain), John McCormack and Alex 

Vicovich who defeated St Ignatius’ College in 

front of a large home crowd in The Bellarmino to win 

back the Fr Charles McDonald SJ Cup. 

Over the holidays, our 1st III (Ed Hastings, John 

McCormack, Alex Vickovich and Tim Scarfe) competed 

in the second only Australian Jesuit Schools Debating 

Carnival in Melbourne, hosted by Xavier College. The 

team was highly successful winning all their preliminary 

debates and the final against the home school. 

The CAS competition commences in Term III for all 

debating teams. 

Cadets 

The Annual Passing Out Parade was held in the last 

week of Term II at the College Oval. The parade 

has now been moved to the end of Term II to allow 

Year 12 boys the opportunity of finishing earlier in the 

year in order to minimize the number of activities they are 

involved in during their final term at school. The Annual 

Camp is now in Term I with the promotion courses in the 

June/July holidays and the bivouac in the following 

holidays. 

Officer Commanding of the Unit Anthony Chandler 

and David Clancy are to be congratulated on the 

wonderful display of marching and drill that was evident 

on the day. Old Boys Captain James Slattery (SAC 1996), 

member of 3 RAR Unit and Ivan Yau (SAC 1998), 

assisted in the last few weeks preparing the cadets for the 

parade. Over twenty Year 12 cadets participated in the 

Unit this year. 

Summer Sports Prize Day 

In Term I, we held our traditional Sports Prize Day 

where we acknowledge the best teams and best and 

fairest players in the College. 

This year as guest speaker we had Old Boy Ed Zelma 

(SAC 1993), current First Grade cricketer for St George 

and past First Grade for Gordon. Ed is one of the best fast 

bowlers in the current grade competition though whilst at 

school he was better known or his batting! Ed was well 

received by the students and has offered to run some 

clinics for our fast bowlers at school. 

Outstanding Student Achievements 

Athletics 

Nic LeGrand (Year 8) was placed second in the State 

Multi Athletics Championships and second in the 13 

years 100 metres final at State Little Athletics. 

Water Polo 

Todd Miller (Year 12) was selected in the NSW Schools 

Water Polo Team. 

Swimming 

Sam McConnell (Year 9), Paul Sindone (Year 6) and 

Matthew Jepson (Year 4) were selected in the NSW 

Schools Swimming team to compete at the Australian 

Schoolsport Championships. 

Rugby 

Patrick McCabe (Year 11) was selected in the Under 16 

NSW Rugby team. 

Tae Kwon Do 

Adric Ryan (Year 11) was selected to represent Australia 

at the Korean 2004 Open, coming fifth. 

42

Jason Schjaichudin (Year 12) was placed third in an 

overseas tae kwon do tournament in Singapore. 

Tennis 

Steven Goh (Year 10) represented Australia at Junior 

Wimbledon in June. 

Fencing 

David Donato (Year 10) is currently ranked third in the 

Under 15s in the State and was a member of the College 

team that won the Under 15 State Team Championships. 

Mark Uy (Year 9) is currently ranked 6th, James Zwar 

11th and Grant Elliot 20th. All three were members of the 

winning Under 15 State teams event. 

Edward McKenzie (Year 8) is currently ranked third in 

the Under 13s in the State and was a member of the Under 

13 team that won the State Team Championships. Other 

members included Marcel De Cure-Ryan (Year 8), 

William Johnson (Year 8), and William Sunderland 

(Year 8). 

James Zwar (Year 9) was placed 8th in the State Epee 

Championships. 

Volleyball 

Three players from the 1sts team (Matthew Walker, Tom 

Wright and John Caristo) have all been selected in the 

CIS Volleyball team. 

Baseball 

Steve Smith (Year 11) was chosen in the CIS Baseball 

Team. 

European Handball 

Alex Maasen (Year 11) was selected in the Under 18 

Australian team after outstanding performances for 

NSW where he was the highest points scorer from all 

States. 

Surf Life Saving 

Ed Doyle (Year 11) won a gold medal in the relay at the 

State Life Savings Championships. 

Michael Mulcahy (Year 9) won a gold medal in the Under 

14 Beach relay at State. 

Nic Matthews (Year 7) won a silver medal in the Under 13 

Beach Relay at State. 

Tim Kirkby (Year 8) won two silver medals in the board 

and swim relay at State. 

Tom Kingston (Year 7) won two silver medals in the 

Under 13 beach sprint and relay at State. 

Borger (SAC 2003) and Jeremy Curtin (SAC 2003) who 

are on a Gap Year in the UK, went to London to support 

Jason as he competed. Whilst Jason was unsuccessful in 

gaining a place in the final, he was commended for his 

performance and did himself, his family, Australia and the 

College proud! 

Tom Borger (SAC 2003), Jason Rushton (Year 11) and 

Jeremy Curtin (SAC 2003) at the World Finals of the Plain 

English Speaking Competition. 

Wheelchair Sports 

Chris Suffield (Year 9) won the best and fairest for NSW 

for the third year in a row at the National Electric 

Wheelchair Sports. Chris was involved in hockey, rugby 

league and soccer games. He was consequently chosen in 

the All Australian Team to compete in Finland during 

the year. The tean finished fifth. 

Co-Curricula Update 

Snow Sports 

Nineteen St Aloysius’ teams competed in the Scots 

Cup, Redlands Cup and in the Sydney Region 

Interschools Competition. Five of those teams have 

qualified for the NSW Interschools State Finals in 

Thredbo in mid August. 

Basketball 

A number of Year 8 and 9 students played in an outside 

basketball competition run by the Northern Suburbs 

Basketball Association. They won the Mens Under 16A 

competition. 

Mr Paul Rowland (SAC 1974) 

Director of Co-curricula 

Public Speaking 

Jason Rushton (Year 11) won the Australian Final of the 

Plain English Speaking Competition and travelled to 

London in May to compete in the World Finals. Tom 

43

Micronesian Scholars 

Ran Annim (Good Day/Hello in Chuukese) 

We're writing to you from an island called Weno in the middle 

of the Pacific. We have been here for just shy of two months 

so far and time has flown. We arrived on the 23 January. The 

day we arrived we were confronted with a very surreal scene at 

the Chuuk Airport. There were people lined up on the other 

side of the chicken wire fence surrounding the airport. It has 

to be the first open-air arrival lounge we've seen. This opened 

our eyes as to what we were actually embarking on. An 

opportunity to help people in a country that we would never 

have otherwise visited and also gives us the opportunity to 

experience a culture that is unlike any we had previously 

encountered. 

We were met by Fr Rich (superior of the Jesuit community 

at Xavier) and driven up to the school, which is in fact some 

way from downtown Weno. We were greeted by waves from 

the various classrooms and promptly given a tour of the school. 

The night that we arrived coincidently, was also the night of 

the schools annual dance which the students had been waiting 

for in anticipation for a couple of weeks. Surprisingly, the 

dance was not all that different to those that take place in the 

Great Hall. Everyone was timid at first but soon got into the 

swing of things. It was a good introduction to what life here at 

Xavier is like. On the Monday we started tutoring some of the 

students in various subjects, ranging from English and Maths 

to Physics and Biology, though it must be said that our 

recollection of some of the material can be described as rusty at 

best. Since then tutoring has made up quite a lot of our time 

here along with teaching some classes. 

