St Stanislaus' College (Bathurst)

St Stanislaus' College is a Catholic day and boarding high school for boys, founded in 1867 and conducted since 1889 by the Congregation of the Mission's priests and brothers. It is located in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, a regional centre 200 kilometres (120 mi) west of Sydney. The college is the oldest Catholic boys' boarding school in Australia,^[3] and currently caters for approximately 600 students from Years 7 to 12, including about 120 boarders.^[2]

St Stanislaus' College is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),^[4] and is a member of the Independent Schools Association (ISA).^[5]

College Motto

St Stanislaus' College shares its motto with its older sister St Vincent's College, Castleknock (Dublin): 'Nos Autem In Nomine Domini' ('We, however, in the name of the Lord'), which comes from Psalm 20:7 [Septuagint numbering 19:7]. The text in the psalm is "Hi in curribus et hi en equis; nos autem in nomine Domini Dei nostri invocabimus" ('Some trust in chariots or horses; we, however, [trust] in the Name of the Lord.').^[6] However, considering 'invocamimus', it may be more accurately translated as "we, however, will call upon the Name of the Lord".^[7]

Patron Saints

St Stanislaus

The main patron saint of the College is St Stanislaus Kostka SJ of Poland (1550–68). He walked all the way from Vienna to Rome to join the Jesuits (Society of Jesus). On the way he stopped at Dilingen in obedience to St Peter Canisius who tested his vocation there. On his seventeenth birthday achieved his aim and joined the Order. Partly because of the exhaustion from his arduous journey, he died about two months before he turned eighteen. He was a shining model of a true Christian person.^[8] He was chosen for the school due to his holiness, idealism and youth.

St Vincent

St Vincent de Paul (1581-1660), the other main patron saint of Stannies, is the founder of the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentian Priests and Brothers) who have had care of the College since 1889. The Charism of St Vincent underpins all that the College stands for. He is patron of St Vincent's House. St Vincent (1576-1660) also founded the Daughters of Charity and gave his life in service of the poor. He is known as the "Apostle of Charity".^[9]

St Charles

St Charles Borromeo was the patron of the Seminary which was the sister institution of the College in the early years. The seminary was short-lived but St Charles remains as the patron of St Charles' House and his statue continues to grace the old part of the College. St Charles Borromeo (1538–1584) was the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584. He is ranked high among the great reformers of the Catholic Church in the troubled sixteenth century.^[10]

St Joseph

St Joseph is Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He is patron of St Joseph's House.

St John

St John the Evangelist is patron of St John's House.

St Justin

St Justin de Jacobis CM was a great Vincentian Missionary Bishop in Ethiopia and is patron of St Justin's House.

St Francis Xavier

St Francis Xavier SJ was a great Jesuit Missionary and is patron of Xavier's House.

College War-Cry and Song

The Rick

The College war-cry is known as "The Rick" and it is rather old. The words are: Stannies 1,2,3… rick, rick, rickerty rick, hoopra, hooopra, hey, hey hoopra, hey hoopra, hey hey hey. Aussie, aussie ah, who are, who are, who are we? We are, we are SSC. Where do we come from? Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. Stannies, Stannies 'ray.^[11]

The Vincentius

The College Song is the 'Vincentius', a latin hymn about St Vincent de Paul which includes a rendering of verses 15 and 16 of Psalm 132. It is often sung by the St Stanislaus' boys when they gather together.

Vincentius orphanorum pater Pauperes Sion saturabo panibus Sacerdotes eius induam salutari

English translation: Vincent, father of orphans The poor of Sion I will satisfy with bread Its priests I will clothe with salvation

History

St Stanislaus' College was established in 1867^[12] with 14 boys, near the present St Michael and St John's Cathedral. Tuition occurred until 1873 in part of the Denominational School, which replaced the demolished St Michael's church, and the boarders lived nearby under the care of Michael McGirr; the first President was his cousin, Fr James McGirr.^[13]

The school came under the control of the Congregation of the Mission in 1889, following the arrival of the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers from Ireland. Their task was to run the College and St Charles' Seminary on the same site. The seminary was founded in 1875 and closed at the end of 1891.^[14]

In 1892, the College became a member of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (GPS).^[15] However, travelling to Sydney for sports was difficult and membership was relinquished some years later.

