Spring 2009 (1.58mb) - St Aloysius

ALOYSIA D

from the rector 

Cadets Past and Present 

In late June, we had the great pleasure of welcoming back 

to his alma mater, Commander Michael Hickey RAN 

(SAC 1981), presently Commander of HMAS Penguin 

at Balmoral. Commander Hickey was invited to be the 

Reviewing Officer at the Annual Ceremonial Parade of the 

College Cadet Unit at the Oval. Like the young men he was 

reviewing, Michael himself marched off that same Oval for 

the last time in his last year in the Unit in 1981. In that year, 

he was the CUO of the Canoeing Platoon. Perhaps it was 

the guiding of such watercraft down the Hunter or Manning 

Rivers which gave him those first yearnings for the open 

sea. In addressing the Unit, Commander Hickey masterfully 

twinned the Jesuit leitmotif of men for others with the Naval 

aspiration of service above self. 

Commander Hickey presents an award. 

Commander Michael Hickey RAN (SAC 1981) at the Cadet Parade. 

The Canoeing Platoon which the 

then CUO Hickey commanded was, 

I believe, the first in any Cadet Unit 

– one of many creative initiatives 

that has characterised the College 

Cadet Unit for almost a century. 

In the history of the College, the 

Unit had always captured a high 

profile, especially in the school’s 

earlier years when we were small 

and enjoyed only a modest 

reputation in the sporting 

arena. The Cadet Unit 

and its activities was one 

of our acknowledged 

extra-curricular strengths. 

In those days 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 sight-seeing and 

paid official visits to Governors and Governors-General 

and other dignitaries. They became well-accustomed to 

Vice-Regal High Teas. The Unit even 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 officer service 

dress. In my time, I recall the CUOs having shoulder boards 

on their polyester dress with the distinctive letters SAC in 

gold below their CUO lozenge. On their way to Home 

Training Days, should girls ask them what SAC stood for, 

they boasted, “Special Assignment Corps” which undertook 

such classified missions they could not speak further about 

them. And the girls would be in awe. Then there was the 

annual Cadet Ball held long before school formals were 

ever dreamt of. It was high on the Sydney social calendar. 

We were the first Unit to move directly into the field on 

Annual Camp, avoiding rather tedious preparatory days 

living in barracks in the dustbowl of Singleton. It was a feat 

which those who administered cadets thought not possible. 

Now it is a commonplace . 

But in the mid-seventies, the Unit experienced its greatest 

historical blow, yet it proved to be, in fact, a blessing. The 

government of the day decided to withdraw support for 

Cadets. Most Units folded. At the College, the Unit vowed 

to continue under its own auspices. It was an initiative 

driven by the energies of Mr Quentin Evans (SAC 1967), 

now a member of staff once again, who became the OC. 

No funding, no salaries (in those days, even the CUOs had 

been paid at Annual Camp!), no rations, no transport, no 

army camp or bivouac facilities. So we created our own 

ration packs. We supplemented the remnants of uniforms the 

Army left behind with items purchased from disposal stores. 

Stores and troops were transported at our own expense to 

St Aloysius’ College 

A Jesuit School for Boys _ Founded 1879 aloysiad — page 2

awarded to members of the Unit 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 wrote: 

There is a prize of £2 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. 

Commander Hickey reviews the Unit. 

non-military camp sites offered to us by parents and other 

friends of the College. Cadets manufactured three hundred 

bright orange-coloured hutchies from industrial plastic. They 

kept out the elements, but were somewhat deficient in terms 

of camouflage. Communications were improvised with 

items purchased from Dick Smith’s stores. The Unit flourished 

– strength in adversity. 

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. 

As it happened, a subsequent government re-established 

Cadets. Whilst many schools did not raise their old Units, 

at the College that year or so of independence allowed 

our Unit to be able to move in ever-creative ways. The 

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme was promoted within 

the Unit. A Canoeing Platoon was established, building 

canoes, and spending annual camp time navigating the 

upper reaches of coastal rivers. There was a specialist 

Rock Climbing Platoon. With a Land Rover donated by the 

Morrison family (whose grandsons are now at the College), 

a 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 for food and collect water as best they could. Most 

returned. These were exciting times! 

So has our Unit flourished down the years – now 

with a new configuration, new ideas. Who would ever 

have thought a Cadet Unit would boast three hovercraft? 

Change yes, but in continuity with the same objectives: 

relationships, resilience and challenging experiences. Let 

us hope that the young men whom the Unit farewelled at 

the recent Ceremonial Parade can take with them into the 

future those same strengths, parcelled with many lasting 

memories. 

During that Parade, there were a number of prizes 

The Colour Party. 

Two pounds was a significant amount then when the 

basic wage was only £4 per week. Who knows what 

they spent it on? But 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 push 

at the boundaries have always been a quality of this Unit. 

Long may it be so. 

Fr Ross Jones SJ 

Rector 

Executive Editor: 

THE ALOYSIAD 

Fr Ross Jones SJ 

Editor: Murray Happ (SAC 1985) 

Assistant Editors: 

Printing: 

Circulation: 10,000 

E-Mail: 

Terry Gabbedy and Magar Etmekdjian 

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: 02 9929 6414 

Junior: 29 Burton Street, Milsons Point NSW 2061 

Telephone: 02 9955 9200, Fax: 02 9955 0736 

Website: www.staloysius.nsw.edu.au 

Cover pic: Photojournalist Ben Bohane with OPM guerillas 

in highlands of West Papua 1995. 



from the principal 

Along with many Australians, I perused the Queen’s 

Birthday Honours list on the chance there may be 

someone I knew. It is also of interest to reflect on 

what a community recognises and rewards. As usual many 

were well-known figures in politics or sport or entertainment, 

though in recent years it appears that circle of recognition 

has widened to include people from the fields of medicine 

and science, such as the late Professor Chris O’Brien. 

Others were acknowledged for their work in education, 

international humanitarian relief, nursing care, inter-faith 

dialogue and palliative care. There were also the recipients 

from local communities honoured for their contributions at a 

much smaller scale. It was encouraging to read through such 

a list and see the range of involvement and achievement 

of Australians, especially at the community and voluntary 

level, who make a difference to the people around them. A 

certain courage, as well as generosity, is always asked of 

those who travel beyond their comfort zones to get involved 

in the world around them. 

This year marked the twentieth anniversary of the 

Tiananmen Square massacre. The brutal suppression 

of student protestors was a stark reminder of the power 

of the State and the ruthless elimination of dissent that 

remains a characteristic of much of our world. The events 

of that day also provided one of those iconic images of 

human courage as a young unidentified man, carrying his 

shopping, steps into the path of four advancing tanks. As 

far as I know, we don’t know his ultimate fate, but for the 

moment he represented the individual making a stand. We 

should not allow such moments to be forgotten. 

It is good to reflect on some of those keys moments or 

images, such as the young man at Tiananmen, which can 

nourish our spirit or remind us of what it is we should truly 

honour in the human story. A tired black 

woman heading home from work 

refusing to get up for a white man 

on a Montgomery bus is one 

such image: Rosa Parks’ stand 

triggered a new wave of civil 

rights protest that would inspire 

Martin Luther King. There is the 

image of a Franciscan friar, 

Maximilian Kolbe, who, amidst 

the unimaginable horror of a 

concentration camp, took the 

place of a married man: 

that same husband 

was at St 

Peter’s when 

Maximilian 

w a s 

proclaimed 

a saint. 

There is 

the image 

of Nelson 

Mandela 

The iconic photo of Tiananmen Square in 1989. 

emerging from years in prison to be a voice of hope and 

reconciliation, or perhaps the image of Pope John Paul II 

sitting down gently with Mehmet Ali Agca, his would-be 

assassin. The exercise of people’s power in the Philippines, 

and the workers of Solidarity in Gdansk which began the 

tearing down of the Berlin Wall also come to mind. The 

photo of a naked girl running from a Vietnamese village, 

badly burnt from napalm, captured the horrors of war, while 

the knowledge that some years later American surgeons 

helped repair the damage, adds hope. Where do we look 

for inspiration? What images do we allow to inspire us and 

sustain our sense of the human? 

The German Jesuit, Alfred Delp SJ, was executed by 

the Nazis in 1945 on account of his speaking out against 

Hitler. Delp wrote of that disposition that allows people to 

make a stand: “Whoever does not have the courage to 

make history becomes its poor object. Let’s do it.” Delp 

was not alone in opposing Nazism. Farmer and father of 

three, Franz Jagerstatter was beheaded for refusing to serve 

in Hitler’s army, believing it was incompatible with his faith. 

Brother and sister, Hans and Sophie Scholl, were at the 

centre of a group of university students and teachers who 

were executed for speaking out against the Nazi treatment 

of the Jews and other atrocities. Claus von Stauffenberg, the 

man who tried to kill Hitler, sought spiritual advice before 

attempting the assassination. Almost 3,000 priests were 

imprisoned in the Dachau concentration camp. 

Today, the question we might ask ourselves is why so 

many others who shared the same beliefs and were in 

the same situation did not speak out, and did not act. 

And where would we stand? Too often, perhaps, we are 

spectators, passengers, observers in life, who allow bad 

things to happen by our inaction, or who miss opportunities 

to improve the world by the good we could do, and yet 

don’t. The images that we cultivate and allow to nourish 

our imaginations have a role to play in shaping who we 

will be. 

Here at the College we seek to form young men who 

will have a strong sense of community and participation, 

who will be men of conscience and who will seek to make a 



difference in their lives. The world stage of history is not the 

only place where we can make a difference. We can act 

in the local neighbourhood, the workplace or any number 

of situations where we humans gather as communities. A 

school community can be a good training ground through 

the inculcation of values such as involvement, generosity, 

commitment and the common good, and by what it puts 

before the boys as worthy of recognition and honour. 

Two voluntary service organizations operate in the 

school to allow our students opportunities to further put into 

practice, their faith view of the world. 

The St Vincent de Paul Society has had 

a chapter here at the College for many 

years. The boys regularly go on the night 

patrol assisting Sydney’s homeless. As “big 

brothers”, they have opportunities to take kids 

from deprived circumstances out for a day’s activities. There 

is also Minnie Vinnies in the Junior School who supports 

this work of charity by helping to prepare food for the night 

patrol. 

The Benenson Society was founded at 

the College nearly two years ago. It now 

has individual members in twelve countries 

and some fifty school chapters in Australia 

and Britain. Benenson is a work of advocacy 

for human rights. Students can become more aware of 

the nature of injustice in the world by taking an interest 

in issues as diverse as freedom of the press and political 

association, religious freedom, capital punishment, prisoners 

of conscience and exploitation of children. They are then 

asked to speak out by contacting appropriate authorities 

to add their voices to those who call for a release of a 

prisoner, or due process or government intervention or the 

like. 

Both Vinnies and Benenson help to shape a culture at 

the College that values generous service and a commitment 

to making the world a better place for our presence in it. 

Sometimes we can be tempted to dismiss as unimportant, 

the small seeds that are planted in the young. Frédéric 

Ozanam, the founder of the St Vincent De Paul Society, 

had his life changed by a discussion club that he had 

organised. In this club, Catholics, atheists and agnostics 

debated the issues of the day. Once, after Frédéric spoke 

on Christianity’s role in civilization, a club member said: 

"Let us be frank, Mr Ozanam; let us also be very particular. 

What do you do, besides talk, to prove the faith you claim 

is in you?" 

Frédéric was stung by the question. Echoing St Ignatius’ 

insight that “love is shown more in deeds than words” 

he soon decided that his words needed grounding 

in action. Frédéric and a friend began visiting Paris 

tenements and offering assistance as best they could. 

After Frédéric earned his Law degree at the Sorbonne, he 

taught Law at the University of Lyons. He also earned a 

Doctorate in Literature. He married Amelie Soulacroix in 

1841, and returned to the Sorbonne to teach Literature. 

An icon of Blessed Frederic Ozanam, founder of the St Vincent de 

Paul Society. 

A well-respected lecturer, Frédéric worked to bring out the 

best in each student. Meanwhile, the St Vincent de Paul 

Society was growing throughout Europe. Today, this Society 

is one of the world’s largest charitable bodies and Frédéric 

is a saint in the Church, a model for today of the possibility 

of faith for the young. 

What are our dreams for the young men who graduate 

from St Aloysius’? We do seek to prepare them for the 

world by giving them an excellent education and hopefully 

to achieve the UAIs so as to take full advantage of the 

opportunities that education brings. We also seek to 

provide an all-round education as part of our commitment 

to the formation of the whole person. We clearly see the 

spiritual journey as integral to that formation. The formation 

of men for others is also a distinctive part of the education 

that we seek to offer. 

Fr Chris Middleton SJ 

College Principal 



from the foundation 

2009 Asian Reunions 

The College hosted two Reunions for members of the 

Aloysian Family living in Asia. Reunions were held in 

Hong Kong on Saturday 18 April and Singapore on 

Saturday 25 April. 

Old Boys who attended the Dawn Service in Singapore. 

Old Boys at the Hong Kong Reunion. 

The Hong Kong Reunion was hosted by Henry Wong 

(SAC 1983) at The Foreign Correspondents’ Club and was 

attended by about sixteen Old Boys and their partners. 

A large number of Aloysians who live in the Hong Kong 

region had availed themselves of the Easter break and thus 

were out of town for the event. The College will ensure that 

future reunions are well clear of the Easter holidays and the 

Hong Kong Sevens Rugby Tournament, so as to maximise 

attendance at the event. 

The College and those who attended the event are very 

appreciative of the generosity of Henry Wong (SAC 1983) 

who ably co-ordinated and hosted the event at his Club. 

Henry, who was only a student at the College for one year, 

is a most loyal son of the College and has an undying love 

of all things Aloysian. 

Fr Jones SJ lays a wreath at Kranji Cemetery. 

The following week the Singapore Reunion was held 

at the Singapore Cricket Club, generously hosted by 

Andrew Cannane (SAC 1990). This event coincided with 

the ANZAC Day Dawn Service at Kranji War Cemetery 

on the north-west coast of Singapore. The Rector, Father 

Ross Jones SJ, laid a wreath as a part of the official party, 

remembering the Old Boys of the College who fell in the 

Battle of Singapore and others who died in the South East 

Asia theatre. A hardy group of Old Boys gathered at the 

cemetery to remember those men and women who lost their 

lives. The Service was a very moving and poignant way of 

remembering those people who gave their lives so we might 

live in peace and freedom. 

Following the Dawn Service, a number of Old 

Boys travelled to the other side of the island to visit the 

Changi War Museum and Chapel. Here we paused and 

remembered those Old Boys of the College who were 

interned both in Changi and other Prisoner of War Camps 

during WWII and who suffered terribly at the hands of 

their captors. 

The Singapore Reunion was attended by over twenty-five 

members of the Aloysian Family living in Singapore and 

neighbouring countries. Andrew ‘Gaspo’ Martin (SAC 

1987) along with some friends who are Future Parents of 

the College, travelled from Darwin for the Reunion. Gaspo 

said that Singapore was closer to get to and cheaper to fly 

to than Sydney! Following the formal part of the evening, 

some of the ‘locals’ decided to carry on the festivities to a 

local English style pub. 

The Hong Kong and Singapore Reunions have become 

popular events on the College calendar. Their popularity 

has ensured they are now annual fixtures. The 2010 

Reunions will be held in the first quarter of the year. Details 

will be posted and e-mailed to members of the Aloysian 

Family living in the region. Anyone knowing of Old Boys or 

Parents (Past, Present or Future) living in Asia who would like 

to receive an invitation to the Reunions is asked to contact 

Murray Happ (SAC 1985) in the College Development 

Office. 



from the junior school 

From the Head of Junior School 

It’s hard to believe that it’s 

already the end of June when 

it really feels like it was just 

the other day that we welcomed 

115 new students in to the Junior 

School to commence 2009. 

What an exciting start it’s been 

for these new boys and just over 

200 ‘old’ boys returning for 

their second, third or fourth year 

at the Junior School! Adding 

to the excitement of a new start in a new year in a new 

school was the sight of a big hole in the playground and 

the foundations of a new building in the making. Six months 

down the track, we can see much more than a light at the 

end of the tunnel. In less than two months’ time, we can 

look forward to enjoying some much needed facilities and 

space, in particular, for our co-curricula programmes in 

sport and music. In addition to seven small music studios for 

individual and small group music tuition, there is going to 

be a brand new music room, a band practice room, a multipurpose 

meeting and performance room, three new offices, 

sport storage facilities, and some desperately needed play 

area for boys at lunch and recess and an under croft area 

for wet weather. 

As you would expect all boys have settled into the New 

Year and even got accustomed to the vagaries and the 

disruptions that such vagaries can cause to the day to day 

running of our sporting programme, both at training after 

school and Saturday sport. 

What has partly assisted the boys to settle into the 

new year and for the new and old boys to gel together 

are some of the orientation camps for various year levels. 

Our Year 3 and Year 4 boys enjoyed their sojourn at their 

Clifton Gardens ‘getaway’ run by ‘Lands Edge’, assisted 

by teachers and parents. Year 5 boys spent three days 

away from home getting to know themselves, their teachers 

and each other at the Myall Lakes Recreational Resort. 

Heavy rains and flooding in the region did not seem to 

have dampened their spirits. Our Year 6 boys have just 

returned from a three day excursion to our national capital 

on a whirlwind tour of the seat of Government and other 

attractions of Canberra. 

