Ģż

Ģż

Where has life taken you since leaving SPC?

After finishing at SPC in 2006, I attended RMIT University to study Applied Science, having developed a keen interest in biology. Oddly enough, after being required to study chemistry in my first year, I found myself much more interested in it. I hadnā€™t even studied chemistry in VCE but ended up switching my major to it. I completed my degree and then went on to complete a year of Honours, before being fortunate enough to receive an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) scholarship to undertake a PhD. My PhD took four years and was in the area of chemical synthesis, specifically developing analogues of chemicals used in fragrances.

After completing my PhD in 2016, I moved to China, where I spent three years working at Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, researching ways to modify polymers. I then spent two years working in France, followed by two years working in Poland, working across both industry and academia on the development of biodegradable polymers. Over the course of my research career, I published 23 scientific publications and a patent.

While living in Poland, my wife and I welcomed our son, Alexander, who is now three years old. After seven years overseas, we decided it was finally time to return home to Australia, so that Alexander could grow up here in the lucky country. We returned home to Australia in 2023, and in 2025 we welcomed our second child, Lucy.

Even before returning home, I had decided that I was ready for a change from research and was looking for greater stability and a better workā€‘life balance. I therefore decided to pursue a career in teaching. Unfortunately, this meant returning to university for more study. Fortunately, I was able to work and study simultaneously through the Teach Today program while completing my Masterā€™s degree. I now teach Science and Mathematics at a school in Wyndham Vale.

Teaching has been a very rewarding career change, and I genuinely feel that I am making a difference in the lives of my students. That said, I expect it will be many years before I feel as confident and skilled in the classroom as I once did working in a laboratory. There is still a lot to learn, but I am enjoying the challenge.

Ģż

Do you have family ties with SPC?

I have a younger brother, Matt Plummer, who was in the class of 2009. Heā€™s doing well, living in Geelong with his young family and working as a primary school teacher.

What are your fondest memories of your time at St Patrickā€™s College?

My fondest memories are of the time I spent with my friends. Those friendships have lasted well beyond our school years, which is something I really value. In fact, a few months ago I travelled internationally to attend one of my friendsā€™ weddings. Likewise, several of my old school friends travelled to Taiwan for my own wedding in 2019.

I also have very fond memories of the school camps, particularly the hiking trip in the Grampians, even though we pitched our tent on low-lying ground and woke up to a storm with water pouring in. I think they call those formative experiences.

Which teacher from your time at SPC had the greatest impact on you? Why?

I had many fantastic teachers during my time at SPC, but two in particular made a lasting impact on me.

Year 7 was a rough year for me. During parent-teacher interviews, Mr Tony Prosia took me aside and gave me some words of encouragement that have stayed with me ever since.

The second teacher that had a great impact was Mr Damian Kinnersly. As a teacher myself, I now look back and realise just how lucky we were as 14-year-olds to have him as a role model and guide. At the time, I probably didnā€™t fully appreciate it, but I certainly do now.

I hope theyā€™re both doing well.

Ģż

How has your time at SPC shaped your personal values and your family life?

Going to St Patā€™s gave me more than just an education, it also helped shape the values that I try to live by. In particular, the importance of treating others with respect and taking responsibility for my actions has stayed with me throughout my adult life. Those values were also a major part of why we decided to move home after seven years overseas – I want Alexander and Lucy to grow up with the same values and opportunities that I was fortunate enough to have growing up.

Ģż

If you could pass on one message to the students of today, what would it be?

That your past doesnā€™t define you. That you can turn it all around on a single day if you want to.

Ian was a day student at SPC, starting in First Year and completing Matriculation twice in 1963 and 1964, as was common practice during those years.

He was followed by brothers Alan (SPC 1960-62) (dec), Frank (SPC 1964-69), James (SPC 1967-73) and Gerard (SPC 1971-76).

Ian was a bright student, receiving a junior government scholarship and then scholastic prizes most years. He was the joint winner of the English prize in 1962 and won the Sir Hugh Devine Prize for English Literature in 1964.

He was a Prefect in 1964, and Captain of Boats. He was the stroke in the Firsts rowing crew and a member of the First XVIII Football team in 1963-64 as well as the Combined BPS First XVIII. He also won the Collegeā€™s ā€œmost consistentā€ football award in his final year.

Not only that, Ian was a member of the 1963 Cross Country team and also excelled in cadets. He was named an Under Officer in 1960 and took out numerous cadet prizes during his school years.

Ian was also a handy cricketer, particularly in his junior years, named captain of the Under 13 XI, and showing impressive bowling form.

