More than 40 former students converged on the Old Collegians’ 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 – 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 O’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 Collegians’ 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.

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Around 50 Old Boys converged on the Old Collegians’ Association Pavilion for their 10-Year Class Reunion.

While it’s only been 10 short years, the group were blown away with the new facilities now on offer to students since their own school days, including the Whelan Food Technology classrooms, Boarding Precinct and multi-million dollar Performing Arts Centre.

Thanks to those who travelled from far and interstate to attend the reunion, as well as 2016 College Captain John Brodie who welcomed the group back to the College.

Thank you also to Boarding Director James Hopper, who represented the College on the night, and Kieran Murnane, representing the Old Collegians Association committee, which hosts the Class Reunions.

It was an evening full of conversation, and as one Old Boy commented, plenty of “good food, good company and great memories”.

A special acknowledgement to those Old Boys who travelled to attend, with those efforts helping to make the evening a great evening to remember.

Thanks to 1986 College Captain Martin Healy and 1996 College Captain Lyndon Watson for delivering warm welcomes and toasts to their respective cohorts.

Thanks also to Allan McKinnon and Shane Hayes for representing the Old Collegians’ Association, and Deputy Principal – Community, John Richards for representing the College.

We also welcomed current staff member Colleen Pope (who taught the 1996 cohort) and former teacher John Cosgriff (who taught both cohorts!) back for the night.

A tour of the College buildings and grounds earlier in the evening drew interest and exclaim from the Old Boys about the high standard of facilities available to today’s students.

Memorabilia from both cohorts, including old photos and school booklets, also attracted plenty of interest.

It was also deeply touching for the Class of 1986 cohort to receive a letter from their College Headmaster at the time, Br Tom Kearney, all the way from Kenya in Africa, in time for their reunion.

“I came across a Facebook message inviting people involved with the Class of 1986 concerning the 40^th 1986 Student Reunion. It took me back a little. I had not realised that 40 years had passed already,” Br Kearney wrote.

“I am sure there will be many stories shared, possibly about the memories of the six years or fewer that were spent at SPC, and surely about how life has moved on from then, hopefully in a positive way…

“When that year began, I had just celebrated my 40^th birthday. It was an internationally recognised “Year of Peace” declared by Pope John Paul II. For the principal that year the challenges were mostly around the introduction of Group 2 subjects at HSC level.

“People were concerned that education standards would decline, but it was an opening to a much broader look at the needs of individual students.

“Great contributors in this were (staff members) Anne Scott and Frank Rice and the School Development Project. Look now at how the school has opened many pathways for the young men. I am delighted when I read these reports.”

After leaving SPC in 1988, Br Kearney went on to become a “Missionary Brother”, serving in Kenya mostly, continuing his work with young people through university teaching in education, spirituality and counselling.

He also assists in the two large informal settlements (slums) and is proud of the work of the Mirror of Hope (MOH) initiative and Edmund Rice Karibu Camps group. He is even prouder of the support provided by SPC today to help these communities through the College’s annual Edmund Rice Day fundraising efforts.

“I am pleased that MOH has become one of the supported groups by SPC, and the Student Council and the SPCOCA has pledged to support the Camps, which are organised to help young school leaders to exercise their leadership skills in organising camps for the primary students in the Kibera slum. Hopefully they will develop into good men like yourselves.”

In concluding, Br Kearney urged the group to enjoy their reunion.

“Best wishes to you and your classmates. I trust you have an enjoyable evening and know that our old Headmaster is still wishing nothing but the best as you take on the challenges of senior adulthood.

“We still have much to offer the younger generations as we fulfil the vision of St Patrick’s of ‘educating hope-filled, compassionate and confident young men for their place in the world’.”

Since the reunion, a What’s App group has been set up by members of the Class of 1996 to stay in touch. Check out this link to join.

More than 110 people from the SPC community turned out for the lunch celebrations at the College’s Old Collegians’ Association Pavilion, overlooking the Main Oval, where students participated in fun St Patrick’s Day activities in and around the wet weather.

There was a wonderful turnout of Old Collegians and partners present celebrating Class Reunions, including members of the Class of 1966 for their 60-year anniversary, and the Class of 1976 celebrating a half a century milestone of 50 years.

The Class of 1966’s Peter Howley led a warm welcome to his cohort, followed by Simon Grigg who greeted his Class of 1976 classmates.

The Most Reverend Paul Bird, Bishop of Ballarat, offered grace after officiating at the College’s student-led Assembly earlier in the day.

In a first for our St Patrick’s Day Lunches, Class of 1966’s Peter Klopotowski and his wife watched the day’s proceedings from their computer screen at their home in South Australia after the escalating fuel scarcity crisis forced them to abandon their plans to drive interstate join the reunion festivities.

