Brigidine Sisters on holiday at Margaret River, 1965

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

Back in 1965, the Perth community of Brigidine Sisters headed down to Margaret River for a holiday. Here they are at Canal Rocks (or Winjee Sam, as it is known to the Wadandi Saltwater people), smiling straight into the sun with the wind doing its best to set some of them asail! (Names below.)

Sister Dorothea Hickey told us recently someone said they had the impression that holidaying in Margaret River back then would have been like it was today; good roads to travel there, fully equipped with wineries, supermarkets, cafes, gorgeous shops, and touristy places to visit…

But no!

Dorothea said, "they actually went in a safari-type convoy, taking everything they needed - as well as the kitchen sink! And because there was only a small, two-sister convent in the tiny, faraway town, they bunked down in the school!"

This is the only known photo of the Sisters’ 1965 holiday to the now hugely popular tourist destination. How we’d love to see more - and how Margaret River has changed in the last nearly six decades!

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Back L-R: Sisters Joanne White, Finbarr-Francis/Christine McDonald, Sebastian/Clare Small, Lelia Whittaker.

Third Row: Sisters Finbarr/Catherine Treacy, Canice/Catherine Bolger, Theodore Marks, Gerard Coady.

Second Row: Mother Colombiere Small, Sisters Aiden Ryan, David Dynan.

Front: Sister Patrick Nagle

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Class of 1972, 50 Year Reunion!

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

The best kind was in the air last Friday, when we hosted the Marist (now Newman) College 1972, 50 Year Reunion!

This was the first major reunion to be held back on campus and there’s been overwhelmingly positive feedback from everyone who came along. Some flew in from interstate - Terry Beeson only organising to fly in from Brisbane the night before!

The lads were welcomed into the Sports Centre at 6pm by Acting Principal Lucie McCrory before accompanying Acting Vice Principal Simon Martino (Newman graduate 2005) and Br Paul Murphy (from the 1972 class) on a tour of the campus. About half an hour later (while they were quite some distance away) the approaching noise told us they were making their way back. It was immediately clear those who hadn’t recognised each other at the beginning, had done so along the way, and they were all talking and laughing as if no time, at all, had passed.

Next was a group photo, for which the lads all trooped downstairs. With the backdrop being the Terry Gleeson Oval, everyone called out how they had planted it, back in the day - mostly “volunteered" by Br Ambrose. In the centre of the group was one of the boys’ old teachers, Leo Keegan, who’d come along for the night.

The Principal in 1972 was the vastly popular Br Tim McDonald who now lives in Florida. Leo Keegan referred to him as "the smartest person he ever met anywhere, by a country mile.”

Tim desperately wanted to fly over for this reunion, making sure he had both his passport and his wife’s blessing but, in the end, the long flight posed a serious risk to his health, so he couldn’t come. He was so sad to not be able to be here, and was missed, but Committee member Mick Evans worked hard with Tim using various online platforms, resulting in a personal recording for the night, addressing all the boys. It was very special, and began with a crack about how old they’d all gotten old, as he remembered them as 17-year-olds!

There were then a series of short speeches by 1972 School Captain John Dastlik, School Vice Captain John Aldous, and others. These were followed by a truly rousing rendition of the Marist warcry led by Peter O'Dea, and the start of a slideshow looping fabulous images from the Archives.

Some of the lads gave personal interviews - among them Daven Moldrich, who spent six years at Aquinas before transferring to Marist Brothers for Sub-Leaving and Leaving (Years 11-12). He said:

“I spent my last two years here and I would have to say without a doubt, the last two years of my school were the best years I ever had in my entire schooling. I loved it here, the guys were fantastic, they took me in, the Brothers were good - Brother Tim in particular ... everything about Marist Brothers was great.”

The food, by our own Catering Manager Donna McFadden, looked scrumptious and there was plenty of it; our barman Brent Penberthy (1993) served drinks all night; and the venue - overlooking the Terry Gleeson Oval as the sun set - was just perfect.

As some of our staff left at about 7:30pm, to allow the lads to enjoy their reunion, they paused about 15 feet from the doorway, listening to the din of talk and bellows of laughter coming from behind them. They agreed this was the sound of a successful reunion. Wonderful stuff.

If we can help you organise your St Joseph’s, Marist, Brigidine, or Newman College reunion, please email alumni@newman.wa.edu.au.

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The James Stephen McNulty (1977) Prize for Mathematics

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

This week we thought we’d take a look at the story behind the James Stephen McNulty Prize for Mathematics, which is awarded annually.

James Stephen ‘Jimmy’ McNulty was born in 1960, the son of Dr Jim McNulty AO and his wife Betty nee Aylward, who married in Dublin, Ireland, in late 1956. They then came to Australia on the SS Orion which arrived in Fremantle on 28 February 1957.

Initially Jim and Betty lived in Kalgoorlie where Jim worked as the Mines' Medical Officer, and at Kalgoorlie Hospital. (In 1958 he went up to Wittenoom, where he diagnosed the first case of mesothelioma in a Wittenoom worker. In 1975 he became Western Australia's Director of Public Health and was finally able to do something about it. An amazing man.)

In those first years are when Jim and Betty's first four children were born: Mary, Margaret, Jimmy and Patrick.

In 1963 the family went to England where Jim undertook a Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Health at London University. Returning to Perth in 1964, they bought 18 Kenmore Crescent, Floreat Park, and became some of the suburb's earliest residents. There, their two youngest children were born: Anne and Michael.

In time, all six McNulty children went to Our Lady of Victories (Brigidine) Primary School in Wembley; the girls to Year 7, and the boys to Year 3 before going on to Marist Junior College in Subiaco from Year 4. Mary and Margaret then went on to Brigidine College, Floreat, from which they graduated, with the younger ones finishing their schooling in the first years of the newly-amalgamated Newman College, Churchlands.

(It’s actually quite easy to pick most of the McNultys out in yearbooks as they were all blessed with beautiful thick hair, just like Jimmy’s! Many McNulty family members have subsequently come through Newman College, with the most recent graduates in 2018. Yearbook photographs confirm they all seem to have that amazing McNulty hair!)

As to Jimmy, he is described by his family as being a very funny, quiet young man who had some really wonderful friends, and enjoyed spending time with them. He was also extraordinarily clever with a particular love of, and gift for Mathematics.

In 1976, in Year 11, he received the Parents & Friends Prizes for Maths II and Maths III, and in 1977 he was in the first group of newly-amalgamated Newman College Year 12 Leavers (see pic). At the end of that year, he again received the prize for Maths II and Maths III, and his name was also inscribed on The Monsignor Kennedy Cup for Dux of College. (Monsignor Edmund Kennedy was the parish priest of St Joseph’s, Subiaco, from 1947-1976, during which time St Joseph’s [later Marist Junior] College was opened in 1954. The Award was inaugurated in 1958 and awarded to [now Father] Geoffrey Aldous.)

After school Jimmy went on to the University of Western Australia to study Medicine, and it was while he was pursuing these studies he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Sadly, he died on 29 June 1984, aged just 24. You’re not alone if your heart sank in reading that. All that promise; what a bright future he had...

