The SPC Old Boys’ Winter Warmers Lunch was a huge success last Friday with nearly 50 Old Boys chasing away the winter chills at the social get-together at the Golden City Hotel in Ballarat.
The highlight of the day was guest speaker Br Bill Wilding, headmaster of St Patrick’s College between 1979 and 1984, who spoke fondly about his time at SPC and his latest book, Contributions of the Christian Brothers to Education in Australia.
We thank Br Bill for his time, especially given he was recovering from recent head surgery (offering his apologies for wearing a cap) and he had also recently been fitted with a pacemaker in recent weeks.
Br Bill has completed 40 years of teaching in Catholic schools in Victoria and Tasmania, 25 years of those in leadership positions.
His father William attended SPC in 1918 from Echuca and was part of the 1922 SPC Head of the Lake crew.
“I was promised as a young chap that if everything went well, I’d be sent up here to board in my later years. Then I went to St Bernards and heard all these stories from the boys saying that if they didn’t behave, they’d be sent up here as a punishment, so I didn’t quite know which way to go. So I didn’t make it, but I did make it many years later (as Headmaster),” Br Bill recalled.
He was appointed as Headmaster of St Patrick’s College in 1979, and although he initially thought he was too young and inexperienced but was secretly “in awe of the job”, he later described his six years as College Headmaster, as a “wonderful experience”.
Br Bill said his first biggest challenge was finding the SPC balance sheet “deeply in the red”, with boarders catering found to be the biggest expense at the time.
Cook Joe Phyland was appointed and with boarders helping with the washing up, the school got out of the red, and started building, but “not as much” as Dr Peter Casey AM (who followed as College Headmaster between 2002-14), who Br Bill described as “an inspiration”.
“I was proud of the job, no luck for the First XVIII (Football) but I did teach Shane Mackinlay who is now named as the incoming Archbishop of Brisbane, and I taught him physics,” Br Bill said.
In researching for his latest book, Br Bill said he discovered there was much more to know about the Christian Brothers story in Australia, than he thought he knew.
Br Bill spoke about the creation of the Christian Brothers schools at a time when there no secondary schools in the early 20th century in Australasia. Br Patrick Ambrose Treacy was only 34 years when he led the Christian Brothers to Australia in 1868, and his schools were the first to enable students to reach matriculation and go on to university.
“Because Treacy’s idea was not just to educate a motley group of Irish immigrants, but to raise them up to a higher order of being able to give leadership in their communities and being effective in making this a better society.”
St Patrick’s College was the eighth Christian Brothers school to open in Victoria in 1893. Br Treacy eventually opened 100 schools, including farm schools, schools for the blind, the deaf, and orphanages in Australia and New Zealand, said Br Bill.
Dr Peter Casey AM was also in attendance at the lunch as well as College Legends Peter Wilson (SPC 1959-65), Gerard FitzGerald (SPC 1973, PY1975), Dennis Foley (SPC 1967-72), Michael Kearney (SPC 1962-67) and Terry Lloyd (SPC 1959-63).
Nearly 50 Old Collegians turned out for a hearty meal and lighthearted banter and conversations. We welcomed a number of first-time attendees, and it was fabulous to some of these Old Boys reconnecting with former classmates for the first time since their school days.
The lunch is fast becoming a popular date on the calendar for our Old Boys, as an ideal opportunity to catch up with a few from their SPC years in an informal, yet regular social and enjoyable setting.
The next Old Boys’ Lunch will be held closer to Christmas, with more details to be announced closer to the festive season.
If you would like to be added to our lunch mailing list, please email Alumni and Foundation Officer Lorrie Liston on lliston@stpats.vic.edu.au