College Principal Steven O’Connor said SPC’s special “sense of community is clearly evident at gatherings like today”.

In welcoming the audience, Old Collegians Association president Dr Charles Flynn said there were many reasons to celebrate.

“In a time when the world seems to be a little bit crazy, we celebrate the fact that we live in a country that is a long way away from conflict,” he said.

“We celebrate the fact that this school has been educating young men for 130-plus years. We celebrate the commitment of the thousands of academic and administrative staff who have helped to shape the minds of the tens of thousands of young men who have graduated from this school.

“We celebrate the fact that the school has been continuous use as a springboard that has launched young men into an impressively diverse range of careers. “

Dr Flynn said this tradition continued today with the young men entrusted in SPC’s care “to have the optimal school experience to help each individual to become the best possible version of themselves”.

Guest speaker John Larkins (SPC 1961-67), who is currently chair of the Victorian Liquor Commission following a successful career as a barrister in Melbourne, recounted many fond memories of his time as a boarder.

“We managed to have a lot of fun out of very little,” he said, highlighting the camaraderie often experienced by fellow boarders, even decades on, after “having an experience together that really cannot be replicated”.

John brought along his father’s 1932 high jump trophy from home. He remembered watching his father writing out a cheque for his SPC education “but for the life of me, I can’t remember if it was 50 guineas (equivalent to $100) for a term or the whole year”.

John said he was delighted to catch up with classmates at the lunch, some he had met on his first day of SPC at the tender age of 11.

He recalled the in the boarders dining room where the entire process was based around “seniority”.

“I also remember two (food) strikes in my time … in relation to ‘red dogs’ … they were very red sausages and the boys remained steadfast in their seats and refused to go up and get them,” he laughed.

He recounted Br Tuck’s interesting coaching style as a member of the 1966 First XVIII Football team, and the “legendary William Thomas O’Malley” and “what an experience that was”.

In reminiscing, John said Br O’Malley often reminded him of having taught, not only his brother – but his father as well – when he felt it was time for John to pick up his grades.

Sixty years on, John also confessed a secret of intercepting an important College letter which warned of expulsion following his involved in some mischievous behaviour.

“I always remember the last line.��‘Would you please impress on him the importance of this warning’.

“I thought I’ve got the message and there’s no need for my father to see this … and my father went to his grave knowing nothing of this.

“But I still think it was the right thing to do,” he laughed.

John said he was especially thankful for his education at SPC.

“I was to say I’ve found revisiting my youth in this regard, and I don’t know if everyone feels this way, to be quite a profound experience to be thinking back 60 years to who you were, how you went about things, the mistakes you made, the growing up you did, in many ways painful and how it prepares you for the vastitudes of life, and I found that to be a pretty good exercise.”

As a special keepsake from the day, group photographs were taken of the two reunion groups, and a personalised framed photo was presented to each member of the Class of 1966 in attendance to signify the special 60-year milestone.

Moments like these are a great reminder of the strong bonds that make St Pat’s so special.

It was wonderful to welcome back nearly 100 Old Collegians and partners upstairs at the Lake View Hotel in Ballarat to see where their lives have taken them in the past year.

Between starting new jobs and starting university, moving towns and others moving states, it was a great opportunity for our youngest Old Boys to gather and catch up.

Nedd Bennett, pictured above, was able to combine catching up with the cohort with his bar duties at the same time!

Thanks to OCA executive officer Dean Hackwill, OCA committee member Brendan Eckel and College Assistant Principal – Mission and Identity Geoff Brodie for providing such a warm welcome to the group at the one-year reunion, which was hosted by the SPC Old Collegians Association.

The group also enjoyed catching up with staff members Shane Murphy, Kat Ward, Brendan Champness and Paul Perversi.

Thanks so much to the members of the Class of 2024 for attending your One-Year Reunion and we look forward to seeing you at your next reunion in four years’ time!

More than 30 guys, now living locally, regionally and interstate, enjoyed the opportunity to catch up at the College’s OCA Pavilion, overlooking the Main Oval, for their 20-Year Reunion, hosted by the Old Collegians’ Association.

The alumni were impressed with the development of the College in the two decades since they were students during a school tour, with many new facilities on show, including the Performing Arts Centre, Food Technology classrooms and Boarding Precinct, just to name a few.

The Class of 2005 were given a warm welcome by Deputy Principal – Community John Richards and Assistant Principal – Mission & Identity Geoff Brodie, both well-known and remembered as teachers during their time.

Thank you to Brendan Eckel (SPC 1969-75) from the Old Collegians’ Association committee, who represented the OCA on the night. A big thank you to Class of 2005 College Captain Michael Huckstepp who also issued a warm welcome to his former classmates.