In moving tributes, Ian was remembered as a valued member of the Learmonth community, particularly the Learmonth Football Netball Club, where he was remembered for dedicating countlessĢż hours to supporting the clubā€™s junior football program in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

We extend our condolences to Ianā€™s family, including his wife Angela and seven children Narelle, Melinda, Daniel (SPC 1988-93), Sam (SPC 1991-96), Jennifer, Jane and John (SPC 2000-05) and their extended family.

Patrick was a boarder from the family farm at Nalangil, near Colac in western Victoria, following in the footsteps of his father Jack (SPC 1917). Patrick’s brother Robert (Bob) also attended, along with his uncles Dan, Patrick (Park) and William, and son Peter (SPC 1976-77).

Patrick was a member of Nunanā€™s Senior Shed football team and Platoon No.4.ĢżAfter his time at St Patā€™s, Patrick returned to the family farm, where he raised four children with his wife Helen until retiringĢżinto nearby Colac, in western Victoria.

We extend our condolences to Patrick’s extended family.

More than 40 former students converged on the Old Collegiansā€™ Association Pavilion, overlooking the Main Oval, for an evening of reconnecting with classmates, strengthening lifelong friendships and celebrating their shared experiences.

We thoroughly enjoyed welcoming you back!

A tour of the school by OCA Executive Officer Dean Hackwill was popular and showcased the breadth of facilities now available to current students.

Thank you to OCA president Charlie Flynn for offering a warm welcome to the group, as well as Assistant Principal ā€“ Faith & Identity, Mr Geoff Brodie, who provided plenty of laughs with his stories of memories from his teaching days with the group in the early 2000s.

We also welcomed College Principal Mr Steven Oā€™Connor as well as current long-time teaching staff Danny Moore, Colleen Pope and John Cosgriff.

2006 College Captain Ed Grinter also offered a warm welcome to his former classmates, thanking them for coming together and celebrating the 20-year milestone.

The reunions are hosted by the Old Collegiansā€™ Association, with Five-Year, 10-Year, 30-Year, 40-Year, 50-Year and 60-Year reunions held already this year.

The final OCA Class Reunion for the year will be our One-Year Reunion for the Class of 2025, which will be held on Saturday, 28 November at the Lake View Hotel.

Make sure your contact details are up-to-date by clicking

Neville recalled enjoying his time immensely at SPC, especially mealtimes, where he recalls plenty of food always on offer, including steak at lunchtime.

He was briefly expelled and remembers writing to College Headmaster Br Nagle at the time, pleading to be able to return, to which his wish was granted.

A keen fisherman, still to this day, he remembers heading to Lake Wendouree on weekends for a spot of fly-fishing.

Neville and Neil were both talented hockey players, playing in the 1^st XI Hockey team during their first year at SPC where they were described in the 1974 College Annual as having ā€œtremendous potential ā€“ can be champions next year!ā€.

They succeeded, playing in the 1976 Champion Hockey 1^st XI team, winning the BPS Hockey Cup in their Form 4 class year.

Their talents were detailed in the 1976 College Annual ā€“ ā€œNeville and Neil Mikulandra gave tremendous service to the team, enthusiastically urging their team-mates on to victory ā€“ and always in the forefront themselvesā€.

We thank Neville for visiting us and sharing his memories with us!

Kevin was thrilled to walk the old hallways once again and see photos on the walls of his peers including some of his great schoolmates including Brownlow Medallist John James (SPC 1948-52) and talented runner John Deany (SPC 1949-53).

Kevin came to SPC as a boarder from the Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill. He started in Sub-Intermediate A and completed his Matriculation.

During his walk, Kevin reminisced when walking past the old boarders dining room, tuckshop, and St Bernard Heinz Theatre, where movies were played on Saturday nights.

Kevin was still able to pinpoint some of his original classrooms, as well as his old dormitory, which is now the College library.

Kevin was a talented student, winning several music awards, who also loved playing sport.

Small in stature, Kevin was the perfect choice as a cox in the First crew in 1950. He was the stroke in the Second crew in 1951 and bow in the Second crew in 1952, which was beaten in a photo finish.

Kevin also played in the Second XVIII Football team and was a member of the Treacy House premiership team in the A Grade Competition.

He also enjoyed basketball, athletics and was a member of the Sodality of Our Lady.

After finishing school, Kevin went to teaching college with his fellow classmate John James and became a schoolteacher.

It was a delight to show Kevin, and his son Peter around the College and we thank them both for visiting us!

