Whilst every Collegian has had a different experience when attending Rostrevor College, some memories stand out from their years spent at the College. Read the experiences of some Collegians and their Rostrevor identity/families.


Alan Wilkie '42

Alan Wilkie is one of many Wllkies who have passed through Rostrevor with distinction. Alan attended Rostrevor from 1934 to 1942. In January this year (1999) Alan returned to the College with his friend Ray O'Donohue to have a look around and to see the most recent developments at the College.

 

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Archbishop Mark Coleridge '60

Mark attended Rostrevor from 1956 to 1960 with his brothers Christopher and Damian. He was a gifted scholar and singer as Dux of Year 7, Scholarship recipient into Year 8 and Under 11 Eisteddfod winners in the Vocal Section. He moved with his family to Melbourne in 1961 and completed his schooling at St Kevins, Toorak.

 

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Bernie Tobin

The end of Term Three (2002) marked the completion of twenty-five years' service to Rostrevor College by Mr. Bernie Tobin. His retirement concluded a career that had spanned 5 decades of association with Rostrevor College and consequently a relationship with two generations of Rostrevor boys and an intimate knowledge of the history of Rostrevor from the 60s through to 2002.

 

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Bert Tobin '28

Born in 1910, Bertrand Joseph Tobin first attended Rostrevor from CBC Wakefield St. in 1925. His father John James Tobin was a railway official and the family lived at Molesworth St. North Adelaide.

 

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Bill Coglin '46

Michael Coglin, son of Bill Coglin, contacted Red & Black earlier this year to request any photographic records of Bill as a student at Rostrevor to be used in a special 80th birthday presentation. From this contact Red & Black sought some information on what Bill has been up to over the last 62 years! Thank you to Michael for sharing this profile.

 

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Br Henry Gurr

Rostrevor was in its early pioneering days when he became a member of the staff in January 1925, and no other Brother in the history of the school was to have such a long association with Rostrevor. It was his lot to play a major part in the building of a great school, and from small beginnings he was to see great growth.

 

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Br John Bourke

Born on 20th February 1913, John Bourke attended Rostrevor for one year as a boarder in 1927, his Sub-Intermediate year. This one year at Rostrevor has had a profound effect on his life's work and the work of the Christian Brothers in Australia.

 

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Br John Webb

Red & Black approached Br John Webb because of his long-time association with Rostrevor both through his father and in his role as a staff member in the 1970s.
Many thanks to Br Webb for providing this text outlining a rich and rewarding life in the service of Edmund's ideals.

 

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Br Peter Faulkner '45

Peter, the second of ten children, lived his early life in SA's mid-North, first at Murray Town where he attended the State School with a four and a half kilometres walk each way, and later for Grades S-7, at St. Joseph's in Gladstone. The family was poor in material goods but rich in friends and in the surrounds of bush and farm with the presence of wildlife and domestic animals.

 

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Br Ray O'Donoghue

Br Ray O'Donoghue was a recent visitor to Rostrevor to re-acquaint with a place he called home for four years. Red & Black is very grateful to Br O'Donoghue for making the time to put together this account of his connection with Rostrevor and his life in the service of God and Edmund Ignatius Rice.

 

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Br Trevor Gibbons

Red & Black caught up with Br 'Trevor Gibbons on a visit back to Rostrevor in late 2003. He was invited to put together this profile to reflect on his Rostrevor experiences and to keep us abreast with what he is doing now. Many thanks to Brother for making the time to compile this profile.

 

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Denis Hill '57

A recent visit to Rostrevor by Denis ('57) and May Hill, to do some research on the Inter-Collegiate Boxing Cup for a 'History of Boxing in South Australia' they are working on, prompted Red & Black to catch up with Denis to explore further the Hill family's association with Rostrevor College.

 

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Dr John Gilligan '54

Dr John Gilligan AO ('54) is a Rostrevor old collegian who is an intensive care specialist. Commonly known as 'Fred', a nickname acquired in university days, he played a major part in initiating the South Australian intensive care medical retrieval service in the I 970s. He recently retired from the Royal Adelaide Hospital as Director of the service. The ROCA wish him well in retirement.