Long-time teachers Danny Moore, Colleen Pope and former staff member John Cosgriff were also in attendance, with many stories and much reminiscing taking place during the evening about maths classes, basketball teams and memories from the early 2000s.

Thank you to everyone from the Class of 2005 and staff who joined us.

More than 40 members of the Class of 1995 took the opportunity to renew friendships at the College’s Old Collegians’ Pavilion.

Former classmates travelled from all over the map including Horsham, Melbourne, Geelong, Gippsland, as well parts of New South Wales and Western Australia.

The evening began with a school tour, including a visit to some of the newer areas, which have been built since 1995, including the Wilding Wing, Con Whelan Food Technology Centre, and Performing Arts Centre.

Thanks to Old Collegians Association committee member and secretary Will Rothe for welcoming the group on behalf of the OCA, which hosts the Class Reunions, as well as OCA Executive Officer Dean Hackwill, for greeting the Old Collegians on behalf of the College.

We also welcomed current staff, Colleen Pope and Juri Kaczkowski, along with former teachers John Cosgriff and Margaret Leahy, who thoroughly enjoyed chatting with their students three decades on.

Thank you to everyone from the Class of 1995 who joined us. The countdown is on now to the group’s 40-Year Reunion.

It was a great opportunity for this group to reunite after they were hit by a worldwide pandemic during their graduating year five years ago.

Members of the Class of 2020 were forced to get used to remote learning, wearing face masks and sadly missed out on many of their final year events and traditions.

It was a tough year all round, however the Class of 2020 showed up with plenty of Paddy pride and spirit to not only graduate, but persevere in the subsequent years, which were also impacted by COVID.

It was tremendous to welcome back so many members of the Class of 2020, including College Captain Will Rothe, and vice captain Max Waller (fellow vice captain Finn Lappin is currently in the US) along with Class of 2020 Year 12 coordinators Shane Murphy and Kat Ward.

In welcoming the group, the College’s OCA Executive officer Dean Hackwill (SPC 1988-93) congratulated the group on their perseverence through COVID, while the College’s Director of Students Jarrett Giampaolo wished the young men well in their endeavours and OCA committee member and current teacher Shane Hayes (1989-94) reminded the group, now Old Collegians, to continue looking out for each other into the future.

While a large group of members of the Class of 2015 attended their 10-Year Reunion at the College’s OCA Pavilion, in Ballarat, on Saturday 29 March 2025, it was too far to travel for a few fellow classmates.

However, not to be defeated, these Old Boys organised an impromptu get-together at a pub in London and sent their photo to us!

Well done to these Paddy boys for finding a way to reconnect after a decade on the other side of the globe.

John wrote in to the College, and shared his family ties and happy memories of his time at St Patrick’s College.

Here is John’s letter –

Thank you for the invitation informing me of the Class of 1955 70th anniversary. It amazed me that all that time has elapsed.

My wife and I have both had relations that were St Pat’s boarders. My family came from the Mallee, Victoria and Judy’s came from Boorooban, in the Riverina NSW. My brother Brian followed me to St Pat’s for a couple of years.

My father-in-law was Edmund Priestly (SPC 1918) and my cousin, Ian, also from Boorooban was there from 1948-52. John’s father Larry Graham as there also. So, our history with the College goes back a long way.

It would be wonderful to attend the anniversary but I am not well enough to travel the distance. I have many happy memories of St Pat’s and am grateful for the influence of the priests and brothers had on my life. Please put in an apology for me and say “hello” to my classmates attending. I have farmed all my life and and loved it! My three sons went to St Pat’s too and it was very good for them.��

We are now retired.��

With fondest memories,

John Graham

The evening began with a school tour, including a visit to the new Performing Arts Centre which made an impression on these Old Collegians.

It was a night of reconnecting, reminiscing and catching up with old friends in the OCA Pavilion.

Thanks to Old Collegians Association committee member Mark Dunne for welcoming the group on behalf of the OCA, which hosts the Class Reunions, as well as Deputy Principal – Community, John Richards, for greeting the Old Collegians on behalf of the College.

Thank you to those who travelled from near and far, including from the Northern Territory to join us.

New friendships were made and long-lost connections rediscovered in this wonderful display of community.

The College and Old Collegians’ Association committee were delighted to welcome over 120 members of our College community, including former College Headmasters Br Bill Wilding and Dr Peter Casey AM, alongside College Principal Steven O’Connor, College Legends and many Old Collegians.

There were plenty of flashes of green marking the special day with many of our Old Boys proudly wearing their beloved Old Collegian ties in the true SPC spirit.

