The New Chapel Organ - St Aloysius

ALOYSIAD
The Magazine of St Aloysius’ College ‘Excellence in Education’ Issue XXXII • Winter 2002
The New Chapel Organ

College Council
New Members
At the first meeting of the year in February 2002,
Council welcomed two new members. Brendan
O’Loughlin was Captain of the College in 1987.
Council also welcomed back Eric Goodwin, past parent, and
an inaugural member of the College Council from 1993 until
his work took him overseas in 1998.
Each will add his own particular expertise to the work of
the Council. Brendan is a pharmacist and business man and
is a valuable addition to the Human Resources subcommittee.
Eric, with his wide experience of business, building and
finance is the new convenor of the Finance Committee. Both
bring a deep commitment to mission of the College.
Meetings
Four meetings of the Council have been held to the end
of Term II. Work at those meetings included;
● approval of the College protocol on privacy legislation;
● adoption of an occupational health and safety policy;
● beginning discussions on 2003 College leadership as
announced by the Provincial;
● setting in train plans for refurbishment of the ground floor
over the 2002 Christmas holidays; and
● the adoption at the Annual General Meeting of audited
financial accounts for 2001.
Council Retreat
The May meeting of the Council took the form of a
weekend retreat at Terrigal. Attended by all members
and officers of the Council, the weekend proved to be
most rewarding, with the emphasis on the ministry of service
to the College Council.
At the Saturday morning session, Mr Chris Barrett led a
workshop on the theme of 'Talking the Work of the College
Council’. Members discussed the role, membership and
structures of the Council and responded to the question
‘Why did you join the Council?’
Multiple reasons were given, such as: - responding to a
call; love and affection for the school; giving back; scope to
make a positive contribution; self development, sense of
belonging; wanting to be involved in the distinctively
Ignatian charism and ethos of the school. Great generosity
of spirit characterised this session and others over the
weekend.
Mr Martin Scroope, director of the Loyola Institute and
Past Deputy Headmaster of the College, spoke to his paper
‘With us all days’ on the Ignatian formation processes for
school communities. He and Rev Br Ian Cribb SJ also led a
morning of reflection on the first part of the Principle and
Foundation from the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius -"You
are created to praise, reverence and serve God your Lord and
by this means to save your soul”
The content of these presentations can be found on the
new website of the Institute at www.loyola.jesuit.org.au.
Sub-committee on Ethos and
Spirituality
At the retreat meeting, the Council decided to form a
sub-committee of Council on Ethos and Spirituality,
which Rev Br Ian Cribb SJ has agreed to convene.
The establishment of the sub-committee reflects the
Council’s view that their primary responsibility is to ensure,
in cooperation with the Headmaster, that Catholic, Ignatian
ethos and spirituality permeates the school community and
lies at the heart of all teaching and learning in the College.
The Council feels the need to understand and support the
Headmaster, management and staff in their efforts to achieve
directions and outcomes for students, staff and parents, which
are clearly counter cultural in the present climate.
The first meeting of the sub-committee will take place in
Term III once membership has been finalised.
Council Publications
In April 2002, the Council published its report for 2001,
listing policy developments and decisions made during
the year and summarising reports on the whole school
review and the review of cadets.
The College Council Report seeks to provide the school
community with indicators of school performance in keeping
with the College Mission Statement. It provides a broad
overview of academic performance noting excellent results in
the 2001 Higher School Certificate and that more than 96%
of school leavers in 2001 won places at University.
Other indicators include evidence of a high level of parent
involvement in College life and the very positive findings of
the School Reviewers on the ethos and spirit of the College.
The Council also published a brochure on the whole
school review giving details of College strengths, strategic
priorities identified and the recurring themes to continue
addressing in the future.
Members for 2002
Council members for 2002 are Reverend Fathers
Michael Head SJ, (Rector of the Community), John
Eddy SJ, Ross Jones SJ, (the Provincial’s Assistant to
Schools), Brendan Kelly SJ and Reverend Brother Ian Cribb
SJ. Mrs Jo Lonergan (Chair of Council), Mr Bill Clark
(Deputy Chair), Mr John Churchill (SAC 1971), Sister
Marilyn Kelleher SGS, Ms Natalie McNamara, Mr Jock
Murray (SAC 1966), Reverend Brother Paul Oakley CFC,
Mr Brendan O’Loughlin (SAC 1987) and Mr Eric Goodwin.
Officers of the Council
Reverend Father Anthony Smith SJ (Chief Executive
Officer), Mr Laurie Byrne (Bursar), the Honourble
John Kearney QC, KCSG (SAC 1938) (Ambassador
of the Council), and Mr John Curtin (SAC 1974), the new
President of the St Aloysius’ College Foundation Limited.
Mrs Jo Lonergan
Chair of Council
2

From the Headmaster
Over the last year the Heads of the Combined
Associated Schools (CAS) have been looking at the
defining aspects of our association. There is a line of
thinking that to encapsulate the spirit of our six great schools
in terms of our relative sporting prowess, with a little Chess
and Debating thrown in, is less than worthy. So considerable
thought has gone into developing a spirit and an ethos that
more truly sums up our operation. In the next couple of
months, quite publicly, the Associated Schools will reveal a
plethora of opportunity, which we believe will more nearly
reflect our spirit.
As the CAS Heads work towards such a resolution, St
Aloysius’ College, too, standing on the threshold of the 21st
Century, must begin to more clearly develop a niche for itself
within the educational community of the city of Sydney and
the state of New South Wales. As I prepare to depart this
scene I have been raising such issues in various forums. At the
Council meeting before the end of Term II, Council members
participated in a limited “think tank” on some of the issues.
The College Directors, too, have shared their ideas on issues.
The College stands on the threshold of a brave new world
and if it is to remain true to its past then it must boldly step
into the future. So I present some issues which we must face
before we can clearly delineate who we are.
The first issue concerns the size of the College. When I
came to St. Aloysius’ College in 1985 there were 1130
students on the school roll, today there are 1130. The
temptation has been to expand for a whole host of very valid
reasons. A bigger school would be more:
● Economically viable - (for the electives and the sports
we offer)
● Physically viable - (considering our site, can we be
anything other than small?)
● Emotionally viable - (in contests against bigger schools
we often always lose? - the emotional drain on the part of
some boys who have been in a team for three or more
years and have never won a game.)
But is there a place for a small, personal school in an
environment that sees schools becoming bigger and bigger?
The second issue revolves around our Religious Ethos.
This school is unashamedly Jesuit & Ignatian. A real
challenge is to further the Ignatianisation of Council, Staff,
Students, Parent and Old Boys especially in the decreasing
presence of the Jesuit presence within the school. St
Aloysius’ College is also a work of the Church. We are a
Catholic school. In the light of this it is interesting to read
the front-page article in a recent Sydney Morning Herald by
Gerard Noonan who reports that there is an approximate
20% non-Catholic component in Catholic Systemic
Schools. This school has insisted on a clergy reference but
of late we recognise that we are increasingly becoming
“Church” for so many who have become alienated from their
local Church. Such alienation is due amongst other things
to the practice and demands of local, national and
international Church.
The third issue of consequence looks at the culture of
the College. Our mission statement boldly states
“St Aloysius’ College is a Jesuit school for boys. In
cooperation with our families, we offer a Catholic education
which: proposes Christ as a model of human life; pursues
excellence in teaching and learning and promotes life long
learning and spiritual growth.” What are the consequences
of such a statement to this Catholic School, which is Jesuit
and Ignatian, which is family centred, family involving and
has an academic programme that is both personal and
pastoral?
The fourth issue revolves around what I perceive to be a
real tension and can be best put when discussing the
demands of the competing priorities that face our students.
Do we ask too much? Do all give as much as they might? So
the questions revolve around what do we ask of a boy at the
College. And a defining moment can be found in the
response to the description of the perfect “Aloysian”
And the fifth and final issue revolves around funding,
fees and in particular the direction government funding is
taking. At what cost do we maintain our niche – especially
in the light of the new Federal Government funding scheme.
This College sees in the SES an inadequate indicator for this
school and probably most of our schools. Let’s not forget
possible new direction at State level with the release of the
much vaunted Part 2 of the Grimshaw Report?
A lot of questions and few answers! And these are some
of the bigger issues. These issues, too, can be found at the
heart of review process, which is being carried through, in
the College’s strategic plan.
Rev Fr A V Smith SJ
Headmaster
3

From the Foundation
that has character, history and a tradition all of its own
unlike any other in Australia.
This richness of the total Aloysian experience is not
universally understood across the Aloysian Community and
part of the Foundations role is to foster this understanding
so that any support of the Foundations activities is made in
that context which is more than simply donations to the tax
deductible Building Fund.
John Curtin (SAC 1974)
Introducing the New President
John Curtin was elected the new President of the College
Foundation at the Annual General Meeting held on
Tuesday 25 June. John is an Old Boy of the College
(SAC 1974) and a Past and Current Parent of the College
(Tim SAC 1999, Jeremy Year 11 and Michael Year 6).
In a recent interview with the Aloysiad, John outlined the
vital role of the College Foundation and how its activities will
play a role in St Aloysius’ College achieving its vision for
the future.
What does the College Foundation seek to achieve?
The demands on education have never been greater than
they are today. St Aloysius’ College must continue to lead
by providing the very best education for the current and
future generations of Aloysians. The College Foundation
plays a vital role in assisting the College to fund
developments at the school. Since its inception in 1989 the
Foundation has been able to assist in the funding of the
Junior School development, the renovation and extension
of the Year 11 and 12 building Wyalla, the construction of
the Learning Centre - an integrated Library and Computer
facility in the Senior School and the renovation and
extension of the Pavilion at the College Oval. The most
recent project the Foundation was involved in was the
construction of the Visual Arts Centre during December
2001 – January 2002.
To make future developments a reality, the Foundation
seeks to attract significant capital gifts for St Aloysius’
College to maintain its leadership position amongst
independent schools whilst, very importantly, keeping its
fees as affordable as possible.
The Foundation also has a broader role in the general
formation of this College as a unique educational experience
What future projects will these Capital Gifts support?
The appeal for capital funding is in response to the College’s
vision of maintaining its leadership position in education in
this country and developing leaders for Australia and the
world. Future developments like the completion of the
renovation of the Middle School (Years 7 – 10) Building,
possible purchase of land for a sporting complex and
consolidation of the College space at Milsons’ Point, all
relies on the generosity of the College Community.
Planning for the future is integral to the College
continuing as an outstanding educational institution. This
planning is achieved with the assistance of specialist Council
and Foundation Committees like the Finance Committee
and Building Committee.
The pace of previous developments has been supported
by the gifts made to the Foundation by members of the
College Community – Old Boys, Parents, Past Parents,
Widows of Old Boys and Friends and Suppliers of the
College. Without their valuable support the College would
not have been able to sustain the pace of development in the
last 12 years.
There are many worthy causes to support in our community,
why do you and others choose to give time, expertise and
financial support to the College?
St Aloysius’ College has a proud history of philanthropic
investment that has been fundamentally important in
making the College what it is today. People support
particular causes for many different, personal reasons and I
am sure that is also the case with St Aloysius’ College.
I have enjoyed reasonable success in my commercial life,
which I attribute, in no small part, to the opportunities and
education I received when I was a student at St Aloysius’
College and I strongly believe in the notion of giving back if
you are able.
There are other powerful motivators; a natural one is the
desire of every parent to provide their children with the best
possible facilities and conditions to learn and grow and that
they have benefited from the support of previous
generations.
Another is a strong belief in the fundamental
importance of education, particularly private education and
the role it plays in the future development of the individual
long after they leave school.
I believe that the leverage of a gift to the St Aloysius
College Foundation, over time, will be significant, resulting
in enhanced community-wide educational outcomes.
4

How can members of the College Community support the
Foundation to assist the College?
The St Aloysius’ College Foundation was established in
1989 by a group of Parents and Old Boys who wanted to
ensure the financial future of the College was guaranteed.
The College Community is the broader owner of the
Foundation. It was established by the Colleges’ stakeholders
who support the vision of the College.
Any member of the College Community is welcome to
join the Foundation by making a gift. In the last 12 years
thousands of members of the College Community have
done just that and through their support, the College has
been able to provide the best possible facilities for our boys.
Each year new parents to the College are approached via
the Foundations New Parents Dinner to make a pledge to
the Foundation. To date this year over $475,000 has been
pledged by the 2002 New Parents. Some families are not in
a position to make a gift to the Foundation in their first year
at the College so we are in the process of reapproaching
those families and asking them for their support.
The Foundation realises that some families are not in a
financial position to assist the Foundation, whilst other
families are capable of making a gift. All we ask is that
families consider assisting the Foundation to provide new
facilities and upgrade existing facilities that their son
benefits from.
Many Old Boys have also joined the Foundation. They
feel that they want to give something back to the College.
Many of these Old Boys do not have sons at the College,
but have made the decision that they want to be a part of the
ongoing success of St Aloysius’ College.
The support of the College Community for the
activities of the Foundation is heart-warming and very
exciting. It makes me proud to be the President of such an
exciting and vibrant organisation, an organisation whose
sole purpose is to help provide current and future
generations of Aloysians with the best possible educational
experience and facilities.
Any member of the College Community who would like
to become a part of the Foundation is asked to either contact
any of the following:
● John Curtin (SAC 1974)
President, on 9869 1732 (home) or 9272 1533 (work)
● Kevin Dixon, Chair of the Foundation Membership
Committee, on 9908 1788 (home)
● Murray Happ (SAC 1985),
Director of Development, on 9929 4692 (work).
Alternatively, members of the College Community can
complete the coupon and return it to the College directly.
All correspondence with the Foundation is treated with
the strictest confidence and anonymity will be respected.
St Aloysius’ College Foundation Limited
I would like to make a gift to support the work of the College Foundation in providing the current and
future generations of Aloysians with the best possible educational facilities.
Name: ......................................................................................................................................................................................
Address: ...................................................................................................................................................................................
Tel: ......................................................home .................................................work .................................................mobile
I am a: ❏ Parent ❏ Past Parent ❏ Old Boy – Class of ………… ❏ Friend of the College
I would like to make a gift of $ ……………… per year for……………… years totalling $………………
Please direct my gift to the: ❏ Building Fund – tax deductible ❏ Library Fund - tax deductible
❏ Education Fund – non-tax deductible ❏ Attached is a cheque made payable to St Aloysius’ College Foundation Limited.
Please debit my: ❏ Amex ❏ Bankcard ❏ Diners Club ❏ MasterCard ❏ Visa
Name on card: ............................................................................................................... expiry: ............................................
Signature: ...............................................................................................................................................................................
Please return this form to: Mr Murray Happ, Director of Development,
St Aloysius’ College, 47 Upper Pitt Street, Milsons Point NSW 2061
5