In 1896, the College received much media attention when it became the site of the first x-ray for medical purposes in Australia. This x-ray was taken by Father Joseph Patrick Slattery on 21 September, and showed the location of gunshot in the shattered hand of an ex-student.^[16]

The main oval was opened with a game of cricket on St Patrick's Day 1932, a College team pitted against an Australian XI captained by Alan Kippax and including Don Bradman.

The College has mainly played Rugby Union although Rugby League was played for several years in the 1940s and 50s. The First XV won the Waratah Shield in 1974, 1980, 1981 and 1995.

The original part of the current building with its three towers was constructed in stages from 1872 to 1907.^[17] Other additions included the Gallagher Wing in 1942,^[18] extension of the Chapel and Marble Hall completed 1954,^[19] John Hall Wing (1962) and Slattery Wing (opened by Robert Menzies in 1965). The olympic swimming pool was opened in 1971 and the Guthrie Library in 1976. The McMahon Wing was opened in 1985, completing the Quadrangle. In 1989 the "Brothers" Industrial Arts Complex was constructed. In 2005 a large Indoor Recreation Venue and Performing Arts Centre was built, overlooking No. 1 Oval. Most recently, in 2011, the Trade Training Centre near the Fitz Oval was completed.^[20]

The number of College Houses was increased from four to six in the 1980s. The Houses are under the patronage of St Vincent de Paul, St Charles Borromeo, St Francis Xavier, St John the Evangelist, St Justin de Jacobis and St Joseph.

Echoes from St Stanislaus'

Since the coming of the Vincentians in 1889, the College's annual publication, "Echoes from St Stanislaus' College", has been published nearly every year. There were gaps of several years during World War One and Two.^[21] In 1989 "A Century of Echoes" was published, edited by Theo Barker.^[22]

St Stanislaus Bathurst sign

College Chapel

Interior of St Stanislaus' College Chapel, Bathurst, NSW, Australia

Part of the original building, extended in 1954 and renovated in recent years, the Chapel is a beautiful place of worship.

The main stained-glass window is exquisite and striking. It depicts the Trinity, Angels, and several Mysteries of the Rosary: the Annunciation (including part the greeting of the Angel Gabriel to Mary in Latin "Ave Maria gratia plena", i.e., "Hail Mary full of grace"), the Nativity, the Crucifixion and the Coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven (including the opening words of the Latin hymn "Regina Caeli Laetare...", i.e., "Queen of Heaven, rejoice...").

Two circular paintings have graced the chapel wall on either side of the main window for many years: St Vincent de Paul to the left and St Patrick to the right.

The two side-altars feature two beautiful Hardman & Co. stained-glass windows each. (Many wonderful windows by the same company also feature in St Joseph's Church, Orange.)

There are two series of stained-glass windows at the sides of the chapel. Towards the front the windows represent the College House Patron Saints. Behind these are symbolised the Four Evangelists (i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).

Presidents and Heads of the College

The first President was Fr James McGirr (1867-1871), followed by Fr Joseph Horan (1871-1873), Dr McAuliffe (1873-1878), Fr Horan again (1878-1883), Fr Pierce Corcoran (1883), Dr Joseph P. Byrne (1884), Fr William Byrne (1885-1888).^[23] Vincentians continued in the role of President and Headmaster at the College from 1889 until the commencement of 1993, when it was decided to separate the two roles.^[14] Mr John Edwards was Headmaster between 1993 and 2012; and he was succeeded by the current Head, Dr Anne Wenham.^[24]

Presidents

Heads of College

Child sexual abuse

During 2007 former priests, chaplains and teachers came under investigation over alleged child sexual abuse that up to 40 boys were allegedly sexually abused at the school from the 1960s through to the early 1990s.^{[27][28][29][30]}

At least four people associated with St Stanislaus' College have faced legal proceedings due to alleged sexual abuse. One, Brian Spillane, an ordained priest, was initially charged with 33 counts in 2008, including six counts of sexual intercourse with pupils from St Stanislaus' College.^[31] In 2009 this was extended to 146 offences.^[32] Although many of these cases are still ongoing, Spillane was convicted in November 2010 of nine counts of indecent assault against three girls aged between eight and seventeen while he was based in both Bathurst and Sydney, for which he was sentenced to nine years in custody in 2012.^[33] Kevin Phillips, another ordained priest, pleaded guilty to four counts of gross indecency with a child under the age of 18, resulting in concurrent sentences of 9 months under the first three charges, and an additional 9 months for the fourth.^[34][35] John Gaven, a Vincentian Brother, was charged with 28 sex offences;^[36] and in March 2013 was found guilty on six sexual assault charges against former students.^[37]

Along with Spillane, Phillips and Gaven, one other man has been charged with sexual abuse cases related to the school: with five counts of indecent assault and one count of sexual assault.^[38]

Notable alumni

Years at St Stanislaus' College in brackets.