Of course the family’s grief would never disappear, but by 2002 it had abated enough to consider how best to commemorate Jimmy. His sister Margaret Galati (McNulty 1976) was then on Newman College Council with four children of her own at the School. She helped her parents organise, with the School, the self-regenerating funding of the James Stephen McNulty Prize for Mathematics, which was to be awarded to the highest achieving Mathematics student in Year 11; the same prize Jimmy had won when he was in Year 11.

2002 was the first year the James Stephen McNulty Prize for Mathematics was awarded - to Daniel Boland.

Subsequent recipients are:

2003 Matthew Agnew

2004 Benjamin Janssen

2005 Dongyan (Lisa) Wang

2006 Christopher Murphy

2007 Alexander Mazur

2008 Rachit Shah

2009 Michael Martis

2010 Juhi Sanghavi

2011 James Rushbrooke

2012 Nathan Ho

2013 Conrad Hogg

2014 Elizabeth Loreck

2015 Kayne Joy

2015 Thomas Matthews

2016 Samuel Loughnan

2017 Jasper Patterson

2018 Isabelle Pang

2018 Alexandra Cavanagh

2019 Jack Towie

2020 Sarena Kriletich

2020 Keenan Botteon

2021 Jackson Kallawk

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Family shots from Geoff O’Dwyer (1973)

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

School teacher Doug O’Dwyer, and nurse Joy McGovern married in Perth in 1951, before Doug was posted to teach in Collie. There, their first three sons were born: John (from the Class of 1970), Tony (1972) and Geoff (1973). Then on to Pingelly where Stephen (1975) was born, and Merredin, where youngest son Phillip (1977) was born. Five boys!

The O’Dwyers then moved back up to Perth where they lived at 34 Alexander Street, Wembley.

All five lads were educated at Our Lady of Victories (Brigidine) Primary School nearby, on the corner of Cambridge and Simper Streets, Wembley, followed by Marist Junior College, Subiaco, and then Marist Senior College, Churchlands. (John and Tony both also went to City Beach High School.)

This gorgeous shot is in the back garden of Alexander Street on the very first day of all of them being at school, in 1965 - the first year of Marist Junior and Senior Colleges! (We hope Mrs O'Dwyer spent the day doing something fabulous.) In the back we have Tony (Year 5), John (Year 7), Geoff (Year 4), all in their new Marist Junior College uniform and caps. In the front is Phillip (Year 1) and Stephen (Year 3) who were then at OLV.

We hear these lads grew up to be referred to as ‘The Notorious O’Dwyer Boys’!

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Thanks to Geoff O’Dwyer (1973) for this, and other gorgeous shots he donated to our Archives recently.

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Marist College Hockey Team c1968

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

This week Geoff O’Dwyer (1973) sent us some gorgeous photos of his time at Marist Junior in Subiaco, and Senior College in Churchlands.

Among them was this cracker of the c1968 Marist Junior Hockey team. (Clearly some silverfish with good taste liked it too, but thankfully they haven’t done too much damage!)

At the time, Geoff wrote who they were on the back, but there is one name not known, and one extra boy in the back row. They are all from the 1973 class except where stated (names below).

Can you help confirm who’s who? If so, please tag, comment below or email archives@newman.wa.edu.au!

Back L-R: Paul Sadlier (1974), Les Magyar, Unknown (1974), Damien Kenny, Harvey Rosario, Peter Malone, Geoff O’Dwyer, Gary O’Mahoney.

Front: Clarke Daws, Bryan Knox

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Dale Neill’s (1961) first car

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

Today we thought we'd share another of Dale Neill's wonderful stories which we though you'd love as much as we did.

Dale graduated from St Joseph's (Marist, now Newman) College, Subiaco, in 1961, and went on to become a professional photographer and further, a brilliant educator in all facets of photography.

His stories though, are the absolute bomb! (Pardon the pun.) Enjoy!

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Flashback: My first ever car, 1961.

My mate Graham 'Wally' Walden and I bought this 1934 Vauxhall straight six for £5, 10 shillings (roughly $170 today) while we were both in Leaving (Year 12) at Marist Brothers in Subiaco.

The motor wasn't working. The previous owners, two young guys from Victoria, had run it without water in the radiator and cracked the engine head. We spent every weekend for two months, totally besotted by our car, and determined beyond belief to make it run again.

This photo was taken the day we turned the engine over with a crank handle and the six cylinders spluttered into life! Oh! What a beautiful sound that was! It was one of those rare moments in life of complete self-actualisation, a 'first class miracle', a moment of revelation and exaltation.

We felt like kings.

We wiped away the grease and grime, showered, and put on our Sunday best duds.

Then we cranked the engine again and sauntered off down Cambridge Street, Wembley, at the breakneck speed of 30mph in our 'Al Capone' roadster, and parked at Lake Monger where we drank a couple of Cokes.

We drove our mobster rod with running boards, rear 'dickie' seat and long gear stick to school each day. Not only were we the only kids driving to school, we were probably the only ones who owned their own car! [Dale later admitted they didn't have a drivers' licence at that point!]

Wally and I sold the Vauxhall in October for £10. It wasn't going when we bought it and it wasn't going when we sold it, but I'd learnt how to disassemble an engine and repair a cracked head.

Wally and I had more fun, broke more rules, made more noise, picked up more girls, and created more havoc than I care to remember! But no animals were hurt and no nuns were injured in the journey.

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Shot on Hanimex C35 camera with Kodak Pan film.

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St Joseph’s (Brigidine) Primary School, 1955

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

Have a look at this absolutely gorgeous 1955 photo of the St Joseph's (Brigidine) Primary School children! We are loving the elaborate, decorative stage surround, and those luscious scalloped curtains! We're wondering what colour they were...

Sophia Gatti (Wisniewska 1961) has gone to the trouble of numbering the rows, and all of the children, and circulated it amongst the Brigidine Old Girls. They've all done a brilliant job in identifying many of the girls (see third photo and names below). Thank you Sophia, you are such a boon to our Archives!

Now we need the rest of the girls, as well as the boys identified! Can you help?

If you were a student of St Joseph's (Brigidine) Primary School, Subiaco, in 1955 and recognise yourself or anyone else, please tag, comment below, or email archives@newman.wa.edu.au.

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Those identified by Sophia and the Brigidine Alumni network:

Back, L-R: Clare Bromley, unknown, unknown, unknown, unknown, Felicity Vassallo, Margaret Andrews, unknown, Maureen Toomey Unknown, Anne Davidson, Lidia Breganti, unknown, unknown, Heather Andrews, unknown

Ninth row: Margaret Harris, Colleen Clay, Unknown, Jill Ellis, Mafalda Stiglich, Pat Hayes, Unknown, Clare Dwyer, unknown, unknown, Kath Carter, unknown, unknown, Beryl Hobbs?