Major and Minor Notes from the Music Department!
Abig event in any music establishment is the arrival
of a new instrument. The Aloysian community is
now well aware of the construction in the chapel
of a wonderful new organ. If you have not yet caught up
on the background to this, then the following summary
will help:
The story of Letourneau Organ Op22:
Early in 2001, Rev Fr Smith SJ asked me how I
proposed to foster more of our musical boys as
organ scholars. I replied that the existing chapel
instrument, having seen many years of faithful service
was long overdue for major restoration. Rev Fr Smith
asked me to look into options and report back. By June
2001, the College had secured the services (as
consultant) of Mr Peter Kneeshaw, Principal Organist at
St Mary’s Cathedral and responsible for overseeing the
recent installation of new instrument in that building.
Mr Kneeshaw and I gave a major presentation to the
SAC Council with various comparisons of instruments
and cost and revealing that we had discovered an ‘almost
new’ instrument in Canada, which the diocesan
authorities were seeking to relocate. The Canadian
instrument by Organ builder Fernand Letourneau was
situated in St Joseph’s Catholic Basilica in Edmonton in
the far North of the country. The basilica authorities
were seeking to remove the instrument in order to allow
for major development works to occur. Not wishing to
purchase an unheard, unseen instrument, we needed a
pair of experienced ‘eyes and ears’ to assess the suitability
of the instrument for our beautiful chapel. Rev Fr David
Rankin SJ (SAC 1953) an Old Boy and past member of
the St Aloysius staff has been resident in Canada for
some years. On our
request, he flew to
Edmonton to inspect the
instrument and quietly
report back. His glowing
recommendation tipped
the scales. A decision
was taken by the College
Council on the last day
of Term II 2001 and the
process of securing and
relocating the instrument
commenced soon after.
Australian organ builders,
Pitchford and Garside
were contracted to remove
the instrument and see to
its relocation. In January
2002, two organ builders
spent two weeks in
Edmonton in sub zero
temperatures and with a
little local help,
The new Chapel Organ dismantled and crated the
instrument in readiness for the long voyage to Australia.
Most of February was spent tracking the progress of the
instrument as it passed from freight yard to port to ship and
finally after a long voyage, to Sydney in March.
The new Organ arrives at the College
Meanwhile certain site works were completed in the
College Chapel. Engineering reports were obtained and
strengthening of the chapel floor completed in time for
the installation process, which began in late March.
The boys at the College have watched with quiet
interest for several months as the instrument has taken
shape: First the casework was completed, then
soundboards were installed (the pipes sit on these on
several levels); the mechanism (or action) was installed
and finally the pipework. Students of Elective Music
were especially interested in the progress, as they have
been required to complete a major assignment on the
instrument! Various nicknames have been given to the
instrument including the ‘birdcage’ and ‘the house in
the chapel’. But there is a real sense of pride amongst
the boys as the new arrival has taken shape. For the
technically minded, the organ boasts over 1400 pipes,
20 draw stops with a combination mechanical/electro
action. The completed instrument fits exactly into its
new home, and sits about 20 millimetres from the
ceiling of the Chapel!
There is now great excitement as the instrument has
been sounding for some days. A touching moment
occurred last week when Year 9 organ scholar James
Goldrick was given the opportunity of playing the (as yet
incomplete) instrument. The sounds coming from the
chapel attracted a crowd of boys into the gallery who
responded with loud applause at James’ efforts. There
was a genuine shared sense of pride and warmth in the
moment, which underscores the true spirit of our
Aloysius Boys.
As this edition of the Aloysiad goes to print, the organ
will be complete and awaiting its Mass of Inauguration to
be held on September 1st with the principal celebrant to be
Archbishop Dr George Pell. Our organ scholars will now
have no excuse for lack of practise!
6

Oliver! 2002
The College musical in 2002 was Lionel Bart’s
perennial favourite, Oliver! (the name shortened from
the Dickens original for Broadway) became a part of
the musical stage repertoire in 1960, written in total by the
multi-talented Lionel Bart, who with consummate skill
crafted the book, the music and the lyrics. Oliver! premiered
in London on June 30, 1960, and ran until September 9,
1966, for a total of 2,618 performances - making it the
longest-running musical in British theatre to that time.
Ted Talas (Year 6), Matt Martorane (Year 7), Tom Malek (Year 7),
Nicholas Plummer (Year 5) and Simon Lobascher (Year 7)
(Alexander Guidera SAC Year 11); Oliver (David Bulters
SAC Year 8); Nancy (Lydia Bertini, Loreto); Artful Dodger
(Emmanuel Spiropoulos SAC Year 8) and many more gave
professional-standard performances. Members of the Music,
Drama, Mathematics and Foundation staff worked tirelessly
with the cast, orchestra and crew from the time of auditions
in November 2001 to ensure a memorable musical. In
addition, many, many parents ably assisted the cast and crew.
This willing band of helpers took responsibility for such
diverse matters as costume sewing, property collection and
much more.
A thief ’s education!
Oliver! is a dark story. Under the fizzy and energetic
musical score, the show chronicles the evils of untrammelled
capitalism and child abuse. Charles Dickens might however,
be surprised at what has happened in the long, long history of
his 1837 magazine serial, but there’s no doubt he’d be pleased
with our St Aloysius production!
Oliver! has been a collaborative effort between four
schools: St Aloysius’ College, Monte Sant’ Angelo, Loreto
Kirribilli and Wenona North Sydney. A total cast and
orchestra in excess of 150 students gave three memorable
performances. The main principle characters Fagin
Chris Chase (Year 11) and Matthew Griffiths (Year 12)
The benefits of these musical productions are well
known to our past students, many of whom cherish
memories of their moments ‘strutting the boards’, making
new friends, and discovering a love of music and drama.
This is indeed what education is all about! Thanks to the
Director, Mr Peter Gough; Musical Director Mr Andrew
Quinane; Technical Director Mr Robert Schneider (SAC
1958); Ms Trish Flynn - Choreography; Mrs Liz de
Ambrosis - Costumes; Mrs Sia Mastro, Ms Chris Hawkins,
Mr Wesley Martin all the Music Staff, and the Stage Crew
for their tireless efforts in bringing such pleasure to cast and
audience alike.
Nicholas Plummer (Year 5), Edward Hastings (Year 10)
and Alex Knight (Year 7)
Michael Hissey
Director of Music
7

Drama Department
Billy Budd
Performed in the best traditions of St. Aloysius’ College drama.
Ships are floating worlds. This was especially so at the end
of the 18th Century when this play is set. Without any of
today’s electronic communications’ systems, ships were cut
off for months, even years from their homelands and wider
society. The captains of these vessels had total command over
their crews and were responsible for administering justice and
maintaining order. Melville also sets his play during a period
when the English were at war with the French. In these
circumstances, captains had power over life and death. Harsh,
confined conditions with no escape frequently led to socially
explosive situations. The crews of two naval vessels, the Spithead
and the Nore, had already mutinied. All captains feared similar
catastrophes on their vessels.
Melville is one of the truly
great American novelists. He
is up there in the same league
as Conrad, Hawthorne,
James and Fitzgerald.
Melville presents us, as all
great writers do, with a
profound and significant
moral dilemma. His Captain
Vere is stretched on the cross
of choice and must decide
between true human justice
and the maintenance of order
through a strict upholding of
Alex Romans (Year 11) the law. The other issue
Melville presents to us is the
incompatibility of good and evil. Billy Budd, the new impressed
seaman, cannot see there’s evil in the world and Claggart, the
sadistic Master-at-Arms, won’t see the good. Claggart bears a
malice towards a grace he could not have. There is no reason in
his intolerance and that is what makes it all the more dangerous.
The language and concerns of this play are comparable to
Shakespeare’s. It presented a mature challenge to our young
actors and it was a challenge, which I wanted to set before them.
As a director there are some plays which you simply do not
undertake unless you know beforehand that you have actors
capable of playing the key lead roles. I was collecting some
paperwork at the rear of the Auditorium one morning while
another class was doing some
acting at the other end. I was
suddenly distracted by a
voice I did not recognise. It
was the unaffected
naturalness combined with a
depth of feeling which struck
me. I looked up from my
papers. It was a student who
had recently come to us from
another school. I stayed to
watch the rest of his
rehearsal. At the end of it, I
knew for the first time in
fifteen years at St Aloysius’
that there was a student who
could play the titular role in
Chris Lobascher (Year 11),
Alex Guidera (Year 11)
L to R; Todd Kuiters, Jarrah Petzold, Zach Norman,
Hugo O’Connor, Greg Egan, Nicholas Walsh
Billy Budd. It was Alex Romans (Year 11). But did we have
someone who could play the equally unusual and demanding
role of his antagonist, Claggart? Alex Guidera (Year 11),
another very talented and committed young actor, came
immediately to mind. He had already decided to re-enrol in
drama so was available. He auditioned and was cast only to
withdraw. He had also been cast as Fagin in the musical Oliver
and felt having to cope with two lead roles one after the other
would be too demanding. We re-auditioned for the role of
Claggart. There was no one comparable. The cast and I
discussed it and Alex agreed to continue in the role. We had a
play again: the one which was so well performed this term by
this young Year 11 drama class.
It was their commitment and enthusiasm which so impressed
me. Chris Lobasher (Year 11), as Captain Vere, worked hard to
secure this role and equally hard to raise his performance to one
of maturity and distinction. Thomas Grace, Nicholas Mueller
and Huw Rabone (all Year 11) as his fellow officers aboard their
ship The Indomitable were poised and subtle in the rendering of
their roles. The aged and wise Dansker is given some of
Melville’s best lines and Hugo O’Connor (Year 11) delivered
them with moving understanding. Dansker is the sage who
understands when no one else does why evil cannot tolerate good
and must seek to destroy it. One of the most promising
performances, however, was delivered by Nick Walsh (Year 11)
as the turbulent, set-upon Jenkins. He was intense and
passionate but at the same time deeply vulnerable. The
supporting cast gave almost unblemished performances. Carl
Hockey, Zac Norman, Carl Sullivan and James Woodward (all
Year 11) were especially impressive in their characterisations.
An Old Boy of St Aloysius’, now an architect, Nicholas
Playoust (SAC 1991) provided us with an ingeniously
imaginative set design which overcame the serious restrictions of
space and height which our auditorium presents.
Bernard Kennelly, a parent of the school, came regularly after
work with two other parents, Michael Birrell and Tony Walsh, to
construct the set.
I felt genuinely privileged to work with all these people.
Their talent, their generosity, their untiring commitment
inspired me throughout. This College has something very
precious in these young people, in our parents and in our
Old Boys.
Robert Schneider (SAC 1958)
Drama Department
8

From the Registrar
This year was the first time the College tested boys for
entrance to the College two years prior to entry for
Years 5 through to 11. Entrance examinations for all
boys wishing to enter the College in 2003 (Years 3-11) and
2004 (Years 5-11) were held in March and April and have
now been completed. We have waiting lists for most grades
next year.
Just on 1000 applications were received for 2003 and
2004. Of these 1000 applications, 600 boys sat entrance
examinations. Year 5, 2003 and Year 5, 2004 had
approximately 120 boys sitting each of these examinations.
Year 7, 2003 and Year 7, 2004 had similar numbers. These
examinations took place over several Saturday mornings both
at the Senior School and Junior School campuses. Interviews
were conducted in May and offers of places went out at the
end of May.
The Scholarship/Bursary Examination was held on 4
May for boys entering Years 7 & 11 next year. It will be a few
weeks yet until families are contacted about their sons’ results.
Everyone will be notified if successful or unsuccessful in
gaining a Scholarship or Bursary.
I have had many requests for copies of the College’s new
prospectus over the last few months since it was printed early
in the year. Several prospective parents have congratulated us
on producing such an informative prospectus, one which
gives a lot more information about the College than many
other schools produce in theirs. Parents have also said that
from reading it that they feel the College has a real
‘friendliness’ to it and they are most impressed.
I will run a late entrance examination on 25 October for
any late applications for 2003. Application forms will need to
in by mid September. In addition to the normal 2004 and
2005 entrance examination, there will also be a late entrance
examination for applicants for 2004 Year 5 to 11. This will be
held in April next year. However, limited places will be available.
Anne-Maree McCarthy
Registrar
Prefects Report
The Prefects invited the Prefects from our brother
school, St Ignatius’ College to a BBQ on the roof of
the College in Term I. The event gave us the
opportunity to meet each other and talk about the bonds that
bind the two schools together.
Whilst both schools have the common bond of being
Jesuit Schools, we have a different heritage. St Aloysius’ is the
older of the two schools (being founded in 1879, whilst St
Ignatius’ was founded in 1880); we are a day school, whilst
St Ignatius has boarding and day boys. The BBQ gave us an
opportunity to celebrate our Jesuit heritage and acknowledge
our differences.
We look forward to strengthening and developing the
bonds between the two schools over the years to come.
Simon Aldridge
Captain of the College
St Aloysius’ and Riverview Prefects
Student Achievements
Graham Purcell (Year 9):
Winner of two events at the Combined Independent
Schools (CIS) Swimming Championships (200 metres
freestyle and 200 metres individual medley) and winner
of the All Schools Championships (200 metres butterfly)
and placed third in the 200 metres individual medley
and fourth in the 200 metres freestyle and 100
metres butterfly. Selected in the NSW Schools Team for
the Nationals in Darwin.
Sam McConnell (Year 7):
Third in the 12 Years 50 metres butterfly at the All
Schools Swimming Championships.
Peter De Gail (Year 12):
Selected in the NSW Under 18 State Waterpolo Team
and CIS Team.
Martin Mikulicin (Year 12):
Selected in the CIS Team and NSW Under 18 State
Basketball Team.
Ronald Tan (Year 12), Chris Lobascher (Year 11) and
Alex Romans (Year 11):
All selected in the CIS Volleyball Team
Graham Purcell (Year 9) and David Taylor (Year 12):
Both selected in the CIS Cross Country team to run
at the All Schools Championships.
9

Grumitt Scholar News
Turkish. Still I sat and listened to what I picked up as a very
sombre conversation, no doubt discussing family lost in the war.
As a lull developed in this conversation the eerie sound of
bagpipes was carried across the night air signalling the start of
the much anticipated dawn service.
A mysterious calm enveloped the entire area, not a breath
was heard, not move was made and the service began. As the
service progressed a giant silhouette was cast in the morning
sky. The cliffs of ANZAC Cove. They rise almost perpendicular
out of the ground and the thought of scaling them seems
impossible let alone trying to scramble your way up with bullets
flying at you.
Nik Kirby (left) and Joel Menzies (right) with Turkish soldiers and
a Royal Australian Navy Seaman at Anzac Cove
ANZAC Day at Gallipoli
It was a very cold night, we were all strewn together, not a
piece of ground or blade of grass could be seen, only bodies,
bodies that just kept going as far as the eye could see. As I
sat there in my sleeping bag taking in what was around me I
couldn’t help but think back to that morning in 1915 when the
bodies lying here, probably in quite a similar fashion, would have
been torn by bullets, and crushed by shells.
We were all there for a different purpose, not to fight a war
but to commemorate those who had fallen to protect our future.
I was surrounded by some 20,000 people who had all made the
pilgrimage to Gallipoli, ANZAC Cove for the dawn service.
Having arrived on the beach around 1:00 am I was amazed
to see that the place was already full with people, sleeping bags
covering a huge area. There were some people talking around a
fire on the beach, some others over to my left were starting a
scratchy attempt of Waltzing Matilda. Settling down to my own
little patch of grass I decided to get some sleep before the day
ahead.
On waking my vision was filled with a huge orange moon
hanging low in the sky. Its beaming glow was reflected gently off
the water framing those on the beach around what were now
many little fires. I emerged slowly from my sleeping bag slightly
disorientated and meandered down to join those around the fires.
The first group were all Turkish, yet I did not feel out of place,
they greeted me and made room for me in their circle. None
could speak English, or more pertantly I could not speak
Joel Menzies (SAC 2001) and Nik Kirby (SAC 2001) at ANZAC Cove
Nik Kirby (SAC 2001) and Joel Menzies (SAC 2001) at the Lone
Pine Cemetery, Anzac Peninsula
Many kind words were said of the soldiers both Australian,
New Zealand, and Turkish. Stories of the bravery, camaraderie,
and the relationship held between the Turks and ANZAC’s.
When it had reached the point where the flags were lowered
and the lone bugle sang its melancholy notes across the mass of
people I realised the most significant thing that I will bring away
from this experience, was that of realising that there were two
sides in this fight. So often we only talk of the bravery of our
soldiers and what they came up against. We very easily forget
that the people we were fighting against were just like us, normal
human beings.
The soldiers fighting didn’t forget this; the stories retold of
the way the Turkish conducted themselves towards the enemy
are incredible.
An Australian was wounded near a Turkish trench during a
very heavy fire fight, a Turk risking his life, waved a little white
rag above his head. He climbed out of the protection of his
trench, carried the wounded man on his shoulder and brought
him to the aid of the medics in the Australian trench. This is just
one of many, many stories about the decency, the basic care for
human life that was shared between these two enemies. I have
not forgotten that they were there to kill each other, but they
never saw it as personal, there was never hatred. It was just an
incredibly unfortunate situation they had arrived in, due to the
stupidity of an apparently intelligent race.
Let us not forget the families of those that were pitched
against us.
Lest We Forget.
Joel Menzies (SAC 2001)
2002 Grumitt Scholar
10