However, for those budding future Micronesian Scholars 

do not be disheartened. We are having a ball. The faculty 

members are all extremely easy to get along with, as are the 

students. They have to be the friendliest bunch of people 

either of us has ever met. Always up for a chat or just to 

hang out. 

In the brief time we have been here we have experienced 

many wonderful things. These range from the bi-annual Xavier 

Cultural Day and a Faculty Retreat to a beautiful tropical 

island, to the ordination of nine Deacons at the Cathedral and 

administering an Entrance Test in a school in the middle of the 

jungle. Some of these events truly have to be seen to be 

believed. We will only endeavour to describe a couple of these 

events and leave the rest up to your imaginations! 

One of the definite highlights was Cultural Day in which 

the students from Xavier display to the public, arts, crafts and 

dances that are part of their culture. The students represent 

four different nations. The Federated States of Micronesia, 

Palau and The Marshall Islands and India. The FSM consists 

of four states (Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae) whose 

cultures vary greatly. Preparations for cultural day had been 

going on for well over a month. The students had to rehearse 

for the dances, prepare the various crafts and fix their huts (all 

the districts have a hut in the school which is built in the 

traditional manner, from coconut palms and native wood). 

They are truly an engineering marvel considering they are built 

entirely by the students using traditional materials and tools. 

They last for years. 

When the day finally arrived it seemed that all the 

preparations had not been in vain as the day was a lot of fun. 

All of the cultures were represented in their various forms, 

there were plenty of crafts on sale as well as lots of local foods 

to tantalise the travelers' taste buds. The dances didn't start till 

the afternoon but they were all worth the wait, despite the 

intensity of the sun. There was a very energetic atmosphere and 

the audience thoroughly enjoyed all the dances and we were 

even treated to an Indian traditional dance from one of the two 

students from outside Micronesia. 

Another event, which we fortunate enough to be in 

attendance at was the ordination of nine local Deacons. It took 

place at the Cathedral in the village of Tunuuk, just out of 

town. Arriving in the back of the school's ute (which is the 

preferred method of transport around here) we were surprised 

to find the cathedral almost full about thirty minutes prior to 

the start of the celebration. It was packed by the time the long 

line of clergy entered. In fact all the local priests from all the 

islands in Chuuk lagoon were there (about twenty five of them). 

The service went for about two hours (which we survived 

despite the stifling humidity, which we thankfully have become 

accustomed to) and was almost entirely in Chuukese, however 

we were enthralled none-the-less. The singing was a highlight, 

with the local men and women in particular putting on a 

performance that would certainly make Mr Hissey smile! We 

were also invited to the feast afterwards, which was a sight in 

itself. Fr. Rich had said that the poverty here in Chuuk was not 

in famine, the meal proved this point. There was a buffet table 

set up on one side of the hall that extended for about twelve 

metres and was laden with many local foods. There must have 

been enough food to feed the whole congregation, but there 

were only about sixty people at the gathering. The local foods 

on offer included coconut crabs, octopus, several types of fish, 

sea cucumber, breadfruit, bananas, chicken (not so local), pork 

and tapioca, with a more than plentiful supply of coconuts to 

go round. We ate until we could eat no more and for the rest of 

the day we just lay down and recovered. 

In our short stay here so far we have also met a number of 

important dignitaries including the President of the Federated 

States of Micronesia as well as the American Ambassador. 

There are also groups of tourists coming up to tour around the 

school which is weird in a way though it is understandable 

seeing as though the main school building was the Japanese 

communications centre for the area during the Second World 

War. The building was bombed during the American air 

attacks in 1944 and it is still possible to see where one large 

bomb hit on the roof of what is now the gym. 

So far this has been one of the few chances that someone 

gets during their life to give back to a community. It's been a 

really fantastic eye-opening trip up to this point and has made 

us realise just how much we take for granted back home. 

Kore nom. (Goodbye in Chuukese) 

Paul O'Byrne (SAC 2003) and Tim Karbowiak (SAC 2003) 

2004 Micronesian Scholars 

Xavier High School 

Island of Chuuk 

Federated States of Micronesia 

44

From the Registrar 

Interviews for prospective students and their parents 

for entry to the College in 2005 and for Year 5 and 7, 

2006 were completed during Term II and all places 

have now been allocated. Over 120 interviews took place 

over a two-week period. Again this year, we had many 

more applicants than actual places available. A number of 

Bursaries and Scholarships were also awarded to boys 

entering Year 7 and 11 in 2005. 

For all year levels in 2005 and for Years 5 and 7 in 2006 

there are currently no vacancies. Sometimes we get notice 

of a student withdrawing due to an overseas or interstate 

relocation for example and this normally happens in Term 

IV. So if you are thinking of making application for next 

year, it might be worth contacting me around late 

September or early October in case we get notification of 

someone leaving the College. We do have waitlists for 

every Year level though. However, if we need to run 

another entrance examination, this will take place around 

October. 

Orientation for all new students commencing at the 

College in 2005 will take place on Wednesday 10 

November 2004 from 8.45am till 1.00pm. Early in Term 

IV this year, an information pack will be sent to all new 

students commencing at the College in 2005. This will 

contain information about the Orientation Day, uniforms, 

books, music, co curricular choices, travel pass applications 

as well as lots of other information about the College. 

Entrance examinations for students entering Years 3, 4 

and Years 8 to 11 in 2006, and also students entering Years 

5 and 7 in 2007 will be held in March next year. Dates will 

be finalised later this year. If you currently have an 

application in for these years of entry, I will notify you in 

February with the details of the examinations. Open Day 

has been scheduled for Sunday, 6 March 2005, 12 noon 

to 3pm. 

If you would like more information on enrolments 

please contact me on (02) 9955 8872 or email me: 

registrar@staloysius.nsw.edu.au 

Mrs Anne-Maree McCarthy 

Registrar 

2004 Logie Awards 

The College would like to congratulate the following 

Old Boys for winning Logie Awards at Australian 

Television’s ‘night of nights’ in mid April. 

stories ever filed by an Australian journalist, this reward is 

a fitting tribute to this Walkley Award Winning 

Journalist. Since the end of major hostilities in Iraq, Geoff 

has been stationed as the ABC Correspondent in South 

Asia, based in India. 

Julian Morrow (SAC 1991) – Most Outstanding 

Comedy Programme – CNNNN – ABC TV 

Julian is a member of the Chaser Team, a comedy group 

based in Sydney. The group publishes a comedy 

newspaper called The Chaser and produced a programme 

during the 2001 Federal Election called the Election 

Chaser. Julian is an Arts/Law graduate from Sydney 

University. 

Don Burke (SAC 1964) – Most Outstanding Lifestyle 

Programme – Backyard Blitz – Nine Network 

Don Burke and his production company, CTC 

Productions, created and produces Backyard Blitz, Burkes 

Backyard and other lifestyle shows for the Nine Network. 