Eighth row: Bernadette Hegney, unknown, Maureen Jenkin, Margaret O'Donohoe, Carolyn Sanderson, Lorraine Monck, Maureen O'Leary, unknown, Sue Waddington, Mariestella Stiglich, Mary Healy, Carol Waddell, Pat Pusey, unknown, Sophia Wisniewska, unknown, unknown, Lesley Golding

Seventh row: Irene Tennant, Unknown, Julie Riley, Mary Rooke, Gaye Perris, Sandra Gough, Maree Morris, Barbara Cross, Mary Davidson, Irene Purcell, unknown, Carol Barlow, Rosemary Gough, Clare Davidson, Stephanie Stachowicz, Marilyn Gregson?, Madeline Vassallo

Sixth row: All unknown until fifth along - Karen Taylor, Gisella Branzovitz?, Rita Lanza, Margaret McCartney, unknown, Elaine Lyons, Laurel Butler, Patricia Brown, Elizabeth Stamatiou, Joy Coleman, Pauline Paramore

Fifth row: All unknown until eighth along - Desley McGriskin, Lynette Shem, Suzanne Backman, Kathleen O'Leary?, Judith Larken, rest unknown

Fourth row: Jimmy ?, rest unknown until tenth along from Jimmy - Norma Riley, Mary Larken, rest unknown

Third row: All unknown until eleventh along - Patricia Somers, rest unknown

Second row: All unknown until tenth along - Patrick O'Donohoe, unknown, unknown, unknown, Michael O'Donohoe, rest unknown

Front: All unknown except Helen Barlow, third from right.

St Joseph's (Brigidine) Primary School students under Sister Elaine, 1955.

St Joseph's (Brigidine) Primary School, built c1913 on the north-west corner of McCourt Street, West Leederville, and Salvado Road, Subiaco (now demolished).

The wonderful work of Sophia Gatti (Wisniewska 1961) in identifying many of the girls and some boys.

We need your help with the rest! Tag, comment below, or email archives@newman.wa.edu.au if you can help!

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Gerry Westenberg (1973) visits the Archives

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

Meet Gerry Westenberg (1974)! He was one of our inaugural students at Marist College Junior School, Subiaco, from Year 4 in 1965, before coming on to Marist College Senior School, Churchlands, where he finished his schooling in 1974.

Gerry reckons he was always a bit of a nerd at school, but he excelled at sport, playing cricket and football, being one of the Best Players for Under-14 Football a few times.

He also won many events at the Athletics Carnivals, which saw him win the Lew Jones Trophy for Champion Athlete in 1974, and he contacted us recently to see if he could come in and see this trophy in our Archives.

Today was the day! We spent a few very enjoyable hours with Gerry, who used to be a maths teacher before becoming the lead auditor for RAAF training...

…but we were fascinated to find out what he’s up to these days and think you might find it as interesting as we did!

Gerry, you see, makes model ships! He started making them when he was a little tacker, and has now built more than 120 of them. A life’s passion!

Gerry's precise, exact models of the HMAS Perth, Kormoran and five submarines are on display down at the Maritime Museum on Victoria Quay in Fremantle, where he volunteers every Wednesday, and two of his models of HMAS Sydney are on display in the Innovations Gallery at Boola Bardip (Western Australian Museum). They feature the Sydney both before and after it was sunk, the latter forensically reconstructed from the image surveys so as to be as exact as possible.

He uses balsa wood, copper wire, cardboard, resin, tubing, fabric, an assortment of swear words, and myriad other materials to build each one from scratch. He does a great deal of research about each vessel, and uses plans - some of which are more accurate than others. They are always to the same scale (1/192), which he finds is large enough to show detail, but small enough so that storage isn't a huge problem.

“If I am building a ship from a class of ships, I will often choose one that sank, as a way of paying tribute to those who went down with the ship. Unfortunately, this can be quite challenging, as there is usually a small number of photographs that I can use as a reference. I use photos as much as I can to inform my model building, as I have found over the years that many plans are drawn incorrectly and this is usually only discovered when you are half-way through the build.”

(WA Shipwrecks Museum)

Gerry runs the occasional model making workshop too, and is having an exhibition of his model ships in April 2023 down at the Shipwrecks Museum - keep an eye out for it!

Gerry Westenberg (1974) with the Lew Jones Trophy for Champion Athlete, on the front of which Gerry's name is inscribed for winning the trophy in 1974.

L-R: Wes Olson, author of many great books including HMAS Sydney (II): in Peace and War (2016), and Bitter Victory: The Death of HMAS Sydney (2002) with Gerry Westenberg (1974). Courtesy Western Australian Museum.

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Graeme Walsh (1972) visits the Archives

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

With the 1972 Marist College reunion approaching in October, we’ve been enjoying meeting with the organising committee!

Graeme Walsh is one of those committee members. He was at Marist College Junior School in Subiaco from 1964 to 1967, and at Marist College Senior School in Churchlands from 1968 until completing his Leaving in 1972. He’s given us some fabulous items for our Archives, including Marist College folders, photos, a sporting pennant and student work.

... but this morning he brought us two very special additions - prize books he received for ’Second Aggregate’ (coming second in the year) in Grade 4 Red, 1964; and in Grade 6 Blue, 1966. Moonshine Island and The Valleys of Silence.

Aren’t they gorgeous? They were well chosen - they look really exciting and would've been so appealing to the young boys receiving them! These two are particularly special, as the 1964 one was presented in the last year the school was known as St Joseph’s, and 1966 was the year after it became Marist College Junior School.

We’re delighted to have them, as this is the beginning of our Prize Book Collection!

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Brigidine College, 1972 Leavers

Time for some Newman Nostalgia! (Our last for the term but we’ll be back!)

Look at these gorgeous, fresh faced young ladies with the whole world in front of them!

These are the Brigidine College Fourth Years (Year 11) in 1971 with Sister Helen, and the same group when in Fifth Year (Year 12) in 1972 with Principal Sister Christina.

We have a couple of unknowns, and we’d really love your help! Feel free to tag, comment or email archives@newman.wa.edu.au!

Both of these photos were sent to us by Dr Jennifer Harris (1972) who also gave us the truly fabulous 1972 Brigidine Dance photo from a couple of weeks ago, showing the long and the short of it!

Brigidine College Fourth Years (Year 11) in April 1971 with Sister Helen.

Top, L-R: Lee Dickson, Rosemary Richichi, Claire unknown, Margaret Waldock
Third row: Brenda ?, Julie Walsh, Sabrina Riseley, Annette Kavanagh, Vilia Cibulskis, Carolyn Blewett, Lynn Durston, Julieanne Deane
Second row: Concetta Fede, Claire Lalor, Elizabeth Casey, Mary Hannaford, Diane Zempilas, Maria Pielas, Jennifer Harris, Anne unknown

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The Frank Ehlers Pool under construction, 1975

Time for some Newman Nostalgia and a few incredible shots of the construction of the Frank Ehlers Swimming Pool during 1975!

Dug by staff, students and Old Boys, it was opened by Mr Frank Ehlers on 22 February 1976, precisely nine months after construction began. What a triumph it was!

The 1975 Marist College yearbook reports:

"Who said you could build a pool, Olympic size at that, using voluntary labour? Someone said ... THINK BIG, and thankfully, there were plenty of people who did just that. The Parents and Friends, under President Dan Leunig, agreed it was a feasible and worthwhile project for 1975. Past years had seen ovals, tennis courts, cricket pitches, basketball courts and an amphitheatre added to the school's facilities. 'We, the Community, will build a pool,' was the decision. And what a lesson in Community involvement!”

Around 200 volunteers were rostered on under team leaders in groups of men and others, of boys, who all came one weekend in five. There were supervisors, planners, surveyors and bricklayers, as well as those skilled in the use of hire equipment, earth moving, electrical installation, and more.

Enormous efforts were made, by more than 1000 people, in raising the $50,000 needed. They held a fete, a raffle, a Walk-A-Thon, a Melbourne Cup sweep, bingo nights, film outings, morning and afternoon teas, a grand ball, an Art Sale, and even produced a cook book for sale!