It only seems like yesterday when we touched down at
Heathrow Airport, in the middle of a freezing English
winter, ready to face the challenges of the year of our
life. Already we are half way through this year and loving
every second of it. Our first three months flew by as we
taught students at St Ignatius’ College in London and St.
George’s Primary School. Our pilgrimage to Spain during
Easter, in the footsteps of St Ignatius, was a fantastic
experience. At his home in Loyola we were fortunate to
attend a very rare mass in the room where Ignatius was
converted. Here we discovered a strong sense of realism
for the endless years of rhetoric that has been central to
our education at St Aloysius College.
At the moment we are in the very daunting
community service period that has wreaked havoc for so
many that have attempted it. After a month traveling
through Spain, Portugal and France, we have all
encountered a side of this world where words like
‘beautiful’ and ‘unbelievable’, are inadequate. All of a
sudden we have been faced with a very different side of
this world, at our community service placement.
We are currently situated just outside Colchester in a
rural community, about an hour and half north east of
London. Throughout this year our Aloy’s partnership has
remained unbroken, and being placed at Wakes Hall
together has gone a long way to counteracting the isolation
and loneliness problems of the community service months.
However, our work here is enjoyable despite being very
challenging, all at the same time. As incredible as
travelling Europe has been for us, there is satisfaction
attained from this work, that can’t be fulfilled from living
the high life while ‘trotting the globe’.
Ben Wilford (SAC 2001) and Tom Bateman (SAC 2001)
with students from St Georges Primary School, England
We have been living and working the last two months
in Wakes Hall, a centre that houses about 30 adult clients
(patients) who suffer from Cerable Palsy and Epilepsy.
Wakes Hall is a society aiming to provide the clients here
with maximum choice and excitement in day to day
activities. The three month community service section is
usually the most feared and overwhelming of the whole
year, however we have been welcomed and greeted with
kind friendly faces. Not knowing much about the
condition we didn’t know what to expect, when we arrived
at the start of May. Our first few days were quite different
to how we feel now. At the end of a day we used to find
ourselves sitting in our rooms reminiscing on the good
times at Aloysius’, and all our schooling moments,
dreading the fact that we’d have to wake up and face
another day. Very quickly as the time passed and the
clients became more familiar with us, things turned
around and our ‘work’ became more like play, and so much
more enjoyable.
The clients have varying degrees of physical
condition, but many cannot move at all, some are
confined to a wheelchair and require daily needs to be
carried out by the staff and volunteers. All of the clients
require close care, with daily dressing, washing and
feeding, all part of the many staffing responsibilities. We
are mainly stationed in the Day Centre which receives
outside clients, who come in to spend the day doing
activities and having a good time. Our principle role is to
provide that care and entertainment whether it be in a
game of wheelchair cricket outside in the English ‘sun’,
painting, watching a movie, doing arts and crafts or some
gardening or even just talking to them, even if sometimes
they can’t communicate back verbally. We even go out on
day trips such as to Colchester Zoo, to a rugby game, ice
skating, horse riding, to town fairs, shopping, or to the
pub for a pint. Basically anything where they can do
something different and stimulating. We are here to help
provide the clients with the ability to live a normal life,
and have choices.
Probably the most confronting aspect of our life here is
toileting, something which we were both praying not to
have to do this year. Once shown the proper procedures
though, this duty became so much less of a problem. At this
stage of the community service placement, everything has
become second nature to us, and adds to the daily intrigue.
Don’t get us wrong, while our work has been a fantastic
experience, it can be taxing, frustrating and you do need
patience and tolerance. Consider the stories of some of the
clients here, many who were as normal as you or I, until a
freak accident on the roads, at work, or at birth which has
changed their lives forever. ‘Rewarding’ is often a word
that is thrown around with this type of work experience,
but we can honestly say that we have discovered a new
appreciation of life and will miss this place and all the
clients when we leave. Lying in wait for us still this year is
teaching in Hungary, and work with street kids in Kenya
and India. For now though, the time is flying and we are
loving every minute here.
Ad Majora Natus
Tom Bateman and Ben Wilford (SAC 2001)
2002 Grumitt Scholars
11

Micronesian Scholar News
The school year here at Xavier is fast coming to a
close with the Graduation of the Class of 2002
being the last significant occasion of the school
year.
On Saturday, 11 May we were fortunate enough to
witness the Graduation of the class known as the
‘Musketeers’. Graduation here follows the American
system, which is different to what it is at St. Aloysius;
there are gowns, mortarboards, diplomas and best of all,
no final exams after the graduation ceremony!
The occasion is significant not only for the students
and their parents but for the whole Xavier community.
The students bid farewell and thank their Chuukese
sponsor families for four years of accommodation and
support. Graduation was also an emotional time for the
other students who saw their surrogate big brothers and
sisters for the last time.
The whole graduation process began with a
Baccalaureate Mass where each graduate was escorted in
a procession into the beautifully adorned Chapel. The
congregation included family and friends from all over
Micronesia who came to Xavier to be with graduates at
this special time in their lives. Following this was ‘Senior
Entertainment’ where the whole school was involved in
dances, skits and songs as a farewell show for the Seniors.
The Class of 2002 graduate from Xavier High School,
Chuuk, Micronesia. Please note the old Japanese built bunker
that serves as the main building for the school.
Setting up for the whole Commencement
(Graduation) Ceremony was tough going. We battled
rain and wind for the whole week to turn the basketball
court into a grand pavilion. We thought the weather
would remain wet and inhospitable to our many guests
but once again we were granted beautiful sunshine on the
day just like on Culture Day. Like most American High
Schools, at Xavier there is no requirement for school
uniform, so when the students had to wear black dress
pants, shirts and ties, they were most uncomfortable.
Seeing students wearing baggy dress pants and scarlet
gowns, rushing around asking faculty members to do up
their ties, was an amusing sight. The graduates looked
handsome in their scarlet gowns and mortarboards.
The whole ceremony commenced with the students
slowly marching on a red carpet onto the stage.
Following were speeches given by alumni and
presentations of awards. The ceremony concluded with
the presentation of diplomas to the valedictorians
of 2002.
Later that evening we shared a ‘last supper’ of sorts
with the graduates. The meal was nothing short of a
feast. A large pavilion was erected to house the feast
which included such local delicacies as turtle, three huge
pigs, seafood, taro and countless other titbits. This was
washed down with chilled, fresh coconut juice, of which
Richard partook four helpings (he didn’t eat the next
morning). Following the feast were numerous speeches
of thanks and then we were treated to a musical feast -
our very own band, ‘Xavier Pride’, who played their songs
long into the night. Those not incapacitated by
overeating were invited to dance with the Seniors, many
of whom we would never see again. Finally, the night
ended at around midnight, when the Seniors went
‘downtown’ to continue their partying well into the night.
The rest of us were left with the colourful longanticipated
cleanup that took us until 3 am. The
Graduation Ceremony was a grand and fitting farewell to
the Class of 2002. We felt privileged to be here to meet
and farewell such a great group of students. To the
‘Musketeers’ of 2002, farewell and best wishes for
the future!
The Summer Break for Xavier students begins May
29. We will be running the Higher Achievement
Programme (HAP) in Chuuk during the holidays, for
about 6 weeks. The HAP was set up in Chuuk a few
years ago by the Jesuits with the aim of giving less able
students an opportunity to be tutored in Maths, English
skills and Science. We will be administering the HAP
with the help of some Xavier students, who will use the
opportunity to work towards their Community Service
Projects (somewhat like the Community Service for Year
11 at St. Aloysius’). Judging from all accounts, the HAP
offers great opportunities for the students and the
administrators. We Micronesian Scholars hope our
participation in the HAP this summer will contribute
holistically to the students’ learning. At the completion
of the HAP, we hope to travel to the island of Pohnpei,
to witness the Micronesian Games, where some Xavier
students will be competing in track and field events.
Ad Majora Natus
Bosco Wu and Richard Clifton-Smith (SAC 2001)
2002 Micronesian Scholars
12

2002 Annual Giving Appeal
As St Aloysius’ College faces the future with confidence,
we can thank our many friends and members of the
College Community who enthusiastically continue to
support all we do. To maintain our excellence, we must ensure
that our facilities are constantly improved as necessary and that
we provide educational opportunities for boys, both now and in
the future.
One way that the College Community (Old Boys, Parents,
Past Parents, Widows of Old Boys, Friends of the College and
Suppliers to the College) can support the improvement and
development of the College is by making a gift to the
Foundation’s 2002 Annual Giving Appeal.
This year’s Annual Giving Appeal Patron is Professor
Emeritus Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE (SAC 1947), Australian of
the Year in 2000 and world-renowned scientist. Every member of
the College Community should by now have received a letter
from Sir Gustav urging them to support this year’s Appeal.
Funds raised from the Appeal will be directed to the
construction of a Chaplaincy - Pastoral Care Centre and the
renovation of the College Canteen (a very popular decision with
the boys!). This work is a part of Stage IV of the College
Masterplan, the renovation of the Middle School (Years 7 to 10)
Building.
Donors may also wish to support the Foundation Library
Fund, which provides books and other related material to the
College Libraries ( Junior and Senior School) or the Foundation
Education Fund that provides funding for the College’s
Academic Means Tested Bursary Programme.
Gifts to the Foundation Building Fund and Library Fund are
tax deductible, however Australian Tax Office rules do not allow
for gifts to the Education Fund to be tax deductible.
If you have not yet sent in a gift but would like to support the
Appeal please complete the gift form and return it to the
College.
To date over $85,000 has been donated to the Appeal. Your
support of the Appeal will ensure that the much-needed
renovations to the Middle School Building become a reality.
Funds raised from the 2001 Annual Giving Appeal were
directed to the construction of the new Visual Arts Centre,
which was opened in Term I this year.
I would encourage every member of the College Community to make a gift to the 2002 Annual Giving
Appeal, your valuable support will make the construction of the Chaplaincy – Pastoral Care Centre
and the renovation of the College Canteen a reality. This project will benefit every boy at the College,
now and in the years to come.
Sir Gustav Nossal AC CBE (SAC 1947)
Patron, 2002 Annual Giving Appeal
Yes I would like to support the 2002 Annual Giving Appeal
I would like to make a gift of:
Name on Card: .....................................................................
$100 $50 $200 $500 $350 Signature: ...................................................... Expiry: .........
$750 $1000 Other $ ............. to the
Name: ...................................................................................
Address: ................................................................................
Foundation Building Fund (Tax-deductible)
Foundation Library Fund (Tax-deductible)
Foundation Education Fund
Enclosed is a cheque made payable to the
St Aloysius’ College Foundation
Please debit my Credit Card
Telephone: ................................... h ...................................w
E-Mail: ..................................................................................
I am an:
Old Boy of the College - Class of 19/20..................
Parent at the College
Past parent of the College
Current or Past Staff Member
Amex Bankcard MasterCard
Friend of St Aloysius’
Visa Diners
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, Milson’s Point NSW 2061 Fax: 02 9929 6414 Email: murray.happ@staloysius.nsw.edu.au
13

Cadets
Cadet Officers with Chief of the Defence Forces Lt. General Peter Cosgrove AC, MC.
A Memorial with the General
On Friday the 31 May, the Unit’s Year 12 cadets
attended a memorial service at North Head. The
service marked the 60th anniversary of the
Japanese midget submarines attack on Sydney Harbour
and the shelling of Sydney and Newcastle by enemy
submarines. Wreaths and books were laid at the Plaque
remembering the 19 Australian and 2 British sailors who
were killed when their ship, HMAS Kuttabul, a converted
Sydney ferry used for accommodation was destroyed by a
torpedo fired from one of the subs.
Hon Tony Abbot MP (SAC 1975) Minister for
Employment and Workplace Relations was the Master of
Ceremonies for the sombre occasion. We were very
fortunate to hear a stirring speech delivered by The
Commander of Australia’s Armed Forces, Lieutenant
General Peter Cosgrove AC, MC, outlining the historic
events on the night of the 31 May 1942. The current
commander of HMAS Kuttabul, Commander Vicki
McConachie CSC RAN also made a speech.
The ceremony was very humbling for all who attended
as we remembered the ultimate sacrifice made by so many
Australian service people to preserve our great Australian
way of life. It was also a time where many of us reflected
on the fact that the event marked the first time that
Sydney had been directly effected by the war and that it
could have been a lot worse if not for the Navy’s swift
response.
After the Ceremony we were treated to lunch and took
the liberty of exploring the tunnels, 9.2 Inch gun
emplacements and Artillery Museum at North Head
which we all very much enjoyed. It was also with great
pleasure that we were able to present to the College a copy
of the book made for the occasion, “No Cause For Alarm”
personally signed by Lieutenant General Peter Cosgrove
AC, MC.
Scott Taylor
Senior Under Officer
St Aloysius’ College Cadet Unit
CUO’s with Old Boy Hon. Tony Abbott MP (SAC 1975)
14

CAS Cadet Drill Competition
Late last term, Barker College hosted a conference to
discuss the future of Cadet units in the Combined
Associated Schools. An initiative was presented at
that conference, to establish a CAS Cadet competition,
much like the CAS sporting and debating challenges. The
Cadet Conference was made up of three representatives
from each of the CAS cadet units, excluding Cranbrook
School, who are currently in the process of re-establishing
a cadet unit. Also present were the Commanding Officers
of each Unit, including the CO of SACCU, Lt. Col.
Laurie Newton. Representatives from the St Aloysius’
College Cadet Unit were the Senior Under Officer (SUO)
Scott Taylor, The RSM; WO1 Dominic Kennelly and Sgt
Chris Yee.
The agenda of the day was to establish a plan for
the CAS Cadet Competition. The first event of the
new scheme was to be a Drill Competition. The format
agreed upon was a pre-organised series of manoeuvres
that would be performed by a fourteen-man drill
squad. This would be the first CAS drill competition
since the practice was abandoned at the outbreak of
World War II.
Harrison, Dominic Haylen, Lu-Wee Koh, Paul
Marosszeky, Paul O’Byrne, Seb Robertson and Chris Yee
participated in the competition.
These cadets spent countless mornings and afternoons
practising drill manoeuvres at school, some days arriving at
7.30am and regrouping after school for further practices
until 5.30pm. The commitment shown towards these
practices displayed the high standard of spirit and
determination in our Cadet Unit. The competition was
held in May at the Knox Grammar School oval. Cadets
wearing standard camouflage uniform without weapons or
flags performed the drill.
Final preparations
Preparing for the Drill Competition
Early this term, preparations at St Aloysius’ began for
the drill competition. This involved the selection of a
fourteen-man drill squad to compete in the competition.
Auditions were held at cadet parades, and the sheer
number of entrants made the selection a difficult process.
Many skilled and dedicated cadets auditioned, but as only
fourteen cadets and reserves were allowed, only the best
could be chosen. The final group included the following
cadets. From Year 9, two cadets, Tristan Deeves and Jamie
Monckton made the squad, as well as Corporals James
Crittenden, Vincent Floro, Edward Hastings, John
McCormack, Toby Messina, Tim Scarfe, Patrick
Tompsett and Jayden Zullo from Year 10. From Year 11,
Seargents Nicholas Chan, Andrew Emanuel, James
On the 24 May 2002, at 4pm, the drill squad travelled
to Knox, supported by the entire St Aloysius’ College
Cadet Unit. The 250 Aloysian cadets took their place in
the grandstand alongside Knox. As gentle rain began to
fall, the Aloysian Cadet unit cheered the Aloysian drill
squad onto the parade ground. The competition ran
without a hitch, apart from the fading light in the later
stages of the meet and the SACUU drill squad performed
magnificently under the command of the RSM.
Unfortunately we were unable to win the competition,
however, it was later revealed that point tallies had the
Aloysius squad in at third place, ahead of Barker and
Waverley, which was a great result.
Cadets is indeed alive and well at Aloysius and
although we did not win, the competition showed the
other schools that Aloysian support and cadet proficiency,
and also set the pace for future competitions which will
hopefully be held in years to come. My congratulations
and thanks go to all the members of the drill squad and
also to the unit as a whole for representing the school so
superbly.
Seargent Chris Yee
(Year 11)
15