Considered the ‘Father of Lifestyle Television in Australia’ 

Don and his team keep going from strength to strength 

with new and imaginative programmes. 

Faces From The Past 

Father Francis Xavier Whitely SJ (SAC Staff 1940 and 

1971-1985) sitting with fellow Aloysians and Mr Bruce 

Clarkson (SAC Staff 1976-Present) at the CAS Athletics 

in 1983 

Geoff Thompson (SAC 1986) – Most Outstanding 

News Coverage – Marine’s Fire – ABC TV 

Geoff is a reporter for ABC Television and was imbedded 

with the United States Marine Corps in Iraq. One night 

on patrol with the Marines, their convoy came under fire 

from Iraqi insurgents. Geoff and his cameraman were able 

to film the entire battle. Described as one of the bravest 

45

From the Archives 

Dux of St Aloysius’ College 

As the College celebrates its 125th Anniversary, it is 

timely to remember the top students and to record their 

careers. Today’s students, with so many choices, are not 

affected by external events such as world wars and the 

depressions of the 1890s and 1930s which influenced the choices 

of some earlier recipients of the award. 

The year 1898 was the first in which the top student was 

acknowledged as the Dux of the College - a prestigious honour. 

For the previous two decades, the College recorded the boys with 

the highest aggregates in the external examinations conducted by 

the University of Sydney. In most years, this was the Senior 

Examination but in some early years there were no senior 

candidates, so the name of the student with the highest aggregate 

from the Junior candidature was noted. This explains why Ernest 

McGrath’s name appears for three consecutive years. These 

examinations were the forerunners to the Leaving and 

Intermediate Certificates which, in turn, were replaced by the 

Higher School Certificate and the School Certificate. 

Students with Highest Aggregate in the College 

Year Name Career 

1879 and 1880 John Meillon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .law 

1881 Richard Hardman . . . . .family biscuit-making 

business 

1882 Michael Fahy/Fay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .shipping 

1883 Arthur Barlow . . . . . . . . . . . .company director 

1884 and 1885 Robert William Caird . . . . . .career unknown; 

deceased 1889 

1886 William Aloysius Conlon . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1887 Tom O’Neill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .accountant 

1888 Walter Burfitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1889 Wilfred J Norris . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .mining 

1890 Ernest Marsden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1891 James Curran . . . . . . . . . .commercial traveller 

John B Howard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .priesthood 

1892 James Burfitt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .law 

1893, 1894 

and 1895 

Ernest McGrath . . . . . . . . . . . . . .draftsman; 

accidentally drowned, 1902 

1896 Jack J Quinn . . . . . . .Parliamentary librarian 

1897 Cecil Cahill . . . . . . . . . . . . . .career unknown 

Dux of the College 

Year Name Career 

1898 Edmund Ray Ryan . . . . . . . . .career unknown 

first to be listed in prize-giving program as ‘dux’; 

(presented with a silver watch) 

1899 William M Moran manager, father’s 

bakery business 

1900 Bernard Hollingdale law 

1901 Herbert McDonald law 

1902 Charles Howard law 

1903 George Curtis medicine 

1904 Charles Howard law 

1905 George Curtis medicine 

1906 Marcel Playoust wool buying 

1907 Cecil Allen medicine 

1908 Clive Carleton company secretary 

of Harbour Press 

1909 Paul Lamerand woolbroking and farming 

1910 William Duff clerical, NSW Railways 

1911 Frederick Coleman journalism 

1912 Harry Curtis possibly banking; 

died of illness, 1916 

1913 Leslie C Willis orchardist 

1914 No record 

1915 Norman E Davis medicine 

1916 Michael J Fleming law 

1917 Alfred Harrison medicine 

1918 Henley H Harrison medicine 

1919 Lewis Davey banking 

1920 Eric Rosendale law 

1921 Dudley Boyle journalism; then 

technical services, ABC Radio 

1922 James J Cavanagh theatre management 

1923 and 1924 Stephen L Leach industrial chemistry 

1925 Cecil D Langton medicine 

1926 Eugene Desmarchelier woolbuying 

1927 Alan B Aldwell law (in USA) 

1928 Richard B Perkins medicine 

1929 Patrick H Speight medicine 

1930 P. Jack Kenny law 

1931 John P O’Brien medicine, Fullbright scholar 

1932 Justin P McGlynn priesthood 

1933 George Chandler banking 

1934 Eric Bergan actuarial 

1935 Vincent Hegarty medicine 

1936 Charles F Collins banking 

1937 W Kevin Cahill law 

1938 Frank Gormly law 

1939 and 1940 Bryan Keaney engineering 

1941 Robert Horan . . . . . .university administrator 

- dux and College Captain 

1883 Arthur Barlow 1891 James Curran 1916 Michael Fleming 1921 Dudley Boyle 

46

1942 Peter Nossal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .bio-chemistry; 

Fullbright scholar 

1943 John C McFadden . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dentistry 

1944 Paul Bannon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1945 John V Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . .engineering - 

great-uncle of Darin Westaway, dux of 1997 

1946 Kevin J Burges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .law 

1947 Gustav Nossal, Sir . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1948 Jacques F Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1949 Marc R Playoust SJ . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .then priesthood 

1950 Gerard F Horton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .law 

1951 John C Hogan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .priesthood 

1952 and 1953 Martin Davey dux and school captain - medicine 

1954 and 1955 I. Paul McDonell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .actuarial 

1956 John Sheldon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .education 

1957 Jim M Desmarchelier . . . .science -entomology 

- dux and school captain 

1958 Lawrence J Byrne . . . . . . . . . . . . . .education 

1959 Timothy Jenkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .banking 

1960 Joseph A Horan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .law 

1961 Graham Zanelli . . . . . . . . . . . . .public service 

1962 Michael Maher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .insurance 

1963 Brian Horan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1964 Michael P O’Brien . . . . . . . . .defence (Major- 

General, Australian Army) 

1965 Terence M Dwyer, Dr . . .economics, Harkness 

scholar, uncle of Dominic Dwyer, dux of 1990 

1966 Peter L’Estrange SJ . . . . .priesthood - dux and 

school captain 

1967 Roland Hicks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

Jonathon Ell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1968 Robert Boughton, Dr . . . . . .academic lecturer 

and social justice activist 

1969 Michael P Kramer . . . . . .chemical engineering 

1970 Gerard M O’Connor . . . . .systems engineering 

1971 Christopher Allen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

Daniel Madigan, SJ . . . . . . . . . . . .priesthood 

1972 Patrick J Moore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1973 William R Gorman . . . . . . . . . .finance (UK) 

1974 Kevin P Sweeney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1975 Paul D Clouston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1976 Christopher Wilkinson .structural engineering 

1977 Joseph G McGirr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1978 Vince Guerrera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .dentistry 

1979 James A Masson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1980 James M Smelt, Dr . . .senior research scientist, 

DSTO (Defence Science Technology Organisation). 