Not only have the staff and students worked constructively 

within the classrooms to achieve meaningful teaching and 

learning outcomes, but they have demonstrated equally well 

their commitment to the extra curricula domain. Despite the 

disruption caused by excessive rainfall, the Junior School 

has achieved some excellent results in both summer and 

winter sporting seasons, the highlights of which are a 

number of teams undefeated to date in both the football 

codes of Rugby and Football for winter and Cricket, Tennis 

and Basketball for summer. 

At the recently held Junior School Athletics Carnival, 

won by Owen House, Luke Spano, Noah Chia, James 

McFadden and Alec Diamond achieved the distinction to 

being Age Champions for Under 9s, 10s, 11s and 12s 

age groups respectively. At the Junior School Swimming 

Carnival held in the second week of Magis Term, Luke 

Spano, Lucas Anderson, Luke Jepson and Maximillian 

Graham were declared Age Champions. 

Our senior relay team consisting of Jordi Nikopoulos, 

Harry Bartter, Max Graham and Hamish Moore along 

with Maximillian Graham and Lucas Anderson gained CIS 

selection in their individual events. Lucas Anderson went on 

to achieve State Representative Honours at the National 

Titles to be held in Perth in September. Congratulations are 

in order to Lachlan Hughes (Football), Alec Diamond and 

James Shiel-Dick (Rugby) and Benjamin Mitchell (Cricket), 

and Joel Vozzo, Jack Vozzo, Luke Gorman and James 

McFadden (Cross Country) on gaining CIS honours in their 

chosen sports. 

Not to be out done our Zipoli Choir was placed second 

in the performance section of the Performing Arts Challenge 

Eisteddfod in Gonzaga Term. The highlight of the Term so 

far and most likely for 2009 will be the victories by both 

teams in the Grand Final of the 2009 ISDA competition 

held at St Andrew’s Cathedral School on Friday June 25. 

Our boys defeated Sydney Grammar School and Trinity 

Grammar School respectively to be named as the ISDA 

Champions for 2009. This is the first time in the history 

of the College that both of our Junior School teams have 

managed to secure the title in the same year. I congratulate 

our ISDA debaters first and foremost, but also their support 

team of coaches, Mr J El-Khoury, Sam Stevens (SAC 2008) 

and Nic Sunderland (SAC 2006) and our enthusiastic 

team of parent managers Mrs Crisanti, Mrs Thorne, and 

Mrs Whittle. 

There have been many celebrations both religious and 

secular to mark the six months so far this year, but none 

more enjoyable from the boy’s point of view than the feast 

of St Aloysius Gonzaga SJ, the College Patron. 

We can look forward to celebrating many highlights 

early next Term, including the results of the ICAS (International 

Competitions and Assessments for Schools), Tournament of 

Minds and various team sports. There is going to be the 

launch of the Arrupe Outreach Programme that invites our 

students and staff to reach out to people less fortunate than 

themselves. Let me conclude by once again congratulating 

our ISDA debaters on their outstanding achievement in 

2009. 

Mr Martin Lobo 

Head of Junior School 



from the junior school (cont'd) 

Giraffe applies for acceptance at 

St Aloysius' College 

A 

giraffe shocked local school administrators when 

it applied for admission to St Aloysius’ College 

this week. Scientists said this was unusual because 

the normal habitat of the Giraffa camelopardalis was dry 

savannah plains, with many trees, and rivers close by, and 

not a classroom filled with teenage boys in the middle of 

Sydney. Scientists also said the giraffe was not suited to the 

school uniform, not only because of its size – sometimes 

as tall as 5.2metres – but also because it already had a 

‘jacket’, of hair with a unique pattern of light orange and 

brown sections. 

“That’s about as tall as the first floor of the school,” said 

Father Chris Middleton, College Principal. He said its long 

neck was helpful in its native environment to get leaves from 

the high branches of trees, but in the school it would be a 

problem, especially going through the corridors. 

Reports said the giraffe was worried about being so 

close to humans, because many of his ancestors had been 

hunted for big game trophies. However, the giraffe was 

relieved that its normal predators such as lions and tigers 

were not applying for admission to St Aloysius’, but had 

instead chosen St Ignatius’ College. The giraffe said: “I 

hope that through my studies at St Aloysius’ I can find a way 

to help my endangered species.” 

“I don’t have much time to waste because the average 

life-span of my species is 25-30 years, and I was only born 

five years ago.” The giraffe expressed his concern about 

the menu at the school canteen. “What do you mean you 

don’t have acacia or wild apricot leaves,” he reportedly 

said while looking at the hash-browns and meat pies. The 

giraffe liked the fact that you could get food ordered to you, 

instead of having to search for it as he normally did, and 

reach high branches. The giraffe said he was not worried 

by the presence of lions and tigers at Riverview. “I am used 

to outrunning them at home, where I can reach speeds of 

86kph.” Upon hearing this, his class sports teacher Mr 

Heath was keen to sign him up for the 100m sprint. 

Louis Dettre 

Year 7 

Giraffe Quick Facts 

 

lion. 

 

 

 

Giraffa camelopardalis. 

 

 

 



from the deputy principal 

Induction and Welcome for New 

Teaching Staff 

We welcome the following new staff to the College 

for 2009 and look forward to their involvement in 

this collective endeavour of Ignatian Education. 

Mr Gregory Austin (Co curricula Sport) 

Dr Paul Batten (Mathematics) 

Mr David Braithwaite SJ (SAC 1990) (Religion, English) 

Miss Edwina Brennan (Technology) 

Miss Sally Collett (Music) 

Miss Melinda Meyer (Foundation Office) 

Mr Philip Moller SJ (Religion, History) 

Mrs Michelle O’Donnell (Technology) 

Mr Christopher Oxley (SAC 2004) (Music) 

Miss Melinda Pedavoli (English) 

Miss Gemma VandePeer (English) 

It is said that maintaining and developing the Jesuit 

identity of our College depends on the careful selection of 

such people as these new teachers and on a programme 

of appropriate formation in the Ignatian Charism and 

pedagogy for them. Their induction programme covers not 

only the administrivia of commencing in a new workplace, 

but more significantly an understanding of the distinctive 

quality and nature of our tradition. New staff are led 

through an interpretation of what we understand of Jesuit 

Schools in the Ignatian tradition; namely, to 

Seek and to find God in the experiences of our 

everyday life. 

Be involved in a conversation, between God and 

ourselves. 

Desire to do the will of Christ and in our actions bring 

His Kingdom alive. 

Be witnesses to charity and service in helping and 

working for others. 

The process of formation for new teachers commences 

with this induction and continues with days of reflection 

throughout the year. Staff are given insights to the story and 

life of Ignatius, his spirituality and the legacy of his formation 

of the Jesuits in schools, as well as an introduction to the 

meditations and prayer experiences of Ignatius. 

New parents too participate in a similar process of 

formation when commencing at the College, through the 

Parent Ignatian Evenings. Using a variety of information and 

media, we enable new members of our school community 

to access our faith story and its heritage. So far we have 

had the first part of a two evening induction for parents in 

each year group. 

The two-evening presentation for parents mirrors the 

programme for staff induction and what is also presented 

for Year 7 students through their Religious Education classes 

in Magis Term where they study School and Church 

Communities such as their own context. It is this emphasis 

on bringing people ‘into the 

fold,’ as it were, that provides 

for a more informed and better 

equipped school community. 

Jesuit schools today seek 

to sustain a tradition which 

has honed many to be fine 

instruments of God in the service 

of others; men and women of 

contemplation, competence, 

compassion and commitment. 

We wish all our new 

staff, parents and boys every 

encouragement as they settle into the College community 

and look forward to a prosperous collaboration and 

contribution for many years to come. 

Mr Sam Di Sano 

Deputy College Principal 

Our Lady of the Way 

This year’s student diary features, on its cover, an image 

of Our Lady of the Way. The image known in Italian 

as Madonna della Strada, holds a special place in 

the history of the Society of Jesus. The image is a beautiful 

fresco made between the second half of the 13th and first 

half of the 14th centuries. The original fresco gave its name 

to the first church of the Society, the Chapel of St Mary 

of the Way, which Pope Paul III gave to Saint Ignatius in 

1540, the same year as the Pope approved the Order. 

Pelanco, the Secretary of the Society, described the 

church as “small, humid and crumbling”. Despite this, 

the faithful flocked to the small church, attracted by the 

explanation of the Christian doctrine and the sacrament 

of confession which the Jesuits freely gave, contrary to the 

general practice of the Church at the time. As the crowds 

grew, so did devotion to this image of the Madonna, and 

Ignatius made several attempts to improve the Church to 

make it more adequate for the needs of the followers. He 

instigated plans for a larger church where the many faithful 

could be better served. Opposition stalled any progress 

but, in 1568, three years after Ignatius’ death, with the 

patronage and support of Cardinal Farnese, construction 

began on a new church, the Gesu. Sadly, Ignatius died 

without realising his wish. 

The original chapel was torn down and the fresco 

removed from its site. In 1575, when the Gesu was 

completed, the image was placed in the Chapel built 

to accommodate it, to the left of the main altar. When 

removed in 2006 from its niche on the wall, where it had 

been since 1882, behind was found written this record of 

its last placement:- 

This image of Holy Mary of the Way was taken from this 

niche on 19 November 1882 and brought, in procession, 

to the high altar to celebrate the third centenary of its 

placement in this chapel. The image was returned …after 



from the deputy principal (cont'd) 

the feast of the Immaculate Conception …on 9 December 

1882. 

Many of the Society’s early heroes are known to have 

either celebrated Mass or stopped to pray before the image. 

Ignatius himself and St Francis Borgia SJ, the Society’s third 

Superior General, both celebrated Mass in front of it. St 

Francis Xavier, Ignatius’ Apostle to the East; Bl Peter Faber, 

Ignatius’ first Companion; St Peter Canisius SJ, founder of 

colleges in Germany; St Stanislaus Kostka SJ, the novice sent 

to Rome by Canisius; and St Charles Borromeo and St Philip 

Neri, two great friends of the Society, are just some of the 

great luminaries to have venerated the image. Many Jesuits 

also took their vows in this chapel, before the image. 

AMDG 

The 2009 Australia Day and 

Queen’s Birthday Honours List 

The College congratulates the following members of 

the Aloysian Family who were recognised in the 2009 

Australia Day Honours List and the 2009 Queen’s 

Birthday Honours List. 

Patrick Wilde (SAC 1959) was made a Member of the 

Order of Australia (AM) in the Australia Day Honours 

List in 2008. Patrick was given his award for service 

to the community, particularly through the Millennium 

Foundation, to the aged care sector through the 

development of residential facilities, and to heritage, 

medical and environmental organisations. 

Our Lady of the Way. 

The fresco represents the Virgin Mary cradling the child 

Jesus in her left arm, while the right is open and extended 

towards the faithful. Her crowned head is surrounded by a 

halo and she gazes straight ahead, while her entire figure is 

enveloped in a gold mantle. The Madonna’s right shoulder 

shows traces of the golden stars adorning her, in line with 

the demonstrated faith in the virginity of Mary via three 

stars on the shoulders and the head. The gold mantle which 

surrounds Our Lady, draped like silk, indicates the fullness 

of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Art historians note that the 

image as a whole evokes a typology of Mary which invites 

the audience to believe in both the aura of the Christ Child 

and her powers of intercession with him. 

In 2006, what began as a superficial cleaning exercise 

evolved into a restoration project which was to be long 

and detailed. It brought to light different layers of stucco 

which had been applied over the centuries in an attempt 

to strengthen the fresco. Lovingly restored, the image of 

Our Lady of the Way reminds us all of the Jesuits’ origins – 

steeped in history and traced all the way back to the founder 

and his original Companions. We now see the Madonna 

and Child as Ignatius did, some 450 years ago. 

Mr Sam Di Sano 

Deputy College Principal 

Detective Superintendant Ian Lynch (SAC 1978) was 

awarded the Australian Police Medal for outstanding 

service to the NSW Police Force in the Queen’s 

Birthday Honours List. Ian has served in the Force since 

1980 and has been posted to various units including 

the Homicide Squad and the Fraud Squad. Ian is 

currently in charge of the Police Detective Training Unit 

and is based in Sydney. Ian and his wife Dorothy live 

in Seaforth and their son Henry is in Year 8 at the 

College. 

Margaret Molloy (Past Parent) was awarded a Medal 

in the General Division of the Order of Australia 

(OAM) for services to the community of West Pittwater. 

Margaret is the widow of Tom Molloy (SAC 1948) who 

was Captain of the College in 1948, and is mother to 

Tom (SAC 1977) and David (SAC 1984) 

The Aloysian Family congratulates Patrick, Ian and 

Margaret on their awards and warmly acknowledges 

their service to our nation as a fine example of Aloysians 

being a Men for Others. 

The College is keen to ensure that we have a 

record of all members of the Aloysian Family (living 

and deceased) who have been acknowledged with 

Australian, Imperial or Church Honours. If you, a 

relative or classmate have been recognised with an 

honour, please contact Murray Happ (SAC 1985) in 

the College Development Office to ensure that our 

records are updated. 

LDS 



from the senior school 

Tutor Group Outings 

The Tutor Group System is one of the many components 

of pastoral care at the College. One aspect of the 

Tutor System is the Tutor Outing. The College is very 

generous in allowing this to take place twice a year. The 

Tutor Group leaves the College, usually straight after recess, 

and spends the rest of the day sharing lunch as a group and 

often participating in some form of an activity. The activity 

can vary from picnics at parks, Ten Pin Bowling, Rock 

Climbing, Laser Zone competitions, walks in the National 

Park, visiting the Museum or Art Gallery, and many more. 

The function of the outing, similar to the function of the Tutor 

Group, is to develop relationships between the boys and 

between the tutors and their tutees. The beauty of the outing 

is the fact that the tutors often see their tutees in a different 

light, especially when they are exposed to an environment 

away from the College. 

Ben Fong (Year 8) on the Tutor Outing. 

The following are two short reports about tutor outings. 

On the actual day of the Tutor Outing, Mrs Bernard’s 

Tutor Group wasn’t excited. The Tutor Outing was a 

teacher-elected outing to Yum Cha at the Fish Markets. 

We travelled on foot and by train for an hour, before we 

arrived at the venue. The place reeked of fish from fifty 

metres away. The restaurant was one of the classier ones. 

However, in this situation, the people you ate with were 

supposed to be more important. 

The food excited all at the table. Waiters wheeled 

around trolleys with strange foods on them, and the boy at 

the end closest to the trolley-ways ordered everything. Some 

persons tried to eat chicken feet, and almost everyone tried 

the dumplings. Mrs Bernard was calculating the cost of 

every dish even more than eating. For a joke, some boys 

ordered egg tarts from a waiter. 

The boys who decided to try the egg tarts were 

horrified. They told the rest of us that it tasted like boiled 

egg. Surprisingly, it took the group of twenty boys about 

one and a half hours to finish eating. It was a champion 

lunch. Then Mrs Bernard entered the last dish into her 

phone’s touch calculator. Her Tutor Group had ordered over 

a hundred dishes in all. 

The Year Seven boys were actually talking to kids from 

other years about interesting things, which was great. 

Everyone seemed to enjoy the food and the company. 

However, as we were all so full, the Tutor Group 

wasn’t overjoyed about walking back to town from the fish 

markets. 

Ben Fong (Year 8) 

Our Tutor Group wanted to go to Laser Skirmishing 

last year, but the venue had been booked for a 

corporate function and we were ‘forced’ to go to 

Pancakes on the Rocks instead. We probably didn’t mind 

because it doesn’t matter where you go so long as an 

outing includes food. 

We booked ages before and happily set off for Darling 

Harbour at the appointed hour. Emerging from Wynyard 

Station our intrepid leaders took us towards the Quay. 

Wrong direction guys! Hence we were late for our booking 

and began to wonder if we would ever get to play. 

Faced with an hour to wait before our game, it was 

time to seek food so that we would have energy for our 

upcoming battle. There were many choices available – 

perhaps too many. The most difficult part was finding a spot 

where everyone could sit together. 

At 2.00 we finally got into the laser skirmish – blue team 

against green team. 

The blue team won! 

Mrs Burgett’s Tutor Group 

Tournament of Minds 

Social Sciences in 2009 

The Tournament of Minds is a competition that challenges 

a team of seven students, testing their creativity, problem 

solving and team work. Our Social Science Team was 

one of four, each being challenged by a problem relating 

to their respective discipline. Our discipline is based 

around people coming together to resolve their differences. 

This year, we were given the task of bringing four cultures 

together so that they may unite and become one, while 

each culture retained some of its original characteristics. 

The team was led by Dominik Breznik (Captain) and 

included Dominic Ng (Year 9), Jackson Diamond (Year 

8), Ben Fong (Year 8), Conor O’Mara (Year 8), John-Paul 

Field (Year 7) and Charles Hill (Year 7). Miss Maher and 

Miss Loomes facilitated us through our six week problem. 

What we have gained from these six weeks working on 

our assigned problem is not just an experience of refining 

our problem solving skills, but first hand experience of 

how important it is to work as a team and how valuable 

the opinion of others is, no matter of age or experience. 



from the senior school (cont'd) 

It is these lessons that keep drawing persons back to this 

competition and they are what make being involved in this 

tournament such a great experience. 

Dominik Breznik (Year 9) 

A trip to Luna Park. 