Legacy Badge Sellers
The top Legacy badge sellers from Sydney schools
visited HMAS Huon on Tuesday 9 April 2002.
The 12 students from across Sydney raised money
for Legacy, which cares for 132,000 widows of ex-service
personnel and 1,800 children across Australia.
The students included Jordan Dolce (Year 10) from
St Aloysius’ College.
Many of these dedicated students raised more than
$1,000 each on the day, starting before dawn to catch early
morning commuters, and remaining throughout the day to
catch them again on the return home.
The students were given an extensive tour of HMAS
Huon, the lead ship in the Navy’s Billion-Dollar Mine
Hunter Coastal fleet. They were impressed by the level of
technology onboard and by the space (or lack of it) in the
crew’s living quarters.
Following the tour of HMAS Huon, the students
visited Spectacle Island for a historical tour and BBQ
lunch.
Legacy covers all military conflicts in which Australia
has been involved as well as caring for the spouses and
dependants of regular or reserve forces killed in hazardous
service or training accidents such as the Black Hawk
helicopter and HMAS Westralia tragedies. Legacy now
also embraces the families of the Defence Force personnel
who served in East Timor and are now serving in
Afghanistan.
The Boys from St Aloysius’ College have faithfully
served as Legacy Badge Sellers for many years. Legacy and
the people it helps thanks the College and the Students of
St Aloysius’ for the ongoing support and assistance.
Lieutenant Jason Taylor RANR
Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Group
Royal Australian Navy
A Man for Others … Cornelius Page
Recently the ABC 7.30 Report ran a segment on the
unveiling of a memorial to civilians executed by the
Japanese during the WWII occupation of the
island of New Ireland, Papua New Guinea. Most were
planters, missionaries and officials.
Con Page was a student at the College in the mid-
1920s. In 1942 he was manager of Pigibut plantation on
Simberi Island, just off New Ireland and was appointed as
a coastwatcher for the Royal Australian Navy intelligence.
Con provided the earliest reports on Japanese aircraft
heading for Rabaul and other key PNG sites. The
Japanese made determined efforts to curtail his
intelligence gathering activities and finally succeeded. He
was taken to a nearby island and shot.
Con’s story is one of sixty biographies in Gerri
Nicholas’ forthcoming book, Men for Others, covering the
Old Aloysians who lost their lives in the various wars.
Men for Others will be launched on November 11. For
further information, please contact Mrs Gerri Nicholas
on 9954 4454.
The memorial at Kavieng, PNG
At the July 4 Dawn Service ceremony at Kavieng one
of the participants Dr Jan Roberts, historian and friend of
Gerri Nicholas, placed local orchids on the plaque in Con’s
memory, on behalf of the College.
Champion Legacy Badge Sellers visit HMAS Huon
16

Pastoral Care
Drug Education
2002 is the second of a three-year drug prevention
programme at St Aloysius’ College. Mrs Jill Pearman,
the College’s Drug Education Consultant, has worked
faithfully with the College to ensure that our drug
prevention policy and programmes puts us at the forefront
of an area that is constantly changing. Jill works for the
Prevention Resource Centre and has had over 20 years of
experience in working in this area. Jill’s work means she has
direct contact with people having addictions and she
compliments her work by speaking at many schools and
conferences right across the world. I have always been
impressed by her knowledge with the latest research in such
a diverse area. In employing Jill Pearman as our Drug
Education Consultant, the College has embarked on a
comprehensive and positive strategy involving students,
parents and staff at the College. Jill has worked with the
staff in advising on curriculum inputs and also with the
parent body. The cohesive nature of our drug prevention
activity places us at the forefront in this vital area of drugs.
A touch football game held during a retreat
This year Jill has concentrated on workshop sessions
with the students. The Year 8 and Year 9 students were the
first students to be broken up into groups of forty and had
workshop sessions with Jill during their activity and
reflection days on March 25 – 27. These sessions fitted
nicely into the programmes of problem solving and building
bridges that were the themes of the activity and reflection
days. The Year 7 boys followed in the last week of Term I,
but their discussion groups were based in their homeroom
classes. The Year 10-12 groups also had small groups that
took place in week three, four and five of Term II. All these
sessions took place in Wyalla Lecture Theatre. The Junior
School will be the focus of Jill’s work for Term III.
Jill pitched her marvellous presentations at different
levels based on the age of the students. The Year 12 boys
for example had some discussion based on the effects of
alcohol and driving and marijuana while the younger years
had more discussion based on cigarettes. Despite this, Jill
mentioned we should never underestimate the knowledge
of even our Year 7 lads about drugs! I found Jill’s
A Liturgy at a recent retreat
presentations always interesting and thought provoking for
the students. The positive rapport Jill has with the students
and the great interaction that is generated is a wonderful
sight to see.
The workshop sessions were complimented with various
parent drug education evenings and these were timed to try
and coincide with the boy’s presentation. The logic of this
was to ensure that plenty of discussion took place between
parents and child. I thank all the parents who attended on
these nights.
In recent weeks there has been some media attention
about the latest statistics from the Australian Institute of
Health and Welfare on drug and alcohol use. This is the
much-awaited 2001 National Drug Strategy Household
(NDSH) survey that Jill often talks about in her discussion
with parents. The following web site should enable you to
access further information on this www.aihw.gov.au/
ndshs/index.html
I am hoping in the future that on the College web page
I will be able to provide websites and relevant information
so as to keep our College Community up to date with
relevant information in the area of drug prevention.
St Aloysius’ College considers the area of drug
education as an important priority for our students. It has
such an important impact on other areas of the child
development such as self-esteem, spirituality, connectedness
to the family and the College, resilience and the list goes on.
I think all the work that has been undertaken this year will
have a positive impact on all members of the Aloysian
Community. It will better prepare our students for a world
that has easy accessibility to drugs and a culture that
permeates that drug taking is ‘cool’.
Jill and I are still thinking of ways of changing the
format of future presentations. One suggestion for next year
is to have a compulsory night for Year 10 students and their
parents. This would ensure that in a student’s lifetime at St
Aloysius’ College both boys and parents would be educated
in this area. I would appreciate your thoughts on this idea.
Chris Gould
Director of Pastoral Services
17

College Retreats
Retreats, Camps, Reflection and
Activity Days
Between 25 and 27 March 2002 St. Aloysius’
College embarked on a new venture. For the first
time in the College’s history we decided to have the
entire Senior School have their retreats, camps and
reflection and activity days taking place at the same time.
Each Year focused on a particular theme. The main
purpose of the Year 7 camp was to smooth the student’s
transition into the senior school by giving the students
opportunity to meet and make new friends. There were
many physical team orientated activities at the beautiful
Narrabeen site. The Year 8 theme was building bridges
and looked at relationships. Like Year 9 it was based at the
school with a wide range of activities involved.
Activities on retreat
Year 9 focused on problem solving for life. Many real
life situations were proposed so that the students
developed the skills to approach solving very diverse
problems. Year 10 visited three locations, Hazelbrook,
Otford and Somersby and the traditional theme of
vocations was reinforced. All of Year 11 were at the one
site, Elanora Heights, but were split into three groups for
a large number of their activities. The virtues of being part
of a community were central to this retreat. The Year 12
gentleman travelled to the South Coast, Bowral and the
foothills of the Blue Mountains, which ideally matched
the theme of Journey. Each year had a unique experience
and many teachers worked hard to prepare challenging
and rewarding ideas.
As one traverses from Year 7 to Year 12 the complexity
of the activities developed. The adventure in Year 7 was
called the Year 7 Camp as the traditional physical activities
such as abseiling, canoeing and rock climbing dominated
on these days. In Years 8 and 9 the days are called Activity
and Reflection Days. On these days there is a mixture of
physical activities and discussion. Years 8 and 9 had an
amazing multimedia presentation that addressed a number
of issues such as relationships, drug taking, setting goals
Teamwork in action on a retreat
and peer pressure. It was these Years that were lucky to
have our drug consultant, Mrs Jill Pearman, present a
workshop session to small groups of boys. This proved to
be a very popular and many questions were asked.
In Years 10-12 we encouraged the relationship
between the retreatant and God. We do this in the
younger Years, but the older students look at the issue
more deeply. Each Year experienced the Stations of the
Cross in various forms. This was an integral and vital
component, especially as this just occurred before Easter.
Not only was the teaching staff present but also some
parents, Old Boys and Jesuit Novices. The Novices visited
the College earlier in the year as part of the Vocation
Team. I thank all those members of the Aloysian
community who have contributed to making the programs
and assisting me in any way. The majority sacrificed their
home life for two nights and three days and were able to
collapse into the Easter break.
Part of the Mission statement for our College states that
the school promotes lifelong learning and spiritual growth.
I feel that what happened in our time before Easter was so
important in achieving this goal. St Ignatius encouraged us
to reflect and find God in everything. The Retreats, Camps
Activity and Reflection Days gave the opportunity for the
students to do this. It was a time to have fun, enjoy good
company and be challenged into thinking about some of the
more deeper and meaningful issues of life.
Chris Gould
Director of Pastoral Care
Dramatisation of The Passion
18

Feast of St Aloysius’
To celebrate the Feast of our Patron, St Aloysius,
the entire College (boys and staff ) walked to
North Sydney Oval on Friday 21 June to enjoy
a Picnic Day, which was organised and managed by the
College Prefects. Various activities were organised
which involved staff and students – obstacle course,
sack races and touch football. The Prefects cooked a
BBQ lunch and very professionally fed 1,200 people!
The highlight of the day was a ‘tug-of-war’ between
the Year 12 boys and the staff. After throwing down the
gauntlet to the staff, the Year 12 boys, despite having
more hands, lost the battle in a very tight competition.
Year 12 vs Staff ‘Tug-of-War’
Matthew Jones (Year 8) and Tom Wright (Year 8) enjoying
a game of cards at the St Aloysius’ Day Picnic
Jarrah Petzold (Year 10) tackles the obstacle course
The last day of Term, the entire College travelled to
St Mary’s Cathedral for a Mass to celebrate the Feast of
the Patron and to close Term II. The Mass was
celebrated by the Dean of the Cathedral, Monsignor
Tony Doherty. The College Music Department
provided wonderful musical and choral performances to
make the day a fitting way to celebrate the Feast of
St Aloysius’.
Alex Hammerton (Year 8) tackles a sausage sandwhich
19

Junior School Sport
Thank you to all those who have welcomed me
into the Aloysian family this Term. I have been
most impressed with the support that the boys
receive. This Term, the boys have focused on their
fitness, team work and believing in who they are and
what they can do. I put to the boys a challenge for them
to not only believe in themselves but more importantly
to believe in each other. As a result, we have seen some
outstanding accomplishments. We have also seen the
boys take more pride in the ‘Blue and Gold’ and what it
means to represent the College but also they have
begun to play with spirit and determination. The
articles that follow only represents a fraction of what
the boys have achieved this Term.
Mosman Mini Marathon
On Sunday 23 June fourteen boys from Years 3
to 6 represented Aloysius Junior School in the
Mosman Mini Marathon. All boys ran
exceptionally well with the Year 5 team consisting of
Tim Rowland, Tim Kirkby and Tom Riisfeldt finished
in First Place in the School Division. The Year 6 team
consisting of Mitchell Axam, Henry Cornwell and Ben
Sweeney finished Second Place.
Notable individual performances were Tim
Rowland (Year 5) who finished 7th in a field of 500
with a time of 7min 14 seconds, and Paul Sindoni (Year
3)running 7min, 48 seconds. Mitchell Axam (Year 6)
ran particularly well to be the second Aloysian home in
a time of 7minutes 34 seconds. The winning boys
received a backpack, hat, t-shirt, drink bottle, $20.00
gift voucher and medal.
But the highlight of the day was that St Aloysius’
running team won the overall perpetual school trophy
as well as some computer software. This was only
awarded after a count-back of three schools times due
to the fact that each of these schools had a 1st and 2nd
place team. The school now has the Mosman Mini
Marathon Schools Challenge trophy in its possession
and will not be letting go of it!
Special mention must go to Tim Patterson (Year 5)
who decided to run on the day and entered as an
individual. He finished with a time of 8.00minutes,
which would have placed him second in the Year 5
Team. Well done to all boys, it must have been the
deafening war cry that they received at Friday’s school
assembly as well as the boy’s determination to do their
best that saw the College receive these great results.
Rugby Gala Day
On Saturday 15 June all Under 11 and Under
12’s Rugby boys took part in a 7 a side Gala
day at Willoughby Park. This gala day was
organised so that the boys would not miss another week
of Rugby due to a scheduled bye in the competition
draw but also gave boys the opportunity to compete
against each other in some friendly team building
games. The day was a great success and really tested the
boy’s fitness and endurance. Credit for the success of
the day, within the tight schedule, must go to all the
boys for ensuring they were on the correct field on time.
Primary School Swimming
Association (PSSA) Swimming
As you would be aware the selections for PSSA
swimming took place at the end of Term I, two
boys, Mark Sindone (Year 5) and Chris
Sudarmana (Year 5) qualified in these finals and were
selected for the NSW Team. These boys will be
travelling to Darwin later on this year to compete at the
Nationals in the hope of securing a place in the
Australian Team. The boys will be selling raffle tickets
in all classrooms to subsidise the price of the trip
(approx $1,200) and so far the school community has
come together to assist the boys in their
accomplishment.
Independent Schools AFL Gala Day
On Sunday 16 June St Aloysius’ Junior School
entered two teams in this gala day made up of
boys from Years 5 and 6. Despite both teams
being a player short in the 9 a side format for half of the
preliminary games, the Aloysius’ Blue Team was able to
make it to the final unbeaten. In a tense battle with an
experienced Knox side the Aloysius’ Blues were able to
win 3 goals 2 (20) to 2 goals 3 (15) after being headed
early in the second half. All boys from both teams
played with determination and showed true college
pride in the finals. The boys now look forward to the
next gala day on the 11 August.
Grand Final Winning Side:
Eamon O’Loughlin (Year 6), Joe Jenkins (Year 6),
Adrian Cordi (Year 5), Max Hutchings (Year 5),
Justin Hall (Year 6), Michael Brennan (Year 6),
Matt Cotton (Year 5), David Munday (Year 6)
and Jack Hawkins (Year 6)
Alex Donnelly (Year 5), and John Stapleton (Year 5)
helped to make up the numbers when required of them
in the preliminary rounds. The boys presented the
winning trophy to Mr Lobo at the Junior School
Assembly.
20

Development Officer Visit
Over a period of two weeks this Term a
development officer from the NSW Touch
Association visited the school assisting me in
teaching the boys from Years 3 to 6 the game of touch
football. The boys have being learning the fast and
exciting game of touch since week 1 in an effort to
improve their passing, catching and overall running game.
The emphasis was on ‘passing’ techniques, defence, and
‘running’ the ball. The officer has coached State Primary
Teams and has run skills sessions for primary school teams
and Rugby Union teams. This sort of cross training not
only assisted the boys that play Rugby but also increased
all boys’ stamina and fitness which can only benefit our
Primary Soccer teams.
Canberra Rugby and Soccer Tour
On Thursday 16 May 35 boys, Mr Paul Adams
and myself set off for Canberra on the annual
tour to Canberra Grammar School. Fuelled by
the idea of a new season and plenty of Allen’s snakes the
boys looked forward to both games. After lunch, and
some introductions to their billets we headed down for
some pre-game training with the first’s soccer playing
first. A quick and aggressive Canberra saw us lose 6-2,
with obvious signs that we needed to work on our
fitness. A determined Prep First XV set about to take
on a slightly bigger Canberra team. Despite foul
weather we were able to hold them out, with the result
being a 10-7 loss. Both Aloysius’ sides showed some
potential.
On Friday we headed home, but before that we
checked into Tudor House Bowral to take on their first’s
teams. With a new game plan and new attitude boys from
both teams destroyed Tudor House with two wins, 29-7 in
rugby and 4-1 in soccer. Special mention must go to
Simon Vranas (Year 6) and Ben Sweeny (Year 6) for
suburb play and defence. Congratulations to both
Captains, Malcolm Gander (1st XV) and James Flint (1st
XI) on excellent leadership and inspiration.
Congratulations to all boys on a great trip that turned out
to be an ideal way to start the pre –season.
Mr Trevor Dunne
Junior School Sportsmaster
Wheelchair Basketball
The Junior School were treated to a special exhibition
of Wheelchair Basketball from the NSW Team. It
was a fast and exciting game to watch and each
member of the team showed amazing agility around the court
despite the fact they were bound to their electric wheelchairs.
Teachers, Prefects and boys alike got the opportunity to
participate in a game, and even before playing, needed to
receive instructions on how to use the wheelchair as well as
play the game. They soon realised it was not as easy to simply
play the game, as they needed to co-ordinate both moving
their wheelchair and playing the game well. Unlike having
the natural use of their legs to run, they quickly appreciated
the skill that was needed to do both things at the same time.
There was indeed a lesson for us all – not to take for
granted what we have, and to acknowledge and appreciate the
effort it must take to adapt to what life deals out to some of us.
21

