St Patrick's College, Strathfield

St Patrick's College
Latin: Luceat Lux Vestra Matthew 5:16:"Let Your Light Shine"
Location
Strathfield, New South Wales, Australia
Information
Type	Private, Single-sex, Day school
Denomination	Roman Catholic, Christian Brothers
Established	1928
Founder	Br. Michael Hanrahan
Chairman	Mr Peter Tilbrook
Headmaster	Mr. B.T. Roberts
Chaplain	Rev. Fr. Jack Evans
Staff	~140
Enrolment	~1,430 (5–12)
Colour(s)	Blue, Black and Gold
Slogan	Luceat Lux Vestra in 3D
Website	www.spc.nsw.edu.au

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

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.

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

Facilities

The facilities at St. Patrick's include:

• 4 sporting fields
• 9 educational buildings
• 2 libraries
• 1 Staff building
• 1 Gym
• 1 Swimming Pool
• 1 Hall
• 1 Amphitheatre

Co-curriculum

St Patrick's College from Kessel Square

There is an emphasis on sport at St Patrick's College. 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 College also performs an annual musical and drama production, starring students from the school itself and Santa Sabina College, SPC's sister school. Recent productions include 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). Recent dramatic productions include 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).

The College also competes annually with the nearby Trinity Grammar School for the 'Black and Green Shield' 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 2 rugby teams compete against those from other schools and colleges from NSW and QLD, the Christian Brothers Schools' Cricket Carnival held during the Christmas holidays at St. Joseph's Nudgee College at Brisbane, which the College has won twice, in 1995 and 2009.

It is also a founding member of the Catholic Schools Debating Association (CSDA) and has experienced marked success in recent years. One of the shields for premiers is named after the current 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:

• The Shield: With its chevrons and bars, it is a symbol of strength and fortitude.
• The Motto: Those who wear the crest pledge fidelity to the College motto 'Luceat Lux Vestra', which is Latin for "Let Your Light Shine".
• The Star: Seen mounting the Crest, it signifies that the College lights the way to knowledge and to the Heavenly Father.

Alumni

St Patrick's Alumni are traditionally known as "Old Boys", 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.

St Patricks Soccer Club

St Patricks Soccer Club is a club for friends and old boys of St Patricks College, Strathfield. It plays in the NSW Churches Football Association The home ground is Powells Creek Reserve at the Bicentennial Park end of Victoria Avenue, Concord West.

Notable alumni

Bureaucracy, politics and the law

• John Brogden, former NSW Liberal Opposition Leader and current CEO of Manchester Unity
• John Brown, former Ferderal Labor minister (most notably Minister for Sport, Recreation and Tourism).
• Tony Burke, Federal Labor politician
• Dr Craig Emerson, Federal Labor politician
• Laurie Ferguson, Federal Labor politician
• Martin Ferguson, Federal Labor politician
• Justin Gleeson SC, Leading Sydney Silk and Head of Banco Chambers
• Paul Lynch^{[citation needed]}, NSW Labor politician
• Doug Sutherland, former Lord Mayor of Sydney
• Paul McLeay^{[citation needed]}, a former NSW Labor politician
• Bryan Doyle, NSW State Liberal politician and Member for Campbelltown 2011 -

Business

• John Symond, Founder and Chairman of Aussie Home Loans (left in Year 10)
• James Symond, nephew of John Symond and fellow company director of Aussie Homes Loans also completed year 12 in 1989 and is a past President of the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia.^{[citation needed]}

Education

• Stephen Tomsen, Professor of Criminology and Sociology, University of Western Sydney
• Eric Sidoti, Director of the Whitlam Institute, University of Western Sydney
• Michael K. Morgan^{[citation needed]} Professor 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
• Thomas Kenneally, author of the book that inspired the film Schindler's List
• Rob Shehadie, actor in the television show Pizza
• Peter Skrzynecki^{[citation needed]}, poet and writer and lecturer at the University of Western Sydney

Sport

• John Ballesty^{[citation needed]}, Australian Rugby Union International. Current General Manager Canterbury-Bankstown Rugby League Club
• Michael Foley, Australian rugby union player, Australian rugby union forwards coach 2003-2008 , New South Wales Warartahs rugby union coach 2008–present
• Ante Milicic^{[citation needed]}, Australian Football (soccer) player
• Shannon Cole^{[citation needed]}, Australian Football (soccer) player for Sydney FC
• Chris O'Young^{[citation needed]}, rugby union player for the Western Force and Australia 7's
• Tim Pickup^{[citation needed]}, Australian Rugby Union and Rugby League Representative
• Matt Williams^{[citation needed]}, rugby coach
• Chris Siale^{[citation needed]}, Rugby Union player for the queensland reds, new south wales waratahs and French rugby second division

See also

• List of non-government schools in New South Wales

External links

• St. Patrick's College website