Japanese Student Exchange 

This year, the Aloysius-Kaisei Gakuen school exchange 

took place during the 20th and 28th of March. The 

touring group of students from their school in Nagasaki, 

Japan, mainly consisted of Years 10 and 11 students. Their 

first experience of Australian life was through their home-stay 

weekend, in which boys embarking on this year’s tour to 

Japan; took the students to places around Sydney, including 

its beaches and the city. This gave Aloysian boys a great 

chance to get to know the visiting Japanese students. 

At school, Kaisei students were given the opportunity to 

demonstrate their English speaking skills whilst Aloysian 

students could practice their Japanese at the same time. 

On Monday the 23rd of March, the Year 9 boys took the 

exchange students to Taronga Zoo to show our diverse 

wildlife and see our unique creatures. All in all, this visit 

was a good experience for the boys going on the tour this 

October and enabled them to further their linguistic skills. 

In Gonzaga Term, Mr Phil Moller SJ and Father Rector 

joined Joshua Begbie (Year 10) for his Confirmation at St 

Luke's Anglican Church, Mosman. 

Mr Phil Moller SJ, Joshua Begbie (Year 10) and Father Ross Jones SJ 

at Joshua's Confirmation. 

Exchange students enjoy the beach. 



Running for Dad 

Zigi Blau (Year 8) and Mason Yates (Year 8) tragically 

both lost their fathers at a young age. Steve Blau (SAC 

1977) died in 2004 from leukaemia and Ian Yates 

died in 2007 from throat cancer. 

In memory of their fathers, the boys run the City to Surf 

each year raising money for medical research. Their team, 

Running for Dad was the seventh highest fundraising team 

out of 2,500 teams in the 2008 City to Surf and this year 

they raised a further $8,800 with terrific support from Years 

7 and 8, as well as from a number of members of the 

Aloysian Family who sponsored the lads on their run. 

The boys, running with Steve Blau’s great mate and 

fellow Aloysian, Chris Power (SAC 1976) completed the 

race in a very respectable 70 minutes. 

Losing a father at such a young age is an experience 

that the boys don't want anyone else to go through. We 

know we are not the only ones to suffer such a loss with 

several other friends also battling cancer and our thoughts 

are also with them. The boys have found an inventive way 

of raising funds for medical research but also, a memorable 

and long lasting way of honouring their deceased and 

much loved dads. 

The College is proud of the boys, fine young Aloysians 

and certainly, Men for Others. 

Mason Yates (Year 8), Zigi Blau (Year 8) and Chris Power (SAC 1976) 

at the end of the City to Surf. 

Yes, I would like to support the 2009 Aloysius Annual Fund 

I would like to make a gift of: 

$100 $250 $50 $500 $350 

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

Building Fund – for the new Masterplan works 

Library Fund – Library resources 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 MasterCard Visa 

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

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

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

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

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

Email: ........................................................................ 

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 the College 

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 

St Aloysius’ College Foundation 

47 Upper Pitt Street, Milsons Point NSW 2061 

Fax: 02 9929 6414 Email: murray.happ@staloysius.nsw.edu.au 



senior school sport 

Summer Review 

Swimming 

At the CAS Swimming Championships held in March, 

our swim team performed exceptionally well, with 

many of the boys recording personal bests on the night. 

The team finished a strong overall fourth placing behind 

winners Trinity Grammar School but comfortably ahead of 

both Waverley College and Cranbrook School. 

The team recorded 6 wins, 9 seconds and 12 thirds. 

Matthew Jepson added another 2 CAS records in the 15 

years 100 metres freestyle (54.21) and 200 freestyle 

(1.57.35). His time in the 200 metres event broke the 

record by four and a half seconds!! It was the quickest 

200 metres time on the night and would have broken the 

17 years CAS record too. Elliot Long broke the 15 years 

50 freestyle (24.97). Both boys teamed up and swam up 

an age group in the 16’s relay team with Marcus Anderson 

and Paul Sindone to win the 16 years freestyle relay. 

Our Year 12 boys, led by Captain Christopher 

Sudarmana, were impressive on the night. Mark Sindone, 

Christopher Chan, Benjamin Klarich and Alexander Crouch 

gave their all in their final races. 

A number of College records were established at the 

meet. Those boys that won events included Matthew 

Jepson (50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle and 

freestyle relay), Elliot Long (50 freestyle, 50 butterfly and 

freestyle relay), Marcus Anderson (freestyle relay), Paul 

Sindone (freestyle relay). 

At Nationals in April, Matthew Jepson won the 400 

individual medley and was placed second in the 200 

freestyle and 200 individual medley. Elliot Long won the 

bronze in the 50 freestyle at the same meet. 

At All Schools Meet in May, our senior medley relay 

team comprising of Christopher Sudarmana, Christopher 

Chan, Mark Sindone and Benjamin Klarich won the event 

whilst our intermediate relay team of Matthew Jepson, 

Elliot Long, Marcus Anderson and Paul Sindone were 

placed third in the freestyle relay and second in the medley 

relay. Individually, Matt won four races including the 200 

freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 individual medley and 400 

individual medley. Elliot Long won the 50 freestyle and 

was placed third in the 100 freetsyle. Sean Thompson was 

placed third in the 50 breastroke. 

During the season the College team won the trophy at 

the St Patrick's Invitation for best performing school. 

For the second year in succession, our swim team won 

the Head of the Harbour two kilometre swim. The team 

comprised of Matthew Jepson, Elliot Long and Marcus 

Anderson. Individually Year 9 student Matthew Jepson won 

the event which is open to all ages. Elliot Long also won the 

Cole Classic 1 kilometre open water swim. 

My thanks and congratulations are extended to coach 

Graeme Brewer and MIC Erin Hogan for preparing 

the team so superbly throughout the season, and for the 

Championships. Both Graeme and Erin are truly professional 

in their approach and extremely well organised, but they 

are also very understanding when it comes to the swimmers 

needs. Staff members Damian Corrigan and Marie Taylor 

provided invaluable help to both Graeme and Erin in their 

roles. May I also thank all parents involved in helping to 

make the season so successful. I would like to single out 

Gertruda Chan who has worked so tirelessly on many swim 

committees for many seasons. 

Basketball 

The First V finished a solid fourth in a very strong 

competition. The team was competitive in all matches 

and only went down narrowly to co-premiership winners 

Knox and Trinity in the later rounds. With many players 

returning for next year, the 1sts will be a formidable outfit in 

2010. Year 11 student Liam Andrew made the CAS Firsts 

while Conor Noone was selected in CAS Seconds. 

The Second V improved noticeably in the second half 

of the season and played as well as any team in the 

competition. The 8As was our most successful team in the 

College and lost only one game in the season. 

Liam Andrew, Alexander Perkins and Fabian Kryslovic 

made the NSW Metropolitan Development teams. 

MIC Michael Turton is well into planning a first 

ever overseas development basketball tour for potential 

Firsts players. This will take place in December and will 

incorporate games on the west coast of the United States 

against Jesuit High Schools. 

Cricket 

The First XI had mixed success this season winning only 

three and drawing one of the Associated games and 

finishing fifth on the Associated table, but only a few points 

from third placing. The team certainly should have been 

placed much higher as they were as good as any in the 

competition. The match played against Waverley College at 

the College Oval will go down in Aloysian folklore. Timothy 

Geldens and William Craft hit a last wicket partnership 

of 170 runs to win the game after the team appeared 

in a hopeless situation. Earlier in the game, Waverley 

batsman Charles Wakim hit an amazing 237runs. Both 

John Stapleton and Timothy Geldens were selected in CAS 

Firsts. Captain Patrick Francis scored an unbeaten 123 runs 

against Marist College Canberra earlier in the season. In 

Jesuit cricket, Patrick Francis, John Stapleton and Timothy 

Geldens were all selected for the Australian Jesuit team. 

The Second XI had a fairly successful season too winning 

half of their Associated matches. 

The 9A’s were by far our most successful team in the 

College, losing only one game in the season which was 

their final match against Knox. In fact it was the only time 

our team has lost in the senior school!! Dominic Thompson 

from the 9A’s was selected in the CIS team. 

Mr Michael Rogan stepped down as MIC of Cricket 

following the end of the season. Michael has administered 



the sport so well now for seven years and in that time 

coached the 1sts team for four years too. He has been 

on numerous Jesuit tours and spent many hours behind the 

scenes organising and promoting the cricket within the 

College. Michael is keen to continue coaching at a junior 

level. We thank him sincerely and wish him well in the 

future. 

Tennis 

Our First IV won back to back summer premierships, 

winning every Associated game and dropping only 

two sets along the way. The Firsts won the official 

Associated Schools of NSW competition with 111.5 

points. Barker was placed second on 65 points. The 

Firsts team comprised of Captain Nicolas Fuentes, Harry 

Kelleher, Aaron Roberts and Matthew Rowland. The 

Second IV was also undefeated in Associated Schools of 

NSW competition and dropped only four sets during the 

year. The team included Benjamin Pfister, Justin Lam, Ronan 

Lyons, Ben Lalic and Robin Pfister. 

For the first time, we won the Australian Jesuit Schools 

Championships in Adealide. The team of Alex Patten, Aaron 

Roberts, Nicolas Fuentes, Benjamin Pfister, Harry Kelleher, 

Ben Lalic, Justin Lam and Matt Rowland was undefeated 

after six rounds. Nicolas Fuentes and Harry Kelleher were 

chosen in the Australain Jesuit School’s team. 

The 10A side also had an impressive season losing only 

the one match against Trinity Grammar School. 

The 8A team consisting of Captain Liam Roberts, Max 

Evans, Zachary Mytkowski and Michael Kavanagh also 

went through the season undefeated. 

Waterpolo 

The First VII captured the CAS/GPS premiership for the 

first time, having narrowly missed out in the previous 

two seasons. The team went through undefeated. The team 

comprised of Captain Mark Sindone, Michael De Gail, 

Paul Sindone, Benjamin Klarich, Trent Klousal, Christain 

Colossi, Alexander Agius, Marcus Anderson and Harrison 

Williams. The majority of these boys will be back for next 

season. Congratulations to all boys and parent coach 

Mario Sindone. The team was also invited to compete 

in the Tasman Cup in last December, playing against the 

top schools in Australia and New Zealand. The team 

performed wonderfully well to reach the final, but lost to 

Melbourne High 7-10. 

Paul Sindone and Michael de Gail represented Australia 

in the Junior Olympics, taking out the bronze medal. Both 

Paul and Mark scored goals in the final. 

Also Mark Sindone, Paul Sindone and Michael de Gail 

represented NSW Under 18s and both Mark and Michael 

have since been chosen in the Australian Under 19s team to 

play overseas later in the year. Harrison Williams and Andre 

Anderson were selected in the NSW Under14 team. 

The Second VII too played for a possible premiership, 

but unfortunately went down 3-4 to St Ignatius’ College in 

their last game.They were still the best rated Associated 

School team in the competition. 

Our 16s, 14s and 13s all improved throughout the 

season and were competitive in many of their matches 

Mrs Margaret Loomes filled in as Acting MIC with the 

departure of MIC Steve Zolezzi during the season. 

Volleyball 

Under Old Boy coach Simon Lobasher (SAC 2007), 

the First VI finished a creditable Third in the Associated 

Schools of NSW competition. Our boys played well in all 

matches and were not far off being the best team in the 

competition. Knox Grammar School and Trinity Grammar 

School were co-winners of the competition. The Firsts also 

qualified for Nationals later in the year after reaching the 

semi finals of the NSW Schools competition. 

The Second VI had a wonderful season winning all 

games. Congratulations to Captain Tim Patterson, coach 

and MIC Mark Gair and all other Seconds players 

(Nicholas Aboud, Kieran Chowdry, William de Waal, 

Joseph Gaudioso, Ronan Kelly, Slavomir Kucharski, Stephen 

McAlary, James Petesic and Tim Shmigel) on a fantastic 

effort. The Third VI too had a great season, losing only one 

game. 

Chess 

Our Firsts team finished officially fourth in the Associated 

Schools of NSW competition, ahead of both Barker 

College and Waverley. Individually, Year 11 student Aresh 

Ostowari was undefeated in Senior matches whilst junior 

player James Sindone won the majority of his games. The 

three teams continue to improve under the professional 

coaching they are receiving throughout the year. MIC Terry 

Sharif has stepped down after administering the role so well 

for a number of years. 

Fencing 

Our fencing team was placed third in the Roberta Nutt 

Competition. 

Hayden Fitzgerald came second in the Under 17 

foils and third in the Under 20 Gilt competition. Edoardo 

Crepaldi-Malone came third in the Under 13 foil. 

Other Sports 

Rowing 

Year 10 student Elliot Long competed in five events at the 

NSW State Championships. 

Surf Life Saving 

At the State Championships, Timothy Kirkby was 

champion on board, third in single ski and in double 

ski with Benjamin Klarich. Trent Klouzal took gold in the 

Open Taplin. Nicholas Mulcahy and Matthew White were 

members of the winning Under 17 relay team. Nicholas 

was also placed second in the Under 19 relay. 



senior school sport (cont'd) 

At Nationals, Trent Klouzal was Second in the Under 

17 iron man. 

At State Nippers, Harrison Williams won gold in the 

Under 14 surf team. 

Dance Sports 

Cameron May (Year 8) and his partner won the Level 2 

Australian Dance Sport Championship in Standard in 

Melbourne. 

Winter Report (as at the end of June) 

Rugby 

The 1sts rugby this season are being coached by Sinclair 

Watson and Greg Austin with both Paul Harkin and Alex 

Prendergast stepping down after last year. The team has 

won three CAS games, including a memorable 25-21 win 

over the previously undefeated Knox but has lost another 

four very narrowly with three games lost on the bell. 

Tim Rowland (Year 12) and John Slaven (Year 12) representing 

the First XV. 

CAS teams were picked in early June for matches against 

CHS. The College had the best representation overall of 

all schools with ten boys selected to play. Tom Kingston, 

Tom Priddis and Tim Rowland were chosen in 1sts, John 

Slaven, Will Thompson, Tim Duncan, Liam O’Hare, Felix 

Buddee in 2nds and Sam Morrison and Ciaran MacWhite 

in reserves. In CAS 16’s, Patrick Kennedy, James Juwana, 

Brandow Chow and Tom Morrison were selected. 

Best performing teams so far include the 16A’s and 

16B’s who are still undefeated and the 2nds and 15B’s. 

Old boys involved in coaching include Nic Geldens 

(16B’s), Peter Baumgart (15B’s), Michael Morgan (15’s 

skills co-ordinator), Simon Danieletto (14B’s), Ed Clark 

(14B’s), Steve Delorenzo (14’s skills co-ordinator) and Chris 

Wells (13C’s). 

Year 12 student Joshua Rickard-Ford received a student 

The First XV forwards in action. 

scholarship from Australian Rugby for his refereeing 

displays. 

Football 

The 1sts football team, under coach Ian Gillan, after 

a slow start to the season are now playing with more 

confidence and getting results. The team defeated the 

highly rated Cranbrook outfit 1-0 in their first CAS win and 

have secured two draws so far in the CAS competition. 

CAS teams were picked in late June for matches against 

GPS and ISA. Boys selected included Aaron Roberts and 

Daniel Cunha in 2nds and Dom Krslovic and Luke Spano 

in 3rds. 

Best performing teams so far include the 10A’s, 10C’s 

and 8A’s who are both undefeated. 

Old boys involved in coaching include Guillaume 

Buckley (2nds), Michael Kennedy (3rds), Callum Pendleton 

(4ths), Daniel Tardo (10A’s), Alex Koumeralas (9B’s), Rocco 

Pirello (9C’s), Matt Carnuccio (8A’s), Tom Kelly (7A’s), 

Marcus Braid (7A’s) and Adam Pasfield (7B’s). 

Tennis 

The 1sts tennis team is currently undefeated after seven 

CAS rounds and are hoping to win again another 

winter premiership title. They are being however seriously 

challenged by the ever improving Cranbrook 1sts. The 9’s 

and 7’s age group are also performing very well as of 

late. 

Volleyball 

The 1sts team have had good success so far this season 

under old boy coach Simon Lobasher. The team has been 

involved in some marathon five set games but unfortunately 

has lost a couple of these close matches. The team has 

however beaten Waverley twice, Knox and Barker so far 

and is pressing for second position currently in the CAS 

competition. 

Individually Year 10 student Ben Lalic has been selected 

again in both CIS and NSW teams for the second year in 

a row. 



Cross Country 

Eight boys were selected to represent CAS at the CIS 

Championships recently. The best performing athlete so 

far this season has been Year 10 student William Austin-Cray 

who has been competing in the Opens age group. Others 

in the Opens who have run well so far include Captain Ben 

Klarich and Taylor Dent. 

Fencing 

At the State Championships in June, Hayden Fitzgerald 

was placed third in Under Foil and subsequently was 

chosen in the NSW Under 17 team. 

Our Under 13 team comprising of Edoardo 

Crepaldi-Malone, Ben Fong, Kieran Mohan and Shaun 

Foo (Junior School) won the gold medal at the State 

Championships whilst the Under 15B team made up of 

Marcel Gemperle, Joel Patniotis, Thomas D’Netto and 

Nathan Depanger won silver. 

Chess. 

number of teams are competing in the Secondary 

A Schools Competition under the watchful eye of new 

MIC Ian Walton. All teams are currently having much 

success in their age groups. 

Tae Kwon Do 

In June, eight of the College tae kwon do team represented 

the College at the South Pacific Tae Kwon Do Tournament. 

All representatives competed against a participant from 

either the Australian or New Zealand national teams and 

managed to secure excellent placings against very skilled 

opponents. 