Topped HSC in NSW; University Medal in 

Pure Mathematics, Sydney University; 

PhD in Mathematics, 

Massachusetts Institute of Technology; 

1981 Robert I Thomson . . . . . . . . . . . . . .actuarial 

1982 Timothy S Morgan . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1983 David Lai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1984 Lewis J Macken . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1985 Peter Douglas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1986 Sean Carmody, Dr . . . . .mathematics/banking 

1987 Timothy Wilkinson, Dr . . . . . . .lecturer, civil 

engineering 

1988 Raphael Chan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1989 Bradley Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

1990 Dominic Dwyer, Dr . . . . . . . . . . .psychology - 

Churchill scholar, University Medal 

nephew of Terry Dwyer, dux of 1965 

1991 Michael Dinh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medicine 

Matthew Richardson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .law 

1992 Lawrence Tsui . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .actuary 

1993 Warren Yim . . . . . . . . . . . . . .career unknown 

1994 Peter Stumbles . . . . . . . .electrical engineering 

1995 James Chegwidden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .law 

1996 Matthew Richards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .law 

1997 Darin Westaway . . . . . . . . . . . . .physiotherapy. 

Great-nephew of John Moore, dux of 1945 

1998 Andrew Cheung . . . . . . . . . . .medical student 

1999 Tom M Georgeson . . . . . . . . .medical student 

2000 William Chan . . . .final year actuarial student 

2001 Nikolas Kirby . . . . . . . . . . . .arts/law student 

2002 Patrick Tai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .medical student 

2003 Mark Pelletier . . . . . .photovoltaics engineering 

(solar energy) student 

Sources: 

Old Boys’ Notes in The Aloysian 

College enrolment records 

Information from Old Aloysians 

Freemans’ Journal 

Sands Directories 

NSW Births, Deaths & Marriages register 

NSW Probate Register 

NSW electoral rolls 

1929 Patrick Speight 1948 Gus Nossal 1956 John Sheldon 1979 James Masson 1980 James Smelt 

47

From the Archives 

The’original students of 1879 

Many thanks to the following people who 

contacted me after the last issue of The Aloysiad 

in which I listed the names and addresses of our 

‘original’ students of 1879. There were a few unexpected 

connections. 

Past Parent, Jean Nysen, was unaware that John Bede Dalley 

was an Old Aloysian. He had been her father’s closest friend. 

She kindly donated Dalley family photographs, newspaper 

cuttings and a novel written by one of the ‘original’ students, 

John Dalley; 

Gerard Carter, SAC 1959, rang to offer information on his 

relative, William Norbet Jones; 

Ian McEvoy was totally surprised to learn that his forebears, 

Eugene, Henry, John and Richard McEvoy, were educated at St 

Aloysius’; and Jim Dwyer (SAC 1964), sent a marvellous 

collection of family history references to Canice, John, Joseph 

and William Dwyer; 

Past Parent, Peter Tansey, sent photographs and newspaper 

references to two families mentioned in the article - George, 

Thomas and Michael Lane Mullins and Francis and George 

Maher. The fathers of both families worked at the Labour 

Bazaar, described as the largest general furnishing establishment 

in the Australian colonies. Peter Tansey wrote that the Mullins 

brothers’ enrolment might have been a somewhat melancholy 

moment as their father had died only a few days earlier. Their 

mother had died several years earlier and Michael Mullins also 

died later in 1879, aged only eleven. 

Most amazing of all was Colin McElhone who advised that 

his paternal grandfather, Frank Mallon McElhone, and his 

maternal grandfather, John Francis Dwyer, were both ‘original’ 

students in 1879. 

Are there any challengers to this record? Or are there any 

other Aloysians whose paternal and maternal grandfathers were 

both Old Boys of the College in later eras? 

Gerri Nicholas 

College Archivist 

48

2004 ALOYSIAN GOLF DAY 

MANLY GOLF CLUB 

Balgowlah Road, Manly 

Thursday 12th August, 2004 

Lunch from 11.00 am – SHOTGUN start 12 noon sharp! 

Ambrose Competition – All Welcome 

Lots of Prizes – Best Teams, Nearest the Pin, Longest Drive, Straightest Drive and More! 

All Members of the Aloysian Family are welcome – Old Boys, Past Parents, Parents & Friends 

Renew old Friendships – Make up your own Team 

COST: GOLF, PRIZES, LUNCH, SUPPER & DRINKS– only $115 (incl GST) 

✁ 

Please detach and return application form with your payment 

Name: ......................................................................................................................................................... 

Address: ...................................................................................................................................................... 

Telephone: .............................................................(W) .................................................................. (H) 

..............................................................(F) .................................................................. (M) 

Email: ........................................................................................................................................................ 

Handicap: ....................................................................... Social Player: .................................................... 

I enclose cheque for $ ................................................................................................................................. 

Complete if applicable: I am in a Four Ball consisting of MYSELF and 

2. ................................................... 3. .............................................. 4. .................................................. 

I am a member of a Four Ball organised by ............................................................................................... 

please debit my: ❏ Bankcard ❏ M/Card ❏ Visa 

No: 

Exp. Date: ................. Name of Card:............................................. Signature: ......................................... 

All correspondence directly to: Greg Lambert P.O. Box 271 ARTARMON NSW 1570 

ENQUIRES: Greg Lambert (SAC 1967) (W) 9906-5377 (H) 9958-4290 (Mob) 0411 644 820 

(F) 9906-5481 Email: greg@totalrealty.com.au 

Kevin Emanuel (SAC 1967) (W) 9262-6777 (H) 9416-1555 

(Mob) 0411 150 452 (F) 9262-5757 

PAYMENT: Cheques payable to ‘SACOBU’ – PRIOR TO THE DAY – to confirm booking 

49

S.A.C.O.B.U 

ST. ALOYSIUS’ COLLEGE OLD BOYS UNION 

From the President 

The College’s 125th Anniversary celebrations were 

never going to be complete without an opportunity 

for the Old Boys to hold their own “gala event”, 

which they did on 21 May. 

The evening commenced with a Mass in the College 

Chapel celebrated by twenty five Priests, led by the 

Provincial, Fr Mark Raper (AM SJ (SAC 1961). The 

celebrants were mostly Jesuits who had taught at the 

College, but also included some Old Boys. Such a large 

number of priests on the altar, combined with an 

outstanding College choir, the new organ and a packed 

chapel provided a spectacular start to the evening. 

The Mass was followed by a dinner in the Great Hall, 

which was attended by around 340 Old Boys and the Priests 

who had celebrated the Mass. Old Boys only recently out of 

school mingled with older ones, including Jim Young (SAC 

1926), who was the oldest present. Many stories, no doubt 

exaggerated, from school days were swapped and the 

changes at the College chronicled. And of course, for all 

but the oldest Old Boys there was the opportunity to revisit 

their school days with their Jesuit teachers. 

The evening was planned as an informal one. The 

speeches, including from Ian Skinner (the current College 

Captain) and Fr Raper SJ were brief, but confirmed that a 

Jesuit education includes the ability to tell a good yarn. 

