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Xavier College

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Coordinates: 37°48′44″S 145°1′54″E / 37.81222°S 145.03167°E / -37.81222; 145.03167
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This article is about the school in Melbourne, Australia. For other schools using the name Xavier, see Xavier (disambiguation) § Educational institutions.
Xavier College
File:Xaviercollegelogo.png
Location
Map
Kew & Brighton
,
Victoria

Australia
Coordinates37°48′44″S 145°1′54″E / 37.81222°S 145.03167°E / -37.81222; 145.03167
Information
TypeIndependent,
Co-educational (P-4),
Single-sex (5-12),
Day and Boarding
MottoLatin: Sursum Corda
(Lift up your hearts)
DenominationRoman Catholic, Jesuit
Established1878
ChairmanJohn Ralph AC
RectorFr Thomas Renshaw
PrincipalChris Hayes
Key peopleJohn Hickey
(Director of the Senior Campus) John Fox
(Head of Kostka Hall)
Peter Cooper
(Head of Burke Hall)
Enrollment2,085 (P–12)[1]
Colour(s)Cardinal and Black
   
Websitewww.xavier.vic.edu.au

Xavier College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school predominantly for boys, with its main campus located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Xavier was founded in 1872 by the Society of Jesus, beginning classes in 1878, and is part of the international network of Jesuit schools begun in Messina, Sicily in 1548. Originally an all-boys school, the College now offers co-education until Year 4, and an all-boys environment from then on. Xavier has three campuses around Melbourne: the Senior Campus and one Junior School, Burke Hall, are situated in Kew, while the other Junior School, Kostka Hall, is located in Brighton. The school currently caters for 2,085 students,[1] including 76 boarders.[2]

Xavier is a school of the Archdiocese of Melbourne,[2] and is affiliated with the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),[3] the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),[4] the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA),[5] and the Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS).[6]

In December 2010, The Age reported that, based on the number of alumni who had received a top Order of Australia honour, Xavier College ranked equal tenth among Australian schools.[7]

Culturally, Xavier was described in June 2009 by old scholar John Roskam as "the last bastion of old-style Labor Right, DLP education".[8]

History

Senior Campus

The Senior Campus is located in Barkers Road, Kew, eight kilometres from the centre of Melbourne.

The foundation stone of Xavier College's Senior Campus was laid in 1872 and the School began formally in 1878 on land known originally as Mornane's Paddock. Formed as a Jesuit school, it was originally named St Francis Xavier's College. Construction continued for the early part of the school's life, with the main oval in 1883 and the West Wing and Great Hall in 1890.[9]

File:South-Wing-Xavier-College.jpg
The impressive façade of the South Wing, constructed in 1872, which now houses the school administration and teachers' offices. Immediately next to it is the Memorial Chapel, built to commemorate the victims of the First World War.

In 1900, Xavier replaced St Patrick's College in East Melbourne as the sole Catholic school in the then six-membered Associated Public Schools.[2]

A Memorial Chapel on the Senior Campus was constructed in memory of Old Xaverians killed in the First World War, opening in 1934.

In 1993, a multi-purpose Sports Centre, the Stephenson Centre, was opened, including a 25-metre pool, a basketball stadium, gymnasium and multi-purpose rooms. The building's Gleeson Room has views onto the main oval. Following a bequest to the school, in 2008 the wooden scoreboard on the main oval was replaced with a video scoreboard, the first of its kind at an Australian school.[10][11]

The Senior Campus saw commencement of construction of a new Science facility and the Eldon Hogan Performing Arts Centre in 2005. The development includes eleven science laboratories, a large music rehearsal room, and a 500 seat auditorium.[12] In April 2008, science classes began in the new laboratories. The Centre officially opened on 25 July 2008 with a blessing by the Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, and old boy of the College.