This mammoth project was run by Floreat civil engineer Frank Ehlers, who was the father of five Newmanites (some of them at Marist and Brigidine before the amalgamation of Newman College). The Frank Ehlers Swimming Pool is a worthy name as, on site and off, Frank spent many hundreds of hours working on the pool and was lauded for his dedication, patience, courtesy, and spirit of optimism as well as his attitude - always professional, despite likely being sorely tried at times.

In 1976 a visiting Victorian headmaster was so impressed with the team effort in building our pool, he said in his speech at that year's headmasters’ conference they should all "go out to Marist and see a community in action”. And, as the 1975 yearbook says, "Parents and Friends of ’75 - take a bow!” A triumph indeed!

Were you one of those who helped dig our pool?

"Let's dig a pool!"
"Ok! Where shall we start?"
"Anywhere!"

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Br Timothy McDonald, Headmaster, Marist College 1972-1977

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

We were just reading the 1972 Spectrum and thought we’d shine a little light on Headmaster Br Timothy McDonald, who succeeded Br Desmond (Liguori) Crowe (Senior School Headmaster 1970-1971), in 1972.

Br Timothy taught Maths II and III as well as 4th and 5th Year Physics. He also coached Football, and even supervised the Dancing classes attended by the Marist, Brigidine and Siena 3rd, 4th and 5th Year boys and girls.

Harold Rosario (1972), in his a report in the 1972 Spectrum, wrote that these dancing classes were run by Mrs Lee in the School Library over several weeks on Friday and Saturday nights. The students learnt old-style dances like the Pride of Erin and, after a few weeks, were able to gather and show off their skills at a ‘graduation dance’ held at the Subiaco Civic Centre.

Did you attend these dancing classes?

In the same Spectrum is also a fabulous report written by Brian Berrigan (1972). He approached Br Timothy with the idea of doing an interview - rather cautiously at first. After Br Timothy asked him why, Brian wrote, “using my renowned persuasive powers I was able to convince him of the need to explain his philosophies and policies to the school population. In his typically unassuming and unselfish manner, he granted me this exclusive interview."

We are so glad he did, for it gives us a welcome glimpse into the School’s leadership fifty years ago!

Brian asked such questions as:

Q: Does the present system of public examinations meet your approval?

A: No. Brother strongly expressed his disapproval of separate examinations for Leaving and Matriculation and suggested that one exam per subject would be far more suitable.

Q: How do you rate the loyalty of Marist students in comparison with their counterparts in other schools in which you have taught?

A: Loyalty, to a large extent, depends on the traditions inherent in the school in question. For example, New Norcia; it commanded a great deal of loyalty from its students because of its long history of tradition. This school is young and therefore it doesn’t inspire loyalty through tradition, however, I am sure that as it ages this will not be the case.

[Indeed it’s not - the large number of our alumni who’ve brought their own children through Newman stand testament to that.]

Q: Do you think that Marist, for economic or educational reasons, should go completely co-educational? [At the time, Year 11 and 12 girls shared Maths and Science classes between campuses.]

A: If Marist reverted to complete co-education its economic viability would not necessarily be increased. Brother went on to point out that confrontations usually occur between the sexes for the greater part of their school education and this would therefore detract from school spirit and provide an undesirable atmosphere for learning.

Q: Since you have been Headmaster what have you found to be your most difficult problem?

A: "Not trying to do it all yourself.” A Headmaster should be prepared to delegate his authority, to consult staff, students and parents, and to ensure that all school activities are directed by those most suitable."

All very interesting...

Incidentally Brian, who has lived in England for decades now, continued his investigative journalism and has worked for years producing television programmes!

Brother Timothy remained Headmaster through the amalgamation of Marist, Brigidine and Siena Colleges, and their transition to Newman College in 1977, and was succeeded by Brother Vincent Ryan in 1978. Today, Brother Timothy lives in Florida in the US, and is considering whether he’ll be able to fly out to attend the 1972 Marist College Reunion later this year!

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For anyone wanting to read the entire interview, please email us on archives@newman.wa.edu.au and we will provide a link to the digitised Spectrum magazines.

Brother Timothy McDonald, Marist College Senior School Headmaster 1972-1977

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Who Am I? Danny Green (1990)

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

Who Am I?

Basically, I reckon I'm blessed, and I couldn’t be more satisfied...

I was born in Perth in 1973, youngest of four kids; two boys and two girls. My mum and dad, Maria and Mal, had a farm in Warralakin in the Wheatbelt, but after yet another bad season, they gave it up and came back to the city in around 1970. Here we lived in Sporing Way, in the new suburb of Hillarys.

My dad was an absolute legend! He was a country kid himself, born in Burracoppin, and he taught me the values he learnt growing up in the bush and fighting his way out of really tough times. He often went out of his way to help people, never judged anyone. He was firm, but very fair, and he raised me to never pick a fight or throw the first punch.

He coached with the Marist Junior Football Club (MJFC) for 50 odd years, coaching great Newman College AFL players like 'Spider' Burton (1987), Quenton Leach (1989), Matt Connell (1989) - how terrific to have him as your Head of Sport, by the way! And he also coached my older brother Brendan (1988), who was drafted by the West Coast Eagles in '93 and subsequently played for Claremont before he came to work with me.

Growing up, I loved surfing and ping-pong, and I played footy too, in the MJFC team. I am a huge Eagles supporter today, but I wanted to be a boxer, so my dad got me into martial arts when I was about 12. He said no matter how many times I got knocked down, I could always pick myself up and start again. How right he was.

I followed my older brother, Brendan, to Newman College where I was in Tangney Guild.

I left Newman in 1989 in Year 11 for a carpentry apprenticeship. I’m not a carpenter now, but I think it’s important to have a profession you can fall back on if you need to.

After that I focused hard on boxing. I didn’t go to parties, I trained hard and was totally focused.

In 1993, when I was 20, I competed in my first amateur match. Without being big-headed about it, I was really good! After that, slowly and steadily, I won title after title and, in 1998, I won a scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sport. That same year I won a bronze medal at the Liverpool International Boxing Tournament, and was selected for the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur. Unfortunately I broke my hand in the competition, so wasn’t able to win a medal. That was disappointing, but as my dad taught me, I got over it and moved forward and, in 2000, I was selected for the 2000 Summer Olympics!

I competed in the 81kg division in the Olympics and won my first bout, but broke my hand again in my second, against Alexander Lebziak. He was a Russian general in the military, nicknamed ’The Animal’, and he had a head inpervious to punishment! I took the loss on the chin, so to speak; I was really proud to have represented my country and I learnt a great deal from the experience.

Having broken a few records in my amateur career, I moved to Sydney and turned professional in 2001, training under three-time world champion Jeff Fenech. Over the next 17 years I fought 38 times, winning 33 and losing five. My first loss in my professional career was not until my 17th fight against Markus Beyer in Germany in 2003. I lost to him again in my 21st match in 2005.

...and then my third loss was to Anthony Mundine in my 24th fight in 2006 in Sydney. I’d had a bit of an ongoing feud with him for a few years, and our fight ended up being the most-watched pay TV event in Australian history. We went the full 12 rounds. It was a very difficult fight but the fact is he was the better fighter on the night.