We welcomed back three reunion groups, the Class of 1975 for their 50-Year Reunion, the Class of 1965 for their 60-Year Reunion, and a special reuniting of the Class of 1955 Intermediate A celebrating their 70^th anniversary.

Thank you also to our guest speaker, Old Collegian and internationally-acclaimed artist Wayne Elliott (SPC 1973-75), who celebrated the creativity of the College’s current and former students.

“The creative arts have the ability to take us to places we have never been and remind us of places we have been. It captures a moment in time,” said Wayne.

He spoke of his joy of learning the College had reintroduced its prestigious Flanagan Art Prize this year, and of the Old Collegian and Head Prefect, Noel Flanagan (SPC 1929-35), whom it is named after.

After witnessing and surviving the horrors of World War II and vowing that the efforts of those who had died should “never be forgotten”, Noel Flanagan was appointed as the Director and Curator of the Australian War memorial in Canberra.

Wayne told the crowd Noel realised the importance of photography, literature, paintings and sculptures to curate and tell a story about the Australian experience at war.

“And when you distil it down to its core – that’s exactly what art is – a way to tell the story of the human experience.”

In sharing his own story, Wayne said the more he has painted, the more he has come to realise that his process is heavily reliant on walking through the landscape.

“Not trying to think too much about it but absorbing the world around me like a sponge.”

Drawn mainly to landscapes, Wayne said he was delighted to be able to enter one of his paintings entitled ‘Yepereyne/Emily Gap’ in this year’s Flanagan Art Prize.

Wayne was later announced as runner-up of this year’s Flanagan Art Prize for his joyous work inspired by the landscapes of central Australia.

Wayne’s extensive work has been shown nationally and internationally including Canada, Poland and the United States.

“My first international exhibition was in New York in 2000, titled ‘Australian landscapes’. ��One day in the early hours of the morning, I woke to a phone call from the curator of the exhibition to tell me that my painting “Oaks Day” was stolen from the exhibition.

“I had to complete a New York Police report and the painting never turned up again but fortunately I did get the insurance payout. Sadly for the thieves, it probably wasn’t quite the ‘Mona Lisa grand heist’ they were hoping for!”

Wayne attended SPC in the 1970s as a boarder from Derrinallum, in western Victoria, following in the footsteps of his father, Jack Elliott (SPC 1947-51).

“Dad himself wasn’t an artist. In fact, it might’ve been the only thing he wasn’t a natural at. But he did love a good story.”

For those at our St Patrick’s Day lunch, it was a day full of lively conversation, joyful reunions and reminiscings, and new memories being made.

While our current students enjoyed fun St Patrick’s Day activities on the Main Oval, Class of 1975 College Captain Brian Brown and Class of 1965 College Captain Frank Vagg spoke, offering warm welcomes to their reunion groups.

It was extra special to welcome eight members of the 1955 Intermediate A Class to our lunch for their 70-year^��anniversary.

And for the majority of this small group, it was the first time they had sat side by side since their school days.

A special framed print of their class photograph was presented by president of the Old Collegians’ Association, Dr Charles Flynn (SPC 1971-73), to each classmate in attendance, which included Brian Costigan (SPC 1952-55, PY1957), Phonse Cunningham (SPC 1955-58), Br Michael Godfrey (SPC 1953-56, PY1957), Leon Gleeson (SPC 1950-55, PY1957), Des Martin (SPC 1953-56), Tony Ryan (SPC 1952-57), Peter Tierney (SPC 1954-57) and Ted Vaughan (SPC 1952-56, PY1957).

Another member of the group, John Graham (SPC 1953-55, PY1957) was unable to attend the lunch, as it was too great a distance travelling from his home in New South Wales to Ballarat. He was amazed at the time that had elapsed since he was at SPC. Click here to read John’s memories of the green, white and blue.

Our thanks to Leon Gleeson who was the driver behind bringing this group back together for a special day of reconnections.

A warm welcome was also extended by our master of ceremonies, the College’s Business Manager Andrew Jirik (SPC 1980-85) to our College Legends in attendance, including Gerard FitzGerald (SPC 1973, PY1975), Dennis Foley (SPC 1967-72), Michael Kearney (SPC 1962-67), Prof Terry Lloyd (SPC 1959-63), Jamie McKew OAM (SPC 1960-65), John Mooney OAM (SPC 1960-65) and Peter Wilson (SPC 1959-65).

And thank you to College Legend John Mooney OAM, who donated his immaculately pristine College cap and SPC athletics singlet from his school days to the College archives. Thanks to College archivist Halina Sztynda for providing a fabulous array of SPC memorabilia as well as the College’s timeline, which is now available to view at the College’s emerging History & Heritage Space, located next to front reception.

It is always special to bring our St Patrick’s College community together and we thank all those who joined us this year for a memorable St Patrick’s Day!