College Website
www.staloysius.com.au
The St Aloysius’ College Website has existed in its
current format as a news-based site for 18 months. It
is updated at least three or four times a week reflecting
the bustling community that is St Aloysius. The aim is
to develop the website into a notice board for the whole
school community and its visitors, a sort of one-stop shop
for all information and communications. It is definitely a
challenge to keep up with the remarkable array of activities
that staff, students and the wider Aloysian community are
engaged in.
The website is divided into several different sections that
document, amongst other things, the history of the College
and its buildings; the role of Jesuit Education and the
Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm; the curriculum and the
admissions procedures of the College. The website is one
the first points of contact with the school, particularly for
prospective students and their parents.
One of the most useful sections of the site is the school
calendar. This is updated weekly and provides information
about the day-to-day running of the school that helps parents,
students, Old Boys and other members of the Aloysian
community plan their activities and commitments. Next
Term the calendar functions within the website will be
expanded, with separate calendars for different groups within
the school. Feedback forms will accompany these.
The website aims to keep the community up to date with
the activities of the College associations including the
Parents and Friends Association and the St Aloysius’
College Old Boys Union. The College’s wide co-curricular
programme is documented on the website including the
weekly sports report and photos from drama and music productions.
An improvement that will be made is to more fully
communicate the activities of all the co-curricular groups
including the College’s debating teams and Cadet unit.
The website has been a fantastic tool for chronicling the
installation of the College’s marvellous new Organ. The
photographs of this incredible instrument reveal the
complexity of its structure and allow the Aloysian community
to see what will not be able to be seen once the organ’s
installation is complete. The website provides us with a
wonderful opportunity to preserve the history of the college.
All the photographs used on the website are now electronically
archived, helping to document the rich history of the College.
Improvements are constantly being made to the website.
Over the coming months, there will be a new drop-down
navigation bar with a number of new sections to better categorise
and accommodate the ever increasing amount of
information. This will hopefully make the site user-friendlier
and information easier to find.
The Webmaster role is an enjoyable one, particularly as
it is an opportunity to see the busy thriving nature of
our College community and provides a forum for the students
to celebrate their achievements and accomplishments.
The website belongs to the whole College community and
your feedback is very important. Please contact me with any
suggestions or comments at
adam.murdoch@staloysius.nsw.edu.au
Adam Murdoch
Webmaster
22

College Triathlon
SAC Triathlon Newsletter Report
The Annual St Aloysius’ College Triathlon was held
on Sunday 10 March and once again proved a huge
success. Balmoral Beach was the venue for the
500m Swim, 7km Bike and 5km Run which saw over 200
competitors participate.
This year saw many new categories with many parents
and students from Loreto Kirribilli, Monte Sant Angelo
and Riverview, joining our boys at the start line. Once
again it was Matt Harris (Loreto PE Teacher) taking line
honours. Matt entered the Triathlon only 7 days after
completing the 46km Six Foot Track Marathon, arguably
the toughest endurance event in Australia. In second place
was our own Damien Pasfield (Year 11) who came in 2
minutes behind the winner. In only his third ever
Triathlon, Damien proved that he has a great future in
the sport.
Thank you to all who supported and volunteered time
and sacrificed their Sunday morning sleep in to help make
this event a success. Special mention to Ms Carr and Ms
Caristo who worked extremely well under pressure at the
finish line and Year 12 students Phil Thompson and
Richard Robinson who assisted in the important task of
registration.
Triathlon Results
Individual
Junior School 1st John Stapelton (Year 5),
2nd Tim Blundell (Year 4)
Junior 1st Harry Grace (Year 8),
2nd Ben Kirkby (Year 7)
Intermediate 1st Michael Peters (Year 9),
Ben Marshall (Year 9)
Senior 1st Damien Pasfield (Year 11),
2nd David Taylor (Year 12)
Parents 1st Michael Kirkby, 2nd Chris Mulvey
Staff 1st Mr Bookalill, 2nd Mr Caillard
Old Boys 1st Ed Tarrant (SAC 2001),
2nd Dave Lally (SAC 1999)
Teams
Junior School:
Senior School:
Junior
1st John Carroll, Henry Cornwell,
Mitchell Axam (all Year 6)
2nd Tim Geldens (Year 5),
Steve Kelly (Year 6),
Tim Rowland (Year 5)
1st Tim Butcher, Tyron Bicknell,
Arthur Gatt
2nd Mark Williams, Andrea Bertini,
Harry Irving (all Year 8)
Intermediate 1st Jarrah Petzold (Year 10),
Paul Dietz (Year 10),
Shaun Feehan (Year 8).
2nd Nick Bateman, Dan Baxter,
Paul Swinski (all Year 9)
Senior
Parents
Staff
1st Michael McCooe, Blake Hughes,
Mark Switzer (all Year 11)
2nd Jeremy May, Will Gray,
Simon Aldridge (all Year 12)
1st Chris Butcher, Guy Bicknell,
Steven Gatt.
2nd John Mc Cooe, Graham Ratue,
Tony Power
1st Greg Marinan, Michael Key,
Jenny Hoare.
2nd Sue Martin, Nick Boys,
Marianee Busitill
Family 1st Tom Kiely, Chris Kiely
and Steven Knight
2nd Peter West and Jay Anderson
It was a fantastic day and with your support and
enthusiasm it will continue to grow into a highlight of the
St Aloysius’ College calendar.
Mr Laurie Newton and Mr Ben Gavan
Damien Pasfield (Year 11) winner of the Senior Division
23

Senior School Sport
Rugby
The season commenced with a highly successful
rugby launch at the College Oval in which Mr
Frank Clarke, new MIC, spoke of his plans and
directions for the code both in the Junior and Senior
School in front of over 300 people. Guest speaker on the
evening was Gary Ella, ex-Wallaby and one of the famous
three Ella brothers.
As part of Frank’s initiatives, a tour to Queensland
took place in the July holidays incorporating for the first
time the Opens, U16s and Preps with the aim of
developing rugby at all levels within the College. A report
of the tour will appear in the next edition of the Aloysiad.
In both the Senior and Junior School particularly, a
large number of Old Boys are coaching at all ages. These
include Nick Lah (SAC 1998), Marcus Loomes (SAC
1999), Michael Williams (SAC 1999) and Morgan Dunn
(SAC 2000) in the Senior School and Nick Edwards (SAC
2000), James Nakaan (SAC 2000), Michael Nicholson
(SAC 2001), Philip Jensen (SAC 2000) and Ben Frost
(SAC 2001) in the Junior School. The Junior School has
been targeted especially with all age groups receiving
excellent direction from both specialist and Old Boy coaches.
The 1st XV season so far has been a little
disappointing with the team playing well only in patches.
Two good performances against Kinross (23-23) and
St Ignatius’ College (14-32) with the latter a much closer
game than the score indicated, have been followed up with
some average performances against St Pius X College and
Newington College. On paper the team has excellent
credentials with many boys back from last year’s Team.
Hopefully the team will show its true potential after the
tours in the competition proper.
All other age groups have had their share of success so
far with the U15s and U14s doing particularly well,
especially at A level.
Soccer
Like rugby, the soccer season also began with a
season’s launch at the College Oval, which was well
attended. Mr Eduardo Moerbeck, Director of
Soccer and 1st XI Coach, introduced his other specialist
coaches who will be assisting in various age groups. A
number of Old Boys, Peter West (SAC 2001), Paul
Auguita (SAC 1999), Byron Michalandos (SAC 2001),
Chris Hillege (SAC 2001) and Oliver Sartor (SAC 2000)
are also involved in coaching teams.
Presently the Soccer Committee is attempting to
organise a tour of England in late November with boys
from Years 10-12 eligible for selection.
The 1st XI has been most successful in the trial season
so far with wins over Knox (3-2), St Ignatius’ College (4-
3), Sydney Grammar (3-2) and a draw against St Pius X
College (2-2). They too defeated Masada College (2-1) in
Round 1 of the Independent Schools Cup. In the coming
holidays they tour to Melbourne to participate in the Jesuit
Schools Tournament, hosted by Xavier College.
For the first time soccer is being played in Year groups,
not age groups but only in the CAS competition. Most of
our trial games are against GPS and ISA schools that are
still playing in age groups. Despite this, all Year groups
have fared well. The 10As are still undefeated. The 9s and
7s are our two strongest age groups.
Tennis
The 1st IV Tennis Team, in attempting to emulate
last year’s success in winning the CAS Winter
Premiership, has started the season in fine fashion.
The competition is played over two rounds (home and
away) and the boys have defeated Barker, Knox and
Trinity but lost to Waverley narrowly after 4 rounds.
Three of the team, Ross Lalic (Captain) (Year 11), John
Ganderton (Year 11) and Stephen Goh (Year 8) were
CAS Representatives in the summer season.
Most other Year groups have had their share of the
success but the Year 7s are still undefeated. The same boys
were placed unofficially second in the summer
competition.
Volleyball
The 1st Volleyball team, under outside coach Mr
Chris Barton, remain undefeated after four games
of the CAS competition. Like tennis, the boys play
two rounds. The team has been impressive in their victories
over Knox, Barker, Waverley and ‘heavy-weights’ Trinity.
Three of the boys, Ronald Tan (Year 12), Chris
Lobasher (Year 11) and Alex Romans (Year 11) have been
selected to represent the CIS at the NSW State Cup to be
held in late July.
The College fields three Opens Teams only and all
CAS schools compete except Cranbrook. Sydney
Grammar takes their place in the winter competition.
Cross Country
The cross-country team is only small in number but
is highly talented. Seven of the twelve runners
were recently picked to represent CAS at the CIS
Championships. All boys performed well with Captain,
David Taylor (Year 12) finishing eighth in the Under 17
Years and Graham Purcell (Year 9) third in the Under 14
years. Both boys now proceed to the All Schools meet. In
the Junior School, Tim Rowland (Year 5) was placed 10th
in the Under 11 years event. The boys train in the
morning before school under the direction of Mr John
Caillard whist Mr Phil Farmer remains as MIC.
Mr Paul Rowland (SAC 1973)
Director of Co-curricular
24

Athletics Report
My personal anticipation of season 2002 was unlike
any other. I could sense the enthusiasm right from
the beginning. By Term IV 2001, training had
begun in earnest. Fearless young men battled the sweltering
heat of the summer months under Head Coach Clayton
Kearney. The high level of dedication was evident in the large
team that frequented the Wattle Series every Friday night of
Term IV and then through Term I. Thanks to Old Boy Ed
McGlynn (SAC 2001), the squad continued training right
through the Christmas holidays in the picturesque setting of
Balmoral. The spirit and commitment of the boys involved
was truly inspiring.
The Athletics calender was
marked week in week out
with personal bests and a
close-knit team striving to
improve at each performance.
Each individual worked
tirelessly and punished
themselves at training, all
bound by the common goal
of victory at CAS. This
dedication was emphasised
further with a group of 50
boys who made the
pilgrimage to Runaway Bay,
on the Gold Coast, for five
days of intensive training
and hard work.
David Taylor (Year 12) after
competing in the CAS Hurdles
The athletics season of 2002
has been an unqualified
success, and the results at
CAS were no different. At
8:00 am, May 18, the College rose to the occasion in full
voice. This marked the atmosphere of CAS and reaffirmed
to every athlete that the College believed in them. The team
finished a creditable 5th in the Championships. Throughout
the afternoon we challenged Trinity Grammar for 4th placing
in what was a day of high drama with disqualifications and
protests keeping coaches and officials busy.
While our success can’t be solely measured by points,
there were numerous outstanding performances on the day.
The team managed 9 wins with the distance boys leading the
way with some extraordinary efforts. Individually Matthew
Walker U/15 (Year 9) placed first in both the long jump and
hurdles championship with placings in both the 100 and 200
metres and Thomas Borger (Year 11), who was the most
deserving CAS champion in the U/17 javelin, threw a
phenomenal 50 metres. Both athletes were rewarded with
the honorary blue and gold singlet.
As the team, which became a family, relaxed and
reminisced over the season, they realised that they were part
of something very special. I must extend my greatest
appreciation to the unsung hero of the day, Mr Bookallil,
MIC of Athletics. His undying passion for athletics and
genuine interest in the team is unparalleled. He has moulded
the team over the past
years into the success it is
today. To the Vice-
Captains Andrew
Robertson (Year 12) and
Douglas MacDougall
(Year 12), congratulations
for your endless support
to the team and on an
amazing season both on
and off the track. Also
thanks to Head Coach
Clayton Kearney, his
professional yet fun
training techniques have
brought a new dimension
to athletics at St Aloysius’.
Mr Rowland (SAC 1973)
Ben Marshall (Year 9) crossing the
line at the CAS Championships
and his continued support of athletics over the years has been
second to none.
To all the athletes, be proud of what you achieved, as I am
proud of you. Thanks for the memories.
Patrick Jones
Captain of Athletics 2002
Footnote
Patrick Jones is arguably one of the greatest athletes in the
long history of St Aloysius’ Athletics. He has no fewer than
15 school records and has won numerous CAS titles. He led
the team magnificently in 2002 in difficult circumstances. He
was in tremendous form pre-season with a sub 50 second
400m without any track training. A hamstring strain limited
Pat’s preparation, but he continued to be positive and
motivate the team with his presence, knowledge and
enthusiasm. Who will forget the standing ovation at the final
Athletics assembly before the CAS carnival. Pat Jones who
would never say quit, and who proved that he is not only a
fine athlete, but he is a fine leader and young man. The
College is forever indebted to Patrick Jones and will welcome
him back in a coaching capacity in the future.
Matt Bookallil
Athletics Master
Tim Karbowiak (Year 11) leading a race at the College Athletics
Championships
25

Rugby
Rugby at the College is on the way forward. This year
has seen the game ‘they play in heaven’ given a new
impetus and profile in the College. Numbers of
participants are increasing and so too are the skill levels
and fitness of all players.
I have now arranged for Rugby to be administered as a
whole-College programme from the mighty Under 9s
through to the 1st XV. This has proven beneficial already
as the energy and enthusiasm at the College is moving
forwards.
Over 30 Opens and Under 16s players attended a 4-day
pre-season camp at Ulladulla, where they received some
excellent coaching for the season ahead.
A 5-year development plan to improve rugby at the College
has been initiated. Some of our first year goals are already
being achieved with 22 players from the Opens, Under16s
and Under 12s participating on a weeklong rugby
development trip to Brisbane, Toowoomba and Warwick.
This is intended to be an annual trip highlighting the
importance to develop rugby throughout the College.
Results and reports of this trip will feature in the next
edition of the Aloysiad. An ARU Level 1 Coach has been
appointed to each team in the College. College headgear
(in Blue and Gold of course!) has been designed and all
players have been encouraged to wear it to all training
sessions and games.
As a College we find it, at times, difficult to dominate
some of our competitors who have much larger class sizes
and offer ‘interesting’ scholarships. However, we have
some great homegrown talent for which much is expected.
Particularly, the Under 14s Age Group is very strong and
has good depth of talent. The Under 15s and16s have
particularly strong “A” sides and extremely willing “B”
sides, which have already caused some major upsets using
their tenacity as their guide.
The Opens age group are extremely fit and mobile. This is
thanks largely to PDHPE teacher Mr Ben Gavan, who
instituted a fitness program for all sportsmen in the Senior
School from the start of Term IV last year. The 1st XV
squad have fitness, speed and a vast range of skills, which
helps them, make up for a weight advantage they may give
away to some slovenly opponents.
In the Junior School, the enthusiasm of players just
learning the game is extremely pleasing. With the added
focus of the Australian Rugby Union’s “Smart Rugby”
Programme, which promotes safety and confidence in
contact, the numbers and abilities of players in the Junior
School is dramatically on the rise. The mighty Under 9s
are proving unstoppable, and the other age groups are
playing well above their weight, with some excellent
results thus far, particularly in the Under 11s group.
A full report of the Aloysian Rugby season will appear in
the next edition of the Aloysiad. I am contactable on any
rugby matters via email rugby@staloysius.nsw.edu.au.
David Coburn (Year 12)
Keep an eye out for the College rugby newsletter,
complete with match reports, “The Good, The Bad and
the RUGBY” which will appear in Term III.
Here’s Looking forward to an enjoyable, safe and
successful CAS competition.
Mr Frank Clarke
Master in Charge
Dates to Remember
Please note that Debating follows the CAS draw
but is held on the preceeding Friday night.
July 27th
Rugby/Soccer v Cranbrook School (home)
CAS Round
August 3rd
Rugby/Soccer v Barker College (away)
August 10th
Rugby/Soccer v Knox Grammar (home)
August 17th
Rugby/Soccer v Christian Brothers College Waverly (home)
August 24th
Rugby/Soccer v Trinity Grammar (home)
August 31st
Rugby/Soccer v Cranbrook School (away)
26

