St Patrick's College, Ballarat

Infobox Secondary school
name = St. Patrick's College, Ballarat

motto = "Facere et Docere"
(Latin: 'To Do and To Teach') In modern times the College has began to use "Ballarat's Best for Boys"
established = 1893
type = Independent all-male secondary
affiliations = Roman Catholic, Christian Brothers
headmaster = Dr. Peter Casey
founder = Christian Brothers
chaplain =
chairman = Mr Frank Nolan
enrolment =
grades = Years 7-12
colours =
free_label_1 =
free_1 =
free_label_2 =
free_2 =
campus =
city = Ballarat
state = VIC
country = Australia
website = [http://www.stpats.vic.edu.au/ www.stpats.vic.edu.au/]

St Patrick's College, founded by the Christian Brothers in 1893, is a Roman Catholic day and boarding school, located in Ballarat, Australia. It provides education for boys from year 7 to year 12, with an emphasis on sporting and academic programmes. The school continues the tradition of the Christian Brothers in providing education for boys in Victoria and continuing the tradition of Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice, who founded the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 1802.

History

The College was originally called Holy Ghost College, which was administered by the Holy Ghost Fathers and was started in 1888. However, after a promising start, the College closed due to the Holy Ghost Fathers' departure for France. The Bishop of Ballarat at that time, Most Rev. James Moore, quickly contacted the Provincial of the Christian Brothers in Australia, Br. Patrick Ambrose Treacy, to take over the running of the school. The new College opened its doors on January 24 1893, as St Patrick's College. Four Christian Brothers were on the initial staff, with Rev. Br J.L. Ryan as the founding Headmaster.

The school gradually grew in stature and size to become not only the largest Catholic school in Ballarat, but one of the leading Catholic schools in the State. The College, under the governance of the Brothers, grew from its first enrollment of 36 students in 1893, to 168 in 1902. The school's academic record was first class even in its infancy, with the 1893 dux of the college, Sir Hugh Devine, becoming a world famous surgeon. The school has grown immensely in the past 100 years, with over one thousand boys currently being enrolled.

The College, in 1933, completed the construction of the Brother's Residence, a large impressive red-brick structure. A Memorial Chapel was constructed in 1954 and dedicated to the memory of St Patrick's Old Collegians, who died during the First and Second World Wars. This large Romanesque chapel still holds pride of place at the front of the school and is the centre of the schools's spirituality. The college proudly has over three hundred graduates who have been ordained priests, a record in Australia. Over sixty graduates have entered into religious life.

In 1966, the W.T. O'Malley Wing was completed in dedication to Rev. Br. William Theodore O'Malley, who was not only Deputy Headmaster of the College for thirty years, but taught at the college for over forty years. He is remembered as one of the greatest brothers to grace St Patrick's College, with many Old Collegians dedicating their successes to his tuition. In 1976 the J.L. Kelty Resource Centre was opened. It is dedicated to Rev. Br. Justin Linus Kelty, a former headmaster, who led the College through one of its most glorious periods in the 1960's.

In 1979, the College completed the W. T. O'Malley Sports Centre, which was officially opened by former students and Brownlow Medal winners John James,and Brian Gleeson.

In 2004, the College officially opened the W.J. Wilding Wing, which now houses the College's senior school. The impressive building was named in honour of Rev. Br. William Wilding, a former headmaster of the College in the early 1980's who oversaw the completion of the Dr Spring Administration Wing. The current Headmaster, Dr. Peter Casey, has led the College since 2002 and continues the work started by the Christian Brothers.

Influences

The College has four houses, Ryan, Keniry, Nunan and Galvin which are named after former headmasters of the college. They are:

* Br J.L. Ryan - Headmaster from 1893-1895, who set the foundations of the College and led the College during its formative years.
* Br E.F. Keniry - Headmaster from 1912-1915 and 1920-1924, who not only ran the College throughout the first part of the war, but was a driving force behind establishing the Old Collegians Association.
* Br M.P. Nunan - Headmaster from 1910-1912, Br Nunan put into effect the completion of the development plan and expanded the curriculum.
* Br T.B. Galvin - Headmaster from 1925-1926, Br Galvin was not only a man of great wit, but is remembered as an academic and a Brother who had a large influence over the boys at the time.

The College promotes the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Roman Catholic Church, basing itself on the four pillars of Faith, Excellence, Tradition and Joy. The Patron of the College, the Reverend Peter Connors, Bishop of Ballarat, presides over the major college masses along with other priests (including former students of St Patrick's).

Cultural Life

The College not only prides itself upon academic excellence, but upon brilliance in sport, music, public speaking and debating and Social Justice.

The College is a member of the Ballarat Public Schools Association. The football, rowing and cricket programmes are all well-regarded, providing the boys with opportunities to fulfill their potential in these mainstream sports. The college also offers an array of other sports, such as tennis, hockey, volleyball, basketball, and swimming, which allows the boys to find their niche. The college take their football very serious, maybe abit to serious.