Peter joined SPC for only a short time as a student in Form 2, however he was very proud to be a Paddy boy and enjoyed catching up at many St Patrickā€™s Day lunches over the years.

Peter was a carpenter and builder for many years and at varying stages even worked on some of the maintenance of the buildings constructed in the 80s at the school.

His son Geoff even remembers his dad being involved in the building team which re-invigorated and floated a version of the jetty at the St Pat’s Boatshed in the mid-1980s.

We extend our condolences to Peterā€™s extended family.

The lunch was held in the Collegeā€™s Boarding Dining Room, proving very popular with former boarders keen to compare their many and varied boarding memories with the modern facilities our students now enjoy.

1963 College Captain Bill Joyce (SPC 1957-63) was guest speaker on the day, presenting a personal and reflective account of his seven years as a boarder at St Patrick’s College, drawing on both his own experiences and the memories of fellow Old Collegians. His speech combined humour, nostalgia, criticism and gratitude to provide a picture of boarding school life in the 1950s and 1960s.

Fellow former boarder Xavier Maher (SPC 1961-67) was master of ceremonies and kept the crowd well entertained.

Acting Principal Dr Michael Carroll provided insight into Term 2 school activities while OCA president Dr Charlie Flynn thanked the crowd for their turnout, while giving an update into the work being carried out behind the scenes by the OCA.

We were also very pleased to welcome the Collegeā€™s Boarding Director James Hopper, who gave an informative talk on what day-to-day life is like for our boarders now.

Thank you to James and Boarding Captain Lachlan Lloyd for taking interested Old Boys on a tour of the adjoining boarding precinct.

The Boarding Dining Room venue stirred up plenty of nostalgia and memories, with fellow boarders recounting many tales centred around their own mealtimes.

In his recount as guest speaker, Bill Joyce remembered the dining room seated all 312 boarders at tables of 10, each supervised by a senior boarder. The kitchen was run by Matron Brady.

ā€œMy first table captain was Brian ā€œRedmanā€ Dillon, vice captain of the First XVIII (Football),ā€ Bill told the crowd.

ā€œHe taught us the art of ā€˜rippingā€™ ā€“ the daily race to collect the tableā€™s food and, if lucky, fresh bread.ā€

He recalled boarders came from diverse backgrounds, including many from rural areas, disadvantaged families, or difficult personal circumstances.

The Joyce family has a 132-year association with SPC, with Bill the 18^th member of his family to enrol, following in the footsteps of his older brother Tony (SPC 1954-60).

Despite his reflections on how institutional living can affect vulnerable young people and the legacy of abuse left behind, Bill also fondly recalled friendships, sporting culture, debating, music, academic achievements and the camaraderie of boarding life.

After leaving SPC, Bill spent 39 years working for state institutions and another 19 years on the board of a community housing agency caring for some of Melbourneā€™s most vulnerable people.

ā€œI learnt that St Patā€™s boys have a responsibility to try to make the world a better and more just place,ā€ he said.

The next Old Boysā€™ Lunch, which is hosted by the Old Collegiansā€™ Association (OCA), will be held on Friday, 27 November, with more details closer to the date. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please contact Alumni & Foundation Officer Lorrie Liston on 5322 4442 or via email at lliston@stpats.vic.edu.auĢż

The couple called in to the school during their travels and Andrew, pictured above, was thrilled to discover a class photo of his father on the walls in Front Reception.

His father, Langton (known as Len), was the youngest of seven, and came to SPC as a boarder from Tocumwal, in New South Wales. Len enjoyed both the academic and sporting sides of school life. He was a member of the 1940 First XVIII Football BPS Championship team and a member of the SPC Firsts Crew, which finished second in the 1940 Head of the Lake rowing regatta.

Len was Class Leader and Dux in his first year in 1937 in Remove Class and he continued to excel through to his Leaving studies.

After leaving SPC, Len joined the Federal Treasury in Canberra as an actuary. He then joined the war and saw time overseas, including Borneo. He lost one of his brothers in World War II.

He returned home and after a family disagreement, Len moved away with his family, and took up many different occupations, including droving, picking peanuts and a stockman to name a few, all other Australia, before settling into a role with the NSW Railways.

Len sadly passed away in 2008.ĢżThank you to Andrew and June for visiting us.

There was plenty of banter as over 60 Old Boys made the most of reconnecting and reminiscing with each other. For some, it was the first time reconnecting with former classmates since finishing school, during what were unprecedented covid pandemic times.