The following boys represented (beside their name is 

their placing): 

Karl San Pedro (Year 12) Third; James Hortle (Year 11) 

Third; Nicolas Nalbandian (Year 10) Second; Christian 

Tweedie (Year 9) Third; Nathan Depanger (Year 9) Third; 

Ellis Cooper (Year 9) Second; , Maximillian Baume (Year 9) 

Second; and Justin McNab (Year 9) Third. 

Athletics 

Sean Casey (Year 11) won the Under 16 Balmoral Burn 

charity fun race in May. 

The athletics season commences officially in mid August 

and runs for six weeks with the CAS Championships to be 

held at Homebush on Thursday 24th September. Timothy 

Rowland has been announced Captain for 2009 whilst 

vice captains are Travis Owens, Thomas Kingston and John 

Stapleton 

Mr Paul Rowland (SAC 1973) 

Director of Co-Curricula 

Aloysian swimmers at the All Schools Carnival. 

Swimming Report (All Schools) 

The NSW All Schools Swimming Championship was 

held on Monday 25th May at Sydney Olympic 

Park Aquatic Centre. The Aloysius boys had been 

training consistently for an extended period of time 

prior to their selection into the Combined Independent 

Schools’ Swimming Team. As a result of their tireless efforts 

throughout the swimming season, the meet witnessed 

the excellent achievement made by the following boys 

who represented both St Aloysius’ College and the 

CIS: Christopher Chan, Benjamin Klarich, Mark Sindone, 

Alexander Crouch, Christopher Sudarmana, Jack Grant, 

Paul Sindone, Marcus Anderson, Elliot Long, Matthew 

Jepson and Sean Thomson. 

The senior medley relay team comprised of Sudarmana, 

Sindone, Klarich and Chan placed first in the State which 

is an outstanding achievement. The senior freestyle relay 

team placed a commendable fourth. The intermediate relay 

team which consisted of Long, Sindone, Anderson and 

Jepson was placed an exceptional third in the freestyle 

relay and second in the medley relay. The College senior 

and intermediate medley relay teams are now the first and 

second fastest teams in the state, respectively. 

Also Congratulations to Matthew Jepson, Elliot Long, 

Sean Thomson and Benjamin Klarich who each swam 

individual races. These boys not only demonstrated their 

brilliant talent in the pool, but also portrayed humility in 

achieving their excellent results. Special congratulations to 

Matthew Jepson who won 4 gold medals and 1 bronze 

medal. Elliot Long also had some incredible results receiving 

a gold medal in the 50 freestyle and a bronze medal in the 

100 freestyle. Congratulations also to Sean Thomsom who 

at the age of 12 years received a bronze medal in his 50 

breastroke race. 

The results achieved at this event are a reflection upon 

the enormous talent here at St Aloysius’ College and we 

look forward to next season’s successful outcome. 

Christoper Sudarmana 

Captain of Swimming 



Guadalcanal warlord Harold Keke praying. 

From the forthcoming history, St Aloysius’ College and the 

Creative Arts: Ben Bohane (SAC 1988), photojournalist. 

‘If Jesus 

were alive today, he’d be a photojournalist!’ 

Ben Bohane is joking, but the celebrated war reporter 

does see a Christian connection in what he does. 

‘This is a way of being a witness to suffering and injustice.’ 

Perversely, Bohane’s passion for telling the stories of the 

forgotten and the oppressed has seen his pictures exhibited 

in prestigious surroundings like the New York Metropolitan 

Art Museum, the British Museum and the Australian Centre 

for Photography. Isn’t it odd to have a Western elite attend 

these openings, sipping wine as they contemplate guerrillas 

in Guadalcanal and Raskols in Port Moresby: images the 

Sydney Morning Herald called ‘quietly astonishing… a 

fraying tapestry of life in the Melanesian world.’ ‘I never set 

about doing it so that these images would one day hang 

in an art gallery and I am very conscious of the ethical 

dimensions around that,’ Bohane reflects. ‘But I think there 

is an advantage in being able to confront people who are 

normally wrapped up in a very comfortable lifestyle… and 

trying to reach their sense of curiosity. I see myself as a kind 

of bridge between an Australian audience and people who 

aren’t in a position to tell their story but want their story told, 

or their plight acknowledged.’ 

Bohane’s social conscience was nurtured as a child. 

His earliest memories are of a Sioux reservation in 

Manitoba, Canada, where his father, a doctor, tended to 

the indigenous people, before returning to Australia to work 

as a paediatrician. ‘I’ve always respected him because 

he stayed in the public health system at Prince of Wales 

Hospital; he could have gone into private practice any 

time and made a fortune. We’ve never been very good at 

business in our family - we’ve all been community-minded.’ 

Bohane traces this tendency back to his impoverished Irish 

roots. ‘Our mob came from Skibbereen, County Cork, which 

was worst hit by the (1845-1849) famine. My grandfather 

was a “barefoot barrister”. He grew up in Lismore when 

they were still out shooting blacks on the weekend. He 

got a scholarship to do law and represented blackfellas in 

Redfern. He used to joke that he was owed half of Redfern 

in lieu of legal fees; he was hopeless with money.’ 

At school, Bohane laughs, he was ‘probably a bit of 

a smart-arse’. While he enjoyed debating and drama, 

and has ‘pretty good memories on the whole’, Bohane’s 

rebellious streak was already evident at the College. ‘It 

doesn’t matter how good the school is, as a schoolboy you 

have a certain antipathy … it’s just a natural knee-jerk thing. 

I was always playing counterpoint to some of the ideas they 

were pushing.’ 

On leaving school, Bohane scored a dream cadetship, 

as a journalist with a trendy alternative magazine, Stiletto. 

At 19, he had an apartment in Elizabeth Bay, a secure 

income and a hedonistic life. ‘I was interviewing U2 or 

Iggy Pop, doing book reviews, music, film, fashion, theatre, 

dance - it was very exciting.’ But after a year of ‘going 

to any nightclub, any concert’, Bohane exchanged this 

seductive lifestyle for the difficulty, danger and financial 

doldrums of reporting from ‘unsexy’ places like Burma, 

which had fallen off the mainstream radar. ‘Nobody was 

covering Burma back then and you had this civil war going 

on and Aung San Suu Chi and the uprising in 1988,’ he 

recalls. ‘I had always wanted to do something with a bit of 

grunt, something that was a bit more serious.’ 

Even today, media access to Burma is notoriously 

difficult. In 1989, in a pre-internet age, it was pioneering 

territory for the nineteen-year-old. As for the photography 

that would earn him such accolades: Bohane taught himself, 

on the job – the best, maybe the only way, he reckons, to 

learn. ‘You’ve got to have that instinct, this curiosity. You can 

be taught technique and technology, but you’ve got to have 

that storytelling genie that drives you.’ 

The ‘storytelling genie’ has taken Bohane to extraordinary 

and obscure places. After Burma, he covered the Russian 

war in Afghanistan, becoming reputedly the first person 

in eighty years to travel overland from Kabul to Moscow. 

In 1994 he returned to Australia and began to report 



OPM guerrilla at highland pig feast West Papua 1995. 

on the neglected Pacific region, covering rebellions from 

the Solomons and Fiji to Bougainville and West Papua, 

and developing ‘perhaps the largest contemporary photo 

archive of the South Pacific in the world’. He obtained the 

first pictures of Bougainville Rebel Army leader Francis Ona 

(‘actually a devout Catholic, despite many people trying 

to paint him as a whacko cargo cultist’) in 1994 and the 

only interview and pictures of Guadalcanal warlord Harold 

Keke in the Solomon Islands in 2003. 

But Bohane is much more than an accomplished 

photographer and astute journalist. His pictures and stories 

reveal a rare empathy and depth, an attempt not just to 

capture an event but to see into the soul of its protagonist. 

Judgement is suspended; humanity is to the fore. We see 

the vulnerability and spirituality of Keke as he prays with his 

soldier comrades on a beach; the resolution, fear and pride 

in the face of a young guerrilla in the highlands of Papua 

New Guinea; the solemn ceremony and tribal hierarchy 

that informs much Melanesian conflict. 

Bohane achieves this intimacy through his dedication – 

he ‘embedded’ himself with his subjects for months, long 

before the term became popularised in the Iraq war – and 

through a judicious blend of head and heart. His research 

goes way beyond normal journalistic levels: he speaks 

several Melanesian languages and drew on his years of 

study of the links between Melanesian tribal customs and 

resistance movements for a master’s degree that remains 

unchallenged in the field. ‘During the colonial period, these 

customs and cult movements were the seeds of nationalism. 

The church would dismiss them as like cargo cults, who’d 

strayed from the faith, and government saw them as 

fanatics; they weren’t able to appreciate that because 

they embodied traditional custom, they might be a small 

minority… but the whole community respected what they 

stood for. So they became for me like the canary in the 

gold mine.’ 

Given his clear affinity with his subjects, how does 

he maintain journalistic objectivity? ‘I think balance is the 

word, rather than objectivity. ‘Objectivity’ suggests a kind of 

clinical distance, which can’t exist when you are in the field 

surrounded by people who are suffering; you can’t maintain 

an emotion like objectivity. But it is important to see a variety 

of viewpoints and to put those different viewpoints so that 

you are creating an argument. 

Ultimately the stories I get involved in are stories that I 

feel a particular way about. Often I might be sympathetic to 

their circumstances even if I don’t necessarily believe in their 

objectives and often enough I will believe in their objectives 

as well. That is the case in West Papua, Bougainville 

and some of these other places where people have been 

struggling for a legitimate sense of self-determination.’ 

Bohane’s commitment to minority causes has seen 

him fall foul of authority. In 2002, he was barred from 

entering Indonesia, something he sees as a back-handed 

compliment. ‘You know you’re doing something when you 

get banned! They called me GPK, which is a ‘security 

disturbance person’, their acronym for a terrorist.’ Bohane 

describes Indonesian newspaper allegations that he had 

supported the OPM (Free Papua Movement) and brought in 

equipment, as ‘rubbish’. ‘I said, “Yes I have been with the 

rebels in West Papua. Yes I did interview the commander... 

that’s my job. I’m here to tell the stories from the region 

that you don’t normally allow coverage from; that is what 

I do.’ ‘Frogmarched’ onto a Qantas plane after hours 

of interrogation, and seeking to relax after 24 sleepless 

hours, he was denied a whisky on the grounds of being a 

deportee – ‘the final humiliation’, he wryly notes. 

It wasn’t the first time he was on the ‘wrong’ side of an 

Australian institution. ’When I first went into Bougainville, 

I was aware that I wasn’t reporting from the other side of 

some Asian tinpot dictatorship, I was on the other side of my 

own government at war, which can be a very lonely place 

to be. Running this naval blockade with these Australian 

patrol boats that would have blown us out of the water.’ 

As we chat in a café in Darlinghurst, the tall and effortlessly-goodlooking 

Bohane looks every inch the cool-dude 

journo he was headed for at 19. But marginalised peoples 

still claim his interest: this is just a brief visit to Sydney from 

his home in Port Vila, Vanuatu, before he heads to Nepal 

to report on how Maoism has ended the monarchy there. 



His work has appeared in Vanity Fair, Time, Newsweek 

and The Guardian and he also reports for ABC, SBS, BBC, 

German and Japanese television. He has published two 

books and been exhibited widely. His film script about Sean 

Flynn, son of hell-raising Australian actor Errol Flynn and a 

photojournalist who went missing in action in Cambodia 

in 1970, is being considered by Hollywood luminaries 

like Sean Penn and Dennis Hopper. But Ben Bohane still 

eschews the glamorous lifestyle. 

Disillusionment with the Howard years partly drove him 

to become an expatriate. ‘I felt dislocated here… didn’t 

really understand how Australians had moved into being 

so easily responsive to greed and fear. This was the worst 

government in my lifetime and quite antithetical to everything 

I’ve ever been interested and involved in.’ 

Ironically, Bohane’s images are now sought after by 

Australian government institutions. ‘I spent many years 

covering what were considered quite obscure regional 

conflicts that no one really cared about, but subsequently 

these have become centre stage for the Australian defence 

establishment and I’ve been brought in from the margins, 

because I have some of the only real first-hand experience 

and photos and documentation of a lot of these conflicts that 

now we find Australian Peacekeeping Forces into. 

‘About five years ago the Australian War Memorial 

purchased a big chunk of my archive, which was a great 

honour; it kind of puts me in the pantheon of the history of 

Australian war photography with Damien Parer and Frank 

Hurley… it’s nice that it has become of great interest in terms 

of Australian foreign policy and an attempt to try and bridge 

a kind of cultural divide as well.’ 

Bohane is about to embark on his first embedded tour 

with Australian troops, to an as yet unknown theatre of war. 

He recently co-founded the Australian War Photographers 

Association, along with close friend and former paparazzo 

from the Stiletto era, Steve Dupont, and veteran British 

photographer Tim Page. The nature of their calling means 

all have witnessed traumatic events. ‘You pay a price; you 

see the best and the worst that human beings can be and 

do to each other’ reflects Bohane. ‘I’ve lost good friends 

and colleagues along the way; it’s a dangerous business. 

But my job as a photojournalist is to go in and get their 

stories out, report and photograph whatever has to be 

photographed, if that means massacre sites or whatever - if 

you fall to pieces then you are no use to them.’ 

Such resilience, along with a masterly eye for an image, 

is the mark of a top photojournalist. But Bohane also brings 

an unusual combination of intellectual rigour and moral 

conviction to his work. ‘I think mentally and intellectually 

I’ve been shaped by a Jesuit education and my Catholic 

sensibility, but my heart is kind of Buddhist in a way.’ He 

laughs as he considers where an intense yet reflective life 

has led him. ‘I’m not worried about whether I’m going to get 

in through the Pearly Gates. I’m more attracted to that notion 

of compassion... how you can personally self-actualise in 

this life and bring awareness to others.’ 

Siobhan McHugh 

If you have information or ideas on Old Boys to be included in the 

forthcoming history of SAC and the Creative Arts, please contact 

author Siobhan McHugh on 02 95558002 or email siobhan@ 

mchugh.org 

OPM guerrilla in highlands of West Papua 1995 



philippines immersion 

Old Boys Philippines Immersion 

Trip January 2009 

‘A Journey of warmth and contradictions.’ 

In January this year a group of Old Boys travelled to 

Manila to build houses and spend time in the local 

community and prisons. A charitable organisation 

known as Born for Greater Things, was created last year 

to aid in organisation and fundraising. The aim of the 

charity is to provide an avenue whereby Old Boys can 

actively give back to the community and suggest and 

participate in a range of charitable projects. A number 

of successful fundraisers were held in 2008, including a 

Movie Night and Trivia Night, which raised the required 

funding for the trip. Our thanks must go to all those who 

donated, attended and supported these events. Without 

this help the charity and trip would not have got off the 

ground. 

The trip, with the help of Father Ross Jones SJ, was 

created in line with the current student programme whilst 

also catering to the time restraints of full-time work and 

university commitments. The trip would last nineteen days 

and consist of two main stages. The first stage would be to 

live and work in a local community, building a number of 

homes for the community. The second stage would involve 

visiting inmates in the prison system at Muntinlupu, south 

east of Metro Manila. 

The group consisting of Russell Skinner (SAC 2000), 

Ben Wise (SAC 2000), Thomas Christopher (SAC 2000), 

Ben Wilford (SAC 2001), Tom Bateman (SAC 2001), Ian 

Skinner (SAC 2004), Patrick Arnold (SAC 2004), Charles 

Edwards, (SAC 2005), Mick Scollon (SAC 2005), Sam 

Campbell, and Nicholas Edwards (SAC 2000) left Sydney 

on 3 January 2009. 

After arriving late at night in Manila we headed off the 

next morning for the building site. The bus took a couple 

of hours through the heavy Manila traffic. After some 

sightseeing we moved away from areas of built up city 

and wealth into high density slum areas. The make-shift 

shacks lined the main roadways, underneath bridges and 

by heavily polluted rivers. The reception when we arrived 

at the outskirts of town was completely unexpected. Local 

women and children crowded around the buses singing 

and clambering to hold our hands as we walked to the 

community hall we would call home in the village. 

The area where the houses were to be built was in an 

area known as Bagong Silong. This area is renowned as 

one of the most dangerous slum areas of metro Manila. It is 

used as a squatter settlement relocation area and became 

a despot of disenchanted youths and gang violence. Recent 

times have seen the emergence of a grassroots movement, 

partnered with the Philippines aid organisation Gawad 

Kalinga and other organisations, to change this. To give 

the community back the pride and security they seek, and 

to give their children the opportunity to be raised in a safe 

environment. 

On the first, and subsequent days, we wandered 

through the streets to the building site accompanied by the 

village children. It was not uncommon to find a little hand 

nestled in an Old Boy’s hand as they happily laughed, 

swung between us and meandered the 100 metres or so 

to the site. The group although not skilled as builders, was 

heavily involved in the ‘non-skilled’ labour, moving the sand, 

concrete and other building materials from the outskirts 

of the slum area to the building sites on foot. The houses 

began to take shape quickly and the finished product, 

although basic by Australian standards, they will provide 

shelter for a family of six. By the end of the stay two houses 

were completed, roofs and all. It was a visual reward and 

reminder of the hard work put in and the kindness of people 

back home. The pride which the families and builders 

showed after completion, reinforced the importance of the 

simple necessities in life often taken for granted, such as a 

roof over one’s head and a sense of community . 