Senior Chess Team Term 1
Once Chess was regarded as a game for men.
Today women, boys and girls are playing it too.
Chess games are not dull, with its many
combinations and rich possibilities of play it is
inexhaustible as a means of entertainment. Every game
springs some new surprise. Chess has educational value
and its ethical value encourages clean play. Chess teaches
patience, clear thinking, courage and it also promotes
good sportsmanship.
This Chess Season has been very encouraging, we have
fielded three full Chess Teams, with a number of boys
acting as reserves.
This Season has been unique as every Tuesday and
Thursday at lunchtime the Chess Room is full with many
enthusiastic players practicing to improve their skills and
enjoying a Chess Game.
This year the support from students, friends, parents
and teachers and team members has been outstanding.
As far as games are concerned, we have had some very
good games, a few close encounters, but mainly it has been
a very successful season. The Team Members have been
very competitive, committed, reliable, supportive and it
feels good to be part of such a dedicated group.
We would like this commitment to continue, in order
to strengthen and improve our skills, knowledge and
understanding of this fine game. Dedication and
determination will only bring victories, and should be our
vision. “Ad Majora Natus”.
We would like to thank Ms Zingarelli and Rev Fr
Head SJ for their great support and assistance throughout
the season, which has contributed enormously in a very
positive note to the success of the Chess Season.
Alexander Lasky (Year 11)
Captain
Intermediate Chess Term 1 Report
The Chess season of 2002 began on Friday 8
February. The Intermediate Team, which
consisted of Tom Larcher (Captain), Tyann
Young, Diran Fabricatrian and Mark Walden (all Year 9)
were all desperate to begin the new season of chess with a
few good victories.
These victories came soon enough for the intermediate
team against Barker College with a 3-1 victory.
Unfortunately the next rounds weren’t as lucky. In Round
2, the entire team lost except for a fabulous statement by
Diran Fabricatorian. In Round 3, Tyann Young and Tom
Larcher pulled off two incredibly difficult statements
against CBC Waverley to bring the score to a 1-3 loss.
Then after this came Round 4, the dreaded Round 4. The
intermediates and the seniors both lost, with the
disappointing scores of a 4-0 loss against Knox. The last
round of the season was Round 5. Tyann Young was the
only player to achieve a victory against the powerful
Cranbrook team, bringing the score total to a close 1-3 loss.
All in all the season was an interesting one. Apart from
the losses and few victories, the team remained happy with
their result and hope to improve their skills for the
challenges that the next season may hold. The team learnt
many valuable lessons through their mistakes and look
forward to having a better second season in the chess
league.
Tom Larcher (Year 9)
Junior Chess Team Term 1
The Junior Chess team for 2001 had quite a
successful out come. We won 1 of our rounds lost
2 and drew 1 match.
All the games that we played were very close and about
four of them were very unlucky losses.
To start the Term rolling we had a large amount of
applicants, which totalled 32 so it was a very large pool
from which we drew the team.
The final team was composed of Alexander Bryden,
Mark Slaven, Joel Mortimer and Peter Farmankis and
Edwin Nelson (all Year 7).
The first week we played Barker where unfortunately
we lost. However an exciting close game was played by
Alex Bryden on Board 1. This match fired all of us for the
rest of the season which was most exciting. We are now
preeparing for another successful season in Term III in the
Junior Chess League.
Edwin Nelson (Year 7)
Divine intervention in the Yellow
Pages!
Looking through the Yellow Pages to find someone
who could restore the brassware in the College
Chapel, I thought I’d try a listing in Manly Vale as
it was close to the College. As it was my first call, I
explained that I was secretary on the P&F at St Aloysius’
College and I was looking to restore brassware items in our
Chapel, do you do this sort of work? Imagine my surprise
when the reply was, No, but I will! A little taken aback I
hesitated. John Garling (SAC 1982) then introduced
himself as an Old Boy and immediately asked after Rev Fr
Schneider SJ. He was thrilled to hear he was still actively
involved with the College as he had many fond memories
of him. In fact John would not discuss quotes, he insisted
this was his gift to the College. Thankyou very much John
on behalf of the P&F and the College for so generously
restoring every piece of brassware that Rev Fr Schneider
SJ found. A great Aloysian spirit!
Helen Gooden
P&F Committee
27

Social Justice at SAC
Social Justice at St Aloysius’s College has become much
more dynamic in the last six months. Formerly, the group
was known as the St Vincent de Paul Society. We felt that
this title described just a small part of what the group aimed to
do. As a result we have “morphed” into the Social Justice Society.
The group has now expanded its range of activities. New
initiatives this year have included the Sbox forum and volunteer
work at the hostel for homeless men operated at St Canice’s
Parish in Kings Cross. These are on top of the fundraising
activities for charities and our involvement with Life For Kids.
Social Justice Committee members with children from ‘Life for Kids’
Social Justice Committee members with Toby O’Connor (SAC 1975)
Sbox
Sbox is short for “soapbox” and the aim of the forum is to
promote within the college community an awareness of
issues of social concern in our community.
It is hoped the forum will provide the opportunity for
students to “critique economic, social, political structures in our
world which are integral to a just social order and which have
significant effects on the dignity and basic rights of every member
of the human family on this planet.” Inform, Issue 74, July 2001.
Our speakers to date have included Michael Crews who
spoke very warmly to the boys about the work of the Exodus
Foundation. In particular he spoke of the work the organization
does to help students who have been expelled from school to get
back into the system in 20 weeks. He emphasised the importance
of literacy by telling the students that 80% of people in jail
cannot read or write. Even more worrying was the fact that 85%
of homeless men are aged between 35 and 44 years of age.
As a result of Michael’s speech to the school community,
students in the senior school brought in cans for the Mass of the
Sacred Heart in Term II. The response from the boys was very
generous.
In late June the national Director of Catholic Welfare
Australia and Old Boy of the College, Mr Toby O’Connor (SAC
1975), visited the College and spoke of the work of the Church
in the Social Justice area. Toby also spoke of how we can
readdress the imbalance in Australia. As an Old Boy of the
College it was interesting to hear how Toby credited his social
conscious to the teaching of the Jesuits at St Aloysius’ and how
the style of education offered at the College made him aware of
the problems that face our society.
Finally, The Social Justice Society was also responsible for
organising our first student mass for 2002. Rev Fr Paul Mullins
SJ celebrated the mass for us on May 9. The students organised
the readings, wonderful music and an inspiring reflection around
the theme of A Faith that Does Justice.
You can read more about our group on the web! I encourage
everyone to visit www.staloysius.nsw.edu.au and have a look at
the Wednesday Soap Box page.
If you are interested in becoming involved in any aspect of
our work please get in touch.
Miss Margaret Bryant
Co-ordinator SAC Social Justice Society
Life For Kids
Is a group that has grown from the deep compassion and
commitment of Rev. Fr. Headmaster’s Secretary, Mrs Ailsa
Gillett for the children of the disadvantaged and marginalised.
Mrs Gillett and her energetic band of helpers have developed
a support group Life For Kids. The group is involved especially in
the indigenous community around Woolloomooloo. The group
take the children out to breakfast on a Saturday morning and on
outings to the beach or on a picnic.
The St Aloysius’s Social Justice Committee have enjoyed
helping out with picnics and a Christmas party last year
(complete with a slim Santa!). The aim of the group is to give the
children some time out of difficult domestic and peer situations
and “have a life”, even if it is an hour or two each week. Our
involvement has been great fun. We have grown to admire Mrs
Gillett and her boundless energy.
It is quite easy to see the genuine affection the children have for
Mrs Gillett in particular. No birthday goes by unacknowledged,
and quite often it is Mrs Gillett and her group that provide new
school shoes or a box of groceries for a family in need. She has
earned a great deal of respect from the Woolloomooloo community.
Mrs Gillett is a great example of the Jesuit call to be “a
woman for others”.
Donations to Life For Kids can be sent to the College.
Volunteers are always welcome! For more information contact
the College on 9922 1177
28

Social Justice in Action
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes
but in having new eyes”.
On Thursday 6 June, my eyes were opened when I took a
voyage into a world that I’ve never been to before. It was
a world quite foreign to me yet it was only 6 kilometres
from my school gate. I was not sure what to expect. I considered
that it would be similar to my experiences in my Community
Involvement, which was with people with multiple disabilities.
My original assumption would turn out to be very wrong.
On the evening of Thursday 6 June, Patrick Tai (Year 12),
Rory Maguire (Year 12) and myself accompanied by Miss
Bryant, went to St. Canice’s in Kings Cross. St. Canice’s Church
is a place where people who live on the streets can come by and
pick up some tea or coffee and a bite to eat and stay the night in
beds set up in a hall.
Santa Claus (Phillip Emmanuel, Year 12) distributes gifts to
children from ‘Life for Kids’
In the beginning I felt quite intimidated by this ‘new’
world, not only was I in a suburb that I was unfamiliar with, but
I was amongst people who have huge social prejudices against
them. After socialising with these men for a while, I soon came
to the conclusion however, that the ground that these social
prejudices stand on is not very solid. As I watched these
prejudices fall into pieces in front of my eyes I began to see the
real world that these people live in and the real personalities
behind the faces.
What we did was to make up beds (complete with hospital
corners my Mum would have been proud of!), make the tea or
coffee as required and make toast or a bread roll with jam or
vegemite. After filling up our newfound friends till they were
satisfied we began to chat with them, thus beginning my voyage
of discovery. We talked to a number of people that night.
One man I remember was “Jason”. “Jason” is a great guy, he
has a great sense of humour and was easy to chat to and readily
shared his life story with a complete stranger (me). His story is
like so many, he fell into drug use and his schoolwork fell away.
In his own words he “completely wasted the opportunity” to get
an education. As a result he can’t read and write. He only “uses”
twice a week now he says. “Jason” would be about mid-twenties.
It was a bit shocking to see a guy close to my age forced to live
on the street, but after a few minutes of talking to him my shock
soon turned to compassion.
At 10pm it was time to leave. We had set out that evening
thinking we would be helping others. I was really mistaken as at
the end of the evening I realised that I had gained far more from
this experience than the men at the hostel would get from a cup
of coffee and a bed.
This night remains in my memory as a night where I was
introduced into a foreign world and through new eyes and
experiences, I found the flaws behind some social prejudices of
people who live on the streets, and I can now see the good behind
people who help others and the rewards in stepping out of the
safe boundaries we set ourselves, and taking voyages into places
that may intimidate us a little.
Tim Hunt (Year 12)
St Aloysius’ College Social Justice Society
The Place of Social Justice At SAC…
Where to from here?
In the recent College review all members of the College
Community named Social Justice as a priority for our future
planning. A group has been convened to address this and
decide how to implement the priorities. Currently a group of
interested and experienced staff led by Miss Margaret Bryant are
discussing the approach we can take to develop and enhance a
sense of Social Justice in our College community.
Titled A Faith that Does Justice, our recommendations to the
review will include strengthening ties with Jesuit Social Services
and involving the parent and Young Old Boys in initiatives and
outreach programmes.
Our discussions have been lively and include the expertise of
Mr Nick Boys ( Junior School), Mrs Ailsa Gillett (a Director of
Life for Kids and Father Headmaster’s Secretary) as well as
Religious Education teacher Miss Hannah Tancred. Mr John
Cochrane, Miss Madeline Smith and Rev Fr Iain Radvan SJ
represent the Senior School Staff on the Committee. We look
forward to giving our final recommendations to the College.
THE JESUIT REFUGEE SERVICE
warmly invites you to
A Melbourne Cup Luncheon
at the ANA Hotel, The Rocks
on November 5, 2002 from 12 noon
Guest of Honour
Sir Gerard Brennan AC KBE
Cost $85
Table bookings/enquiries:
Felicity Coughlan: 9960 4154 H, Ailsa Gillett: 9960 3170 H
This will be a spectacular highlight of the year so gather friends for a
marvellous day. It will also be an opportunity to support the extensive
work of The Jesuit Refugee Service both in Australia and overseas.
The Jesuit Refugee Service seeks prospective volunteers for a multiplicity of
tasks – lawyers, dentists and doctors, visitors to detention centres, teachers
for camps and schools, administrative and friend/fundraising activities.
Please phone JRS 9356 3888.
29

Parents & Friends
P&F Report
Early this term we celebrated Mothers Day, which
seems to becoming a tradition, by having a lunch
at the College Oval on Thursday 9 May. It was a
glorious sunny day and the Pavilion was transformed into
an elegant dining room with white tablecloths and
beautiful multicoloured roses and petals. Three
generations of ladies enjoyed a delightful meal served to
them by two Old Boys Nick Edwards (SAC 2000) and
Russell Skinner (SAC 2000).
At our Forum on 14 May we were fortunate enough to
have Rev Fr Richard Leonard SJ as our guest speaker
enlightening us on Jesuit Vocations in a most entertaining
way.
Mothers visit ‘Little Italy”
Our annual Card Day was held on 13 June and I think
those who worked in the kitchen enjoyed themselves as
much as the card players.
As another way for us to get together this term we
started our Fabulous Foodie Tours. Under the guidance of
Maeve O’Meara forty ladies discovered Little Italy in
Haberfield and our eyes were opened to a new side of food
in Sydney. We had a delicious lunch and tasted many
different delights ranging from Italian sausages to
wonderful Italian biscuits and cakes as we were shown
around many varied businesses. On 20 June we went a bit
further afield and investigated the fascinating food of
Turkish Sydney on our day out in Auburn. As well a
tasting a myriad of delights ranging from Turkish Pizza
to, of course, Turkish Delight we were fortunate enough
to be taken on a tour of the Gallipoli Mosque – a
magnificent insight into another culture! Next term we are
going to visit Little Portugal (in Petersham) – something
to look forward to! Also we are holding a fashion parade
and lunch on Friday 23 August in the Great Hall and
hope to see you there.
Roberta Pavey
President
POPS
POPS, the Parents of Past Students movement came
into being in 1989. We began with 47 names on our
mailing list and we presently have 198 families who are
members of the group. Along the way some of our members
have passed away, others have moved and not left a
forwarding address and others have slipped off the family tree
due to busy lives and other commitments, like grandchildren,
and in some cases sadly, ill health.
We do not have a joining fee and we only meet twice
yearly, and pay $10 per person to cover the cost of the stamps,
the food and the drinks. We cover cost and on some
occasions have donated to one worthy cause or another
through the College. We have a midday Mass in winter
followed by a sausage sizzle on the 4th floor and a 6pm Mass
in December followed by a Cocktail Party on the 4th Floor
Rooftop Garden.
The idea of POPS is to keep in touch with the College
once the last son has left the school and to catch up with
friends made during that time and involvement with
St Aloysius’.
Our next function on Sunday December 8th is a special
occasion as we will farewell the Headmaster, Rev Fr Tony
Smith SJ, so we hope to have a good representation of POPS,
old and new, to say goodbye to him. There will be a Mass in
the Chapel at 6pm followed by a Cocktail party on the 4th
Floor Roof Top Garden.
Any past parents of the College, or parents whose
youngest son is in Year 12 this year, who would like to join
the group, is asked to complete the membership form and
return it to the College.
Please return the information to me care of the College.
For any enquiries call after 6pm on 4975 4376 any day.
Pat Kennedy
POPS Co-ordinator
POPS Membership Form
Name:................................................................
Name of sons:....................................................
Years attended SAC: .........................................
Address:.............................................................
...........................................................................
Telephone No:...................................................
Fax No:..............................................................
Email:................................................................
Please complete and return to:
Mrs Pat Kennedy 47 Upper Pitt Street,
Milsons Point NSW 2061 or fax to 02 9929 6414.
30