At the end of 2008, principal of eleven years Chris McCabe retired.[13] At his appointment in October 1997, he was the first lay principal of a Jesuit school in Australia.[14] Dr Chris Hayes, former principal at St Edmund's, Canberra, replaced him.[15]

Some buildings on the Senior Campus[16], and Studley House at the Burke Hall[17], are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

Burke Hall

In 1920, Xavier acquired Studley Hall, a gift from T.M. Burke, a Catholic businessman. Studley Hall was opened in 1921 as Xavier's first preparatory school. Fr James O'Dwyer SJ, Rector of Xavier between 1908-1917, became Burke Hall's first Headmaster, before the campus was renamed Burke Hall several years later in honour of its benefactor. Burke donated a classroom block in 1923 and, in 1926, Burke's wife provided funding for a construction of a chapel in memory of her deceased brother.[9]

Cigarette card featuring the Xavier College colours and crest, circa 1920s

The Burke Hall campus was in 1966 extended with the donation of an adjacent mansion from the estate of John Wren following his death.

After renovations to the original ballroom, which in 1975 became the library, and the original hall, which became classrooms, in 1987 a new classroom block was built. A multi-purpose hall was constructed in 1997. This hall overlooks the main oval, which was re-graded in 1998.

In 2002, a co-educational Early Years Centre was opened on the Burke Hall campus for students up to grade four[2]. In 2011, the latest addition to Burke Hall was opened. The Mary Mackillop Building, a new classroom block, was named after the first Australian-born saint.

Kostka Hall

Daniel Mannix, Archbishop of Melbourne, requested that Xavier have a campus in the southern suburbs of Melbourne. Fr William Hackett SJ, Rector of Xavier, in 1936 purchased 'Maritima' in Brighton.

In 1937, the Kostka Hall Junior campus was opened, with the addition of a second building, Marchwood (also known as St Johns).[9] This was demolished in 1959 to make way for a major building project, including classrooms, tuckshop and administrative buildings. In 1967, a chapel was built.

Science rooms were built in 1969 and the 1970s saw the Jesuits buy various adjoining properties to expand the campus. In 1996 a multi-purpose hall was completed with a new arts centre opened in 1998.

In 2005, an Early Years Centre based on that at Burke Hall was opened.

Buxton Campus

In addition to these three main campuses, Xavier has an outdoor education facility in Buxton, near Marysville, and a rowing shed on the banks of the Yarra River. It also leases the historical mansion Billilla[18] in Halifax Street, Brighton, from the Bayside City Council.[19]

In 2009, the Buxton outdoor education centre was temporarily closed due to extensive damage from the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria.[20]

Houses

Senior Campus

Inter-house sport and activities had existed for several decades in some form or another when in 1977 the system was revamped. Along with a Housemaster, each house is assigned seven tutors. Boys are split up into these seven "tutor groups" within each House: the tutor group meets each day and the tutor acts as mentor to the boys over their four-year tenure at the Senior Campus. The house meets up to once a week, lockers are organised according to house and several inter-house sporting events are held each year.[21]

In 1991, each of the School's old houses, which were previously only known by their colour, was given a name.[22] In 2010, two new houses, MacKillop and Regis, were introduced.

House Named after Motto Premierships†
  Bellarmine St Robert Bellarmine Integrity In All 1998
  Cheshire Grp Cpt Leonard Cheshire VC No Call Ignored 1992, 1997
  Claver St Peter Claver To Serve Not Be Served 1995, 2004, 2009, 2010‡
  Gonzaga St Aloysius Gonzaga No Greater Love 1991, 1993, 1996, 2006, 2010‡, 2011
  Ignatius St Ignatius Loyola To God Alone The Glory —
  MacKillop St Mary MacKillop Virtue Conquers All —
  Mannix Archbishop Daniel Mannix Love One Another 2000
  Regis St John Francis Regis Courage Burns Within —
  Ricci St Matteo Ricci To Understand The Unknown 1994, 1999
  Spinola Bl Charles Spinola Always and Ever Faithful 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008

† Unawarded 2001-2002.