Academic

• Pat Moran: (1930—1933) – Statistician who made significant contributions to probability theory and its application to population and evolutionary genetics^[39]

Clergy

• Most Rev Patrick Dwyer: (c.1867—c.1874) – Bishop of Maitland, 1909–31.^[40]
• Rev Fr Joseph Patrick Slattery, C.M., (1866-1931) was an alumnus of St Charles' Seminary and taught at St Stanislaus'. He was a Vincentian priest, physicist, radiologist and a pioneer in the field of radiography in Australia.
• Dom Richard Hugh Connolly OSB (Attended SSC 1887) (b.1873 d. 16 March 1948) was a monk of Downside Abbey and a major contributor to Syriac scholarship. He attended St Stanislaus' in 1889 at which time his family were living in the district of Carcoar, NSW.
• Rev Fr Chris Middleton SJ: (1970–75) – Rector and Deputy Headmaster of St Ignatius' College Athelstone, Adelaide, from 1998. Then Principal of St Aloysius College, Sydney from 2003. Then Rector of Xavier College, Melbourne, from June 2014.^[41]
• Most Rev. Patrick O'Regan: (c.1970—c.1982) - Bishop of Sale^[42]

Entertainment and the arts

• Mark Corcoran: – ABC TV foreign correspondent^[43]
• John O'Grady: (c.1920s) – Writer with works including the comic novel They're a Weird Mob.^[44]
• Damien Parer: (c.1930) – Australian war photographer^[45]
• Bill Peach: (c. 1940s) – ABC television journalist and host of This Day Tonight^[46]

Medicine

• James Fitzpatrick: (????—1991) – Paediatrician; awarded Young Australian of the Year in 2001.^[47]

Military

• Leslie Jones: (c.1900s) – RAAF Pilot, aeronautical engineer^[48]
• Peter McIntosh – Major, Royal Australian Engineers – Army, Conspicuous Service Medal^[49]
• Ray Parer: (c.1910s) – RAAF Pilot, aviator and adventurer.^[50]

Politics and the law

• Francis Clarke: (c.1870s) – Member for Macleay (NSW Colonial Parliament) and later inaugural Member for Cowper (Federal Parliament)^[51]
• Justice Williams Collins – Former Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales^[52]
• Paddy Crick: (c.1870s) – Politician, solicitor and newspaper proprietor^[53]
• Jim Curran: (c.1940s) – Member for Castlereagh (NSW Parliament)^[54]
• J. J. Dalton: (c. 1870s) – Irish Nationalist Member of the UK Parliament, 1890–92^[55]
• Tony Kelly: (c.1970s) – Former Minister in the Rees and Keneally governments^[56]
• William Patrick Kelly: (c.1880s) – Member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales^[57]
• Greg McGirr: (c.1890s) – Member for Yass, Cootamundra, and later Sydney^[58]
• James McGirr: (c.1900s) 28th Premier of New South Wales^[59]
• Richard Meagher: (c.1880s) – Politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly (also attended St Aloysius' College)^[60]

Sport

• Mick Clifford: (1927—1933) – Rugby international^[61]
• Herbert Daly: (1899) – Rugby international^[61]
• James Grant: (1981—1982) – Rugby international^[62]
• Tim Lane: (1976—1977) – Rugby international^[61]
• James McLaren: (1984—1990) – Scottish dual-code international rugby league and rugby union^[63]
• Beau Robinson: (2001—2004) – Rugby Super 15 Reds (Super Rugby Champion 2011)^[61]
• Marty Roebuck: (1977—1982) – Rugby international^[61]
• Peter Toohey: (1966–1971) – Australian Test cricketer^[64]
• Jim White: (1899—1903) – Rugby international^[61]

See also

• List of non-government schools in New South Wales
• List of boarding schools

References

External links

• Official website