Mooving Art Exhibition
The Year 6 students of St Aloysius’ College were
asked to participate in the Mooving Art Exhibition,
which was held in Sydney from March to
June 2002.
Surf Lifesaving
Whilst Surf Lifesaving is not an official College
sport, a number of boys are members of Surf
Lifesaving Clubs and compete in local and
regional competitions on weekends. Tom Mathew (Year
7), Dominic Monckton (Year 11), Jon Daley (Year 11),
Michael McCooe (Year 11), Damien Pasfield (Year 11),
Oliver Loomes (Year 10) and Alex Jones (Year 11) are all
members of the North Steyne Club.
Junior School Boys involved in painting the Mooving Art
Exhibition
This Exhibition consists of fibreglass cows being
placed in the city landscape, appearing in areas where
people work, shop, eat and play. These fibreglass cows will
have been painted by leading Australian artists and some
will be sold at auctions at the end of the exhibition, with
the proceeds going to various charitable organizations.
Our part in this exhibition was to paint the barn at
Darling Harbour, which will become the place where any
cow that needs to be fixed or paint touched up will come.
This was a great opportunity for the boys to be part of a
large art event in their own city.
After having completed the barn at Darling Harbour
on 26 March, the public relations company offered the
Junior School their own cow to paint. This cow named by
the students “Born for Greater Beef ” was placed outside
Customs House of the month of June. Many aspects of
the Junior School life were depicted on our cow; sport,
music, religion, computers, library and art.
Melissa Mushan
Art Co ordinator Junior School
Damien Pasfield, Jon Daley and Dominic Monckton (all Year 11)
at the National Surflifesaving Championships at Kurrawa Beach
in Queensland.
A number of the boys from North Steyne competed in
the State Lifesaving Championships at Swansea –
Belmont in March. The boys trained hard to do well in
their races and win a place in the National
Championships. The effort the boys put into their
training paid off with four boys traveling to Kurrawa in
Queensland for the National Titles held in late March.
Results
Dominic Monckton (Year 11)
U/19 Board Relay Final (Qualified for Nationals)
Damien Pasfield (Year 11)
U/16 Board Relay Semi Final (Qualified for Nationals)
Jon Daley (Year 11)
U/19 Double Ski Final (Qualified for Nationals)
U/16 Board Relay Semi Final (Qualified for Nationals)
Alex Jones (Year 11)
1st Place - U/16 Champion Lifesaver (Qualified for Nationals)
After battling shark-infested waters, the boys
competed with over 7,000 top competitors from all over
Australia the competition was tough. The boys can be
justifiably proud of their achievements, given that they do
this sport on a part time basis and they were competing in
a national competition.
Results
Damien Pasfield (Year 11) U/16 Surf Swim Semi Finals
Alex Jones (Year 11) 8th Place Open Champion Lifesaver
The boys look forward to competing in the upcoming
season and improving on their results this year.
31

From the Archives
1884 to 1902: Bourke Street, Darlinghurst - second site of St Aloysius’ College from The Express, 9 February 1887;
drawing courtesy State Library of NSW
1890 St Aloysius’ College - First Class
Back Row: Austin Curran, ?, Cecil Riley, Ernie O’Connor, George Ahern, Bob Crowe, Harold Curtis, Leslie Bridge,
?, Harold Broinowski
2nd Back Row: Mick Shannon, ?, Ernest McGrath, Alf Sippel, Rev W Power SJ, D O’Meara,
C Barrington, Humphrey Oxenham, Victor Cronin, ?
2nd Front Row: Paddy Flemming, ?, Ernie O’Dowd, Jack Mandible, ?, George Cronin, Lionel Cahill, Cecil Cahill
Front Row: ?, Gus Curran, Jack Toohey, Burchill Benbow, W Curtis
32

2002 ... Centenary of the last year of the
College at the Bourke Street site
1902 - a year when Sydneysiders were absorbed with
Australians fighting the Boers, the franchise for women
and test cricket success against England, the Jesuit
Fathers were agonizing over the future of the College.
How would they solve the pressing problem of lack of
space ? Would they simply close the doors or would they
move for a second time? Bourke Street had proved to be
an unsuitable site in a somewhat unsavoury area. Apart
from overcrowding, the boys were subjected to regular
abuse from the local lads who did not appreciate the
Jesuit ideals of ‘a Catholic gentleman with a cultivated
mind’.
The solution came with the proposal to move to Milson’s
Point, a district seen as the gateway to the North Shore.
Trains, trams and ferry services were encouraging
residential growth and offered easier transport for the
boys. A Jesuit parish was already established in the area.
The problem was solved until the late 1950s when the
question of overcrowding loomed once more.
Ms Gerri Nicholas,
College Archivist
Tel: 9954 4454
1897: Program for annual prize-giving, held in Sydney’s
first Opera House, York St. Guests were entertained with a
gymnastics display on parallel bars, orchestral pieces and
scenes from Moliere’s comedy, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme.
Roll of Honour
Commemorative Publication
Many thanks to those in the Aloysian family who
responded to my plea for information relating to
Old Aloysians who lost their lives in the various
wars. Research and writing are progressing well.
The book will be launched on Armistice Day. This
is a final plea for any snippets, family recollections
or suggestions for contact with relatives of ...
WWI - Harold Barraclough, Richard Horan,
Frank Bauer, George Willlmott,
Joseph Dease, Fred Doyle,
Myles Fitzgerald, Geoff McLaughlin,
Daly Mugliston and Fred Vincent
WWII - John Dallas, Joe Hamlet and Con Page
Extract from original fees ledger for 1894.
Charles Murray was the grandfather of Old Aloysian,
Peter Murray (SAC 1965), killed during the Vietnam War.
Please contact Gerri Nicholas,
College Archivist, 9954 4454, Tues. & Wed,
or Gerri.Nicholas@staloysius.nsw.edu.au
33

Archives
new honourboards which will be held in conjunction with the
launch of the book, Men for Others written by the College
Archivist, Mrs Gerri Nicholas.
Men for Others pays tribute to those Old Boys of the
College who died whilst serving their nation. The book
launch will be held on Monday 11 November, commencing
with a Remembrance Day Ceremony to be held in the
College Chapel at 11.00 am. Light refreshments will be
served in the Foyer of the Great Hall at the conclusion of the
unveiling and book launch. Dress for the event is Lounge
Suit or Uniform for serving members of the defence force
and medals.
To RSVP for the event please call Trish Flynn in the
College Development Office on 02 9922 1177 or e-mail
trish.flynn@staloysius.nsw.edu.au
Our Unknown Soldier
This wonderful photograph in sepia was taken by
Sidney Riley Studios, Pitt Street, Sydney. It is part
of a collection of unidentified photographs saved by
the late Rev Fr Conway SJ. Does anyone recognise this
young AIF soldier?
This is a tantalising mystery for me because there are a
few Old Aloysians who died during WWI for whom I do not
have a photograph to include in my book, Men for Others.
Is this Harold Barraclough or George Willmott, killed at
Gallipoli? Is it Daly Mugliston, Gus Curtis or Joseph Dease
who lost their lives on the Western Front? Perhaps it is
someone who survived and whose family were spared the
tragic loss?
If anyone recognised this young unknown soldier, please
contact me on 9954 4454 - Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Gerri Nicholas
College Archivist
War Honourboards
As reported in previous editions of the Aloysiad, the
College is keen to update the Honourboards of Old
Boys who served in times of War. A number of people have
contacted the College to update their details or to report a
relative or classmate.
The following list contains names recently reported.
They will be listed on a new honourboard to be erected in the
Foyer of the Great Hall.
Anyone wishing to make an addition or alteration to the
list is asked to contact Murray Happ (SAC 1985) in the
Development Office on 02 9929 4692 before 30 August 2002.
Veterans, descendants of veterans or classmates of those
who served are cordially invited to attend the unveiling of the
Boer War
Robert William Lenehan SAC 1883
+ Jack Ferris SAC 1882
World War II
George Thomas Franki SAC 1944
Desmond Maxwell (Max) O’Connor SAC 1907
Korea
Russell McNamara SAC 1940
John Morgan SAC 1943
Malaya and Borneo
+ James Decent SAC 1952
Brian Roland Honner SAC 1955
Russell McNamara SAC 1940
Ewart John O’Donnell AM, MC SAC 1954
Michael Peters SAC 1954
Vietnam
Reg Beesley SAC 1955
Michael Carroll SAC 1957
Richard Donnelly SAC 1964
Brian Roland Honner SAC 1955
Anthony Lanarch-Jones SAC 1954
Peter Naughton SAC 1955
Ewart John O’Donnell AM, MC SAC 1954
John O’Donnell SAC 1963
David Paul SAC 1957
Anthony Perriman SAC 1951
Michael Peters SAC 1954
Peter John Saxton SAC 1964
East Timor
Luke Baily SAC 1994
John Cunningham SAC 1988
Kurt Black-Sinclair SAC 1995
John Flynn SAC 1963
Andrew George SAC 1993
Robert Lusby SAC 1964
James Murray SAC 1989
Peter John Saxton SAC 1964
Mark Shephard SAC 1981
Damian Short SAC 1989
+ Killed in Action
34

let
your
memories
guide the future
Remember the days that you spent studying at
St Aloysius’ College that helped you develop
throughout your life. The lasting friendships you
made. Seeing the city develop and grow from the
windows of the College. Being a part of a College
sporting or co-curricular team. These memories
remain not only with you but also for many others
since and will do so for generations to come.
St Aloysius’ College has been educating young
men in Sydney since 1879.
As the College approaches its 125th anniversary,
we ask you to consider remembering the College
when you prepare your will and leave a legacy that
will benefit the generations of Aloysians to come.
By doing so you will assist young men with an
excellent academic education.
Your gift will be allocated to whatever you specify.
This may be in the form of a Bursary to support
a needy student, the Building Fund to enhance the
physical developments of the College or the
Library Fund to provide more academic resources
for the boys.
If you would like further information on the
College Bequest Programme, please contact any
of the following;
Murray Happ (SAC 1985)
on 9929 4692
Hon John Kearney QC (SAC 1937)
on 9922 1177
Rev Fr A V Smith SJ on 9922 1177
35

S.A.C.O.B.U
ST. ALOYSIUS’ COLLEGE OLD BOYS UNION
From the President
Term II has been a busy one for SACOBU. It
started with the Career’s Day for the boys in Year
12. For many years this day has been sponsored
by SACOBU, as the Union sees it of one way that we can
assist the boys as the prepare to leave school and enter the
workforce. The focus was again on preparing a resumé,
although to add a new dimension to the day, Tony Birrell
(SAC 2000) spoke about the cadetship he has at one of
the major accounting firms, whilst Michael Crowe (SAC
1986) spoke to the boys about the importance of resumé
and interview preparation.
The highlight of the SACOBU calendar is the
Annual Dinner and this year was no exception. Following
the success of last year’s return to Milsons Point, it was
again decided to hold the Dinner there, although it was
moved to the larger function room at the Kirribilli Club.
I was pleasantly surprised to see so many of the younger
Old Boys attend; over half those attending had been
students at the College while Rev Fr Smith was
Headmaster. Of course, many attended to say “farewell’
to Rev Fr Smith, but they clearly enjoyed themselves and
hopefully will become regulars at future Dinners. This
younger generation of Old Boys has much to offer
SACOBU and I would encourage them to become
actively involved in its activities and thus ensure that it is
relevant to their generation. As noted in the adjoining
report on the Dinner, we were fortunate that the
installation of the new Chapel organ had been completed
ahead of schedule and those attending the Mass were
able to hear its first public playing.
Between writing this report and the publication of the
Aloysiad, the annual bar-b-que for the previous Year 12
will be held. This is always a popular event and I’m sure
this year’s will be the same. A report will be included in
the next edition of the Aloysiad.
This year the annual SACOBU Golf Day will be held
on at the Manly Golf Club on Thursday 29 August.
Places for this event always fill fast so I encourage the
golfers, both men and women, in the Aloysiad community
to RSVP early. Further details can be found on the insert
that appears below or by calling Greg Lambert (SAC
1967) on 9967 2990 (home).
Finally, I would remind those attending the Indian
Bazaar, which this year is being held on Saturday 21
September, to drop by and support the SACOBU
chocolate wheel. Anyone interested in staffing the Old
Boys Wheel is asked to call Paul Quoyle (SAC 1961) on
9419 7366 (home).
Ad Majora Natus
Bernie Egan (SAC 1967)
President
SACOBU 2002 Annual Dinner
Around 180 Old Boys attended this year’s dinner,
which was held at the Kirribilli Club. In a
departure from the recent tradition, there was not
a guest speaker but instead the theme of the evening was a
tribute to Rev Fr Smith SJ, who will complete his term as
Headmaster at the end of Term I, 2003.
1960’s leavers at the Dinner
Three Old Boys provided different perspectives on
Rev Fr Smith’s term as Headmaster. Hon John Kearney
QC KCSG (SAC 1938) spoke from the perspective of
his involvement on the College Council and also praised
Rev Fr Smith’s pastoral work. Michael Donohoe (SAC
1967) reflected on being a President of SACOBU during
Fr Smith’s term and also as a parent, who has had at least
one boy at the College for all but the first couple of years
that Rev Fr Smith was Headmaster. The student’s
perspective, including some legendary anecdotes, was
provided by Ben Farmer (SAC 1994), Captain of the
College in 1994.
Prior to the Dinner, Rev Fr Smith celebrated Mass at
the recently re-opened College chapel. The highlight of
that part of the evening was the first public playing of the
new organ. It was great to see so many Old Boys at the
Dinner and there was a good spread of years from the
1940’s to the Class of 2001. Mr Geoff Deegan (SAC Staff
1951 – 1985) also came to the Dinner and Mass.
36

2002 ALOYSIAN GOLF DAY
MANLY GOLF CLUB Balgowlah Road, Manly
Thursday 29th August, 2002
Lunch from 11.00 am – SHOTGUN start 12 noon sharp!
Ambrose Competition – All Welcome
Lots of Prizes – Best Teams, Nearest the Pin, and More!
All Members of the Aloysian Family are welcome – Old Boys, Past Parents, Parents & Friends
COST: GOLF, PRIZES, LUNCH & SUPPER – only $110 (incl GST)
Name: ......................................................................................................................................................................................
Address: ...................................................................................................................................................................................
Telephone: (W) ...................................... (M) .................................. Email: ...................................................................
Handicap: ......................... Social Player: .......................... I enclose cheque for $ ..............................................................
Complete if applicable: I am in a Four Ball consisting of MYSELF and
2. ............................................................ 3. .......................................................... 4. ..........................................................
I am a member of a Four Ball organised by ............................................................................................................................
please debit my: ❏ Bankcard ❏ M/Card ❏ Visa
No:
Exp. Date: ................... Name of Card:................................................. Signature: ...............................................................
All correspondence directly to: Greg Lambert P.O. Box 271 ARTARMON 1570
✁
ENQUIRES: Greg Lambert (SAC 1967) (W) 9906-5377 (Mob) 0411 644 820 (F) 9906-5481
Kevin Emanuel (SAC 1967) (W) 9262-6777 (Mob) 0411 150 452 (F) 9262-5757
PAYMENT: Cheques payable to ‘SACOBU’ – PRIOR TO THE DAY – to confirm booking
1955 Reunion Lunch
At the Inaugural Lunch held last year,
Rev Fr Ian Dillon SJ, Mr Geoff Deegan
and Mr Hal Power were made
Honorary Members of the Class of 1955.
The second Annual Class Luncheon
will be held on Nov 1 2002,
at the Kirribilli Club (RSL) at 1pm.
The Lunch will be preceded by a Mass
in the College Chapel at 12 noon.
For further enquiries
please call Paul Lenehan
(SAC 1955) on 0408 064 948.
St Aloysius’ College
Privacy Collection Notice
1. We may collect personal information about you from time to
time. The primary purpose of collecting this information is to
enable us to inform you about our activities and the activities
of St Aloysius’ College and to keep alumni members informed
about other members.
2. We must have the information referred to above to enable us
to continue your membership of St Aloysius’ College Old Boys
Union.
3. As you know, from time to time we engage in fundraising
activities. The information received from you may be used to
make an appeal to you. It may also be used by St Aloysius’
College and St Aloysius’ College Foundation Limited to assist
them in their fundraising activities. If you do not agree to this,
please advise us now.
4. St Aloysius’ College Old Boys Union may publish details about
you in the Aloysiad and the College’s website. If you do not
agree to this you must advise us now.
5. You may seek access to personal information collected about
you by contacting the Director of Development care of the
College.
6. If you provide personal information to us about other people,
we encourage you to inform them of the above matters.
37