One could not help but to be touched by the warmth and 

generosity of the people there. It was a contradiction to see 

these people, who struggle day to day, so happy and full 

of life. It was exemplified by the children with their constant 

smiles and the humble ladies who cooked for us tirelessly 

throughout the day. It was a phenomenon we were to see 

time and time again on our trip, this happiness amongst the 

poor. It contrasted so starkly with the gloominess that often 

pervades in modern city life. Leaving there, despite the 

relative shortness of our stay, was hard. To see the humble 

impact we had made and the sad faces farewelling us 

made everyone thankful for the time we had there. 

Before the group travelled to the prison system, a short 

interlude was had in the mountain region of Kiangan. This 

area was dramatically different to the crowded hustle and 

bustle of Bagong Silong. The air was cleaner, the streets 

quieter and the temperature was uncharacteristically cold. 

The time in the highlands was spent visiting the rice terraces 

of Banawe, one of the man made wonders of the world 

(interestingly the only one claimed to be built by free men). 

We also visited the local school and were welcomed into 

the homes of some local doctors for a beautiful feast and 

numerous laughs. 

From here we travelled to the second stage of the trip, to 

the prisons situated in Muntinlupa on the south-eastern edge 

of metropolitan Manila and to our host families. The legal 

system in the Philippines, particularly for the impoverished, 

borders at times on the farcical with widespread corruption 

and a lack of legal aid. This being said, many of the 

people we met had committed horrible crimes such as 

rape and murder. The seriousness of these crimes forced 

everyone to assess the rationale behind our visit. A number 

of healthy debates were had on this topic, and Fr Jones 

provided us with Jesuit guidance on the matter. Simply put, 

the men we met had been judged, this was not our role. 

Further, these men although convicted and punished should 

not have their human dignity or decency taken away in the 

process. Human dignity is a product of man’s relationship 



philippines immersion (cont'd) 

with God. By showing compassion and spending time with 

the inmates it was hoped we would in some way reinforce 

this sense of dignity. 

The next four days saw us spend time in juvenile, medium 

and maximum security prisons. We were to spend the days 

listening to people’s stories, playing chess and other games 

and participating in the great leveller, basketball. It was a 

chance for us to see the humanity of the prisoners, and the 

fact that hope can still survive. 

Maximum security was almost beyond description. It 

was a system built upon inconsistencies. A jail effectively 

run by the gangs and yet we felt safe as we walked 

around. Our visit was to coincide with a Sunday, family 

day, so children and wives were wandering throughout. 

We played basketball on a sealed court (winning the 

trophy in the process), right next to the bakery yet within 

eyesight of the psychiatric ward and hospital. Money ruled 

supreme, yet their was opportunity and signs of generosity 

and kindness. 

We heard inmates talk of the change in their lives 

and of their regrets. The reoccurring theme was the way 

it had affected their families and the lack of time they 

now had with them. A prison band took to the stage and 

performed an amazing rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody. 

The group in return was called upon to sing, which proved 

both an embarrassing and humorous experience. With no 

discernable talent to sing amongst the group, we were 

forced to rely upon the national anthem, belting it out to 

polite applause. 

One of the most confronting experiences of the trip 

was stepping foot into the lethal injection chamber. The 

prison chaplain, who has been present at all of the lethal 

injection executions, spoke to us of the experience and of 

the very real way it plays out before him. From spending 

time with the inmate for spiritual guidance to the moment of 

death. It forced members of the group to assess their own 

beliefs about punishment and in particular about capital 

punishment and the right to life. 

Two people deserve special mention and thanks, both 

parents of St Aloysius’ College. Mr Renee Beniteez and 

his family welcomed us into their home in Manila and 

we shared mass and a beautiful feast with them on our 

second last night. It showed once again the warmth and 

compassion we experienced our entire trip. The second, a 

parent who wishes to remain anonymous, kindly donated 

accommodation on the first and last nights of our trip 

in Manila. This was incredibly generous and very well 

received, particularly the pool and hot showers on the last 

day. 

The debt of gratitude we owe Father Ross cannot be 

conveyed. Quite simply the trip would not have happened 

without his help and guidance, and throughout he proved 

to be a source of great wisdom and humour. As many of us 

said as we prepared to head home, this was a rewarding 

trip, full of unparalleled experiences. For that opportunity we 

are most grateful. 

Born for Greater Things hopes to continue to grow in the 

coming years. It will continue its work in the Philippines with 

an annual trip and is hoping to establish partnerships and 

projects within Australia. As a young charity finding its feet, 

the group hopes to develop membership, continue to grow 

in profile and to diversify the work it participates in over 

time. The charity would like to call upon any Old Boys keen 

to participate in next year’s trip to contact us by emailing me 

at nicholas.edwards@corrs.com.au. If you would like to see 

photographs of the trip or kept updated about future events 

please visit our website at www.bornforgreaterthings. 

com.au. 

Nicholas Edwards (SAC 2000) 

President SACOBU 

The Philippines Immersion 

Programme 

I 

am 

often deeply moved when hearing Fr Ross Jones SJ and 

the boys involved in the Philippines Immersion Programme 

speak about their experiences. As an Aloysian mum, I felt 

that it would be a most uplifting experience for me and other 

mums to participate in the work it entailed. 

Aloysian Mothers hard at work in the Philippines. 



It was also confronting to see abandoned people, or those 

who simply had nowhere else to go in their old age, in a 

culture where caring for extended families was a way of 

life. Fr Casey does an amazing job in this hospice with very 

limited resources. 

We saw the nurturing hand of God in an orphanage 

in rural Bulacan, where Fr Boyet takes care of 70 children. 

This proved to be an idyllic setting and of a happy spirit, 

and the children were fed, clothed, and went to school. 

After experiencing the programme first hand, we now 

appreciate its immense value. This programme for Years 10 

and 11 boys cements the foundation that the College has 

been building in them, and it embodies the most important 

values the boys need to fulfill their lives as Men for Others. 

Our first visit was to the Gawad Kalinga site where 

we built a simple house for a family of six. A mum on 

this immersion, Stephanie Hayes, observed that despite 

the poverty, the people “have richness in their lives. They 

have an unwavering faith in God, an incredible community 

spirit and commitment. I’ve never seen so many smiles.” In 

the same area, we were able to help the parish priest, Fr 

Joseph, in his feeding programme for homeless children 

each morning in the church. 

Apart from visiting the maximum security prison for men 

and juvenile prison for boys, we also visited women in a 

provincial jail. We were saddened at how they seemed 

to be forgotten by the system and some even by their 

families. Lacking the means for legal help, some of them 

have remained in jail for a long time, even without being 

sentenced or heard in court. 

A visit to a hospice for half a day proved to be very 

emotional for us. This encounter resonated deeply with our 

own experiences of ageing and the illness of our parents. 

We also visited a hospital in Caloocan City. A group of 

doctors from different countries, organised by benefactors 

from Sydney’s North Shore, head to Manila around Easter 

each year to donate time for surgery on a hundred children 

who require cleft palate operations. On this day, we were 

fortunate to be able to minister to the parents of children 

who were awaiting surgery and also be in fellowship with 

other Australians in service of the poor. 

A very special thank you to Fr Ross Jones SJ for the 

support and encouragement he gave us to be able to 

experience this programme. We also thank Edwin Lapitan 

who accompanied us on this trip and coordinated schedules 

and tended to our concerns. Stephanie Donovan, another 

mum on the trip, summed it best: “There is one thing that 

I will always treasure from this amazing trip. Somewhere 

along the line we have made somebody a little happier; 

we have continued something that many other people have 

contributed to. So thank you, Fr Ross, for allowing us to 

see the work that both you and the Aloys boys are doing. 

Thank you Edwin, for sharing with us your country and 

showing us what hospitality really means.” 

Mrs Jenny Carter 

Mother of Martin in Year 8 

The mums who went on immersion to the Philippines in April 

2009 with the author Jenny Carter (Martin, Year 8) were 

Stephanie Donovan (Ethan, SAC 2008), and Stephanie 

Hayes (Loreto mum and sister of Nick Clarkin, SAC School 

Captain 1991 and Matt Clarkin, SAC 1995) 



drama 

Shakespeare’s Macbeth 

(Senior Drama Production) 

Corrugated iron, cold concrete and a haunting, creeping 

fog. The dim red light of modern industry illuminates a 

dilapidated warehouse as a cry festers out of sight… 

“Fair is foul and foul is fair, 

Fair is foul and foul is fair” 

Matthew Little, Dominic Quatroville, Joel Martorana, Jack Dawson, 

Nathaniel Pemberton and Adam Ibrahim. 

Adam Ibrahim as Macbeth. 

Such was the opening experienced by those who saw 

the 2009 Year 11 class production – Macbeth – 

the dark tragedy of the noble Scottish hero and his 

descent into murderous tyranny. 

The typically ambitious goal of developing a 

Shakespearean production for the College stage was 

embraced by both cast and director with wonderful results. 

As not only an assessable performance but also a major 

production, Macbeth provided a wonderful opportunity for 

many in the class to be part of something they had never 

experienced before. 

Class teacher, director, producer, costume organiser and 

stylistic coordinator, Mrs Heidi Quinn created this modern 

adaptation to enable an inexperienced Drama class cast to 

put on such a dark and rich production (of course with the 

help of two talented girls from Kincoppal-Rose Bay, School 

of the Sacred Heart as Lady Macbeth and as the leader of 

the Oracles, Hecate). 

Shortened and highly stylised this adaptation was 

developed and rehearsed in Drama classes through most of 

Magis and Gonzaga Terms this year. All of the boys had 

studied the play during Year 10 English last year which 

meant that this distinctly, modernised version came as quite 

a shock to some Shakespearean purists - “Hang on, aren’t 

they witches, not oracles?”. 

Adam Ibrahim and Nathaniel Pemberton. 

Vincent Power Luke Jones and Dominic Byrne as the Oracles. 

But it was these preconceived notions that, when 

broken down, made the production an even more 

enjoyable experience. This Macbeth was the direct 

product of two terms of preparation by cast and crew, 

and many months of work by Mrs Quinn. The Year 11 

production was not merely a reproduction of a popular 

play for the high school stage. Instead it was a completely 



community who attended the performances - we hope you 

enjoyed! 

Nathaniel Pemberton 

Year 11 

The Front Page 

St Aloysius’ College major production for 2009 

Alexandra Galloway as Lady Macbeth. 

new stylistic representation of the classic “Scottish Play”. 

Members of the cast, simply doing their Year 11 Major 

Production, were part of the creation of a new adaptation 

– modernised language, oracles instead of witches, 

ritualism not realism, with a timelessness rather than a 

specific time-set. No Scottish highlands, kilts or castles, 

but rather a dark and sinister industrial set and military 

costume. 

After the in-class auditions, the students (and two 

Kincoppal-Rose Bay girls) were led by new Aloysian, 

Adam Ibrahim, in the title role of Macbeth. Adam was 

supported by experienced Drama performers such as 

Bennett Sheldon (King Duncan), Jack Dawson (Banquo), 

Joel Martorana (Lennox), William Nelson (the Doctor) 

and Benjamin Gageler (Porter), as well as relatively new 

faces like Matthew Little (Malcolm), Dominic Quottroville 

(Donalbain) and Dominic Byrne, who together with Vincent 

Power and Luke Jones, played the menacing Oracles. 

As well as the actors, many, many hours of time and 

effort were put into the production by Stage Managers 

(and Drama Class members) Michael Parker and Joshua 

Edwards. 

The Year 11 Class Production of Macbeth was a great 

success. A classic Shakespearean tragedy, appropriated for 

a modern audience, with a highly motivated and talented 

cast and a director with a clear stylistic intention – all 

of these elements combined to produce 3 well-attended 

performances in the Miguel Pro Playhouse. Few things can 

match the natural high experienced after performing well 

on stage, and it was this satisfaction that the production 

provided for all involved. 

The whole Year 11 Drama class would again like 

to thank Major Clancy and Stage Crew for concocting 

and constructing such a wonderful set and for providing 

us with such smoothly run performances. Thanks also to 

Mr Peter Gough for his work in organising Front of House 

and especially to Ms Heidi Quinn for the months of time 

and effort she put into creating such a rich and successful 

production. Finally, thanks to everyone in the Aloysius 

The 2009 Comedy Team Production directed by Mr 

Peter Gough was Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur’s 

The Front Page. Set in the press room of the Criminal 

Courts Building in Chicago, The Front Page, stirs up 

reporters, criminals, politicians, wives and sweethearts 

into a steaming broth of excitement and comedy. The 

play's single set is the dingy Press Room of Chicago's 

Criminal Courts Building, overlooking the gallows behind 

the Cook County Jail. Reporters from most of the city's 

newspapers are passing the time with poker and pungent 

wisecracks about the news of the day. Soon they'll witness 

the hanging of Earl Williams, a white man and (supposed) 

Communist revolutionary convicted of killing a policeman. 

Hildy Johnson, cocky star reporter for The Examiner, is late. 

He appears only to say good-bye; he's quitting to get a 

respectable job and be married, however his conniving 

boss Walter Burns convinces Hildy to stay, threatening his 

marriage, all for one last shot at journalistic glory. 

Ben Gageler as the drunken Mr Pinkus. 

One word can describe the period up until the end of 

the first performance – stressful. The challenging nature of 

this highly energised comedy was made even the more 

disconcerting when coupled with a large cast who for 

the most part seemed incapable of remembering lines. 

However, where there is a will there is a way and somehow 

we were blessed by the gods and everything came together 

on opening night. From there the only place we could go 

was up. We were able to top our previous performance 

with higher energy and an overall better show, culminating 

in the final performance in which we were able to bring 

down the house. 



drama (cont'd) 

Scott Fitzpatrick checks Nathaniel Pemberton in the desk. 

Our cast ranged from Years 10 to 12. We are very 

grateful to PLC Sydney for providing our production with 

three outstanding Year 10 students, Shioban, Isabelle 

and Kat whose talents were exceptional. Special mention 

goes to our resident improvisers, Scott Fitzpatrick (Walter 

Burns) and Benjamin Gagelar (Samuel Pincus) whose 

improvisation during rehearsals made an already hilarious 

script even more so. Our contingent of reporters from Year 

11 including, Daniel Farinha, Samuel Murray, Vincent 

Power, Luke Jones, Lachlan McNab, Campbell Umbers 

and Sean O’Grady are to be commended on their 

performances, engaging the audience in a difficult section 

of the script. The play’s racial stereotypes were outstanding 

and were crowd favourites. Giancarlo Puglisi’s portrayal 

of an Italian/American Gangster with his dumb Italian/ 

American Sidekick played by Timothy Tabuteau and the 

bumbling German Police officer “Woodenshoes” played 

by James Ross produced a massive amount of laughs. 

Further performances of the corrupt government officials 

also produced laughs throughout the night, with the corrupt 

mayor played by Bennett Sheldon, incompetent Sherriff 

Mitchell Davies, Scott Fitzpatrick and James Fitzgerald. 

Hartman played by Nicholas Cordi and the deputies 

played by Mitchell Davies and Michael Carbone. The 

endearing prisoner Earl Williams was played by Nathanial 

Pemberton who lit up the stage with brilliant focused 

performances each night, enabling him to make the most 

of the limited time he had on stage. Special thanks also to 

our production crew which included Stage Manager Jonas 

Tobias who made a cameo as Jenny the cleaning lady. 

Other stage crew members included Nicholas Spurway, 

Joshua Edwards and William Frohlich. 

Special thanks must go to the set designer, Mr 

Adam Lindberg, who devised a magnificent concept of 

incorporating giant sized playing cards of some of the 

principal characters into the walls of the set, which was 

furnished in genuine 1928 style by Mr Peter Gough. 

Thanks go to our costume helpers, Mrs Wendy Wijetunge, 

Mrs Elizabeth Pemberton, Mrs Michelle Sheldon and Mrs 

Ingrid McNab. Major David Clancy, the director of stage 

crew was once again fantastic and his time and effort in 

our productions is much appreciated. Finally to our Directors 

who put up with weeks and weeks of frustrating rehearsals, 

lack of learnt lines and constant flows of lateness and 

people leaving for food. Director Mr Peter Gough had been 

preparing the production since early 2008 and with the 

assistance of Ms Melinda Pedavoli made the production the 

creative and entertaining success that it was. 

The rehearsals were a struggle but the performances 

were the reward. All in all my last show at the College, 

in the central role of Hildy Johnston, was full of ups and 

downs, but I commend the whole cast and crew for putting 

on a wonderful production. 

James Fitzgerald (Year 12) 

Vice Captain of Drama 

Nicholas Cordi as the Sheriff confronts the reporters. 



from the property manager 

The College has recently benefited from a number of 

Federal Government Grants which have been used 

to further enhance existing power and water saving 

initiatives. Follow is a brief description of those works. 

In June of 2008 a total of eighteen waterless urinals 

replaced automatic flushing urinals in student areas. The 

success of which led to the introduction of these into staff 

areas during the Magis Term holidays this year. Associated 

with this project was replacing all of the tap ware to hand 

basins throughout all sites of the College with time flow 

taps. This assures taps deliver only the required amount of 

water for hand washing and eliminates the possibility of 

taps left running. 

Grant money also allowed the installation of pulse 

enabled water meters to the meters we have on each 

campus so that accurate, and daily, monitoring can occur. 

This has been a valuable tool in chasing up leaks or 

revealing stuck cisterns and thus enabling a speedy repair 

with minimum wastage. 

Along with water saving I have also implemented 

some power saving initiatives that have spread across the 

campuses. Pneumatic switches and motion sensors have 

had mixed success where installed, which have mostly been 

in toilets, but the replacement of light fittings has had an 

enormous impact. Traditional fluorescent tubes are 36 watts 

each and require an iron core ballast to get them started. 