In 2006, director Mick Angus produced ‘The Fight Game’, a documentary about the early part of my boxing career. He said, "He's no saint and [he] is the first to say that, but there is a degree of compassion that he wears on his sleeve.” I followed The Fight Game up with my biography ‘Closed Fists Open Heart’, published in 2008.

To everyone’s surprise I announced my retirement from boxing in March 2008, and appeared in Season 8 of Dancing with the Stars. My boxing meant I was very light on my feet, and my partner Natalie Lowe and I came second overall!

In April 2009 I came out of retirement. I had two losses in 2011, but won every other fight. The last fight was in Adelaide in February 2017, when I finally beat Anthony Mundine and retained the Australian cruiserweight title.

I am the only Australian to win the world championship four times, plus many other titles all over the world.

I’ve been happily married to my beautiful wife, Nina, since 2002, and we have two wonderful children, Chloe and Archie. I’m so proud of them! Perth being the best place in the world, we still live right here.

And I still love surfing! I was down at Yallingup one day in October 2006 - the waves were massive - when I saw someone in a bit of trouble. He was being dragged out to sea in a rip, and looked like he was going to drown. I grabbed him out and paddled him safely back to shore. When he recovered he couldn’t believe it was me who pulled him out - great pub story, he said! I was awarded a Commendation for Brave Conduct for that in 2010, but I was just happy to have been right there, right then, and been able to help.

In 2009 I was part of the team in the Sydney to Hobart, on supermaxi yacht Investec Loyal. Other teammates included Phil Waugh and Phil Kearns, who both played for the Wallabies, and Olympic swimmer Grant Hackett. I have to say, that first night was horrendous. At one point I nearly fell off and I thought for sure I was going to die. Give me a fight any day. I thought I was tough but those ocean racing sailors really are!

Early in 2013 I heard an 18-year-old kid, Daniel Christie, had been king hit in Sydney, on New Year’s Eve 2012. The punch knocked him out immediately, and he fell and cracked his head. His poor family had to turn his life support system off 11 days later.

Like my dad, I despise street violence, and I was disgusted by this, so I launched the 'Stop the Coward Punch’ campaign. With slogans like "Violence is ugly - and it makes you ugly too”, I’m really proud it's changed how coward punches are reported and perceived, and had an effect on lowering the number of attacks overall. People need to learn there’s a difference to being tough, and just being a thug. The campaign is still going and, in 2017, I was nominated as WA Australian of the Year for my anti-violence advocacy.

In early 2014 I launched an online health and fitness program to offer everyday people the chance to embrace a healthier lifestyle. I had the country’s top sports and exercise specialists, dietitians and nutritionists working on it. Later that year, with Tim West, I launched a new kind of boxing gym, called 12RND. It has, you guessed it, 12 stages/rounds, each of which takes just three minutes to complete. It means people aren’t bound to session times and can walk in and do their rounds when it suits them.

The idea spread all over the world, with 90 sites around Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, with an estimated 15,000 members. Just recently, the franchise united under one brand - UBX (You Box), which will roll out across the UK and Ireland, making it the largest provider of boxing for fitness in the world. I’m really proud of that!

I'm sure you guessed a little while back, but ...Who Am I?

Here I am with my cheeky grin in Year 11, 1989, with Mrs Richards and the other Tangney Guild Reps.

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1972 Brigidine College Dance

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

Here’s the long and the short of it, in this group of eager young things ready for a fabulous night at the 1972 Brigidine College Dance!

Held on 11 May in the Brigidine Hall on Peebles Road, Floreat, all the girls are, of course, Brigidine Leaving students, and some of the boys are 1972 Leavers from Marist College.

The young lady on the far right is Dr Jennifer Harris who noted that maxi dresses were replacing minis about then.

“Overnight, the nuns went from policing tunics that were too short to policing tunics that were too long!”

They look like they were going to have a great night, and we hope they did!

L-R: Declan Tanham (Marist 1972), Bethwyn Gerrans, Danny Crouch (Marist 1972), Rosemary Rechichi, Tony Fitzgerald, Margaret Waldock, Barry Stribling (Marist 1972), Mary Hannaford, Mark unknown, Lucy Walker?, Jennifer Harris, Douglas Klein.

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Frank Hubble (1970)

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

Last week we received a wonderful contribution to our Archives from Frank Hubble (1970), who sent in some beautiful photos and shared a few great memories of his time at St Joseph’s and Marist Colleges in Subiaco and Churchlands.

This first is a photo of the St Joseph’s College Marching Band playing at the College Athletics in Rosalie Park, Subiaco, in September 1962, when Frank was in Year 4. Frank says he was a kettle drummer for a while and then became the Band Major; "ie the guy out the front with the 'mace’... I remember leading our band for various events like yearly processions down Oxford Street in Leederville... They were fun days!”

Next is a Year 5 or 6 class photo from 1963 or 1964. At this point the School was still St Joseph’s College and would become Marist Junior College in 1965, when Frank (in the back row, first on the left) was in Year 7.

Frank told us his teacher, Mr Peter White (front row, far right), was the best teacher he ever had:

"I remember he completed the English syllabus early one year, so for the remaining weeks only spoke in the German language, thereby teaching his students rudimentary German which I can remember to this day!"

The next photo is of the Hockey Team and, because the boys are wearing the new blue and black Marist College sports shirts, we think it’s from around 1965, which was the year St Joseph’s became Marist Junior College. (Marist Senior College opened in Churchlands the same year.)

Frank is in the back row, fourth from the left, but only a couple of other boys’ names are known: Peter and Michael Brophy, and Bret O’Mahony in the front row. We’d love to know the rest! If you recognise anyone else, please tag, comment below, or email archives@newman.wa.edu.au.

Next is Frank’s Prefect’s Badge from 1970, featuring the beautiful Marist College crest, in blue and gold. Originally designed in 1913 for St Ildephonsus College, New Norcia, we retained it for Marist College after we handed SIC back to the Benedictines at the end of 1964.

Last is the invitation to the Marist Prefects’ Social, held on Friday 12 June 1970. Frank remembers decorating the Leederville Town Hall "to look like a genuine barn dance, with many bales of hay and even more loose hay scattered around... the music was great and the night was an absolute hoot!"

"In retrospect,” Frank continued, "the decorations were a huge fire hazard and I'm just glad the hall didn't burn down!”

St Joseph’s College Marching Band at the College Athletics, Rosalie Park, Subiaco, September 1962.

Year 6 class, 1964, St Joseph's College, Subiaco
Back, L-R: Frank Hubble, Garth Melvold, Darryl Linto, Peter Stewart
Fourth row: Eddie Turner, Greg Dwyer, John Laracy, Graeme Cook, Ken Bull, Paul Rodan, Gerard Duggen, Tim Ryan, Tony Rushton
Third row: unknown, unknown, Robert Leask, Philip Moriarty, Michael O'Connor, unknown, Michael Furlong, Dennis Walsh
Second row: Michael Burgwyn, Vincent Cronin, Michael Machin, Michael Catoni, unknown, Steven Shelita, unknown, Patrick Burgwyn, Brian D’Arcy (Frank’s cousin)
Front: Michael O'Laughlan, Jeff Jago, Kevin Witten, Robert Pye, Gary Cusack, Peter White (teacher)

Marist Junior College Hockey Team, c1965
Back, L-R: Maurice Carruthers, unknown, Ron Loughlin, Frank Hubble, Phillip Storey, Mick Brennan, Steve Jones, John Commuskey
Front: Peter Brophy, Laurie Healy, Michael Brophy, Bret O'Mahony, Steve Hickey, Paul Phillips

Frank Hubble’s (1970) Marist College Prefect Badge.

