We welcomed Old Collegian Brendan Kelly (SPC 1956-62) and his partner Yan back to the College recently.
Brendan and Yan were visiting Ballarat as part of a cycling tour, which had been riding 80km days, through some of the picturesque areas of NSW and Victoria.
Thankfully they were on a rest day when they visited SPC.
Brendan was a boarder from Euroa, in northern Victoria, followed by his younger brothers Chris (SPC 1967-72) & Desmond (SPC 1958-64).
Brendan followed in the footsteps of his father Patrick, who attended in 1924-28. Brendan was a member of the 1962 First XVIII Football team, member of the Combined BPS team and part of the Athletics Team, however his true love was rowing.
Brendan was a member of the Firsts Rowing Crew in 1961-62 and Captain of Boats in 1962. He was part of the winning crew, alongside Trevor Baker, Michael Ireland, Anthony McDonough and Peter Zala, to win the coveted Head of the Lake in his Leaving Year in 1961, for only the second time in the previous 30 years.
It was only in researching the College Annuals that we discovered Brendan was also College Vice-Captain in 1962, alongside Peter Dickinson as College Captain.
Brendan was also a College Prefect, completing his matriculation twice, and won the Howard Prize for Character, Application to Study and Sport in the Senior School.
Brendan also received the Sports Prize for Rowing in 1962 and still has the trophy at home.
After completing his matric in 1962, Brendan studied Accounting and became an accountant in Shepparton for many years before branching out into financial planning.
Since retiring at the age of 70, Brendan has moved to East Ballina in New South Wales, where he enjoys the weather, lifestyle and continues to stay extremely active.
Brendan was delighted to find his class photograph, First XVIII football photo and athletics photo.
He was equally chuffed to find the photo of his winning crew as part of a photographic timeline, which is displayed in the College’s History and Heritage Centre.
Brendan recalled many memories of his time at SPC while walking around the school, and was even invited into a Year 8 classroom for an impromptu chat with the boys about his own experience as a Paddy boy over 60 years earlier.
Brendan recalled his boarding days when the number of boarders, roughly 300-odd, equalled the number of day students, and his dormitory, where he slept with at least 100 other boys in the room, which is now the College Library.
