The St Patrick’s Day spirit was truly on show this year with a large crowd coming together for our popular annual St Patrick’s Day lunch.
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 70th 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 1971-72), 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).
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!