Marist College invitation to the Prefects’ Social at the Leederville Town Hall, 1970.

Leederville Town Hall, 84 Cambridge Street, West Leederville. Courtesy Town of Cambridge.

Frank Hubble’s (1970) Marist College Prefect Badge.

Marist College invitation to the Prefects’ Social at the Leederville Town Hall, 1970.

Leederville Town Hall, 84 Cambridge Street, West Leederville. Courtesy Town of Cambridge.

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Miranda Barker (Coney 1983)

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

Today we have loved turning our attention to the extraordinary talents of one of our Newman Siena girls: Miranda Coney Barker (Coney 1983)!

While in Year 10 at Newman Siena in 1981, aged just 15, Miranda auditioned for, and was accepted into the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and, in 1982, entered The Australian Ballet School. David McAllister AC (1980), who we featured earlier this year, knew Miranda from growing up in Perth, and from Newman, and had entered The Australian Ballet School a year ahead of Miranda after finishing Year 12 here.

In 1991 Miranda became a much-loved Principal Dancer with The Australian Ballet. (David had become a Principal Dancer in 1989.) She was said to light up the stage, to take flight upon it, and to bring a breadth and depth to each role she danced.

She caught the eye of then Music Director Charles Barker, who trained at the Manhattan School of Music and was with The Australian Ballet from 1997 to 2001.

Charles takes over the rest of the story with his blog post from 25 October 2000:

"...Let me set the scene.

The Australian Ballet opened in Perth last night [at His Majesty’s] with a performance of the Merry Widow with Miranda in the title role. I had planned to propose to Miranda after the opening night performances in Perth, for about 6 weeks. She has family in Perth, she was the Widow, it all seemed to fit. I had told my plans to no one except Ross Stretton, Artistic Director of Australian Ballet, who incidentally slyly engineered some of the technical parts. Extreme secrecy had to be maintained because there are no secrets in this company!

Just before the performance Ross and I spoke to the stage manager to alert her that she needed to make an announcement over the PA just before the final curtain to get the audience's attention and that she had to fit me with a body microphone because I was going to 'make a presentation'. Then we swore her to secrecy for the next 2-1/2 hours.

After the performance finished (which, by the way, was quite good) the bows followed as usual - corps, soloists, principals, all forward and back, the Widow (Miranda) gets the conductor [Charles], all bow, curtain down, bows for principals in front of the curtain, ... curtain up, all (except conductor) down and back. This is usually when the curtain falls for the last time for the evening. However, tonight, with the curtain still up and the audience still applauding, the stage manager spoke over the PA and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, may we have your attention”.

The audience became quiet immediately and I walked out onto the stage, faced the audience, and spoke to them ... saying, 'Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Charles Barker, Music Director of the Australian Ballet. I have a question to ask tonight's Widow.' At which point I turned and walked a few steps toward Miranda, went down onto one knee, held out an engagement ring to her and said, 'Miranda Coney, will you be my wife?'

Miranda had no idea that this was about to happen and the look on her face was priceless. She was quite overcome and came to me, nodded yes, took the ring and gave me a hug and kiss. At the same moment the stage and audience erupted with a deafening ovation, a type of which I had never heard before. Men were yelling their bravos and women were shouting through their tears - especially the ballerinas on stage. An usher brought Miranda some red long stem roses I had gotten for her, more applause, then the curtain came down. It was quite a scene. I couldn't have hoped for a better scenario. Everything went my way.

The next morning the press began to phone at 9:30am. We gave interviews and had photos taken until about 2pm. We are both still pretty high from the evening. It was fun and perhaps most important, it was successful! The amount of media coverage after the fact was surprising. We did dozens of newspaper and radio interviews including the BBC from London. I guess people like happy endings."

How gorgeous is that?

Miranda and Charles left The Australian Ballet in 2001, after which they married and moved to New York, where they still live, and raised their sons Max and Riley. Both are prodigiously talented; Max has followed Miranda into dance, and Riley has followed Charles into music.

Yes! People really do love happy endings!

Miranda Coney and Steven Heathcote in André Prokovsky's Anna Karenina, 1995. Photograph courtesy Earl Carter.

1980 Yearbook:
Newman Siena College, Doubleview, Year 9, Room 4
Back, L-R: Lisa Toohey, Michelle Murphy, Jenny Moynihan, Linda Vellutini, Anita Madsen, Leanne Wheelock, Linda Stilling.
Third row: Marie Yearwood, Michelle Wytenburg, Leanne Salter, Sylvia Heyne, Paula Filopante, Vanessa Pack, Jane Finlay, Cathy Simpson.
Second row: Carla Cuscuna, Gabrielle Martin, Alison Ruby, Margot Benz, Selma Della Santa, Teresa Arto, Elizabeth Joyner, Lyn Galvin.
Front: Marisa Pynes, Karen Greenwood, Sara MacDonald, Elaine Ng, Mrs. Anstee, Melanie Wilshin, Sandra Siciliano, ***Miranda Coney***, Tina Larcombe.
Absent: Helen Quinlan, Stella Guiffre, Allison Burnett.

1981 Yearbook - Special Achievements:
"Miranda Coney gained entry to the Victorian College of the Arts, she will be specializing in Ballet."

1981 Yearbook:
Newman Siena College, Doubleview, Year 10, Room I
Back, L-R: Selma Della Santa, Mies Geijsel, Kylie Firth.
Second row: ***Miranda Coney***, Anne McNulty, Prudence Giagtzis, Marika Atkinson, Lesley Kinsella, Elizabeth Joyner, Tina Hoyle.
Front: Marisa Pynes, Maria Pitts, Janeen Murphy, Mrs Anstee, Alana Sheehan, Sonia Salomone, Jennifer Stidwell.
Absent: Nicole Leeks.

Miranda Coney as Aurora in Maina Gielgud's The Sleeping Beauty, 1984. Photo courtesy The Australian Ballet

Miranda Coney in The Australian Ballet's The Merry Widow, 2000. Photo by Greg Barrett.This was the ballet after which Charles proposed to Miranda, on 24 October 2000.

Miranda Coney (1982) and David McAllister AC (1980) after a stunning 1992 performance of Coppelia, meeting Diana, Princess of Wales. Photo by Ronald G Bell; The Australian Ballet archive, and appears in David McAllister's memoir Soar: A Life Freed by Dance.

Miranda Coney, former principal artist with The Australian Ballet 1991–2001:
“...I will never forget how he charmed and dazzled Princess Diana and the audience at the Coliseum in London with his Franz opening night of Coppélia and how engaging he was with her at the supper afterwards at St James Palace."

Read more about that night here:
https://thamesandhudson.com.au/performing-for-princess.../

David McAllister (1980) and Miranda Coney (1982) - both Principal Dancers at The Australian Ballet.

Miranda Coney:
"I treasure the many special times and roles that David and I danced together during our time in the company. It was always an honour to share the stage with him. His immense love, dedication and passion for dance radiates from him like a beacon." (The Australian Ballet.)