S.A.C.O.B.U
ST. ALOYSIUS’ COLLEGE OLD BOYS UNION
Old Boys News
Trader Faulkner, star of many Aloysian Gilbert and
1945Sullivan productions, is a well-known actor living
in London. A book version of his recent one-man London show
called ‘Loosing My Marbles’ will be launched in London in
October and released in Sydney before Christmas.
Professor Jacques Miller has been recently awarded
1948the Copley Medal by the Royal Society. The Medal
is the most prestigious award that can be conferred by the Royal
Society which was founded in 1645. Previous winners of the
Copley Medal include Captain James Cook, Charles Darwin
and Albert Einstein. Jacques has been honoured for his discovery
of the immunological function of the thymus and T
lymphocytes. This discovery revolutionised understanding of
how the immune system operates, thereby influencing vaccine
development. He was also honoured in Australia with the
Faulding Florey Medal 2000. The College salutes Jacques’ career
and his important work in the field of medical research.
Graham Rouse recently appeared in the play
1952“Spinning into Butter” at the Ensemble Theatre.
Professor Charles Watson is the Executive Dean of
1959
Health Sciences at the Centre for International
Health at Curtin University in Western Australia. Charles is
involved in research into mapping the brain. Twenty years ago
Charles co-released an acclaimed atlas of the rat brain – now the
second most cited text in the field of neuroscience. He is now
working on an atlas of a chickens’ brain. It is hoped that this
work will allow scientists to develop a greater understanding of
the development and abnormalities of the human brain. In his
spare time Charles is the Convenor of the Coalition for Gun
Control and is involved in a number of medical committees.
Colin O’Connor was installed as a Judge of the
1962District Court of NSW on 24 June 2002.
Colin joins John Maguire (SAC 1952), Tony Puckeridge (SAC
1955) and Terry Christie (SAC 1959) on the District Court
Bench, whilst Tim Studdert (SAC 1952) sits on the NSW
Supreme Court.
John Kramer was recently appointed as a part-time
1971lecturer at Coffs Harbour Campus of the School
for Rural Health, Faculty of Medicine, at the University of
NSW. His special interests are in Aboriginal Health and
Palliative Care. Any Old Aloysians either working in Rural
Medicine or Living in the Coffs Harbour area are encouraged to
contact John. (Please contact the Development Office at the
College for John’s contact details)
Tim Hayman has just taken up new appointment
1972as Pastor of North Manly Baptist Church, having
gained a Bachelor of Ministry. Prior to his appointment Tim
taught at various private schools for 18 years.
Damian Macey is currently Unit Manager of D
1974Macey Film Services. He is currently coordinating
location logistics for a joint Channel 9 and BBC production
“Don’t Blame Me” for viewing later this year.
For the past 18 years Pastor de Lasala has been
1975teaching senior French and Latin at SCECGS
Redlands. He is still very involved in playing the harpsichord and
the pipe organ where he specialises in 17th and 18th Century
French Music. He is a Councillor for the Organ Historical Trust
of Australia and has been Parish Organist at Sacred Heart
Mosman for the past 24 years. Pastor is currently recording his
3rd organ CD and has published numerous musical
transcriptions. Over the past 20 years he has recorded numerous
radio programmes for 2MBS-FM. Pastor travels to France
annually where he has played the organ at a number of venues
which include the Royal Chapels of Versailles and
Fontainebleau, Poitiers, Orleans, Toulouse, Albi, Paris, St
Raphael, St Maximin, Bourges, Lille and Strasbourg.
Mark McGuire was recently appointed as Associate Professor in
Medicine at Sydney University. Mark also practices as a
Cardiologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
David Buchanan married Francoise in January 2001. Their first
child, Yannick was born in October 2001.
Simon Rice is the President of Australian Lawyers
1976for Human Rights and President of the Law
Foundation of New South Wales. He was awarded a Medal of
the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours
List. Simon was awarded the Order of Australia for service to the
law and to the community through the Law Foundation of New
South Wales, and for commitment to the provision of legal
assistance and advice to people who are economically and socially
vulnerable.
Fortunato Pezzimenti recently held an exhibition of
1978his works at the Carmichael Gallery in Roseville.
After many years of suppressing his skills as a painter, he finally
went back to painting in 1998. Fortunato is married to Paula and
has a son Valentino.
Hugh Darwell married Kerryann White at St Francis Xavier,
Lavender Bay on 2 March.
Tony Kinnear was recently appointed CEO of
1983Softlaw Corp, a Canberra based company that
provides Legislative Processing Technology to Government
agencies in Australia and the UK. Prior to his recent
appointment, Tony was the CEO of Butterworths in Asia and
Australia for 5 years.
Peter MacMillan is the Managing Director of his
1984company Alliance E-Finance. The company is
based in Sydney with office in Melbourne and Brisbane. Peter is
married to Lucy and they have two daughters, Siena and
Matisse.
Roger Harris is working in the Emergency Department at Royal
North Shore Hospital. He and his wife Elizabeth live in
Willoughby with their children. Their son Thomas is in Year 6
at the College.
Michael Taylor is completing his Diploma in
1985Education this year. Michael has just completed a
prac at Chatswood High School and will complete his second
prac at Newington College later this year. For many years
Michael has worked in the fitness industry and in his spare time
is involved in Roseville Cricket Club along with contemporaries
Matthew Hill and Stephen De Lorenzo.
1986
Geoff Thompson was awarded a Logie for the
Most Outstanding News Reporter at the annual
Logie Awards in Melbourne in April. Geoff is currently posted
to New Delhi as the ABC Correspondent to India. His beat
takes in the region from Afghanistan to Burma. He has also
covered events further afield, including reporting from northern
Afghanistan during the US attacks on the Taliban and al-Qaeda
terrorist forces. Geoff spent many months in East Timor,
38

eporting the independence referendum and the violence that
followed, and was part of the ABC’s team covering the coup in
Fiji. Apart from winning a Logie, Geoff is the winner of two
prestigious Walkley Awards - Australia’s most-respected
journalism awards - one for ABC Radio and the other for ABC
TV. He holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and a Bachelor of Arts
degree with studies in South East Asian history.
Justin Grace has announced his engagement to Carrie
Vanderweele. Justin works as an accountant for Ernst and Young
in Dallas, Texas. Justin and Carrie plan to marry in October this
year in the United States.
Ian Seeto is working as an IT Manager for AMP based in
Sydney and Parramatta. He and his wife Cindy live in
Lane Cove.
Daniel Kennedy has returned to Australia after
1988living in the United States for a number of years.
Whilst in the United States, Daniel worked for Greenpeace in
California. Daniel will commence working for Greenpeace
International upon his return.
Peter Mullins has recently recovered from a stroke and is now
working as an administrator for the Uniting Church in Sydney.
Michael Reade will graduate with his Doctorate in Medicine
from the University of Oxford in October 2002. He has accepted
the job of Senior Registrar in Intensive Care Medicine in Oxford
for a further year. Since leaving school Michael has been a
member of the Army Reserve. He spent last Christmas as an
Australian Army Reserve Medical Officer attached to the British
UN forces in Kosovo. He also hopes to do one more operational
deployment with the British Army before returning home to
Australia in 2004.
Adrian Molloy moved to the UK at the beginning of 1994
following his graduation from Macquarie University in
Economics and Accounting and now lives in Amsterdam with
his fiancé Claire. He is a derivatives trader and is getting married
in the UK in November.
After leaving the College John Biviano studied at
1989the Australian Catholic University before deferring
and pursuing a career in the IT Industry. Today John is working
as the Australian/New Zealand Country Manager for a US
Security software company based in Sydney. He married
Gabrielle in the College Chapel to in 1996. They have two
children, Kate aged 5 and Bill aged 2.
Donovan Melloy, Christian Denny and Damien Reed are all
partners in a number of pubs around Sydney including the
Commodore Hotel at McMahons Point and the Woolowich Pier
Hotel at Woolwich. They have recently taken over the Bourbon
and Beefsteak Bar at Kings Cross.
Luke Carter graduated from Arts Law at the
1993University of NSW in December 2000 and is
currently working as a solicitor for Peter M Wayne and
Associates in Sydney.
David Waddle is a Financial Planner working for an accounting
firm called Account Invest based in Hurstville.
Paul Behm has returned to Australia after living in
1994the UK and Europe for 2 years. Paul is working in
the insurance industry.
Lt Tim Sill has been appointed a Troop
1995Commander with the 2/14th Light Horse
Regiment, Reconnaissance Unit based in Brisbane. Tim’s unit
are equipped with Armoured Personnel Carriers and are charged
with reconnaissance duties with the army. Tim’s is the
Commander of A Platoon and as such all vehicles in his Platoon
have names starting with A. It comes as no surprise that there is
an armoured personnel carrier charging around Queensland
called Aloysius!
Greg Behm has graduated as a Doctor of
1996Veterinary Science and is now practising as a Vet in
Harbord.
John Pappas owns a Media Production Business,
1997and has been working as a Lighting Director for
several major TV Stations for the past four years lighting major
shows such as Carols In The Domain, The ARIA Awards, People’s
Choice Awards, Logies, Elton John, the Rumba Music Festival and
the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. He was recently spotted at the
2001 SAC Swimming Carnival where he was lighting a
commercial featuring Ian Thorpe for Channel 7. John also writes
for a major media industry magazine, and continues to work as a
volunteer fire fighter, something he has been doing since Year 10.
He will shortly commence full time employment as a Fire
Fighter, whilst juggling his media commitments on his days off.
Matthew Wallace is now working at Stanley
1998Thompson Valuers and L J Hooker Commercial
North Sydney as a Property Analyst, whilst finishing his final
year of a Property Economics Degree at the University of
Technology, Sydney.
Mark Chan has been awarded the Gold Duke of
2001Edinburgh Award. Mark is studying Economics at
Sydney University. Mark has also been elected as the First Year
Representative of the Australian-Asian Youth Business Council.
Rugby
A number of young Old Boys have continued to play rugby since
leaving the College. In recent years the Lindfield Colts, playing
in the Sydney Sub-Districts Competition, has become a popular
destination for Old Boys. This year 13 Old Boys are playing for
the Club: Andrew Schubert (SAC 1998), Nick Moore (SAC
1998), Sam Nolan (SAC 1999), Alistair Dalzell (SAC 1999),
Mike Swain (SAC 1999), Sean Daggett (SAC 1999), Dan
McGirr (SAC 1999), Tim Curtin (SAC 1999), Matt Dolce
(SAC 1999), Nick Love (SAC 1999), William Christopher
(SAC 1999), Mike Williams (SAC 1999) and Russell Skinner
(SAC 2000). The side is on top of the competition ladder midway
through the season and following last year’s Colts
premiership (which contained no less than 13 Old Boys) are
attempting to become the only Lindfield team to have won backto-back
premierships.
Births:
Tim Sidgreaves and his wife Raelene had a son on
19853 June. Thomas James Sidgreaves, a brother to
Madeline and Annabel.
Richard Johnston and his wife had their first child,
1987Thomas earlier this year.
39

S.A.C.O.B.U
ST. ALOYSIUS’ COLLEGE OLD BOYS UNION
Obituaries:
The College is saddened to hear of the passing of the following
Old Boys of the College. We ask you to remember them and
their families in your prayers;
Dr John Patrick Edward O’Brien (SAC 1931)
Doctor John O’Brien was born on 27th
May 1914 in Mosman. He was the
fourth of Edward and Ellen O’Brien’s
five children. He completed his
schooling at St Aloysius (as did his two
brothers, Maurice (SAC 1937) and Paul
(SAC 1935), both deceased) where he
was Dux in 1931. He read medicine at
the University of Sydney graduating with
honours. He joined the Royal Australian
Army Medical Corps after his internship and undertook the required
training course for pathologists because he had heard that there was
a need for them in the Army. As well as serving in Darwin, Dutch
New Guinea and the Moluccas he was for a time the medical officer
that looked after the interned refugees from the Dunera.
He married Jeanne McMahon in 1943. His doctoral thesis,
based on his military experience in the Pacific War, was on miliaria
rubra and its associated skin disease of prickly heat. This pioneering
work and later papers on he subject were recognised in the Yearbook
of Dermatology for 1950 as “a ‘must’ for all those interested in
dermatology, climatology, bacteriology, physiology, metabolism and
military and industrial medicine; in short, in medicine and biology
in general”. He continued his research work in New York under a
Fullbright Scholarship and a grant from the Rockefeller
Foundation.
He developed his Australian pathology practice in Lewisham,
Macquarie Street and later opposite the Prince of Wales Hospital.
He was the foundation President of the Australasian College of
Dermopathology and President of The Royal Australian College of
Pathologists from 1969 to 1971.
While his fame in dermopathology had already been established,
it was embellished by his work in the 1970’s on the effects of solar
and other radiation on the skin, leading to the identification of a
disease now described as ‘Actinic Granuloma (O’Brien)’. The latest
issue of The American Journal of Dermopathology has two relevant
articles: one a tribute to John’s work. He was far more interested in
the other, which was entitled Actinic Granuloma is a Unique and
Distinct Entity.
John is survived by his beloved wife Jeanne, by his son Geoffrey,
his daughters Christine and Maria and eleven grandchildren. He
died from the effects of cancer in the Sacred Heart Hospice,
Darlinghurst on 3rd July 2002. His talents went far beyond medicine
and research: he was a gifted self-taught photographer, artist and
carpenter. He was a gentle and caring man and a loving husband and
father who will be sorely missed.
Major General Michael O’Brien CSC (Rtd) (SAC 1964)
Nephew
Geoff Short (SAC 1955)
Geoff started at Aloysius in 1947 and finished in 1955. Our paths
crossed first in 1947 and we remained friends until his death in
March this year, a total of 55 years. He was much loved and
remembered by his peers during those school years, playing football,
cricket and travelling to and from his family home in Lane Cove,
which he shared with his sister Diana and brothers Adrian (SAC
1958), Warwick (SAC 1962), Andrew (SAC 1963) and Graham
(SAC 1965).
His career as a financial journalist started when he became a
cadet at the Sydney Sun and went on from there, including a stint at
Fleet Street, in London, where he worked during his 20’s.
His marriage to Sister Jan Buckle, of the Royal North Shore
Hospital, was a great event in December 1967. Their children
Damian (SAC 1989), David (SAC 1995), Caroline and Alison were
raised in a loving family and all spoke movingly at their father’s
funeral. Their other son, Richard, died at an early age.
Geoff had a very engaging personality, he knew how to make
people feel at ease and comfortable and was never judgemental
about others. He could see the strengths in people and was always
ready to balance a negative comment about someone with
something positive about them: black and white thinking was not
part of his personality.
He gave generously of his time to helping others, his work with
the Sacred Heart Hospice, the Old Boys Union and the Old
Aloysian Cricket Club is well known. His wife Jan was a great
companion and as a trained nurse, she was a tower of strength
following his cancer diagnosis and during the lengthy treatment he
underwent.
I had many conversations with him over the last few months, at
the Royal North Shore Hospital and at his home. He had numerous
visitors from friends, relatives and old school mates. But it was Jan,
through her nursing skills, her loyalty and love for him that enabled
him to die at home as he had requested.
During one particular discussion just a short while before he died,
he said “that he had enjoyed a most rewarding and fulfilled life”.
Vale, old friend, Ad Majora Natus
Anthony Kidman (SAC 1955)
Monsignor Lex Johnson (SAC 1957)
Lex Johnson was born in Sydney to Alexander and Joan Johnson and
educated at St Aloysius’ College.
He studied for the priesthood at the Springwood and Manly
Seminaries and was ordained by Cardinal Gilroy in July 1965.
Bishop Pat Power, Auxiliary Bishop of Canberra-Goulburn, said
his death came as a surprise to everyone. He and Monsignor
Johnson had been close friends for more than 40 years – from the
day they began their studies at Springwood in February 1959.
Lex was his closest friend in the priesthood, and very supportive
of all his brother priests. He even organised an annual reunion
for those in his seminary class, keeping them up to date with
newsletters.
He had no airs and graces about him and related well to people
at all levels. He was a good honest man. He was never rattled by
anything and did a lot of pastoral work in many parishes as well as
the Kings Cross area, before he moved on to his appointment as
Dean of St Mary’s Cathedral. He will be sadly missed by family,
friends and many others whose lives the beloved priest touched.
A heart attack claimed the life of Lex who died only a few days after
he was appointed Parish Priest of St Therese’s Church in Mascot.
He was 61.
Darren Hartigan (SAC 1993)
Died on the 3 April 2002, after suffering a heart attack.
Eternal Rest grant to them O Lord,
may perpetual light shine upon them,
may their Souls and all the Souls
of the faithfully departed Old Boys of the College, Rest In Peace.
St Aloysius, pray for us!
40