 

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Dr Roger Francey '58

It was briefly reported in Red & Black in November 2003 that Roger Francey ('58) had been granted a $7million fellowship. The news prompted Red & Black to invite Roger to contribute a little more about his lifelong work and that is what is presented here.

 

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Elkin Reilly '56

Elkin Reilly ('56) is an unassuming, modest man whose lifetime's experiences belie his quiet and placid nature. He is a man who speaks with a great deal of pride of his adoptive family and the College that he called home for 6 years.

 

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Eugene Shirley '35

Eugene Shirley attended Rostrevor from 1931 to 1935 after attending Strathalbyn Primary, the Mercy Convent al Henley and CBC Wakefield St. In his final year at Rostrevor, Eugene approached Br Carroll and offered his services as cox to a rowing four which. according to Br John Bourke's "Rostrevor Story" was instigated by parent Frank Siebert (an Adelaide undertaker) who had been a rowing enthusiast in his younger days.

 

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Fr David Wilkie '43

My early education began at the Dulwich parish school where I was taught by the Loreto Sisters. In March 1938 I commenced my education at Rostrevor. For Bob and myself our start was delayed due to the fact that there were many cases of infantile paralysis about at that time. If my memory serves me correctly there were four Wilkies at Rostrevor during March 1938, my two older brothers, Dick and Alan, Bob and myself.

 

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Fr Laurie Fitzgerald

Fr Laurence Peter Fitzgerald, OP., was ordained in Rome at the Church of Santa Maria Nuova on July 1st of this year. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. PG Fitzgerald of Canterbury, Victoria. After attending Rostrevor as a day Boy, he completed his secondary studies at St Kevin's College, Melbourne. Sent to Rome to study for the Doctorate of Sacred Theology.

 

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Fr Mark Nugent '47

I was an only son in the family and I am one of those pupils who loved every moment at Rostrevor. There are no remarkable achievements, either academically or in sport. I used to follow the First Eighteen around and watch their matches. They had very good teams, including Bill Coglin, Wally Hearn, John Walsh, Allan Dunn, John Vaughan, Wilfred Pak Pay, Brian Moore to mention a few. 

 

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Gino Beltrame '52

Gino has worked for the WRE and now DSlD (Defence, Science and Technology Organisation) for over 40 years and was awarded the AM "For service in the field of defence science and technology, particularly through the development of a countermeasure decoy system for use against anti-ship missiles." 

 

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James O'Loughlin '26

I went to Rostrevor, when it opened, as a boarder in May 1923 and left in 1926. Life at Rostrevor in its first years was quite an adventure. The classrooms from Intermediate down were in converted stables, still rat infested. The physics and chemistry lab had been a hay-loft and the gymnasium was a carriage house that could take a hansom cab or Cobb and Co coach.

 

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Jim Sullivan '55

James Frazer Sullivan arrived at the new College of Rostrevor from Western NSW in 1925. He was to spend his next two years at Rostrevor representing his fledgling school in Football, Cricket and Boxing. He prided himself that he represented his school in both Under 14 and 1st XVIII football in the same year.

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John Cave '40

The 1930s were tough times for all with the Depression and then imminent war. John Cave ('40), as a twelve-year-old, was experiencing his own personal depression with the death of his sole provider, his mother. Placed in the care of his aunts he was enrolled to board at Rostrevor from Fullarton Rd at Dulwich. Thus, began his association with Rostrevor and a new sense of belonging.

 

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John Habib '28

There are few Rostrevor old scholars who have remained as passionate about Rostrevor for as long as John Habib. John is a Foundation scholar of 1923 and has maintained a close association with the College over the last 76 years.

 

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John McInnes '56

John Mcinnes (1956) is a man well known to the entire South Australian community. He has touched the lives of literally thousands of people through his commitment to education, sport, the Church and Rostrevor.

 

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John Walkley '45

John Walkley made contact with Red & Black in 2006 to inform of Tom McGovern's French Legion of Honour Award. John's association with Rostrevor has been rich and enduring and Red&Black sought out John to help with this profile.

 

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Judge David Smith '63

The Rostrevor College Community takes considerable pride in congratulating Judge David Smith ('63) on his recent appointment as District Court Judge (1999). David now joins fellow old scholars Judge Michael David ('62) and Justice Kevin Duggan ('58) as South Australian judges.