‡ Gonzaga and Claver shared the 2010 Old Xaverians Trophy for the Champion House, having accumulated the same number of points throughout the year.

Burke Hall

Six Houses at Burke Hall had existed for a substantial length of time under old names: Hodgson, Ignatius, Studley, Surbiton, Trawalla and Waverley.[22] In 1987, two new houses were added and all received new names.

House Named after Motto Premierships
  Aloysius St Aloysius Gonzaga No Greater Love 1999, 2005, 2008, 2009
  Campion St Edmund Campion The Expense Is Reckoned 1987‡, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2006‡
  Claver St Peter Claver To Serve Not Be Served 1988, 2010
  Ignatius St Ignatius Loyola To God Alone The Glory 1992
  Loyola St Ignatius Loyola And Not To Count The Cost 2002, 2007
  Owen St Nicholas Owen Unless The Lord Builds 2003, 2004, 2006‡
  Regis St John Francis Regis Your Word My Light 1994, 1997
  Southwell St Robert Southwell Who Least Hath Some 1987‡, 1996, 2000

‡ Tied premierships: 1987, 2006.

Early Years Centre

Upon its foundation in 2002, separate houses were created for the Early Years Centre students at Burke Hall.

House Named after
  Chisholm Caroline Chisholm
  Favre Bl Peter Favre
  Berchmans St John Berchmans
  MacKillop St Mary MacKillop

Kostka Hall

Awards commenced in 1971.

House Named after Motto Premierships
  Campion (formerly Tully House) St Edmund Campion The Expense Is Reckoned 1976, 1977, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
  Claver (formerly Hackett House) St Peter Claver To Serve Not Be Served 1973, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2009
  Owen (formerly Maritima House) St Nicholas Owen Unless The Lord Builds 1972, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1996, 1997
  Regis (formerly Craig House) St John Francis Regis Your Word My Light 1971, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1988, 1993, 2001, 2008

Curriculum

Thirty-three VCE subjects and five external VET studies are offered. Xavier is one of only fifteen schools in Victoria to offer Latin and one of only two which offers Ancient Greek, which it has done continuously since 1878.

Xavier has a strong academic history. For each of the past fifteen years (excluding 2009) the Dux of the school received an ATAR score of 99.95, the highest possible. In 2010, three students achieved this mark at Xavier out of 32 in the state.[23]

Co-curriculum

Sport, Music, Drama, Debating and Community Service provide the main avenues for co-curricular activities. Students may also join a specific interest group such as the Chess Club. Outdoor Education is compulsory in Years 5 to 10. Students spend up to one week at the College's Outdoor Education Centre at Buxton, or an alternative venue, where they are given instruction in a variety of activities.

Community service

The school strongly encourages students to participate in community service, and a minimum amount of completed service hours is mandated. Each Friday evening Xavier students volunteer their time at a tutoring school in housing commission apartments in Richmond, where many residents are recent migrants or refugees. This activity is completed with students from the sister school Genazzano FCJ College.[24] Year 11 students must also participate in an additional 35 hours while on a week-long community service placement.

Debating

Xavier College participates in the Toorak division of the Debaters Association of Victoria competition, with students from Year 8 onwards given the option of participating. Also, the College debates in the annual Jesuit Schools' Debating Carnival against Aloysius, Ignatius Riverview, Ignatius Adelaide and Loyola Mt Druitt.

Sport

(L-R) The Memorial Chapel on top of the hill overlooking a game of Australian rules football being played on the Roche Oval, Xavier College.