This could create an initial surge of up to 40 watts with a 

running requirement of 72 watts per fitting (assuming a 2 

tube fitting). 

Our lighting upgrade has seen the introduction of fittings 

that use 28 watt tubes with electronic ballasts that will 

use only 5 watts to kick start the tubes plus more effective 

diffusers. This has created much brighter environments with 

a more even light coverage while using much less energy. 

During the Gonzaga Term holidays, the College installed 

two banks of solar cells. The first, a 5.2kW system to the 

Junior School saw a grid connected electricity generation 

system which is also viewed in real time on each classrooms 

smart board. The second 5kW system is housed on the roof 

top of the Middle School and will also be connected to the 

College’s computer network so that viewing solar power 

generation in real time is possible. 

All of these projects have been made possible with 

Federal Government Grants and we are grateful for the 

opportunities it has allowed. 

A further initiative, which has been partly driven by the 

SRC, has seen the introduction of a recycling programme 

within the College. ’Bin stations’ have replaced the previous 

single bin installations and the message is simple. All food 

waste goes in one bin, everything else goes into the other. 

During the evaluation period I was pleasantly surprised as 

to the success of the system and the obvious willingness 

from the student body to perform this simple separation. It 

is interesting – perhaps only to me I admit! – to note the 

degree to which the wet waste bins, as they have become 

to be known, are only partially filled whilst the dry waste 

bins, of which all contents get recycled, are usually quite 

full. This is an important activity to maintain as a community 

and one which shows a willingness to participate in the 

care and restoration of our physical world. 

Along with my involvement in delivering current and 

future building programmes to the College I look forward to 

the next time I can report on other aspects of improving our 

built environment! 

Mr Andrew Baxter 

Property Manager 

The new solar panels in the Junior School. 



from the registrar 

Change of Enrolment Pattern 

In order to maximise teaching and learning opportunities 

in the Junior School, the College is planning to reduce 

class sizes in the lower years – dropping by one student 

in each of Years 5 and 6, and by four students in each of 

Years 3 and 4. One extra Year 3 class will be enrolled. 

This will also allow an extra intake of four more boys into 

Year 5 and four more places in Year 7. After the transition, 

the overall Junior School population will increase by only 

four. The arrangement is outlined as follows: 

2011 

Year 3: Two classes of 24 students (intake of 48 new 

students) 


students) 

Year 5: Four classes of 29 students (intake of 60 new 

students) 

Year 6: Four classes of 29 students (no intake of new 

students) 

Year 7: Six classes of 24 (intake of 29 new students) 

2012 


students) 

Year 4: Two classes of 24 students (no intake of new 

students) 


students) 


students) 


2013 and onwards 


students) 

Year 4: Two classes of 24 students (no intake of new 

students) 


students) 


students) 


Parents who have lodged applications for Year 4, 

2012 and beyond will need to move their applications 

either to Year 3 or Year 5. Please e-mail me to make this 

change: registrar@staloysius.nsw.edu.au. If moving to Year 

3, 2011, please note that the entrance examination will 

be held next February 2010, so you will need to change 

your application by December this year so that you will 

receive information in January about the February entrance 

examinations. Please note that changing the year of entry 

does not affect the status of your application in any way. 

Currently no places are available for 2010, nor for 

Year 7, 2011. Orientation Day for boys commencing 

in the Junior School and Year 7, 2010 will be held on 

Wednesday 4 November from 8.30am to 12.40pm. 

Entrance examinations for entry into Years 3, 4, and 5, 

and for 8 to 11, 2011, as well as for Year 7, 2012 will be 

held in mid February 2010. Any new applications for these 

entry points need to be submitted by December this year. 

Open Day was not held this year due to extensive 

building in both Junior and Senior campuses. Building has 

now been completed and so Open Day next year will be 

bigger and better! The next Open Day will be held in Term 

IV 2010. It is a good day to come along to speak with 

staff, parents and to the students themselves. 

Bursary applications for 2011 are now open. The 

College Bursary Programme is means-tested and offers 

students an opportunity to avail themselves of a Jesuit 

education in circumstances when such an opportunity is not 

affordable or sustainable. These bursaries are offered to 

new students entering the College at all Year levels and are 

reviewed annually. Please contact the Registrar if you would 

like more details about this scheme. The closing date for all 

applications is Thursday 4 February 2010 and the entrance 

examination will be held in mid February. 

If you would like more information on enrolments, 

please contact the Registrar on +61 2 9936 5535 or 

email: registrar@staloysius.nsw.edu.au. Alternatively, this 

information can be accessed on the Admissions page of 

our website: www.staloysius.nsw.edu.au 

Entrance Examination Dates 2010 

Saturday 13 February 

Year 7 in 2012 Entrance Examination: 8.30am - 12.30pm 

Tuesday 23 February 

Year 5 in 2011 Entrance Examination: 8.30am - 12.30pm 

Wednesday 24 February 

Year 3 & 4 Entrance Examinations: 8.30am - 12.30pm 

Open Day 2010 

Sunday 24 October 

9.30am - 12.30pm (Junior School); 10.30am - 1.00pm 

(Senior School) 

Mrs Anne-Maree McCarthy 

Registrar 



POPS 

POPS celebrate Christmas in June 

On Sunday 21 June (the Feast of St Aloysius 

Gonzaga SJ), eighty Parents of Past Students 

(POPS) enjoyed a Mass celebrated by Father Ross 

Jones SJ, followed by a three course Christmas in June Lunch 

in The Juano Mateo Room at the College. 

POPS in attendance represented their sons’ graduation 

years from as far back as 1960’s to more recent 2008 

parents. 

The SAC Parents Choir were in full voice during the 

Mass and also regaled past parents with some Christmas 

Carols, accompanied by some pre- lunch mulled wine and 

canapés as the snow fell on the new Piazza outside the 

Boys’ Chapel. 

Father Ross updated the POPS with the latest College 

changes before we enjoyed a lovely lunch and each others 

company. 

There are two fixed POPS functions per year with the 

next planned for February 2010. If you are interested in 

continuing your role and contact with the College through 

The SAC Parents Choir perform in the 'snow'! 

attending these functions please Contact Christine Gladman 

on 9922 1177 during business hours if you are not already 

registered as a POPS. 

Ignatius draws us to Jesus 

In Gonzaga Term this year, I had the privilege of attending 

the Ignatius Draws Us To Jesus course conducted by Ms 

Alex Gorman and Fr Ross Jones SJ on Tuesday nights from 

7.30pm to 9.30pm for nine weeks. Today everyone in our 

society communicates with each other in a myriad of ways. 

This course taught me numerous ways in which to connect 

with God. 

During the programme we learnt new skills in how to live 

our lives and how to communicate with God about our lives. 

In the course we heard something of the life of St Ignatius, the 

founder of the Jesuits. We learnt about the Examen – which 

is not a strange way of referring to an academic assessment, 

but a spiritual tool to challenge and support ourselves in 

living our lives in God’s love. We thought and became 

fraught about our varied ‘images of God’. We found that 

the words ‘consolation and desolation’ are part of a much 

bigger picture through which we can grow to experience 

God and our lives more fully. We were challenged as to 

how to respond to God’s love: and how we can put it into 

practice as Experience–Reflection–Action. Can we give 

and receive loving ‘accompaniment’ as we walk the world 

humble, yet proud, of the gifts and talents within each one 

of us? There were moments of insight for some of us, as we 

were alerted to the whole new meaning of ‘indifference’, and 

how we need to watch out for the signs of the ‘good spirits’ 

as distinct from the ‘bad spirits’. We learnt that we needed 

to be detached in discerning the directions we take. 

About twenty-six men and women attended the course. 

Most of these were parents from the College, but there were 

some who were not. One participant was a non-Catholic 

searching for a greater depth in his spirituality as he came 

to terms with having terminal cancer. This was not something 

discussed in the formal sessions – it came up in during 

informal encounters. It did not matter what brought each of 

us to the course. There was no pressure upon us to make 

revelations about our lives. There was hard work done, 

as we became familiar with terms like ‘discernment’ and 

‘incarnational’; as we explored the beliefs and concepts 

which underpin Ignatian spirituality; and we became 

acquainted with a variety of prayer forms. This course helped 

the participants to be more aware of God in their lives in a 

more complex way, and multiplied the ways in which each 

of us could communicate with God – to have conversations 

with the Lord. 

At the end of the nine weeks, everyone spoke of how 

the time had flown and how saddened they were that our 

Tuesday night meetings in The Juana Mateo Room were 

finishing. We had experienced a new spirituality. We did 

not want our regular weekly meetings with each other, Alex 

and Fr Ross to end. We all certainly wanted to encourage 

other Old Boys, parents and their friends and relatives to 

embark on this journey. It is one that is very worthwhile. I 

know I achieved a better link with my Lord and it is now up 

to me to maintain that. 

Mrs Elizabeth Pemberton 

Current Parent – Year 11 

The Ignatius Draws Us To Jesus programme will be held 

in Gonzaga Term 2010. Anyone interested in taking the 

course is encouraged to contact the Rector, Father Ross 

Jones SJ, at the College for further details. 



from SACOBU 

2009 Annual Dinner 

The SACOBU Annual Dinner for 2009 was held 

again at North Sydney Leagues Club. The Mass at 

St Mary’s North Sydney that precedes the dinner 

was celebrated by Fr Ross Jones SJ, Rector of the College 

and Fr Chris Middleton SJ, Principal of the College and 

featured the outstanding voice of Jeremy Curtin (SAC 2003) 

accompanied by James Dixon (SAC 2004) on the organ 

and piano. I would encourage all Old Boys to hear Jeremy 

sing Panus Angelicus during the Offertory Procession and 

then finish off with The Blue and Gold Forever. 

Old Boys from the class of 1946 to 2008 gathered at 

the club to catch up with classmates and remember what a 

special relationship they still enjoy from the time they spent 

at Aloys. Whether you have just left the College or are 

celebrating 50 years out of it, the stories and memories 

are very similar. The outstanding school spirit, competing 

and winning against the odds, the wonderful sense of 

camaraderie and celebrating each others successes are 

factors we all recall fondly. 

John Slaven, Captain of the College, addressed the 

dinner and spoke of the Aloysian spirit. He thanked the many 

Old Boys who generously give their time and use their skills to 

coach many different sporting teams and assisting in various 

ways with all co-curricula activities at the College. They are 

Men for Others. John was joined by Timothy Rowland (son 

of Paul Rowland SAC 1973) to toast the College and lead 

the dinner in singing the School Song. 

John Slaven (Year 12), Mark Ella and Tim Rowland (Year 12). 

Our guest speaker this year was Wallaby legend Mark 

Ella. Mark needs no introduction to rugby union fans but 

those at the dinner was reminded of his greatest achievement 

with video highlights of the 1984 Grand Slam in which Mark 

scored a try in every test match, a feat unlikely to ever be 

repeated. Several Old Boys at the dinner had been at the 

games in 1984 and recalled the victories very fondly. The 

fourth test victory held particular significance for one Old Boy 

as his first son was born that day and then the Wallabies 

won the Grand Slam that night, a perfect day all round. 

Mark spoke of his many career highlights which spanned 

playing Rugby Union and Rugby League as a schoolboy with 

his brothers Glen and Gary, captaining the Wallabies and 

meeting the Queen. Mark Ella then presented John Slaven 

and Timothy Rowland with a signed Wallaby cap and a 

rugby ball each. Judging by the boy’s smiles in the photo, 

they were suitably impressed with their good fortune and will 

remember their first Old Boys’ dinner very fondly for years 

to come. Mark was heard to say they can get the Wallaby 

jersey in a couple of years time if they are prepared to work 

hard. 

It was a great night enjoyed by all and we thank Mark 

Ella, John Slaven and Timothy Rowland for being our special 

guests on the evening. The 2010 dinner will be held on 

Friday 18 June. Please make a note in your diaries. I look 

forward to seeing you on the night. 

Scott Tracy (SAC 1980) 

Annual Dinner Co-ordinator 

Old Aloysians’ Cricket Club (OACC) 

The spiritual home of cricket in the Aloysian community 

Undoubtedly one of the proudest associations within 

the College community (yet perhaps one of the 

least spoken of) is the Old Aloysians’ Cricket 

Club (OACC). Founded in 1937, OACC is a stalwart 

of Sydney’s City and Suburban Cricket Association – a 

social cricket competition founded in 1903 by five of 

Australia’s oldest social cricket clubs. Played mostly on 

Sunday afternoons, predominantly on turf wickets (with 

home games at the College Oval), the City and Suburban 

Cricket Association includes several school old boys 

associations such as Barker College, Knox, The King’s 

School, Sydney Grammar School, The Scots College, 

Newington College and Cranbrook School, as well as 

various other long standing social cricket clubs, such as 

two of the oldest in Australia - I Zingari and Yaralla. 

Old Aloysians’ have had many proud moments and a 

long and proud continuous history in the City and Suburban 

Comp. The OACC have been on overseas cricket tours, 

interstate and to the ACT. There’s some lifelong bonds that 

have been made by the past and present players. 

The Old Aloysians’ are now looking for new players 

of all ages. Many of your old foes from other Associated 

schools are probably already swinging the willow or 

rolling the arm over for the other old boys squads. The 

competition definitely presents the opportunity to extend 

your professional network, whilst having fun with old 

school mates. 

Any Old Boy or members of the Aloysian Family (Parents 

and Friends of the College) who would like to play for 

the OACC is asked to contact the President of the Old 

Boys Union, Nicholas Edwards (SAC 2000) at Nicholas. 

Edwards@corrs.com.au 



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The Class of 1960 – Fifty Year 

Reunion 

The Class of 1960 Fifty Year Reunion will be held 

on Saturday 27 February 2010 at the College. The 

planned format for the day is as follows: 

11am Mass in the Boys’ Chapel – Fr Tom O'Hara SJ 

and the Rector, Fr Ross Jones SJ, concelebrating 

11.30 Tour of the College – Murray Happ (SAC 1985), 

Director of Development 

12.00 Drinks on the roof 

1.00 Lunch 

3.00 ‘Bauer Exam’ – trivia questionnaire 

4.00 Open forum – unreliable memories 

February has been selected as it is the most likely month 

for those overseas to visit down under. At this stage please 

diarise the date or let me know if this is not suitable. Other 

constructive suggestions for the programme are welcomed. 

For further details, please contact John Brauer (SAC 

1960) jpb@blighappointments.com or call John on 

9235 3699 

Class of 1988 20 Year Reunion 

So here we were 20 years on from when we first left 

the gates of the College to tackle the wider world. 

Walking into the Kirribilli Hotel prior to the official 

function at the College you could sense the anticipation 

of a great night, strong memories and two decades 

of catching up amongst the Aloysian family of whom 

numbered eighty-eight from Year 1988 – a remarkable 

turnout considering the numbers overseas/interstate who 

were unable to be present. 

The Kirribilli kick-started things, and every two minutes 

another Class of 1988 member would roll through the door, 

either someone you see regularly or someone you haven’t 

seen in up to twenty years. Many of us are a little heavier, or 

sporting less hair if not with a tinge of grey, the nicknames 

were still the same and the characters were still there. 

Often the problem with such reunions is that they go at 

electrifying pace, and before you knew it we had to zoom 

off en masse to the College Chapel to celebrate Mass 

with Fr Middleton SJ – a gentlemen who had a profound 

influence on many students of Year 12, 1988 and who 

in the interim period scaled the lofty heights to become 

the College’s Principal. To be able to celebrate such an 

occasion with Fr Middleton was an honour. 

The nostalgia of the evening was evident early, as we 

headed to the College. Collectively we retraced the well 

worn path and there was a strong sense of anticipation 

as we approached Wyalla – the start of it all for so many. 

How it has changed in twenty years. A silence fell upon 

the crowd as we walked past, for fear that if anyone 

spoke out of turn the dulcet tones of the imposing figure 

of Br Robertson SJ (SAC 1959) would bellow out across 

the courtyard ‘get out to the statue son, and warm your 

haaaaaands’. So many of our year stood next to Gonzaga 

shaking in our boots and it was hard not to look back 

with anything but the utmost respect for Brother; hence, our 

silence as we walked past. 

We had Mass with Fr Middleton, the stained glass 

window was in all its resplendent glory as the sun sent bolts 

of light into The Boys’ Chapel, illuminating the incredible 

new organ that climbed all the way to the roof. Spectacular 

to say the least. It was a very familiar place, and a great 

place to be all together again. 

Probably the most poignant part of the Mass was 

remembering those of our year who were no longer with 

us: James Austin, Sam Hamilton and Steven Blinkhorn. 

These were our mates, our classmates. Gone but most 

definitely not forgotten, and a toast or two was made 

to them as the night wore on. It is also worth noting that 

our thoughts were with other members of the Aloysian 

community who are no longer with us, especially those 

who had such a major influence on us while at the 

College, like Ray ‘Gunna’ Goodwin and his Queensland 

humour intertwined with impeccable English, or the most 

affable and hard man who pioneered goatie beards – 

Noddy Sawtell. Who will ever forget his shiny head, his 

NG’s and that hairy bottom lip? 