Charles and Miranda (Coney) Barker in 2019. Courtesy the Barker family.

Miranda Coney in The Australian Ballet's The Merry Widow, 2000. Photo by Greg Barrett.This was the ballet after which Charles proposed to Miranda, on 24 October 2000.

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Peter Jones OAM (1966)

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

Peter Jones OAM contacted us recently in response to our posts on Our Lady of Victories (Brigidine) Primary School, Wembley (OLV), and St Joseph’s (Marist) College, Subiaco, and shared some of his wonderful memories of his time at both schools.

The Jones family lived on Salvado Road, Floreat, directly opposite what is now the Salvation Army Hall on Brookdale Street, just up from the Floreat Forum. At the time there were no other schools or churches west of OLV.

Peter was an altar boy at OLV with Father John Brosnan who he describes as "a magic priest. Your one hour on Sunday, you got in 45 minutes, max. Loved the Latin Mass - your morning mass during the week was about 12-15 mins, but you knew you had been to mass!”

OLV is where Peter began his schooling in 1954 with Mother Joan as Principal, who he described as good natured, and having a presence. He had his First Communion in 1956, and left at the end of Grade 3 in 1957 for St Joseph’s (Marist) College in Salvado Road, Subiaco, completing Year 4 in 1958.

Though Peter was only at St Joseph’s for that year, this is where something extremely significant happened, which would determine the direction of his adult life.

St Joseph’s had a marching band, you see, and it was here Peter learnt to play the snare drum.

From 1959 to 1962 Peter was at Aquinas, then moved in 1963 for Year 9 to the newly-opened Trinity College where, thanks to them having established a pipe band the year before, his snare drum skills were rekindled.

Peter has dedicated much of his life, since, to the furtherment and nourishment of drumming and pipe bands in Western Australia - in particular to PLC Perth, where his wife Kerry Jones was the Head of the Pipe Band, and Peter a dedicated volunteer tutor, for more than 30 years.

Today Peter is Captain (AAC) of 51 Army Cadet Unit, Swan Regiment Drums and Pipes, based at Karrakatta - but the chances are high you’ve seen them playing all over Perth (link below).

It makes us so proud to think it all started at St Joseph’s…

51 Army Cadet Unit, Swan Regiment Drums and Pipes Captain Peter Jones OAM, with Piper Second Lieutenant (AAC) Ailsa Edwards on her promotion to Lieutenant (AAC), 20 April 2022.

St Joseph’s College Marching Band at the 1962 Athletics Carnival, Rosalie Oval, Jolimont, courtesy Wayne Spencer.

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Happy Birthday, Sister Dorothea Hickey!

Time for some Newman Nostalgia!

It’s Sister Dorothea Hickey’s birthday today, and because she's over from Sydney at the moment, visiting family, we thought we'd share with you some of the beautiful photos of her she’s given to our Newman College Archives over the past couple of years!

These photos form the basis of the Sister Dorothea Hickey (1955) Photographic Collection - a significant collection of photos which will prompt memories for many students of St Joseph's (Brigidine) Primary School in Subiaco/Wembley, Brigidine Secondary School in Wembley, Brigidine College in Floreat, and Newman College Junior School (Brigidine Campus).

Happy Birthday, Sister Dorothea! And thank you!

1944 - Dorothea’s first Holy Communion at St Joseph’s, Salvado Road, Subiaco

1945 - Dorothea in the back yard of their home at 63 McKenzie Street, Wembley. Her brother Leo came home from the war that day!

1948 - Girls' Choir, St Joseph's and Brigidine Secondary Students.
Back L-R: Joan Stanton, Alma Schmidt, Nancy George, Betty Dawson, Joan Chesson, Eileen Healy, Pat Murray, Unknown, Jane (also Joan) Kelly, Chrissie Alexander, Unknown, Noni Tracey, Margaret Moynihan.
Third: Maureen Miller, Pat Elliot, Anne Waddington, Stella Moritz, Margaret Wiggins, Margaret Maslin, Unknown, Pauline Thompson, Pat Tate, Janet Hubble, Unknown, Anne Moynihan, Carol O’Connor, Margaret Palmer.
Second: Joy Power, Mary McCabe, Colleen Merrit, Denise Miller, Leonie Houlihan, Unknown, Dianne Williams, Bernadette McCabe, Joan Kerrigan, Val Thomas, Dorothea Ballalas, Annette Clark.
Front: Rosemary Schmidt, Gabriel Keating, Mary Staples, Marie Murphy, Margaret Elliot, Margaret Dennis, Francine Fordham, Mary Hayes, Marcia Dwyer, Roberta Miller.

1949 - Grade 5 at St Joseph’s, near St John of God Hospital’s fence
Back L-R: Marie Murphy, Yvonne Richardson, Margaret Palmer, Desma McMahon, Val Thomas.
Third row: Mary Hayes, Dorothea Hickey, Gabriel Keating, Mary Stapleton, Marcia Dwyer.
Second row: Annette Clark, Pattie Rate, Margaret Dennis, Barbara Alford, Mary McCabe
Front: Peter Schmidt, Barry Hayes

1951 - Grade 6
Back L-R: Marcia Dwyer, Marie Murphy, Mary Hayes, Margaret Dwyer, Desma McMahon, Gabriel Keating, Dorothea Hickey, Margaret Vance.
Front: Barry Hayes, Mary McCabe, Annette Clark, Mary Stapleton, Margaret Quill, Barbara Alford, Pattie Raitt, Peter Schmidt.

1951 or 1952 - Dorothea Hickey dressed for the Brigidine Secondary School ball

1953 - Brigidine students on the front veranda of 14 Salvado Road, Wembley
L-R: Bernadette McCabe, Margaret Dwyer, Teresa Boylan, Margaret Jermy, Eileen O’Sulivan, Cath Chesson, Francine Fordham, Pam Van Rieken, Dorothea Hickey, Cath Cranley.

1953 - on the (then) vacant block at 16-18 Salvado Road, Wembley
Back L-R: Cath Chesson (2nd Year), Eileen O’Sullivan (2nd Year), Pam Van Rieken (2nd Year), Teresa Boyland (5th Year), Cath Cranley (5th Year), Bernadette McCabe (5th Year), Francine Fordham (3rd Year), Mary McCabe (3rd Year).
Front: Margaret Dwyer (3rd Year), Dorothea Hickey (3rd Year).

1957 - Novices
L-R: Sister Breid (Shirley McClements), Mother Bernadine (Novice Mistress) and Sister Peter (Dorothea Hickey)

1979 - St Joseph’s Brigidine Primary School staff
Dorothea Hickey back left.

1982 - St Joseph’s Primary School Staff photo
Back L-R: Wendy Lloyd, Sister Dorothea Hickey, Josephine Connolly, Marion Prentice.
Front: Unknown, Sister Jean Linklater, Sister Bernice Tonkin, Carmel Hynes.

1983 - West Australian Brigidines in Wembley Community
Rear: Carmel Gravenall, Dorothea Hickey
Front: Bernice Tonkin, Carmel Gentelli

1983 Newman College Junior School, Peebles Road
Sister Dorothea Hickey in the old Brigidine College Library.

1983 - Newman College Junior School Teacher Librarian, Sister Dorothea Hickey

1984 - Newman College Junior School, Peebles Road
Sister Dorothea Hickey and students in Library of Peebles Road.