If the mark of a successful dinner is a reluctance of 

people to leave, then the evening was truly a success, as the 

finishing time kept being “pushed out” further into the 

night. 

An evening such as this does not simply happen and on 

this occasion special thanks must go to a group of Old Boys, 

led by Michael McCoy (SAC 1963), who had been working 

tirelessly on the planning for many months. 

Bernie Egan (SAC 1967) 

President 

Old Boys Visit Jesuits in India 

In the photo above, Fr Hans Hendriks SJ (SAC 1949), 

Peter Currie, John Law and Phil Thompson (all SAC 

1948) stand at the grave of Fr Gerry Drumm SJ. 

Adjacent is the grave of Fr Steve Daly SJ. Both were 

popular and respected Scholastics when they taught at the 

College in the 1940’s. They were buried in a small cemetery 

at Sitagarha near Hazaribag, India, which also contains the 

remains of many Jesuit missionaries who worked in the 

Australian Province in the State of Bihar, Now Jharkhand. 

Whilst Fr Daly spent most of his priestly life as a 

missionary in India (1955-1992), Fr Drumm was for many 

years a most successful Indian Mission promoter based at 

North Sydney Parish. A week or so before his sudden death 

Fr Drumm had attended the forty years reunion Mass and 

Dinner of the Class of 1948 held at the College. 

Peter, John and Phil had ten fascinating, most enjoyable 

Fr Hans Hendricks SJ, Peter Currie, John Law, and Phil 

Thompson (all SAC 1948) at the grave of Fr Gerry Drumm 

SJ (SAC Staff 1947-1950 and 1962-1974) in India 

and interesting days with Hans towards the end of 2003, 

visiting Hazaribag, Kajarkilo to see Hans’ school “Masi 

Marsal” (Christ Light) and his famous bridge, recently built 

over the Konar River, Bokaro Steel City, Pakti and other 

places of Jesuit interest and influence. 

A highlight for them was to attend Mass celebrated by 

Hans in Santali in a private house in a Santal (a tribal 

group) Village near the school. Dinner of chicken and rice 

prepared and served by the ladies of the house followed. 

Another highlight was meeting Sister Nirmala Joshi, 

Mother Teresa’s successor in Kolkata. A small very quietly 

spoken lady, she presented holy medals and prayer cards to 

the travellers. Hans who has been in India since 1952 

recently spent some leave in Australia before returning to 

continue his remarkably successful ministry with his 

beloved Santals. 

Please pray for his continued success and for his wellbeing 

and for all the Jesuits in the Province that their service 

to God and their communities may flourish and be amply 

rewarded. 

Phil Thompson (SAC 1948) 

50

The Rector of St Ignatius’ College, Fr Andy Bullen SJ 

(SAC 1966) gave the homily and spoke warmly of the life 

and times of the Patron, St Aloysius Gonzaga. 

Fr Mark Raper SJ (SAC 1960) celebrates Mass at the Old Boys Dinner 

125th Anniversary Old Boys’ Dinner 

On Friday 21 May, Old Boys of the College 

gathered to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of 

the College with a Mass in the College Chapel 

followed by a Dinner in the Great Hall. 

1980’s Old Boys with Fr Middleton SJ 

Beautiful music was performed, with Pastor de Lasala 

(SAC 1975) playing the College Organ, making the Mass 

a very memorable event. 

Following the Mass the Old Boys welcomed the Jesuits 

into the Great Hall for the start of the meal. Much 

camaraderie and fellowship was shared and many Old 

Boys caught up with friends and classmates that they had 

not seen for many years. The Master of Ceremonies for 

the evening was Julian Morrow (SAC 1991) well known 

comic from the CNNN – Chaser Non-stop News 

Network television programme shown on ABC 

Television. 

The Jesuits who concelebrated the Mass 

Over 200 Old Boys attended the Mass, which was 

celebrated by the Provincial of the Jesuits, Fr Mark Raper 

SJ (SAC 1960) and concelebrated by twenty-six other 

Jesuits who had all taught at the College over the years. 

The Bland Boys ! Tony (SAC 1957), Bruce (SAC 1959), Geoff 

(SAC 1959) and Mitchell (SAC 1988) 

The Hon John Kearney QC KCSG (SAC 1938), Mike McCoy 

(SAC 1963), Fr Mark Raper SJ (SAC 1960) and Jim Young 

(SAC 1926) at the Dinner 

Murray Happ (SAC 1985) delivered a speech written 

by Jason Rushton (Year 11) and delivered by him at the 

Music concert at the Sydney Opera House in March. 

Jason was unable to attend the dinner as he was in London 

competing in the World Finals of the Plain English 

Speaking Competition. 

The oldest Old Boy present at the Dinner, Jim Young 

(SAC 1928), proposed a Toast to the College and 

51

S.A.C.O.B.U 


Sandy Hellmrich (SAC 1963), Robert Enemark (SAC 1963) and 

Dr Andrew Short (SAC 1963) 

recounted a number of funny stories from his days at the 

College in the early 1920’s. 

The Provincial, Fr Mark Raper SJ (SAC 1960) spoke 

and congratulated the College on achieving this great 

milestone, especially in the face of threats of closure in 

days gone past. 

The last Old Boys left the Great Hall after 2.00 am, so 

it can safely be assumed that a great night was had by all. 

Special thanks must go to the following companies 

who sponsored the dinner and made it possible: 

McGuigan Wines – Paul Schaafsma (SAC 1990) – 

for the provision of fine quality wines for the Dinner. 

Icon Hospitality – Jason Bowditch (SAC 1983), 

Christian Denny (SAC 1989), Donovan Melloy 

(SAC 1989) and David Antico (SAC 1989) – for the 

provision of beer and bar staff for the Dinner. 

Andres Party Hire – David Schmidt (SAC 1984), 

Andrew Schmidt (SAC 1986) and Peter Schmidt 

(SAC 1989) for the provision of party hire goods and 

liaison with the Caterer. 

Congratulations must also go to the organising 

committee who put the whole event together. Mike 

McCoy (SAC 1963) ably led his team comprising Kevin 

Old Boys from the 1960’s and the 1970’s 

Emanuel (SAC 1967), Vin Goldrick (SAC 1977), Peter 

Heaton (SAC 1977), Peter Schmidt (SAC 1989) and 

James Eagleton (SAC 1990). Their hard work, patience 

and perseverance paid off with a tremendous night, one 

that will be long remembered by those who attended. 

All Old Boys of the College were approached by the 

Union and asked to make a contribution to affixing a 

College crest on the side of the Middle School Building. 

The crest will be located on the corner of the building 

bounded by Jeffrey Street and Upper Pitt Street and will 

be visible from the Kirribilli Shopping Centre and the 

from the Harbour Bridge. 

Bill Winship (SAC 1944), Barney Mungoven (SAC 1941) 

and Max McGuigan (SAC 1943) at the 125th Anniversary Old 

Boys Dinner 

Funds from the appeal will also be directed to a new 

Fund established by the Union. The Rectors Fund will be 

used by the Rector to assist boys at the College who have 

difficulty in paying for College activities (excursions, 

camps etc). The establishment of this fund is yet another 

example of Old Boys of the College living up to the Jesuit 

mantra of being ‘Men for Others’. 