After Mass we made our way to the roof of the College, 

on a wonderful spring evening with the bright sun shining 

over the most sensational views in town – it does not get 

any better than that. It was there that we sifted through the 

last twenty years and beyond. Personally I think one of the 

most remarkable aspects on the night was the number of 

ex-Aloysians from our Year who came to the reunion who 

had left the College prior to Year 12. We were blown 

away to see the likes of Nick Berman (left in Year 7 – now 

Mayor of Hornsby), Wez Condon, Hillbill, Adrian Cepak, 

Alex Lechner, Ho Ho Hutchings, Sy Eastaway, Anton Reisch 

and so on – it was a great show of camaraderie that these 

men came along to celebrate with us because they were 

just as much part of our year as those with whom did their 

HSC at the College in 1988. 

As the sun dipped under the horizon, those individuals 

who hadn’t had contact for the best part of the two decades 

were locked in conversation. Others were rolling around 

at reliving some incident at the College while the jokers 

in the pack were doing their best impersonations of the 

likes of Cavey Croft, Joe Lew, Dennis Swadling, Bruce 

Clarkson, Cyril Meagher, Harry Ling, Al Fletcher, Marc 

Lombard, Grant Brundrett etc. Our teachers were not only a 

source of great learning, they were often a source of great 

entertainment! 

It was wonderful to see and hear about all the success 

stories amongst our year – we have the lot. Doctors, lawyers, 

builders, politicians, sportsmen, IT specialists, tradespeople, 

financial specialists, real estate experts, actors, architects… 

one of whom (Greg McGuirk) has designed the exciting 

new extensions to the College next to Wyalla. Many of the 



from SACOBU 

Class of 1988 spent time living and working overseas and 

unfortunately some couldn’t make it as a result. Quite a few 

live interstate and travelled long distances to be here such 

as‘Happy Chappy’ Chapman, Wez who came from Perth, 

Damien Short from Townsville, Bo Unwin from Melbourne, 

Mitch Bland and so on. The journey was well worth it and 

much appreciated. 

As the evening wore on the stories became more 

animated and we must send a big thanks to the organising 

committee who teed-up great catering that ensured the 

hunger and thirst was well looked after. Plenty of our 

Year have settled down and have the next generation 

of Aloysians growing up, but while we might be a little 

older and certainly more sensible it is amazing how each 

individual’s qualities and traits still resonate so strongly from 

everyone in the 1988 family. When you think about it, by 

the time you leave school, you have spent over four full 

years of your life with your schoolmates – and at 18 that’s 

over 20% of your days have been spent with these people. 

That’s why after twenty years it was like slipping back into 

a classroom and almost like you have never had the twenty 

years apart. I made a point of spending time with people I 

literally hadn’t seen since leaving school and to delve into 

their life over the last twenty years which gave a fascinating 

insight into life in general and where it can take you. The 

night was far too short in that regard, because there was so 

much to share and learn, and to laugh about. 

One formidable trait about ex-Aloysians are the bonds 

you form with your friends at the College that makes them 

friends for life. This transforms into the wider world where 

a schoolmate becomes your doctor, accountant, builder. 

The Aloysian ties are so strong out of school and it is a 

wonderful reflection on the College and its ideals as well as 

its ability to shape the future lives of its students. St Aloysius’ 

College has a lot to be proud of, especially with the Class 

of 1988 and its disproportionate number of rogues! 

Our bond with the College hit its crescendo when 

we squeezed in together for the Class photo. Then it 

spontaneously started. ‘School of mine… oh school of 

mine’ we might not have any Pavarottis in our midst, but the 

school song was belted out with great gusto and passion 

that united us all together. As a school we might have been 

small in numbers, but we punched far above our weight 

both academically and on the sporting field. This brought 

us tighter as a school unit and as friends. The rendition was 

superb. Towering way above the College in the high-rises 

behind were appreciative residents who gave a rousing 

ovation as our School Song swept out across the Harbour. 

A priceless moment of pride in our chool and what it means 

to us to this day. 

We were meant to continue on to The Commodore at 

North Sydney but the Jesuits themselves were having a pretty 

good time and allowed us to stay at the College longer, 

to savour the evening which is far too short to get all the 

catch-ups and so on in. This didn’t stop many of us though, 

we did head to The Commodore for a couple just before 

closing time then onto The Greenwood where an entire 

area flush with classmates of 1988 was established. There 

the banter and catch-up continued and the firm commitment 

to do it all again in five years time was made. 

As many of us finally pulled up stumps and trudged off 

home well on the wrong side of midnight, it was hard not 

to reflect on what a spectacular night it had been. The 25 

year reunion cannot come quick enough. 

It would be remiss of me not to mention the work of Jim 

Granger in organising the reunion and we are extremely 

grateful for the time that he dedicated to it, with brilliant 

results. Also in his stable of helpers was Potsy Weber, Hugh 

Wells, Richard Fox-Smith and Andrew Hill. In addition, 

many thanks to Mr Murray Happ (SAC 1985): he is a 

passionate Aloysian who provides so much to the SACOBU 

community and nights like the 1988 Reunion. 

Finally thank you to the Class of 1988. It was a great 

year of which to be part, and I for one feel so blessed as it 

is filled with so many wonderful people. 

See you in 2013! 

Ad Majora Natus 

Adrian ‘Mugsy’ Molloy (SAC 1988) 

Old Boy Updates 

Clem Bellhouse 

1924 (SAC 1924) the 

oldest living Old Boy of the 

College recently celebrated his 

101st Birthday. His nephew, Paul 

Bellhouse (SAC 1955) sent us 

this birthday photograph. Paul 

reports that an aunt of Clem’s 

lived to just short of her 105 

birthday, which might explain his 

great longevity. The College wishes Clem every best wish 

on his 101st Birthday! 

Fr David Rankin SJ has recently moved 

1953 from North Sydney Parish to St Christopher’s 

Cathedral in Canberra where he is the Assistant Priest. 

David is living in the Jesuit Residence in Canberra. 

Jonathan (Jon) Duggan retired after 40 

1957 years in the IT industry, mostly working 

for international companies, specialising in the supply 

of application software to organisations involved in the 

international transport community. He married his wife Di in 

1968 and they have three adult children. 

1960 

Mark O’Sullivan who regularly attends the 

Queensland/Northern NSW Reunion in 

Brisbane, has recently joined the Queensland Competition 

Authority, a statutory body that regulates prices for various 

utilities and is enjoying some of the most challenging 



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analytical work in his career. He has four married sons two 

of whom completed their legal studies overseas; one with 

a D. Phil from Oxford and another with a Masters from 

The American University in Washington DC. He has eight 

grandsons and one granddaughter who live in Brisbane. 

One son is still in the USA working on climate issues. 

Mark, who divorced in 2001, married Janine Hancox in 

2007. Last year tracked down Mick Limerick who spent 

many years at the College before finishing his schooling 

elsewhere and hopefully will catch up with all his old friends 

at the 50 year reunion in 2010. 

Michael Limerick reports he was recently in Mildura, Victoria 

on business and when he alighted from the plane it was a 

balmy 47 degrees and blowing a 25/35 knot wind. Later 

that day it got hot – 51.2 degrees with a hot westerly wind 

just to add to the pleasantness. Michael was pleased to 

return to the humidity and relative coolness of South East 

Queensland where he lives with his wife Elizabeth. 

Rear Admiral James Goldrick AM, CSC, 

1975 RAN is the Commander Joint Education, 

Training and Warfare. James joined the Royal Australian 

Navy as a Cadet Midshipman and as a graduate of the 

RAN College holds degrees from the University of NSW, the 

University of New England and Harvard Business School. 

He has seen service around the world with the RAN and 

the British Royal Navy. James has been Director-General 

Military Strategy in the Australian Department of Defence 

and in 2003 took command of the Australian Defence 

Force Academy in Canberra. Promoted to Rear Admiral 

he assumed duties as Commander Border Protection. A 

noted author and lecturer in naval history and contemporary 

naval affairs and Research Scholar at the US Naval War 

College. In addition to RAN duties, he is the Professorial 

Fellow at the Centre for Maritime Policy at the University of 

Wollongong. 

Peter Hofstetter (SAC 1976) lives in 

1976Brisbane, He is one of the four directors of 

Certis Pty Ltd; a building certification company they started 

in 2000 that now employs twenty-eight people. Although 

the building industry has slowed down in the past twelve 

months, the future is still looking great. It's been a year 

since his wife, Maryann and he completed construction 

on their new house, which includes rooms for visitors. 

So if anyonefrom the Class of 1976 is passing through 

Brisbane, give them a call and they could probably have 

you stay. They’ve also discovered a major source of joy 

in developing a garden. They have two children from his 

first marriage: Daisy (19) has left home and Ben (17) in 

his last year of school. 

Richard O’Farrell (SAC 1980) is an 

1980 accomplished photographer. On the 15th 

August, Richard won The 

Olive Cotton Award with his 

piece Savitri, a portrait of a 

blind Indian Albino girl. The 

Olive Cotton Award is an 

annual award for excellence 

in photographic portraiture 

offering a $10,000 major 

prize, funded by the Cotton 

family in memory of ‘one of 

Australia's leading twentieth 

century photographers’ (Art 

Gallery NSW, 2000). More 

details of Richard’s work can be found at his website, www. 

richardofarrell.com.au. The College warmly congratulates 

him on winning this prestigious award. 

Dave Miles lives and works in Melbourne 

1984 with his wife Victoria. On 9 February 

2009, their second daughter was born at Cabrini Hospital. 

Grace Lila Miles, a sister for Charlotte. David works as 

the Marketing Manager for the American golf equipment 

manufacturer Acushnet. His role involves the marketing of 

well known brands Titleist, Cobra and Foot Joy. 

In April this year, Jarrod Bowditch and two 

1985 of his mates bravely took on the Kokoda 

Trail to raise funds for the Gidget Foundation and thereby 

improve awareness of peri-natal anxiety and depression 

in NSW. The men trekked 110 kilometres in rain over ten 

days. Jarrod reports that they did this with one pair of jocks 

for the trip, two showers along the way and some trail 

mix and tinned food to keep them going. The three men 

raised over $6,000. Jarrod is a director of Verifact Pty Ltd, 

a national solutions and service company for investigations 

and security. Currently the vice-president of the Australian 

Institute of Professional Investigators NSW and a member of 

the Risk Management Institution of Australasia, Jarrod gives 

educational lectures to school students and sports groups on 

drug identification and education. 

Nicholas Rea has been married to his wife, 

1990 Flobela for nine years and they have one 

son, Roarke Alexander aged two years. Nicholas has been 

in business with his father for the past 12 years – Display 

Source Pty Ltd – www.displaysource.com 

1991 

Patrick Byrne and his wife Keryl welcomed, 

Che Patrick Byrne into the world on April the 

28 2009, he joins older brother Jet (who Patrick hopes is a 

future member of the College 1st XV and Australian School 

Boys captain) to the ever-increasing Byrne clan. The Byrne 

Brothers (Patrick and Jason SAC 1987) sold their business, 

Smarter Clothing, in September 2008 to multinational 

Sonepar. Patrick and Adam Condon (SAC 1991) coach 



from SACOBU 

Patrick receiving his award at Government House. 

their sons (Max and Jet, both 3) in the South's Juniors RL 

competition. Patrick was awarded the Commendation for 

Brave Conduct from the Governor, Her Excellency Dr Marie 

Bashir (Lady Shehadie), for his actions in 2002 Bali Terrorist 

Attacks in which Patrick’s classmate and good friend, Josh 

Iliffe (SAC 1991), was killed. 

Dr Tim Stephens was recently promoted 

1992 to a Senior Lectureship at the Faculty 

of Law, University of Sydney, where he specialises in 

public international law. Tim’s book, International Courts 

and Environmental Protection, was recently published 

by Cambridge University Press in the United Kingdom, 

and he is a regular media commentator on international 

environmental issues, including whale conservation. Tim 

and Anna-Maria’s son Edward (4) thinks that this is cool, 

but their daughter Matilda (1) is indifferent to Tim’s efforts to 

save the planet. 

James McCloskey and his wife Jo had a 

1993 daughter, Harriet Clair born on 8 July 2008, 

a sister for Thomas. 

James Tracy is the Web and Publications Manager at 

Sydney University. In August 2008, James and Raquel 

welcomed a daughter, Amelie Sally, into the world. 

James reports that ‘good friends and Old Boys, Peter 

Tazawa (SAC 1993) and Andrew Williams (SAC 1993), 

welcomed baby girls recently, Lucy Tazawa and Madeleine 

Williams, also Robert Samuel and wife Catherine are 

blessed with another girl, Elizabeth’. Since 1921 four 

generations of the Tracy Family have been educated at St 

Aloysius’ College. 

Scott Sloman and his wife Claudette gave 

1996 birth to their first child, Robert Wayne 

Sloman, on 18 April 2009. Robert weighed a healthy 

3.43kg. Scott reports he is already the proud owner of his 

first Wallabies kit. Mother and son are both doing well and 

dad is thrilled they had a boy! 

Joshua Griffin left Australia in 2004 and 

1998 worked in London for 3 years, working 

in investment banking operations. In 2007 he moved to 

Toronto, Canada. Joshua married his wife Laura, in 2005, 

and they have two sons, William aged 3 and Spencer 

who is 1. Joshua is currently working as European Trade 

Operations Manager for Infinium Capital Corporation 

based in Toronto. The company is involved in high 

frequency arbitrage trading. 

Tim Curtin has announced his engagement 

1999 to Pip Wansey. Tim popped the question 

whilst the couple were on a skiing holiday in Japan. They 

plan to marry in 2010. The College wishes the happy 

couple every best wish for a great life together. 

Ashley Fontana is living and working in 

2003 New York. Ashley began working with 

Macquarie Bank in their Merchant and Investment Banking 

team (currently transitioning from the former to the latter) 

in January this year after finishing a LL.B. (Hons I) at the 

end of last year. Ashley hopes to work in the States for the 

foreseeable future. 

Peter Bardos is studying for a Bachelor of 

2008 Business at UTS Sydney Campus. Peter was 

awarded a cadetship with HLB Mann Accountants and 

works in their offices in Kent Street, Sydney. Peter reports 

he is thoroughly enjoying the world of business … and is 

single! 

Past Staff News 

In mid-February, Margaret Velkou (SAC Staff 1991 – 

2001) was listening to radio station 2UE whilst driving 

her car. The announcer, John Stanley, has a daily radio 

quiz called What’s the Link where he plays three voices and 

people have to name the common link the three share. This 

particular afternoon Margaret knew the voices were Julian 

Morrow (SAC 1991), Hon Joe Hockey MP (SAC 1983) and 

Billy Birmingham (SAC 1970), quick to realise they were all 

Old Boys of the College Margaret called the station (using 

hands free of course!) answered correctly and won VIP 

tickets to a concert at Olympic Park at Homebush. 

It is with regret that we advise that Tess, the loyal 

German Shepherd owned by Father A V Smith SJ (SAC 

Staff 1985 – 2003) died on 24 June 2009 aged 14. 

Tess was an identity around the College in the later period 

of Father Smith’s Headmastership of the College (1986 – 

2003). Much loved by the staff and boys, she moved to 

St Mary’s Parish North Sydney when her ‘dad’ was made 

the Parish Priest. 

The College was saddened to learn of the death of Fr 

Tom Lake-Smith SJ (SAC Staff 1977 – 1993). Fr Lake-Smith 

served the College with honour and dignity. A passionate 

supporter of the Collingwood AFL team, he adopted rugby 

whilst at the College, although he never quite loved it 



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like AFL! For many years he was the Year 8 Form Master. 

Over seventeen years he shaped the hearts, minds and 

lives of his Year 8 boys. He organised them, disciplined 

them, counselled them, and was a strong advocate for 

them. Father Lake-Smith was a good man and a good 

priest. He moved easily between teacher and friend and 

developed many close relationships with members of 

the Aloysian Family. After ‘retiring’ from the College, Fr 

Lake-Smith worked as a Retreat Master. He was buried from 

Melbourne. Father Lake-Smith was a regular attendee at the 

Melbourne Old Boys’ Reunions and loved keeping in touch 

with news of the College and ‘his boys’. The Rector, Fr 

Ross Jones SJ, delivered the eulogy and Father Lake-Smith’s 

long-time colleague, Mr Bruce Clarkson (SAC Staff 1976 

– 2009 and Hon Old Boy) represented the College and all 

Aloysians at his funeral. Vale to a faithful and loyal son of 

the College. 

Rod Loneragan (SAC Staff 1981 – 1987) now serves as 

the Fundraising Manager at Loreto Normanhurst, after over 

twenty years working at Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview. 

In June this year, Rod and 

some friends completed 

the Kokoda Track in Papua 

New Guinea. Whilst on the 

Track, Rod visited the grave 

of Captain Peter Brewer 

(SAC 1922) who is buried is 

the Bomana War Cemetery 

just outside Port Moresby. 

Peter was a Patrol Officer in 

PNG prior to the war and 

when war broke out, he was 

absorbed into the AIF. Peter 

Peter Brewer's (SAC 1922) grave. 

was involved heavily in the 

early fighting for the Kokoda 

plateau (July 1942) helping the 39th Battalion get to know 

the area and leading patrols to search for Japanese patrols. 

Sadly he was killed in a plane crash in 1944 taking some 

US officers game shooting in the jungles. Below is a photo 

of Peter’s grave taken by Rod. 

Obituaries 

The College is saddened to hear of the passing of the 

following Old Boys. We ask you to remember them and 

their families in your prayers. 

Sid Martin (SAC 1935) 

died on 12 March 2008. Father of John (SAC 1975) and 

grandfather of Scott Martin (Year 12). 

Austin James Locke (SAC 1938) 

died on 23 April 2009 in Sandy Bay, Tasmania. 

