Our Annual Mass is to be held on Sunday June 1, 2003. A problem arose with the original date and we were delighted to assist in arranging an alternative date convenient to the Parish Priest, Father Knight and the Provincial, Brother Paul O’Keeffe. The Committee looks forward to welcoming you to our fifth Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Waterloo.

We compliment those who assisted by bringing along a plate for morning tea on the last occasion. Can we look forward to your help once again? We express our sincere thanks.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is one of the historic churches of the Archdiocese of Sydney. Archbishop Polding, OSB, laid the Foundation Stone on the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, August 15, 1859. The site of the new church is on the summit of a hill that has hitherto been known as Mount Lachlan, but what henceforth is to be called Mount Carmel. It commands a fine view of Botany, part of Newtown, a large portion of Sydney and the wide extent of the surrounding country. [Mount Carmel Centenary Booklet]

The solemn blessing and opening of the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel took place on Sunday, April 7, 1861. The history states, His Grace performed the service according to the Roman Pontifical and was assisted by the Very Rev. Dean O’Connell, the Rev. Father Corish (who has undertaken the building of the Church), and further on, Fr. Corish [of St. Benedict’s, Chippendale] continued to look after the spiritual interests of the parishioners of Mt. Carmel until his transfer to Bathurst in 1864. After Fr. Corish’s departure from St. Benedict’s a French priest, Fr. Garavel, in charge of Newtown, attended to the needs of the parishioners until 1866. Father Peter O’Farrell, OFM  [1866 to 1869] the first resident priest lived in lodgings in Redfern not far from the present St. Vincent’s Church. He returned to Ireland, dying at Dublin in 1874.

In 1866 the Sisters of the Good Samaritan taught at  Waterloo. Since there were no suitable means of transport the Sisters had to walk from Pitt St, Sydney near the present Eddy Avenue, in all weathers, and their health became impaired. They were reluctantly withdrawn from the school in 1868.

In 1880, the Sisters of Mercy came to Waterloo and remained until 1977.

The Patrician Brothers first came to Waterloo in 1886 when St Vincent’s Church-School formed part of the Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In 1890, St. Vincent’s, Redfern became a separate parish. In April 1908 the Patricians returned to teach in the Parish of Waterloo, remaining there for the next 55 years.

Brother Austin O’Connell, Provincial, together with Brother Oliver Healy and Brother Rodan Bergin sailed from Sydney on May 14, 1946 as delegates to the General Chapter. Brother Serenus Quann was Acting Provincial until September of that year.

Brother Paul O’Connor (RIP) records: “On September 20, 1946, by cable from the Superior General, Brother Finbarr Downes, Brother Norbert Phelan was appointed Provincial with Brothers Serenus Quann, Joseph Tierney, Alphonsus Eviston and Rodan Bergin as Councillors.

In 1949 the Council was changed to the following: Brothers Rodan Bergin, Joseph Tierney, Serenus Quann and Gerard Histon; Brother Cyril Boland, Provincial Bursar and following Brother Rodan Bergin’s appointment as Fourth Assistant General in Ireland in February 1950, Brothers Joseph Tierney, Serenus Quann, Gerard Histon, and John Gallagher with Brother Cyril Boland, Provincial Bursar.

In August 1953 there was another change in the Council, which then comprised Brothers Joseph Tierney, John Gallagher, Gerard Histon and Aloysius Delaney.” 

Superior General Visitations. Brother Finbarr Downes S.G. visitated the Province in 1947 and Brother Dermot Dunne S.G. in 1952 and 1955.

“Brother Norbert’s period as Provincial saw the opening of new Communities at Blacktown, Fairfield and Liverpool. Offers of new schools at Scarborough, Queensland, Belmont Park, Perth, W.A. and New Guinea were turned down 

“For the number of new schools, this period compares favourably with any in the history of the Patricians in Australia except the first ten years. These schools were not destined to become small primary/secondary schools with two, three or four Brothers (like all our early foundations, except Holy Cross College) but flourishing foundations with sizable Communities.”

