Our new Archives was only established in August, but we are making great headway in building our Collection and gathering knowledge!
One recent significant contributor is Ross Wall (1961) who attended St Joseph’s College, Subiaco, in 1956 and 1957. St Joseph’s was opened by the Marist Brothers in 1954, catering to boys in Years 4 to 12 (Leaving).
Ross, who now lives in NSW, sent in these amazing photos of his class, and the 1956 and 1957 Football and Athletics teams. Only a handful of the boys in the latter are identified, so if you know any of them, please tag, share and comment!
Eleven short years after its establishment, St Joseph's became Marist Junior College. Consequently, St Joseph's has a very special place in the heart of its Old Boys, so we asked Ross to send us his memories of his time there. A wonderful, poignant summary came back, and we enjoyed reading it so much, we think you will too.
With Ross’ permission, here it is:
"As I study this [class] photograph, I am instantly transported back to Perth in 1957. It seems more than a lifetime ago. The photograph was taken, I believe, during my last year at St Joseph’s, Subiaco. Here I am sixty-four years later studying these faces that I have not seen for so long and I am amazed how many of them look familiar. In fact, it is uncanny how well I remember many of these sixty-six boys who appear to be looking back at me. I don’t remember their names, but I most certainly remember many of their faces.
Actually, that’s not totally correct as I do remember two of their names. One is Tim Galvin (second row down, four in from the right), my best friend back then in 1957. The other is an Indigenous boy by the name of McNamara, (front row, five from the right). I have seen Tim a few times since 1957 but, although I have never seen McNamara, I have thought of him on numerous occasions over the years and have often wondered what happened to him.
Let me explain how I got to be in this photo.
In the mid 1950s my father was transferred from New Zealand to Perth for a period of three years. It seems that the management at the international company he was working for felt he needed some Australian experience before taking over their operation in New Zealand. We had arrived in Perth mid-way through 1955 and I was sent to St John’s Convent at Scarborough. When the nuns wrote in my end of year report that “Ross would do better at his schoolwork if he spent less time chasing the girls” my parents thought it was time for the Marist Brothers to sort me out so I, along with my older brother Michael, were enrolled at St Joseph’s. The family moved to Nedlands soon after so we had a bus ride plus a walk to get to school. In those days Station Street was a dirt road and it had few buildings.
What followed were two of the happiest years of my life. Looking back Perth was such an optimistic place to live in that post war period. My mother particularly loved her lifestyle in Perth as her life improved with the ice chest being replaced by a refrigerator and the copper by a washing machine.
And then there was the weather. Coming from bitterly cold Christchurch the glorious climate of Perth seemed like heaven to me.
Sadly, I have few recollections of life at St Joseph’s. But I do certainly remember the crowded classrooms. Even in 1957 it must have been obvious to the Brothers that after only three years the school was outgrown itself.
During my time at St Joseph’s I was introduced to Aussie rules. Training took place a mile down the road at Henderson Park. My most vivid football memory was a trip to [St Ildephonsus College] New Norcia to play against the Marist school there. Getting back to see New Norcia is on my bucket list for my next visit to the west.
Being an all-boys school, discipline was strict and the brothers took no nonsense. Perth had been introduced to stovepipe trousers as worn by the bodgies and widges. At one assembly those wearing stovepipe trousers were called out and ordered to let their trouser out immediately. The cane was in regular use but not on me, from what I recall.
The brothers lived in a house across the road where the front lawn had been converted into a long jump pit. The run up was so short it was nearly non-existent. I would be very surprised if the Marists produced a successful long jumper with such humble training facilities.
And so, I keep coming back to the photo and the faces looking back at me. What happened to them? Who is the boy at the end of the second row? Then after sixty-four years a name pops into my head. Brendan Hart, could that be his name, I’m not sure? And I remember the face of the boy in the third row, second in, but not his name. No doubt many of my classmates had highly successful careers and a few may have fallen through the cracks in life. I do hope McNamara has had a happy life.
Should by chance one of these boys read this and check out the little blonde kid in the front row, second from the left, I’m sure they won’t remember me. I came one year and left the next and did nothing exceptional to be remembered by. But I do recall many of them and my happy memories of my time at Marist Subiaco.”
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If you are a St Joseph's Subiaco Old Boy and would like to share your memories or photos, please email us on archives@newman.wa.edu.au!