1984 - Sisters on staff at Newman College Junior School, Peebles Road
L-R: Sister Brigid McClements, Sister Denise Lewis, Sister Gemma Hoban, Sister Dorothea Hickey, Sister Jean Linklater.

1984 - Staff at Newman College Junior School, Brigidine Campus
Back L-R: Carmel Hynes, Barbra Quinn, Wendy Lloyd, Miss J. Shaw, Unknown, Maria Vance, Miss Ruvidini.
Middle: Angela Ravi, Sister Dorothea Hickey, Eleanor Sergeant, Cathleen Lynch, Sister Brigid McClement, Freda O’Sullivan, Sue Wallace.
Front: Bernadette Knuckey, Sister Denise Lewis, Alma Ratajczak, Sister Gemma Hoban, Lyn Chrisp, Sister Jean Linklater, Marion Prentice.

1985 - Staff Sisters of Newman College Junior School, Brigidine Campus
Back: Brigid McClements, Jean Linklater, Gemma Hoban
Front: Dorothea Hickey

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The Brophy Twins, Tricia and Lindy, Class of 1973

Time for some Newman Nostalgia, and we’re back!

As School returns for Term 2, we thought we’d show you the adorable 4-and-3/4-year-old Brophy twins Tricia (left) and Lindy (right) on the day they started at Our Lady of Victories (Brigidine) Primary School in Wembley, in March 1961! This photo was taken outside the front door of their home on the corner of Cambridge and Selby Streets, Floreat.

Lindy and Tricia met with us recently and, along with this beautiful photo, shared some of their OLV memories, such as the government-funded scheme where each child had to drink a little bottle of milk at recess.

"They were a third of a pint with a silver foil lid that you pierced with a straw,” Tricia said. "The bottles used to sit outside in the sun, so it was always warm. It was awful!”

I think we can all agree there...!

Sometimes at lunchtime, in the early 1960s older girls used to walk the littlies down to the corner shop near the Wembley Hotel on Alexander Street, where they spent their hard-earned pocket money on lollies and icy poles.

Before the tuckshop was established in 1967, lunch orders were carefully written on a brown paper bag with the money folded inside (one shilling for a pie or sixpence for a sausage roll), and sent down to the Ballerina Cake shop on Birkdale Street. (Warning: Memories of their fabulous sausage rolls and vanilla slices may cause some readers to salivate!)

After the tuckshop was established, mothers volunteered to make the lunches, mostly consisting of polony, egg, or Vegemite sandwiches.

The Brophy's dog Kelly, a labrador, was a regular visitor to the tuckshop. Everyone knew who he was and, when he wasn't snaffling the odd cinnamon bun off the counter (if no one was watching and it was reasonably within reach), he barked his head off until he found the girls! He was a very clever dog, and one day even found them in the audio visual room in the middle of Sister Christina's RE class. He walked in and plonked himself down between them, but we’re not sure if he retained much of the lesson!

Another clear memory was from Grade 3, when they all sewed a design onto hessian with coloured thread, which would eventually be made into a potholder by talented mothers who mostly all had sewing machines. Who doesn’t remember making one of those?!

As far as sport, there were only two available - basketball in winter and tennis in summer! Tennis lessons were given by celebrity tennis player Max Bonner, who Bryl-creamed his black hair and lived on the Boulevard. Out of school the girls played netball at nearby Matthews Netball Centre, and each week five young netballers would pile into the back seat of Mrs Brophy's Holden, and two in the front; no airconditioning.

The Brophy twins went on to Brigidine College, Floreat, for their senior schooling; two of 13 girls who went all the way through from Kindy to Year 12 together. They graduated in 1973 with Tricia as Head Prefect (seen cheering in the second pic).

Theirs is a tight-knit cohort which still gets together every November.

____________

With sincere thanks to Emma Withers, and Tricia and Lindy Brophy.

L-R: Twins Tricia and Lindy Brophy (aged four and three quarters) on their first day of Kindy at Our Lady of Victories (Brigidine) Primary School, March 1961.

Brigidine College Athletics Carnival Cheersquad c1972
L-R from centre: Tricia Brophy, Marion Waddell and Jane Mazza
Sister Dorothea Hickey Collection.

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Our Lady of Victories (Brigidine) Primary School, Wembley (1949-1982)

Time for some Newman Nostalgia! It’s our last for the term, but we’ll be back in a couple of weeks!

One of Newman College’s antecedent schools was Our Lady of Victories (Brigidine) Primary School on the corner of Simper and Cambridge Streets, Wembley. Built in 1948 this parish school opened in February 1949 with 135 children from Kindergarten to Year 6 (soon extended to Year 7), staffed by Brigidine Sisters and lay teachers.

With its name shortened to OLV, this school holds a very special place in the hearts of our alumni. Many little ones called it LOV - and love their school and teachers, they did!

The girls' uniform was a two-pleated dress of royal blue with a matching blouse, white socks and black shoes. The boys wore a grey melange suit, tie and white shirt, grey socks and black shoes.

Former teacher, Sister Eileen Creagh, who taught at OLV from 1949 to 1953, shared her memories with Sister Dorothea Hickey only last year:

"Sister Dolores taught First Year and Kindies ... She also taught Piano and the School Choir. Mother Joan was Principal with a solid background of training and experience in the State system. She was fair and just, an excellent teacher of low-voiced discipline, and a no-nonsense character. She expected, and got, the best."

The building's facade, parallel to Cambridge Street, was about 20m from the road. In the space between the school and the road Sister Eileen used to take between 60 and 80 pupils for drill every day at 11am, with her black habit tucked up at the waist to show her feet. "Motorists would pull up [at the intersection] and see me doing 'Jumping Jacks'!"

Sister Eileen said they were incredibly lucky - spoilt by beautiful students who’d work hard to earn a shiny gold star on their homework. They all had lovely parents, and their priest constantly assured them they were doing well. "We seldom needed to punish a pupil, and Mother Joan had a good system of allowing the class with the most percentage of homework done well, to go home fifteen minutes early on Fridays."

Sister Eileen returned to Sydney in 1953 after five years with OLV. "We were a happy group,” she said, "and lived in accord with Our Holy Founder, Daniel Delaney’s motto: 'Love God, and live together in peace and charity'. I loved those years, and I hope my pupils did too, and lived profitable, happy lives."

The Wembley school continued educating local children until 1982 when OLV and St Joseph’s Brigidine School on the corner of Station Street and Salvado Road, Wembley, closed their doors. All students and staff from both schools were then relocated to the old Brigidine College site in Peebles Road, Floreat, where, in 1983, they amalgamated and reopened as St Joseph’s School, Floreat, under Principal Sister Bernice Tonkin, an alumni of Brigidine Secondary School, Wembley.

In 1984, the school reopened as Newman College Junior School (now Newman College Marian Campus).

The church next door to the old OLV is still there, but not the school itself. Brigidine Sisters and former staff were invited to a farewell event held there before it was demolished for housing in 2004.

Are you one of our former students of Our Lady of Victories Primary School? Tag, comment below, or email archives@newman.wa.edu.au - we’d love to be in touch!

_______________________

With thanks to Sister Dorothea Hickey (1955), Sophia Gatti (Wisniewska 1961) and the Town of Cambridge Local History Collection, for these stunning photos!

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