Chanel College (Geelong)

Chanel College was a Roman Catholic school for boys in Geelong, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1958, it closed in 1999. The site was later purchased by the Geelong Baptist College.

History

The school was founded in 1958 by the Marist Fathers and established where Pettitt Park is now at Bell Post Hill in Geelong.

The school's Foundation Rector was Father Stanley Hosie SM. MA STL. Originally a school for day boys, from the start of 1962 the school took in boarders from Australia and Malaysia. Whilst day students were enrolled, the focus of the school was on the boarding students.

Mr Robert (Bobby) Swindells joined the teaching staff at the start of 1962. He was a highly competent teacher of mathematics. However many students found him highly excitable and quite prepared (in retrospect) to make a mountain out of a molehill. He was quite prepared to usurp the role of the school discipline master if and when it suited his purposes. At best his style of discipline could be described as inconsistent, sanctimonious and scatter gun in style. Serving at Chanel until the end of 1971, Swindells died in mid 1984 in W.A.

The school relocated to a newly built complex at Lovely Banks, near Geelong, in mid 1963 under the guidance and direction of the second Rector of Chanel the Very Rev Father Stephen Maloney SM BA MACE. Fr Maloney was a very highly regarded and respected teacher at Chanel College.

The Bellpost Hill site (Old Chanel) became a boarding house for the junior boarders. The senior boarders were housed in two boarding houses at Lovely Banks, Braemar (named after the original name of the Lovely Banks property) and Futuna (named after the Island on which Peter Chanel met his death.)

The Marists believed in encouraging their students to become leaders and not mere followers. Partly to this end, a school magazine was commenced in 1965, Champion (Chanel Monthly Publication). Champion was edited and produced by the students and it was a magazine not scared to become involved in somewhat controversial issues, for example the need for the celebration of ANZAC day. However one area in which attempts at encouraging leadership did not succeed at all, was the Students Representative Council (SRC). The Marists expected thos students on the SRC to be leaders, yet these students were give no training what so ever in leadership and in many cases little or no encouragement to be leaders. The SRC at Chanel was largely a massive waste of time and money with time consuming "class meetings" which achieved nothing but wasted time.

Unique for schools in Australia at the time, Chanel established a science club in 1964. The science club encouraged students to become interested in science. An annual feature of the science club was the science exhibition, which showcased the study of science at Chanel. The club met weekly and students gave presentations on various scientific subjects or viewed and discussed films of a scientific nature. From time to time external guest speakers were invited to address the science club.

The science club also sponsored end of term excursions interstate to such places as Perth, Cairns, Woomera, Tasmania and the Snowy Mountains.

In order to encourage and improve public speaking amongst the students, an annual public speaking competition was established. All students had to give a short speech in front of their class. The speech was assessed and the best three speakers gave their speech in front of the whole school. In 1968, at the suggestion of students, a teacher of speechcraft and voice production was employed to further improve the standard of public speaking in the school.

The third Rector of Chanel was the Very Rev Fr Peter J Guiren SM BA (Qld) AEd MACE, considered by a great number of his former students to be a very arrogant and pompous individual - he was considered to be a very incompetent teacher by his former students. He was also something of a thug and a bully.

By 1966 enrolments totalled 446 students. However enrolments started to fall after that year. In 1970 around 395 students were at Chanel.

The Marist Fathers withdrew from teaching at the school in 1970. Fr Guiren had the unenviable task of announcing and overseeing the withdrawal of the Marists from Chanel. The withdrawal was announced to the students and parents at the annual playnight on 23 June 1970 at the Corio Centennial Hall.

An 'Action Group' of parents lay teachers and other supporters sprang into action in an attempt to save Chanel. This group held around three public meetings at Chanel as well as lobbying hard and pursuing all options.

The reason given for the withdrawal was to provide more Marists for the missions, a shortage of Priests. However a publication by the Marists in 1990 (SM Down Under page 45) gives financial reasons as well as a shortage of Priests as the reasons for the withdrawal of the Marists from Chanel.

After some negotiations the Christian Brothers took over the running of the College. This change also resulted in the discontinuation of the boarding section of the school.

The first Christian Brother Principal of Chanel was the Rev Brother David Carey BA (Melb) MACE a highly regarded and respected teacher.

Over a number of years the Christian Brothers embarked on a major building program at Chanel, replacing the temporary buildings (the huts) that were a feature at Chanel for a number of years.

Closure

The closure of Chanel College was somewhat controversial. It was stated that due to new schools in the region had led to falling enrolments,and refurbishment was required to a number of buildings. However there was evidence to suggest there had been an increases in enrolments in the years before the closure. This led to a popular belief by students and parents at the time that there were other motives for the sale of the college. The decision to close Chanel College was announced on Wednesday February 18, 1998 by the Christian Brothers. The school closed at the end of 1999.

The site was later sold and reopened as Geelong Baptist College.

References

• Geelong Deanery - Farewell to Chanel College
• The First Five Years (1968)
• SM Down Under (1990)

External links

• [[e-mail] Chanel College Old Boys]

Coordinates: 38°4′0″S 144°19′45″E / 38.066667°S 144.32917°E / -38.066667; 144.32917