Sport is compulsory for all students at Xavier.[25]

Cricket is the main summer sport, and the school has enjoyed recent success winning back-to-back premierships in 2009/10 and 2010/11. [26] The school has produced two famous cricketers. Percy McDonnell (1860-1896) captained the Australian Test team in six matches, including the tour of England in 1888. Karl Schneider (1905-1928) is described in Cricinfo as one of "the most naturally gifted batsmen to have graced the game".[27] While at the school, he played in the 1st XI for four years, three of which as captain. He broke the APS runs (1642) and wickets (139) records[27] which still stand to this day, and captained Xavier to back-to-back premierships in 1923-24.[26] This preceded a drought of fifty seasons before the 1974 premiership on the back of impressive performances by David Seal.[28]

The school's Australian rules football team has produced numerous VFL/AFL players, and has won twenty-nine football premierships, second of the APS schools behind Scotch (36).[26] The Old Xaverians Football Club has also been successful in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), winning eight premierships in the last decade.[29]

In addition, a range of sporting activities are offered including athletics, badminton, basketball, cross country, hockey, lawn bowls, martial arts, rowing, rugby union, sailing soccer, swimming, tennis, triathlon, water polo and volleyball.[30]

Performing Arts

Xavier College has a history of the Performing Arts spanning back to 1929, with Musical Theatre/Operetta's and Dramatic Plays having a shared focus in the college's co-curricular program. The school conducts an annual Senior Musical Production with Genazzano FCJ College.[31] The two Junior Campuses also have Performing Arts and Dramatic programs, with each campus staging a major production every year.

Maytime Fair

The Maytime Fair has been held annually on the first Saturday in May since 1952. The fair is hosted by Xavier College, and raises funds for the work of the Jesuit Mission, with support from friends and benefactors connected with schools, parishes and other communities in Victoria and beyond.[32] The annual fairs have been assisted by traditional sister school Genazzano FCJ College. Genazzano, along with Xavier College, has provided a number of student-run stalls such as "Go Nuts for Donuts", a Fairy Tent and face-painting, amongst others.

Each stall and attraction at the Maytime Fair donates its profit to the work of Jesuit Mission. The Maytime Fair consistently contributes over $100,000 each year for work in the developing world, including India, Cambodia, East Timor and Myanmar.[32] In 2008 over $130,000 was raised, which was given to assist in the relief effort by Jesuit Missionaries in response to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. In 2010, over $150,000 was raised.[33]

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Old Xaverians

Alumni of Xavier College are commonly referred to as Old Xaverians, and all students, once they leave the school, become members the Old Xaverians' Association (OXA).[34]

Amongst the school's notable alumni are:

