St Patrick's College, Strathfield

St Patrick's College, also referred to informally as "SPC", is an Australian independent Roman Catholic day school for boys located in Strathfield in the inner west of Sydney.

Founded as a Christian Brothers school in the tradition of Edmund Rice in 1928, the college currently caters for approximately 1430 students from Years 5 to 12.^[2]

St Patrick's College is a member of the Independent Schools Association (ISA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),^[3] and the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA).^[4]

Facilities

The facilities at St Patrick's include:

• One sporting field
• Nine educational buildings
• Two libraries
• One staff building
• One gym
• One swimming pool
• One hall
• One amphitheatre
• Five science labs and three prep rooms

Co-curriculum

St Patrick's College from Kessel Square

The school competes in such activities as rugby union, cricket, baseball, soccer, swimming, basketball, softball, golf, athletics and tennis in the Independent Schools Association competition and against CAS and GPS member schools. The junior school also competes in an AFL tournament in a local comp that plays on Friday nights.

The college performs an annual musical and drama production starring students from the school itself and Santa Sabina College, SPC's sister school. Recent productions include Miss Saigon (2013), Little Shop of Horrors (2012), The Wiz (2011), Guys and Dolls (2010), High School Musical (2009), Les Misérables (2007), Grease (2006), Disco Inferno (2005), Footloose (2004) and Jesus Christ Superstar (2003).^[5] Recent dramatic productions include "The Comedy of Errors" (2014), "Boy Overboard" (2013), The Chocolate War (2012), Much Ado About Nothing (2011), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (2010), A Few Good Men (2009), The Wasps (2008), The Taming of the Shrew (2007) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (2006).^[6]

The college competes annually with the nearby Trinity Grammar School for the Black and Green Shield which was conceived in 2005. It is based on the cumulative results of all winter sports games (rugby and football) between the schools on a designated weekend. The college has taken the shield each year since its inception.

Other annual sporting events include the junior school's rugby tour to Armidale where two rugby teams compete against those from other schools and colleges from New South Wales and Queensland, the Christian Brothers Schools' Cricket Carnival held during the Christmas holidays at St. Joseph's Nudgee College at Brisbane, which the college has won three times, in 1995, 2009 and 2014. The 2014 Championship win was inspired by a sensational 75 from promoted bowler Damian Rapisarda. It was also the third time the College had achieved the CBCW-ISA double, a truly remarkable feat. Ben Manenti also had a star season as one of the team's heavyweights with both bat and bowl which subsequently led to his selection in the NSW Schoolboys XI, the pinnacle of Schoolboy cricket. The achievement saw Manenti develop the status of the 'next Mark Cosgrove of Australian cricket', but has greater aspirations than the former Australian representative, striving to become SPC's 2nd NSW player.

The school is a founding member of the Catholic Schools Debating Association (CSDA) and has experienced success in recent years. One of the shields for premiers is named after a long-serving deputy headmaster, Michael Robson, for his decades of service to the association.

The college also has an extensive social justice program, annually raising funds for a Lenten focus charity as well as aiding many causes with practical assistance from the boys. Focus areas include the Saint Vincent de Paul Society "night patrol" and the financial assistance of Christian Brother's schools serving disabled or economically and socially disadvantaged communities.

College crest

The college's crest was designed in 1938 and is made up of three components:

• Shield: With its chevrons and bars it is a symbol of strength and fortitude
• Motto: Those who wear the crest pledge fidelity to the college motto Luceat Lux Vestra, Latin for "Let Your Light Shine".
• Star: Seen mounting the crest, it signifies that the college lights the way to knowledge and to the God.^[7]

Alumni

St Patrick's alumni are traditionally known as "Old Boys",^[8] the St Patrick's alumni association being called the Old Boys' Union.

St Patricks Rugby Club

St Patrick's Rugby Club was established in 1964 as a rugby league club as that was the code of football played at the college at the time. In 1965 the college changed to rugby union, the club followed suit the following year and entered the Western Suburbs Under 20 competition. The club originally played in a white jersey with black collar and now play in a black jumper with a gold collar, as does the college First XV. The club plays in the New South Wales Suburban Rugby Union and has won four club championships and two first grade premierships. Since its promotion to Kentwell Cup First Division in 1974 is one of only two clubs to never have been relegated. The club plays its home games at Hudson Park, Strathfield.^[8][9]

Notable alumni

Science and medicine

• John Mattick, geneticist^[10] and microbiologist, director of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research^[11]

Bureaucracy, politics and the law

• John Brogden AM, former NSW Liberal Leader of the Opposition and Member for Pittwater^[12][13]
• John Brown AO, former Federal Member for Parramatta and Labor minister (most notably Minister for Sport, Recreation and Tourism).^[14]
• The Hon Tony Burke MP, Federal Labor Member for Watson, Shadow Minister for Finance and former Member of the NSW Legislative Council^[15]
• Mick Clough, former NSW Labor Member for Blue Mountains and former Member for Bathurst
• Bryan Doyle MP, former NSW Liberal Member for Campbelltown
• The Hon Craig Emerson, former Federal Labor Member for Rankin and minister^[15]
• The Hon Laurie Ferguson MP, Federal Labor Member for Werriwa, former NSW Member for Granville and brother of Martin^[15]
• The Hon Martin Ferguson AM, former Federal Member for Batman and minister^[15] and brother of Laurie.
• Justin Gleeson SC, Solicitor-General of Australia, the Commonwealth's second-ranking law officer.
• Dick Healey, former NSW Liberal Member for Davidson and Minister
• Tio Faulkner, President Liberal Party of Australia (ACT Division) (2010-2013).^[16]
• Gary Humphries, former Liberal Chief Minister of the ACT and former Senator for the ACT
• Craig Laundy MP, Federal Liberal Member for Reid
• Paul Lynch MP, NSW Labor Member for Liverpool and Shadow Attorney General^[17]
• Paul McLeay, former NSW Labor Member for Heathcote and minister
• Doug Sutherland AM, former Lord Mayor of Sydney^[18]

Business

• Greg Coffey, a London hedge fund manager known as the "Wizard of Oz"
• John Symond, founder and chairman of Aussie Home Loans (left in Year 10)^[19]
• James Symond, Chief Executive Officer^[20] of Aussie Home Loans

Education

• Michael K. Morgan AM, Professor of Neurosurgery and Dean of Medicine, School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University

Entertainment, media and the arts

• Mig Ayesa, actor, notable work includes "Joe" the landlord on ABC children's serial The Ferals^[21]
• Thomas Kenneally AO, author^[12][22] of the book that inspired the film Schindler's List
• Rob Shehadie, actor in the television show Pizza^[23]
• Peter Skrzynecki,^[24] poet and writer and lecturer at the University of Western Sydney

Sport

• John Ballesty, former Australian Rugby Union International^[25]
• Michael Foley, Australian rugby union player, Australian rugby union forwards coach 2003-2008, New South Wales Warartahs rugby union coach 2008. Current coach of the Western Force^[12]
• Ante Milicic, Australian football (soccer) player
• Shannon Cole, Australian football (soccer) player for Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers FC
• Chris O'Young, rugby union player for the Western Force and Australia 7's
• Tim Pickup, Australian Rugby Union and Rugby League Representative
• Matt Williams, rugby coach
• Chris Siale, Rugby Union player for the Queensland Reds, New South Wales Waratahs and French rugby second division
• Brian McCowage, Australian Foil Champion. Olympic Representative at the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games.^[26]
• William Quigley, Taekwondoka, black belt and competes in poomsae competitions.

See also

• List of non-government schools in New South Wales

References

External links

• St Patrick's College website