 

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Julian Mazzone '93

The Rostrevor Old Collegians' take pride in acknowledging the achievements of Julian Mazzone ('93) one of 3 finalists in the 2000 Young Australian of the Year Award as a Small Business Owner.

 

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Major General Peter Phillips '51

Major General Peter Raymond Phillips AO MC was the major Officer commanding D Company 3rd Battalion of The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR), South Vietnam 1967-1968.

 

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Maurice Henderson '80

Red & Black is always on the lookout for news on old scholars and in the case of Maurice Henderson ('80) we did not have to look any further than the front cover of the 2003-2004 Adelaide White Pages Directory. Red & Black caught up with Maurice to find out what has happened in his life since leaving Rostrevor. 

 

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Monsignor David Cappo '67

Monsignor David Cappo is featured in the 2002 Annual as the Outstanding Old Scholar. Monsignor Cappo's reflections from the Annual are published here as the ROCA wish to acknowledge his work and lifetime achievements in the service of God.

 

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Monsignor John Swann '50

Swann attended Rostrevor from Kapunda in 1949. In 1951 he went to Francis Xavier seminary for three hours and then to Manly, Sydney, for years. He was ordained in Kapunda in 1957 and on July 22nd of 2007 he celebrated Solemn High mass in the Rostrevor College Chapel as Rostrevor's 50th priest.

 

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Monsignor Robert Rice '49

From the 1956 Annual: Few of our ex­ pupil priests have had such close association with the College. Robert Rice attended Rostrevor for 6 years from 1944 to 1949. In his last year he was Head Prefect. He studied at St Francis Xavier's Seminary and St Patrick's College, Manly, and was ordained on July 21st this year. His proud mother and sister Patricia were present at his second Mass at Rostrevor.

 

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Monsignor Tom Horgan '32

Monsignor Tom Horgan ('32) recently celebrated his 60th year as a priest. A large congregation of well-wishers joined him in celebration at his Jubilee Mass at Our Lady of Victories at Glenelg on Friday 27th July 2002.

 

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Noel Hamden '50

Noel Hamden attended Rostrevor from 1945-50. He was a Prefect in his final year as well as Captain of the 1st XI and a member of the lstXVIII. In reflecting on his College cricketing days, he relates an interesting fact that from 1943 to 1950, over the eight years, 6 of the 1st XI Captains were boarders from the West Coast.

 

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Patrick Frost '66

Patrick came to Rostrevor in 1962, following his two brothers Peter and Michael, from Cradock in the Flinders Ranges. Some of the boys who had also come from the far north of the state included the Pecanek brothers, the Oldfields, the famous Alan Dunn of the Lyndhurst pub and the Reynolds' from Hawker.

 

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Peter Kelly '32

Francis Peter Kelly ('32), known as Peter, attended Rostrevor College from 1925 to 1932. During this period there were a number of Kelly families attending Rostrevor. Peter Kelly was the eldest son of Francis and Sheila Kelly (Mann). Francis had attended CBC Wakefield St in the 1890s.

 

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Peter Kitschke '45

On 16th August 2006, Peter Kitschke became the third Old Scholar to be inducted into the SANFL Hall of Fame, following in the footsteps of Peter Marker and Neil Kerley. Peter was a Boarder at Rostrevor in 1944-45, having completed his primary education at Canowie Belt (near Jamestown).

 

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Peter Ryan '57

Peter Ryan attended Rostrevor from Peterborough between 1950 and 1957. For most of that time his parents operated the Railway Hotel at Peterborough. His brother John attended between 1946-8.

 

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Professor Peter McDonald '59 

Peter McDonald's lifetime's achievements in microbiology, immunology and medical research continue to make him a source of pride for all Christian Brothers, old scholars and teaching staff of Rostrevor as well as an inspiration to all our current students.

 

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Simon Vivian '75

The Vivian name is well known to Rostrevor and the success of Simon Vivian, as reported on in a number of bloodstock circles, has prompted Red & Black to contact Simon and share with readers this profile.

 

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A CATHOLIC BOYS' DAY AND BOARDING COLLEGE IN THE EDMUND RICE TRADITION RECEPTION TO YEAR 12

Glen Stuart Rd Woodforde Sa 5072 Australia