Some 1950’s Old Boys at the Dinner 

52

Old Boy Updates 

Dr John Roarty recently celebrated his 80th 

1941Birthday. 

Alex Robertson married Margaret Barnes at St 

1942Augustine's Church, Toowoomba on 29 May 2004. 

Guests included his two brothers Anthony (SAC 1952) and 

Alistair (SAC 1954). Anthony has retired and is living at St 

Marys, Sydney and Alistair is living a life of ease at Coffs 

Harbour. 

Keith Hesford lives in Mt Warren Park in 

1944Queensland. His daughter and son-in-law live in 

Ireland and they recently saw the College Rugby Team play 

Presentation Brothers Cork while on the Rugby Tour to Ireland 

and the UK. Keith was thrilled to hear the lads put up a great 

fight and won the match. 

Dr Laurence Georgeson OAM MBBS 

1945graduated in 1954 from Sydney University in 

Medicine. First year Residence in Mater Hospital, Newcastle, 

1955-1956 Townsville, 1957-1958 Rockhampton General, 

Solo practice 1958-1997, Alderman and Councillor 

Rockhampton City Council 1961-1997, DSO and OAM for 

service to Red Cross Blood Bank 1957-1991, Retired 1997. 

Eight Children (5 boys, 3 Girls) widowed 1988. Currently 

enjoys building homebuilt aircraft and is in reasonable health. 

He remembers his Alma Mater fondly. 

Jim Reilly is working as an insolvency accountant 

1955in Grafton. Jim is the only Old Boy to have ever 

refereed a Rugby Union Test match. Jim was the ‘whistle blower’ 

for the 1972 Test between Australia and France. Sadly his 

refereeing career was cut short after a leg injury. Jim recently 

travelled to Brisbane for the Queensland and Northern NSW 

Reunion. 

Paul Evans is the Deputy Director, heading the 

1964Queensland Office of the Commonwealth 

Department of Public Prosecutions, based in Brisbane. 

Stephen Bright lives in Murwillumbah and is a 

1969part owner of the Madura Tea Company. The 

company is the only firm in Australia to grow tea in the country. 

Stephen attended the Queensland and Northern NSW reunion 

on 25 July and gave all those who attended a sample pack as a 

gift. (For all those who enjoy a cup of tea, it makes a mighty fine brew! 

Editor) 

Toby O’Connor has moved to Victoria and is 

1975working as the 'Advocate for Children in Care’ 

after working for the Catholic Bishop’s Conference for over 20 

years. His new role means that Toby has responsibility for 

looking after the needs and rights of children in the care of the 

state of Victoria. 

Mark Morrison recently donated his framed 1979 

1979First XV Jersey to the College. Mark played 

halfback in the Centenary Year team and thought it was 

appropriate to donate the jersey to the College to commemorate 

the 125th Anniversary. The jersey can be seen in the Pavilion at 

the College Oval. 

Stuart Eagleton and his wife Adele have just had 

1981their first child, a daughter. Marcelle was born on 3 

July 2003. Stuart is working for Lend Lease in Sydney. 

Paul Hardyman and his wife Leanne have moved 

1983to Queensland. Paul is a Landscape Architect and 

operates his own business with offices in Sydney and Brisbane. 

Paul attended the recent Queensland and Northern NSW Reunion 

Dave Kissane recently competed in the 28th Kona 

1985Brewing Molokai Challenge, which is recognised as 

the unofficial ocean kayaking world championships. Dave came 

second in the race to South African Herman Chalupsky, in very 

rough conditions. 

Simon Mitchell and his wife Angela recently had their third son. 

Oliver Rhys Mitchell was born on 11 June, weighing 4.65 

kilograms. Angela and Rhys are doing well. 

Ben Tallentire and his wife Nike have three 

1986children, Dillon 4, Chloe 2 and Jack 1. They have 

recently moved to Willoughby. Ben has just started his own 

Financial Services recruiting company called ‘T+O+M’ aimed at 

supplying middle office accounting staff into the International 

and Domestic Banks. We wish him the best of luck in his new 

venture. 

Tim Abbott and his wife Katie had their second 

1987child recently. Harry Lindsay Abbott was born on 

16 March 2004, a younger brother to Meg. Tim and Katie are 

in the process of building a home in Neutral Bay. 

Martin Byrne and his wife Katie have moved to Blackall in rural 

Queensland where Martin is a Rural General Practitioner at the 

Black Stump Medical Centre in Blackall. 

Anthony Draheim has just returned from 6 months service in 

Baghdad, Iraq. Anthony was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant 

Colonel in January 2004, and is currently stationed in Sydney 

working with Special Operations Command. 

Michael Reade has returned to Australia after 

1988completing his Doctorate of Philosophy at Oxford 

University. 

Kristian Andrejwskis announced his engagement 

1989to Anne-Margaret Guiliani on 11 March. They 

plan to marry in Anne-Margaret’s home town of Adelaide. 

Gary Au-Yeung announced his engagement to Ana Zarco in 

December 2003. 

Damien Short has moved to Canberra with his wife Rebekah 

and their 6 month old son Edward after 4 years in Townsville. 

He is currently a Section Commander in the Australian 

Federation Guard. 

Malcolm Hobbs and his wife Kristin had their second child on 

11 May. Joshua Aidan Hobbs weighed in at 4.72kg (10lb 7oz for 

the old-schoolers), a baby brother to Ashleigh. 

1990 

Andrew McGarry is the South Australian 

correspondent for The Australian newspaper. 

Andrew was recently awarded the Best Print Journalist Award at 

the inaugural South Australian Media Awards. The award was 

given to honour Andrew’s coverage of the Snowtown Murders. 

Jonathan Poon is living and working in Hong 

1991Kong. Jonathan studied Mechanical Engineering at 

the University of Sydney and completed a Master of Project 

Management at the University of New South Wales in 1997. He 

is currently studying an MBA through the Hong Kong Campus 

of AGSM. Jonathan is working for the Hong Kong Government 

as a Project manager. 

53

S.A.C.O.B.U 


Murray Hamer and his wife Jackie celebrated the birth of their 

first child, Felicity Grace on 13 May 2004. The first grandchild 

for Murray’s father, Brian (SAC 1963). 

Mark Nivet and his partner Jeff are moving to Toronto, Canada. 

Mark has recently been offered a leading role in a production 

called ‘Encore’ at Tokyo Disneyland. The production will run 

from 2 August to 10 March 2005 and involves a cast of 54 

people. ‘Encore’ will be staged at the American Waterfront 

section of Tokyo Disneyland and promises to be a great show. 

Anthony Hamer and his wife Judith had a son, 

1992Thomas Justin Hamer on 4 December 2003. 