Brian Keaney (SAC 1940) 

husband of Frances and Father of Richard (SAC 1982) 

and Michael (SAC 1982) who passed away in September 

2008. 

John Kitching (SAC 1941) 

died on 16 April 2009. He is survived by his two sons, 

David (SAC 1973) and Chris (SAC 1981) and other family 

members. 

Colin Thomas Sparke (SAC 1942). 

Colin started at the College in Second Grammar in 1937. 

He passed away unexpectedly on 2 November 2008, 

aged 83 years and late of Terrigal. Much loved husband of 

Marie, loving father and grandfather. A Requiem Mass was 

celebrated at Our Lady Star of the Sea Terrigal. 

Kevin Robert Morgan (SAC 1949) 

died on 15 April 2009. Son of Lillian and Dennis, Brother 

of John and Father to Jennifer, Johanne, Belinda, Louise, 

David, John and Katharine. Beloved Husband of Sue. 

Kevin’s funeral was held at the Church of the Blessed 

Sacrament, Clifton Gardens, and he was laid to rest with 

his brother John at the Macquarie Park Cemetery, Ryde. 

Malcolm McFadden (SAC 1948) writes, ‘Kevin was at St 

Aloysius’ for some 7 years, leaving in 1949 to become a 

Sales Manager at Mosman Holden where he remained 

for about 20 years. He subsequently worked at Brookvale 

Holden and then to Suttons at Darwin at the time of Cyclone 

Tracy. After the cyclone he skilfully was able to produce 

undamaged Holden vehicles from underground storage. 

From Darwin he proceeded to Lithgow and later returned to 

Toyota at Mosman. His last few years were, by misfortune, 

spent in Saint Margaret’s at Ryde where he was afflicted 

with severe dementia.’ Bob Ryan (SAC 1943) said Kevin 

had a colourful and successful life, was a good all-round 

sportsman, especially playing cricket with the Mosman 

Vets. Within the motor retail industry he was widely known 

and able to win friends. According to Bob, ‘Kevin had the 

wonderful ability to see the humorous of any situation… no 

matter what’! 

Robert Flipo (SAC 1952) 

died on 7 June 2009. Brother of Joseph (SAC 1947). 

John Limerick (SAC 1953) 

died on 2 September 2007. 

Anthony (Tony) Alan Copp (SAC 1955) 

Tony and his brother John commenced at the College in 1948. 

His early interest in music and performance earned him, at 

aged 10, the role of Antonio in The Gondoliers – he was 



from SACOBU 

mentioned in The Aloysian in 

this way: ‘A word of praise 

for Anthony Copp… who 

acquitted his minor ably’. 

In the 1949 production of 

The Mikado, The Aloysian 

report states: ‘Without a 

doubt the most wonderful 

and talked about personage 

of the evening was Tony 

Copp in his presentation of 

Pooh-Bah. For a boy, only 

11, the distinction of both 

Copp and Caspers. 

his speaking and his singing 

voice were exceptional’. 

Tony won the SAC Opera Prize in 1949 and 1950. The 

College musical for 1950 was Patience and The Aloysian 

again reported: ‘In every assembly, on every football field, 

on every stage, there will be almost invariably one actor 

whose performance catches in a special way the attention of 

the spectator. Tony Copp as The Lady Jane seems to deserve 

this distinction. Aided by a strong clear voice, no syllable of 

his failed to reach the remotest part of the theatre. His acting 

was as good and the audience rocked with laughter’. In 

addition to his interest in the Hobbies Expo, he was a good 

debater and Treasurer of the Sodality of the Holy Angels. 

His last year at the College was in 1953 and he starred 

again in The Mikado in the demanding role of Titipu. From 

The Aloysian: ‘the haughty factotum of Titipu made his 

pompous entry, which was tumultuously acclaimed, for Tony 

Copp was already a popular figure. His fine baritone voice 

has won him publicity on the air and in the press. True to 

role, Tony maintained an unbending dignity entertaining 

with gesture, facial expression, vocal modulation and song; 

prancing around with his diminutive partners the audience 

was thoroughly delighted and demanded more and more of 

it’. Tony then studied singing at the Conservatorium of Music 

within the University of Sydney. In 1961 he returned to his 

Alma Mater to sing in a Musical Tribute to his past music 

director Mr William Caspers and then onto the United States 

and Great Britain. In a personal note to Paul Lenehan (SAC 

1955) he wrote ‘ in my three years overseas I sang in many, 

many parts, returned to lots of engagements in Australian 

capital cities, recorded a song selection on tape and then 

retired from the stage in 1991’. 

‘I then worked in property and real estate with the family 

firm. God has been very kind to me’. Living now in Lithgow 

he declined to attend the 50 year reunion of his Class in 

2005 and sent written greetings and ‘trust you have a great 

night’. 

Paul Lenehan writes … after leaving the College, the 

Class of 1955 lost touch with him although he did attend 

our first reunion in 1970. By popular demand everybody 

wanted to know his whereabouts. It was not until May 

2007 that I made contact with him, living in a neat 

miner's cottage at Lithgow. Unfortunately he had fallen on 

sad times being confined to a wheelchair. Sadly he was 

a double amputee riddled with arthritis… but listening 

to and enjoying classical opera. His present physical 

condition bore no resemblance to his former self to which 

he was totally adjusted. He continued to be pro active and 

interested in the plight of others in similar circumstances as 

himself. Visiting him was a most rewarding and humbling 

experience. On each visit he remarked ‘how good God 

has been to me… look at those poor people who have had 

their legs severed by minefields in Cambodia’. In spite of 

his disabilities, he commented on his own activities and was 

grateful to relate his ability to drive his car, paint his house, 

mow his and the neighbour’s lawns and travel abroad … 

thus further indicating ‘how good God was to him’. His 

love of singing helped him overcome the constraints of his 

physical problems and as always, his Faith was paramount 

in his life journey. Never married, Tony died at Bathurst on 

9 May 2008 and is buried at Pinegrove Cemetery. Parish 

Priest of Saint Patrick’s Lithgow, Father Greg Kennedy, said 

‘Tony in his wheelchair was an active member of our Parish. 

We pray for him’. 

William Michael ‘Bill’ Hannan (SAC 1961) 

Died on 30 June 2009. Bill 

leaves behind his wife Kerrie, 

children Felicity, Alicia, Georgia 

and Luke and brother Geoff 

(SAC 1963). Bill was buried 

from St Mary’s North Sydney 

with a large number of Old Boys 

present. 

Bill Hannan who died 

from multiple myeloma on the 

30th June, 2009 started at St 

Aloysius’ College in Year 3. He remained at the College until 

he completed his Leaving Certificate in 1961 and during 

those years made many lifelong friends, one of whom was 

his great mate, prominent Sydney publican Warwick Short 

(SAC 1962) who died in 2004. 

Bill was age swimming champion throughout his school 

years, played in the First XV Rugby and academically was 

always one of the top four of his class. He was remembered 

by the Jesuits who’d taught him as a “bright boy”. One of 

them, Fr Tony Walsh SJ, had been his honours economics 

teacher in his final year and when Bill went to him struggling 

with concepts, convinced he’d fail and wanting to drop the 

subject, Fr Walsh insisted that it was easy and he just needed 

to put his mind to it. Bill emerged with a top Leaving Certificate 



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pass that earned him a Commonwealth Scholarship to study 

Commerce at UNSW where he excelled and was awarded 

first prize in Economics 1. When some time later he thanked 

Fr Walsh for getting him through his Economics honours, to 

Bill’s amazement the latter, laughingly responded “I never 

understood that stuff myself but I knew you could”. 

Bill was the elder son of Bill and Nance Hannan (nee 

Furlong) and grew up with his brother Geoff (SAC 1963) at 

The Oaks Hotel at Neutral Bay, which had been in the family 

since 1918 and remained so until 1975. His mother’s sister, 

Kathleen, planted the hotel’s now famous oak tree back in the 

1930s, though the hotel had been so named long before. 

It was during his College years around 1958 that Bill, 

Geoff and their mates took up surfboard riding. Balsa boards 

had only been recently introduced into Australia and this 

new interest was regarded with some suspicion by their 

school teachers. A founding member of the Manly Pacific 

Boardriders’ Club, Bill continued surfing throughout university 

years and appeared in several Bob Evans surfing movies of 

the time, including The Young Wave Hunters and High on 

a Cool Wave. 

Bill is particularly remembered among the 60s surfing 

fraternity as one of the legendary riders of huge waves at 

Fairy Bower. Those who were there still talk of a weekend 

of massive seas in March 1966 when on the Saturday Bill 

lost his 11’6” Big Gun surfboard at the Bower (given to him 

by his mates as a 21st Birthday present) and then nearly 

drowned searching for it until dark, in the shipping lanes 

off Queenscliff Bombora. This was followed on the Sunday, 

by Bill catching one of the biggest and gnarliest waves 

ever photographed at Fairy Bower. In 1968 he and Geoff 

travelled to Hawaii and spent a month tackling giant waves 

that hit the north shore of Oahu that winter. 

Upon graduating from university Bill joined the then 

accounting firm of R A Irish & Michelmore (after various 

later mergers absorbed into Deloittes) and was at the time 

their first university trained recruit. From there he had a stint 

with the petrol company, Amoco Australia and subsequently 

moved into the world of merchant banking when he joined 

Commercial Continental Ltd. It was in his early merchant 

banking days he made a group of friends with whom he 

would work on and off, under various company names over 

the next thirty five years, most recently at Pitt Capital Partners 

Limited. 

Bill married Kerrie Hellmrich in 1970 and they had four 

children. Bill’s sporting endeavours continued throughout his 

working life, but as his family grew, he changed his focus, 

encouraging his children to join him swimming competitively 

at the Balmoral Beach Club, as well as ocean swimming 

races, downhill skiing, marathons and triathlons. 

Although fiercely competitive, the one rival Bill never got 

the better of was the clock. He was often sighted weekday 

mornings with unbuttoned shirt flapping, tie and coat in one 

hand, toast in the other as he made a desperate dash for 

ferry or bus. He was notoriously late for everything. 

Above all else Bill was a committed family man and liked 

nothing more than sharing great times and holidays with his 

own, his brother’s, and other families too. 

He was keenly involved in his children’s schools and also 

contributed to local parish communities and neighborhood 

groups. 

In December 2005 Bill was diagnosed with multiple 

myeloma. His haematologist later revealed he’d only 

ever once before seen a case as aggressive as Bill’s. 

The courage Bill displayed in his early surfing days was 

demonstrated on many occasions during his three and a half 

year battle with illness when time and time again he clawed 

his way back from seemingly impossible situations. One of 

his doctors began to fondly call him “the cat with nine lives”. 

But eventually those lives ran out. His birth on 1 July and 

death on 30 June was noted by friends and colleagues from 

financial circles. 

Bill remained steadfast throughout, indebted to his doctors 

and nursing staff, his family and friends, and the faith that 

sustained him throughout his life. In all areas of his life Bill 

had gathered friends and was known for his inclusive nature, 

his warm and welcoming personality and his hearty laugh. 

The occasion of his funeral was standing room only at St 

Mary’s North Sydney. Among the congregation were many 

of his old mates from the College. 

Bill is survived by his wife, Kerrie, his children Felicity, 

Alicia, Georgia and Luke, grandchildren, Heidi, Henry, 

Jemima, Lily and Archie, his brother Geoff, his nieces and 

nephews. 

Geoff Hannan (SAC 1963) 

Joseph Dwyer (SAC 1962) 

died on 30 January 2009. Brother of Jim Dwyer OAM 

(SAC 1964) he was an avid letter writer to The Sydney 

Morning Herald. 

Dr Michael Jude (SAC 1970) 

died on 13 April 2009. Brother of Greg (SAC 1972) and 

Martin (SAC 1978) 

Matthew Bracks (SAC 1982) 

I would like to honour a great and true friend by sharing 

with you some memories of Matthew whom I first met in 

Year 5 at the College, in 1975. 

We became close friends in the final years at the 

College: playing sport, performing together in many school 

productions and sharing a common sense of humour and 



from SACOBU 

taste in music, notably retro 1950s rockabilly. As a middle 

order batsman in “The Gentlemen’s Eleven” cricket team, 

Matthew was what you might politely call a “solid” performer. 

More Boycott than Gilchrist, he could always be relied upon 

to wear down the opposition bowlers, whilst sending the 

fieldsmen and scorers to sleep. Before Shane Warne could 

walk, Matthew had perfected the art of unplayable spin 

bowling. Unplayable, in so much as his deliveries rarely 

landed on the pitch. It didn’t matter, as we were not a team 

that you would call “results-focussed”, and Matthew was the 

consummate team man when it came to the more important 

social side of things. 

In between years at university, I had the pleasure of 

travelling around Europe with Matthew. Despite having 

months to plan, he arrived at the airport completely 

disorganised. He had decided to eschew the traditional 

backpack for a large army duffle bag; however, on seeing 

the obvious advantages of having both arms free, he 

decided to convert it into one by slipping his arms through 

the handles and slinging it over his back, neglecting to zip it 

up properly. The airport attendant looked on in amusement at 

this ridiculous sight, and as travel documents and underwear 

spilled all over the terminal floor, he shook his head, turned 

to me and said, “Look after this poor guy won’t you?” 

However, he soon showed he needed no looking after as 

he led us on a wonderful, frantic, three-month sweep across 

the Continent. We raced from city to city, country to country: 

cultured tourists by day, rogue backpackers by night. From 

cathedrals and art galleries to dingy bars and nightclubs, 

he was terrific company. His keen sense of the absurd and 

penchant for practical jokes made the trip an experience 

I’ve always treasured, now even more so. His knowledge 

of history was quite extraordinary, as he explained the 

significance of obscure places, scenes of famous battles and 

so forth. 

I had a preview of his great skills of persuasion one night 

when he tried to convince me that travelling two days to a 

remote Swedish fishing village in the dead of winter would 

be a better option than going to the lakes of Switzerland. 

We argued relentlessly for several hours before I reluctantly 

conceded. The next day we boarded a train and headed 

north. As the temperature plummeted and all the other 

passengers had left, I started to have my doubts. “It’s the 

scene of a decisive WWII sea battle”, he assured me. The 

train ground on and came to a halt at a place called Narvik, 

where we descended into a frozen, desolate wasteland. 

“This is good, isn’t it?” he said optimistically. I was too cold 

to hit him. 

Matthew was rarely in search of an opinion on matters, 

often adopting the opposing viewpoint simply to prove to all 

his formidable debating skills. True to his Jesuit education, 

he analysed issues deeply and questioned everything, never 

simply accepting the prevailing opinion. I never witnessed 

him at work in court, but I have no doubt that he combined 

thorough preparation with his great command of language 

and advocacy skills to be a very effective and successful 

barrister. 

I will miss our rambling Friday afternoon conversations. 

One of us would ring the other and we would talk sometimes 

for an hour or more, covering everything from politics, sport, 

religion, women and rockabilly music. We would adopt 

ridiculous personae (some of you would be familiar with his 

bizarre attraction to the character and voice of Frank Thring) 

and laugh at absurd scenarios we would conjure up; trivial 

things, but I will miss them dearly. 

Following his terrible diagnosis, our conversations were 

stripped of the blokey banter and we spoke with great 

honesty and openness about his circumstance. Though I 

don’t doubt he had many dark and desperate moments, 

he constantly amazed me with his composure, spirit and 

positive, yet realistic, attitude. His battle against leukaemia 

was truly heroic and an inspiration to me, and I’m sure to 

many others. 

Matthew was just about everything one could wish for 

in a friend: loyal, honest, generous, compassionate and 

wonderful company. He was fortunate to have been raised 

in a loving and supportive home: a credit to Val, Gavan and 

all his family. His passing has left a great void in my life, 

an emptiness that can only be filled with many wonderful 

memories of a truly great friend. 

John Ryan (SAC 1982) 

Notification of the passing of the following Old Boys 

came too late for a full obituary to be included in this 

edition of the Aloysiad. A full obituary will appear in future 

editions of the Aloysiad: 

Dr George Vincent Hall AO KCSG (SAC 1932) 

died on 21 September 2009. 

Dr Laurence Mullan (SAC 1952) 

died on 28 September 2009. 

Rev Fr John Grumitt SJ (SAC Hon Old Boy) 

died suddenly on 19 October 2009. 

Ceadda Cheuk (SAC 2006) 

died as a result of a motorcycle accident on 16 August 

2009. 

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! 



AMDG 

“..Little did I know at the time of the enormous impact my days 

at St Aloysius’ College would have on the rest of my life. Though 

times were harder then, the enduring lessons learnt from the 

Jesuit Fathers and the lay staff and the deep bonds of friendship 

formed with my schoolmates have had a tremendously positive 

influence on my own, and on my family’s lives. 

This was St Aloysius’ gift to me and it is why I have chosen to 

remember the College in my estate. In this way I can create 

my own legacy by helping future generations of Aloysians to be 

educated and guided in the Jesuit tradition for many years after 

I have gone.” 

Words of an Old Boy of the College 

A gift to the St Aloysius’ College Foundation Limited in your Will is one way 

of ensuring that your memories of life at the College can be experienced 

by future generations of Aloysians. 

If you would like to find out how a gift in your Will will benefit future Aloysians, 

please contact the Director of Development, Mr Murray Happ (SAC 1985) 

on 02 9936 5561 or murray.happ@staloysius.nsw.edu.au

Spring 2009 (1.58mb) - St Aloysius

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