The School offers a music programme, which has proven successful in recent years. The St Patrick's College School Band recently won the Gold Shield at the Geelong Eisteddfod, defeating many other high ranking schools in Victoria.

The College’s cultural life is also supported by an extensive involvement with public speaking competitions. All St Patrick’s College students are actively encouraged to develop skills in the area of public speaking via curricular and co-curricular activities. Students compete in number of state- and national-level debating and public speaking competitions, where they have experienced success.

The College, continuing the work of its spiritual leader, Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice, has a vigorous Social Justice Programme. The Social Justice Group and the St Vincent De Paul Society (which has been at the College since the 1930s) not only promote awareness about the needs of others, but allow students to help those who are less fortunate then themselves. In the past, students of St Patrick's have also been significantly involved as volunteer leaders and fundraisers for the Edmund Rice Camps, a volunteer organisation that runs camps for disadvantaged children, families and refugees.

Notable alumni

;Arts and media
* Paul Bongiorno - Channel Ten Chief Political Reporter
* Professor Raimond Gaita - Renowned Author and Professor of Philosophy at Australian Catholic University and King's College, London
* Professor Sir Bernard Heinze - Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Conductor and Australian of the Year
* Dr.John Butler - Swinburne University Performing Arts Dept. Founding member National Institute Circus Arts;Business
* David Bourke CBE - Chairman Victorian Racing Club and Chairman Country Racing Council
* Frank Doolan - Foundation Member of Legacy Australia
* Graham Duff - Chairman Racing Victoria Ltd and Chairman North Melbourne Football Club
* John Fitzgerald - Leading Property Investor and Chairman and CEO JLF Corporation
* Mark Nolan - CEO ExxonMobil Australia

;Clergy
* Most Rev. Brian Finnigan, Auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane
* Most Rev. Sir Thomas Francis Little, Archbishop Emeritus of Melbourne
* Most Rev. Joseph Oudeman, Auxiliary Bishop of Brisbane
* Most Rev. Dr George Cardinal Pell AC, Archbishop of Sydney
* Three hundred and twenty-five Old Collegian Priests
* Over sixty Old Collegian Religious Brothers

;Law
* Murray Byrne - Former Victorian Minister
* Sir Robert Monahan - Former Supreme Court Judge
* Geoff Torney OAM - Chairman Moonee Valley Racing Club and Chairman Country Racing Council
* Frank Walsh - Former Chief Magistrate of Victoria

;Medicine
* John Connell AO - Leading Australian Surgeon
* Sir Hugh Devine - Leading World Surgeon

;Military
* W.J.M. Locke - Former Major-General of the A. I. F.
* C. E. Long CBE - Former Major-General of the A. I. F.

;Politics
* Hon. Steve Bracks - Former Premier of Victoria
* Hon. Gavin Brown - Former Assistant Police Chief Commissioner
* Hon. Noel Flanagan, AO - Private secretary to Former Federal Labor Leader Arthur Calwell and Director of the Australian War Memorial
* Hon. James McClelland - Former Federal Senator
* Hon. Gavan O'Connor - Federal Shadow Minister
* Hon. Albert Ogilvie, KC - Former Premier of Tasmania
* Hon. Harrie Seward - Former Federal Senator

;Sport
* Governor Michael Marcos Keon - Former Executive Director and founder of Gintong Alay program the national program for the selection and training of Filipino athletes for international track and field competition. Now Governor of Ilocos Norte province in the northern part of Luzon, the main island of the Philippines.
* Anthony Edwards - Olympic Rowing Medallist
* Danny Frawley - Australian Football League (AFL) Champion
* Brian Gleeson - AFL Champion and 1957 Brownlow Medallist
* Jack Hill - Australian and State Cricketer
* John James - AFL Champion and 1961 Brownlow Medalist.
* Alex, Anthony and James McDonald - AFL players
* Michael McGuane - AFL Champion
* Steve Moneghetti - Dual Olympic Marathon Runner
* Leo O'Brien - Australian Test Cricketer
* Drew Petrie - AFL player
* Paul Reedy - Dual Olympic Rower
* Barry Richardson - AFL Champion
* Matt Rosa - AFL player
* Christian Ryan - Olympic Rowing Silver Medallist
* Bryan Thomas - Olympic Canoeing Member
* Peter Walsh - AFL player
* Marcus Coppock - Champion Cyclist

References

* [http://www.stpats.vic.edu.au/] St Patrick's College, Ballarat website
* Naughtin, Br. P.C. (1993) "History and Heritage: 1893 to 1993".

See also

* List of schools in Victoria
*List of boarding schools

External links

* [http://www.stpats.vic.edu.au/ St Patrick's College, Ballarat website]