Christopher Seeto has recently completed 

1995producing the Australian Film Commission funded 

and award winning short film We Have Decided Not To Die. Sarah 

Runcie of the Australian Film Commission describes the film as 

“… a modern day allegorical triptych, three figures undergo 

transformation through three rituals. We Have Decided Not To 

Die succeeds in taking the audience on an emotional journey…”. 

The film was in production for close to two years and premiered 

at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival last 

September. Since then, the film has won the prestigious 

Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival in France and the South by 

Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. We Have Decided Not To Die 

will be screened in New York, Paris, Vail, Toronto Manchester 

and Osnabuck (Germany) in the next few months. Chris now 

works as a film producer at Republic Films with young Director, 

Ben Weir. 

Michael Allison graduated from the Royal Military 

1996College, Duntroon in June 2003. He was 

appointed CUO of his company for his final year at RMC and 

received his commission as a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian 

Regiment and is currently serving with the Australian Security 

Detachment in Iraq. Michael is part of the ninety strong force 

protecting the Australian Mission in Baghdad. Michael is 

engaged to another RMC Duntroon graduate, Tracy Jaensch, a 

Lieutenant in the Medical Corps. They plan to marry in 

Adelaide in December. 

Paulo Lorenzutta and Robert Di Francesco have formed a 

property acquisition and development company called PRBC. 

They are active on the North Coast of NSW building units and 

townhouses. 

Greg Stephens graduated with a Bachelor of Music 

1997(on the French Horn) at the Sydney 

Conservatorium in 2001, then spent two years playing 

professionally in orchestras in Sydney. Greg has just moved to 

Germany and is living in the city of Karlsruhe, where he is doing 

more study and work with the horn. Greg reports that he has 

found Germany to be a great place to live (not as good as 

Australia though), and at this stage, it looks like he might be 

there indefinitely. 

Robert O’Brien has now accepted a Town Planning position in 

the Western Kimberley, based in Broome WA. The relocation 

follows an 18-month placement in Central Australia, amongst 

spinifex, mulga, rocks and waterholes. In July, Robert will be 

based within 56,000 square kilometres of Kimberley country, 

bound by the world class Cable Beach and in close proximity to 

arid desert areas, gorges, escarpments, rainforests, waterfalls, vast 

open plains, river valleys and extensive cave systems. Rob is 

looking forward to experiencing life in one of the most remote 

areas in Australia, if not the world and being at the interface of 

sensitive coastal management issues, heritage conservation and 

native title claims. He intends to purchase a boat and to go joy 

riding in search of the fantastic fishing, diving and recreational 

opportunities of the Kimberley Coast and nearby Buccaneer 

Archipelago. 

Andrew Bernie and Tom Fink graduated from 

2001Royal Military College Duntroon as Second 

Lieutenants in the Australian Army Reserve on 21 February 

2004. This marked the end of about 18 months training together 

at Sydney University Regiment. Tom and Andrew also enjoyed 

time together in the same Platoon in the College Cadet Unit 

in 1999. 

Mark Chan has recently been elected Vice-President of the 

University of Sydney Union. He is keen to hear from any Old 

Boys who are Life Members of the Union, and can be contacted 

on m.chan@usu.usyd.edu.au. Mark is completing the third year 

of his Economics degree, and has been offered a Graduate 

position at ANZ Investment Bank in Corporate Financing and 

Advisory, which he will begin in 2005. 

Past Staff Update 

Mrs Joan Murray (SAC Staff 1960 - 1970) has recently 

submitted a PhD literature thesis on James Joyce's Finnegan's 

Wake. Mrs Murray is enjoying retirement and keeping a watchful 

eye over her grandchildren, including Richard Murray who is in 

Year 11 at the College. 

A M D G 

Class of 1979 Reunion 

Date: Friday 22 October 2004 

Where: Occidental Hotel (2nd Floor Bar), 

43 York Street, Sydney 

Time: From 6.00 pm 

Cost: $20 - a cash bar will operate 

RSVP and Enquiries: 

Paul Wilkinson 9416 2919 h, 9267 4214 w 

wilkinsonp@stgeorge.com.au 

Don Hardman 0411 466 616 

For information regarding the Western Australian and 

Victorian Old Boys Reunions please see details on page 7 

54

Obituary 

The College is saddened to hear of the passing of the 

following Old Boys of the College. We ask you to 

remember them and their families in your prayers; 

George Robert (Bob) Murtough (SAC 1932) 

Bob was one of six 

children growing up 

in the harbour side 

suburb of Mosman. He was 

one of five boys and a sister. 

His brother Steve (SAC 

1942) and sister Betty are 

thankfully still with the 

family today. 

Bob Murtough (1915 – 2003) 

was a man of many passions 

throughout his life. They 

tended to define him more 

than could be said of most 

people. 

These passions were in many ways forged and developed 

during his years at the College. Not only did he excel 

intellectually but on the sporting field as well. He represented 

the school at the highest levels in both cricket and football. 

Making the College First Eleven and Fifteen teams and 

representing in Swimming as well. Many a tale was told by 

his brothers and mates at family gatherings of how he made 

the CAS team in 1932 to take on Combined High Schools. 

And how difficult a spin bowler he was to face or elusive as a 

runner with ball in hand from halfback and such a devastating 

tackler. Bob loved his sports. 

Bob served in the army and lived through the war years 

before he meet his lovely wife to be Marie Carroll. They 

married in 1949 having raised three children Therese, Paul 

(SAC 1973) and Judy all growing up on Sydney’s North 

Shore. Judy gave Bob and Marie two grandchildren Sarah 

and Matthew who he loved and cherished. 

Bob also coached many a school cricket team during his 

son’s days at the College. Many complaining of having to face 

him in the nets! In fact it was cricket he loved most of all. It 

would be nothing for him on a Saturday to be watching a 

cricket test on the television while reading the paper and 

listening to the races - all at once! 

Throughout his life Bob loved English and the written 

word. He enjoyed sending letters to the editor on the 

important matters of the day; poems to his lovely Marie and 

a lifelong passion of doing his bit to make sure no one forgot 

Sir Don Bradman. Even to the point of writing a song and 

recording it to music. The song was donated to the Bradman 

Museum in Bowral before his passing. 

Of course racing must be mentioned when Bob comes to 

mind. In fact the Murtough family once had an interest in a 

racecourse called Rosebury Park in the 1920’s. Bob could 

recite from memory every Melbourne cup winner from the 

1930’s and often wouldn’t let you stop him until he got 

through them all. 

Bob’s passion included a large family and in particular 

three women in his life. His mother, his lovely wife Marie 

and his life long devotion to Our Lady. He would always turn 

to Our Lady when he felt he or anyone needed some special 

help or guidance. It’s his legacy to us all. 

Bob passed away in his sleep on 12 February 2003 after a 

long and happy life surrounded by his family and friends who 

all said goodbye from the College Chapel on 17 February 

2003. It was his last wish to leave from the College he loved 

so much. 

He will be greatly missed by his family and friends, so 

many of whom he has now joined. 

Goodbye mate we love you. 