Associated schools

Xavier's sister school is Genazzano FCJ College. Together, students from both schools participate in an annual musical production, orchestral workshops, fairs, debating, and masses. Since 2007, Xavier College has also been associated with Saint Ignatius College, Geelong. The College has many rivalries with fellow APS Schools, most notably Scotch and St Kevin's.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "About Us". About Xavier. Xavier College. Retrieved 2 March 2008.
  2. ^ a b c d "Xavier College". Catholic Schools Victoria. Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd. 30 January 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  3. ^ "Professional Development". Victorian Branch. Junior School Heads Association of Australia. Archived from the original on 4 December 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  4. ^ "Victoria". School Directory. Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia. 2008. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  5. ^ "Xavier College". Schools — Victoria. Australian Boarding Schools' Association. 2007. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  6. ^ "Conclusions and further research" (PDF). Publications. The Australian Political Studies Association. p. 45. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  7. ^ Topsfield, Jewel (4 December 2010). "Ties that bind prove a private education has its awards". Melbourne: The Age. p. 11. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
    The hard copy article also published a table of the schools which were ranked in the top ten places:
    1st (19 awards) Scotch College, Melbourne
    2nd (17 awards) Geelong Grammar School
    3rd (13 awards) Sydney Boys High School
    Equal 4th (10 awards each) Fort Street High School, Perth Modern School and St Peter's College, Adelaide
    Equal 7th (9 awards each) Melbourne Grammar School, North Sydney Boys High School and The King's School, Parramatta
    Equal 10th (6 awards each) Launceston Grammar School, Melbourne High School, Wesley College, Melbourne and Xavier College.
  8. ^ John Roskam: Is this the next member for Higgins?, The Punch, 15 June 2009, retrieved 2010-12-22.
  9. ^ a b c "History". About Xavier. Xavier College. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  10. ^ "Oh boy, action replays at school". Melbourne: Geoff McClure - The Age. 18 February 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  11. ^ "Project Gallery: Xavier College". Axent. Retrieved 29 December 2010.
  12. ^ "Xavier College Science & Performing Arts Centre" (PDF). Catholic Development Fund. p. 1. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Overview was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Xavier principal announces his retirement, 06-Feb-2008, Province Express
  15. ^ "Xavier College welcomes new principal". 3 September 2008. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  16. ^ "Xavier College, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H0893, Heritage Overlay HO4". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria.
  17. ^ "Studley House, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H0789, Heritage Overlay HO101". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria.
  18. ^ "Billilla Mansion". 30 January 2007. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
  19. ^ Billilla Gardens, Brighton, Bayside City Council
  20. ^ "Xavier College - Outdoor Education Centre at Buxton". Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  21. ^ Sharpe, Graham [ed.]. The Xaverian 2009, 2009. Retrieved 2010-12-29.
  22. ^ a b Wallbridge, Fr Philip SJ [ed.]. The Xaverian 1981, 1981, pp. 86-91. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
  23. ^ "Xavier College - VCE Results". Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  24. ^ "Friday Night School moves to Richmond". 17 February 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  25. ^ "Xavier College". Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  26. ^ a b c "Boys' APS Premierships" (PDF). The Associated Public Schools. p. 2. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  27. ^ a b "Karl Schneider". Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  28. ^ Wallbridge, Fr Philip SJ [ed.]. The Xaverian 1975, 1975, pp. 105-6. Retrieved 2011-03-14.
  29. ^ "VAFA Premierships" (PDF). Victorian Amateur Football Association. p. 3. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  30. ^ "Co-curricular Program: Sport". Xavier College. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  31. ^ "Co-curricular Program: Productions". Xavier College. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  32. ^ a b "The Maytime Fair". Events. The Jesuit Mission. 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2008.
  33. ^ "Jesuit Mission says thanks". Province Express. 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  34. ^ "Old Xaverians' Association". Alumni. Xavier College. 2007. Retrieved 3 March 2008.

Further reading

  • Schrader, H. J. T. (1926). School songs of Xavier. Xavier College.
  • Dening, Greg (1978). Xavier: a centenary portrait. Old Xaverians' Association. ISBN 0959592601.
  • Brennan, Peter (1981). Report on the Australian Jesuit schools. Jesuit Publications Australia.
  • Hawkins, Thomas (1999). Sursum corda, "Lift up your hearts": a history of Xavier College, 1914-1928. Monash University.
  • Penrose, Helen (1999). Lifeline to India: a history of the Maytime Fair. Eldon Hogan Trust. ISBN 0957706707.
  • Penrose, Helen (1999). Red, black and khaki: cadets at Xavier College. Eldon Hogan Trust. ISBN 0957706723.
  • Pertzel, Barbara (1999). The Sincere gift of himself: a biography of Eldon Hogan. Eldon Hogan Trust. ISBN 095770674X.
  • Walters, Fiona (1999). A better, gentler school: music at Xavier College. Eldon Hogan Trust. ISBN 0957706731.
  • Waterhouse, Catherine (2001). Xaverians on active service: from South Africa to Vietnam. Eldon Hogan Trust. ISBN 0957706758.
  • Henderson, Paul (2005). Xavier behaviour. Eldon Hogan Trust. ISBN 0646446622.
  • Murphy, Frank (2006). The vision splendid: a history of the Xavier Memorial Chapel. Eldon Hogan Trust. ISBN 0957706774.

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