Thanks to Jarrett Giampaolo, Assistant Principal – Pastoral Care & Wellbeing, and current teachers Kat Ward and Shane Hayes for catching up with the Class of 2021 crew and their partners, and Dean Hackwill, who represented the Old Collegiansā€™ Association, which hosts a busy calendar of Class Reunions every year.

A celebration of Paulā€™s life was held at the Napier Park Chapel in Bendigo on 9 May.

Paul attended SPC from Year 7 to 11 along with his brothers Chris (SPC 1984-89), Craig (SPC 1980-85), Glenn (SPC 1986-91) and Michael (SPC 1978-82)

Paul was a day student and fully embraced the sporting opportunities on offer, including athletics, basketball, football and rowing.

Moving to Bendigo in the mid 2000ā€™s Paul made a career and life for himself in the building and construction industry.

A devoted family man, he was a doting father to his beautiful daughter Sienna. We extend our condolences to Paul’s extended family.

Our condolences to his wife Pat and children Anne, Tony, Leon, Kathryn, Michelle, Terry and 14 grandchildren.

Who described Vince as ā€œa man of incredible strength, intelligence, kindness, humility and quiet brillianceā€.

Vince was the youngest of eight children and his early days were spent on the farm at Watchem, using the horse and buggy or his bike to ride the 10 kilometres or so to get to school.

He started boarding at SPC in 1951, where he excelled both physically and academically, and alongside his brothers Brian (SPC 1940-41) (dec), Johnny (SPC 1944-47) (dec) and Patrick (SPC 1945-48, PY1950) (dec).

In the eulogy at his dadā€™s funeral, son Leon recalled SPC boasted a number of particularly good sportsmen and numerous Aussie rules players at that time.

ā€œDad was good enough to be picked for the school side and played many games in the back line. He played alongside players who would go on to play for St Kilda, an Essendon captain and even a Brownlow medallist, so he was in good company.ā€

It turned out Vince was also a talented gymnast.

ā€œA great friend of dadā€™s ā€¦ told me of times where dad was in the gym at St Patā€™s and when he would ā€œdo his thingā€ on the parallel bars that invariably people would stop what they were doing and a crowd would form to be in awe of dadā€™s prowess.ā€

However, in addition to all these attributes it was in the water where Vince truly rose to the top.

Vince was in the stroke position for SPC in the fiercely contested 1954 Head of the Lake.

ā€œAfter almost two kilometres of intense competition there was barely a cigarette paper between St Patā€™s and Ballarat College, but in an upset Ballarat College took the win in the final stroke.

Hereā€™s where things take a very ā€œVince Colbertā€ 90-degree turn. You see St Patā€™s hadnā€™t won the race in almost 20 years. Theyā€™d come third in 1953 and now second in 1954 but Dad had unfortunately run out of time as it was his final matriculation year at schoolā€¦ Ģżbut, not our dad, he had unfinished business, didnā€™t he?

ā€œSo, in what can only be considered as one of the greatest gifts of team loyalty, I have ever heard of, my Dad returned to St Patā€™s the following year and completed an entire extra year of schooling just so he could stay with that team for the 1955 race.

ā€œThat was our dad. Loyal, fiercely determined and selfless. When he committed to something whether it was a team, a job, his family or his friends, he gave everything he had.ā€

And after nearly two decades without a win, SPC won the Head of the Lake in 1955 with Vince as ā€œthe strokeā€.

Vince combined this win with duties as an Assisting Prefect, member of the Sodality of our Lady Councillors, Holy Name Society executive and as a senior sports captain for rowing.

After leaving SPC, Vince set up a successful livestock cartage business, eventually with three trucks, moving livestock around the state and beyond.

He was a self-taught mechanic, an incredible problem solver, trusted operator and could fix anything.

Eventually the trucks gave way to a new outlook in life and Vince started working at a farm equipment business in the Mallee, eventually purchased a part in the business.

Vince was a stalwart in the local community.

He is remembered for his involvement as a goal umpire for Birchip and the North Central football league; member of the Birchip hospital committee; served on the North Central football tribunal; steward at the Watchem racing club; played football for Watchem for many years and went on write a book called ā€œThe Combine Continuesā€ detailing the 100-year history of the club from its inception in 1893 to 1993 covering football and netball.

Vince was a member of the Watchem Football Club and local fire brigade, and the Knights of the Southern Cross. He even organised the one and only triathlon held in Birchip and he and his wife took in a number of underprivileged children to help them get a better start in life.

ā€œHe was never one to seek recognition or praise, he just saw things that needed to be done, and he did them,ā€ Leon said at the funeral.

Thank you to Leon Colbert for his help in preparing this tribute