Paul Murtough (SAC 1973) 

Anthony Maurice Wallington (SAC 1959) 

10 December 1942 – 26 December 2003 

My lifelong 

friendship with 

Anthony, 

spanning nearly six decades, 

started at Loreto Convent 

in Kindergarten of 1948 

when Anthony, Terry and 

Michael Christie, Joe 

Horan, Philip Craddock 

and I were classmates. Over 

the course of three years we 

passed through the tutelage 

of Miss Muriel, Mother 

Consolata IBVM and 

Mother Anthony IBVM, and in 1951 we crossed the hill 

separating Kirribilli from Milsons Point. 

Anthony, even in his early days at St Aloysius’, showed 

that he was prepared to go out on a limb in support of what 

was right. He would oppose with every fibre of his being those 

who bullied others – with his tall, sturdy frame no-one ever 

tried it on him – and standing-up for what he believed in was 

an integral part of his personality all throughout his life. 

Anthony developed his rich baritone voice, almost a bass 

baritone, as early as the sixth class at St Aloysius’, and I recall 

an incident after the Term III exams were over. Our teacher 

was a Mr McGrath and on this particular morning in late 

November 1954 we had conned him into letting us put on an 

impromptu concert in the classroom. After a seemly 

reluctance Anthony ascended the classroom stage and started 

to sing ‘fortissimo con gran’ expressione’ in full operatic mode. 

Meanwhile, as we knew well, Father Hession SJ, who was 

very northern English and who was affectionately known as 

"Chaffie", was conducting a class in the adjoining room, 

which was separated by folding doors. Anthony was by this 

time well and truly pouring out his heart and soul when 

Father Hession entered our classroom somewhat 

peremptorily and intimated how overwhelmed he was by the 

whole ruckus. This brought the song and the general 

merriment to an end but not, I hasten to add, Anthony’s 

enthusiasm for singing which continued unabated. 

55

S.A.C.O.B.U 


School life meanwhile continued at St Aloysius’, with its 

daily round of classes, exams, chapel, cadets and sport, as we 

proceeded towards leaving year 1959 when Anthony’s 

personal qualities were recognised and he became a School 

Prefect and Cadet Under Officer and represented the College 

in the 1st XV. 

At university, Anthony, Michael Christie and Philip 

Craddock, studied medicine, while Terry Christie, Joe Horan 

and I opted for law. Anthony subsequently deferred his 

medical studies to take up an opera scholarship at the Sydney 

Conservatorium of Music under the distinguished operatic 

and orchestral conductor Joseph Post. He sang in Opera, 

toured in the Australian production of Camelot and regularly 

appeared on prime time television in the Barry Crocker Variety 

Show, turning to good advantage his early training under 

Father Comerford SJ and Mr Bill Caspers. 

To pursue his career he travelled overseas, was Premier 

Chanteur and Master of Ceremonies for twelve months at the 

Lido in Paris, and performed operatic roles such as the 

Sacristan in Puccini’s "Tosca". On his return he completed his 

medical degree, moved to King Island where he was the only 

doctor on the Island, finally setting up private practice at 

Cremorne. 

He sang Franz Schubert’s song cycle "Winter Journey" in 

the baroque splendour of the Hobart Town Hall. Schubert’s 

last composition is technically and musically demanding and 

emotionally draining. Anthony sang it not only from 

memory, but also in Muller’s original German. 

He sang "Panis Angelicus" by the Belgian-French composer 

Cesar Franck, and other sacred songs, at a Sunday afternoon 

concert in the Chapel of the Sacred Heart Convent, Rose 

Bay. I had the privilege of accompanying Anthony on the 

beautifully harmonised, authentic French Symphonic Organ 

by Puget et Fils. 

At North Sydney Town Hall Anthony presented "Land of 

Song", a conspectus of the vocal repertoire. I have this on 

compact disc, which preserves Anthony for posterity at the 

height of his powers and in all the versatility of his talent. 

Anthony was as comfortable singing in French, German 

and Italian as he was in English, thought he invariably 

declined my half-serious invitation to sing "None but the 

Lonely Heart" in Russian. It was he who introduced me to 

Tchaikovsky’s songs, which are some of the most beautiful 

ever written. He was at home with all kinds of music: early 

Italian songs, musical comedy, Mozart arias, character songs, 

Schubert lieder, Gilbert and Sullivan and Viennese folksongs. 

He sang stylishly and convincingly and set great store by clear 

diction and appropriate gestures, as insisted on by his teacher 

Evelyn Hall and his vocal coach and friend Joannie 

Brandmann. 

After his Marriage to Margaret they moved to 

Canowindra where they bought a farm property and through 

unremitting labour established vineyards and a boutique 

winery, and continued in earnest the raising of their young 

family, eventually consisting of Isabella, Nadja, Veronica and 

Gabriella. Anthony also had an older daughter Sonia who 

lives in Sydney with her mother. I had many happy times 

with them at their Canowindra home and farm. Anthony in 

the meantime established himself in general practice in 

Cowra and as an Anaesthetist at the hospital. After the floods 

of the early 1990’s Anthony and I participated in a concert at 

the Cowra Town Hall in aid of the flood victims. 

Anthony was always loyal to his old school as he was to 

his family, friends and colleagues. His mother Belle had in 

her time been a tireless worker and costume maker for the 

annual Gilbert and Sullivan operas and his father Maurice 

had coached the College rugby teams. 

His parents were generous supporters of the College (they 

paid for the electric lighting of the Junior school classrooms) 

and were generous also in hospitality to their many friends. I 

well remember, during my early school days, a Saturday 

morning children’s party at the former Farmers department 

store and an excursion to Shark Island. This generosity of 

spirit manifested itself in Anthony himself whose first 

concern was always for the welfare of others and in Margaret 

who never spared herself to make visitors welcome. 

Anthony was a dutiful and affectionate son, a caring 

brother and a loving husband and father. On a professional 

level he was a skilful and compassionate doctor, respected and 

trusted throughout the community. I remember his pleasant, 

well-modulated voice, his quiet dignity, his sense of humour 

and above all his warm and generous nature. 

Yet shortly before his sixty-first birthday he was suddenly 

and cruelly struck down with pancreatic cancer. He bore his 

suffering with his characteristic patience, courage and 

outward good spirits. As a doctor who had attended many 

cancer patients he was under no illusion as to what lay ahead. 

Anthony devoutly practised and was fervently committed 

to the faith, which had been instilled in him from his earliest 

years. His faith gave him strength in his final illness as it had 

given him strength throughout his life. Although extremely 

ill he attended Christmas Mass at St Edward’s Church, 

Canowindra and received Holy Communion. He died on 

Boxing Day surrounded by his family. 

The last time Anthony and I made music together was 

towards the end of a happy evening with Margaret and 

friends in late April. The final song was "There lived a King". 

Gerard Carter (SAC 1959) 

Eternal Rest grant to them O Lord 

and let perpetual light shine upon them, 

may their Souls and all the Souls 

of the faithfully departed Old Boys of the College, 

through the mercy of God, rest In Peace. Amen. 

St Aloysius, pray for us! 

56

The Governor-General reviews the Cadet Unit - St Aloysius

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