Brother Norbert Phelan will be remembered by many of our alumni. Born at Coolaltha. Johnstown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland on November 22, 1895, Brother Norbert arrived at Sydney aboard SS Beltana on February 9, 1920 accompanied by Brother Raphael Phelan and Brother Arsenius Quann - changed to Serenus in 1922. 

Brother Norbert’s first appointment was to Bathurst until July 1921 when he transferred to Dubbo. In 1923 he returned to Bathurst until May and took up at Forest Lodge in June of that year. 1924/25 saw Brother Norbert at Ryde, 1926/27 Orange, 1928 Forest Lodge, 1929/30 Redfern, again to Ryde in 1931 to April 10, 1936 when he sailed to Ireland as delegate to the General Chapter. In 1938 he returned again to Forest Lodge until 1943. In 1944 he was at Ryde and then to Forest Lodge in May 1945 until June 1947. Until July 1948 he was at Ryde and Wahroonga for the remainder of the year. 1949-1958 was spent at Ryde. In 1959 Brother Norbert was at Liverpool to May and Wahroonga for the remainder of the year. While residing at Wahroonga he spent one half day a week teaching at Mount Carmel, Waterloo. From 1960 to May 1963 he taught at Granville; he then went to Narellan until 1972 when he returned to Granville. In 1973 he was Bursar at Narellan, again returning to Granville in 1974. Brother Norbert was a member of the Narellan Community from 1975 until 1982. The foregoing is the Irish record of Brother Norbert Phelan’s remarkable service to Catholic families and education in New South Wales.

Brother Norbert’s period as Provincial was a time “of rapid recovery from a slump. It established a new pattern of schools for the Patrician Brothers, and all three new schools had great potential. Brother Norbert proved to be good Superior and a shrewd administrator. The comparative failure of the novitiate was the one dark patch in this decade of progress.

“The remarkable expansion of our schools reflects the boom conditions of the times (if we leave out the recession of 1952). At this time huge areas were developed as residential centres among them being Fairfield, Blacktown, Liverpool and North Ryde. The growth of our schools was also aided by sympathetic pastors like Father Massey in Blacktown, Father Collins in Liverpool and Father Prendergast in Fairfield. The support of the priests in the new large parish of North Ryde helped Holy Cross College to emerge from a period of stagnation. For the Province a new and exciting era had begun.”

The following is an extract from The Patrician Brothers in Australia ? The First Hundred Years: 

“In 1950, Rev. Father Slowey, Diocesan Inspector of Schools, requested the Provincial, Brother Norbert Phelan to consider opening a school at Blacktown or Wentworthville. The Provincial Council made the choice of Blacktown for the site of the Patrician College in the parish of St Patrick’s, Blacktown about 40 kilometres  [25 miles] from the centre of Sydney.

“On opening day January 28, 1952 there were 120 pupils with a staff of three; Brother Gerard Histon, assisted by Brothers John Thompson and Basil Downey. The new school was situated in an excellent site of 13 acres, convenient to rail transport and in the heart of a quiet rural community. Soon it was to be the centre of an expanding population belt with growth so rapid and extensive as to be equalled by few areas in metropolitan Sydney.

“By 1958 the roll was 607 and this increased to 890 in 1960. In 1970, the roll had passed 1000 and in 1982 a teaching staff of 58 catered for 1039 pupils. Meanwhile the parish of Blacktown of 1952, by the early 1960’s had been divided into five new thriving parishes.

“At first the Brothers travelled from Granville until the Blacktown Monastery was opened on August 15, 1955. The then Principal, Brother Benedict Olsen became Superior of the new Community and during his term to 1961 extensive improvements were made to the surrounds of the Monastery and school; new lawns, tennis courts, playing fields, walkways. Parents generously gave of their time in assisting in these improvements.

“Brother Benedict was succeeded by Brother de Sales Gilbert and Brother Patrick Lovegrove for successive three year terms which saw more concern with consolidation including the completion of the playing ovals and extensions to the Monastery.

“The start of Brother Bernard Bulfin’s long term as Principal from 1966 until 1982 coincided with the introduction of the Wyndham scheme. Impressive extensions were added to cater for the new syllabus requirements in the areas of manual arts, music, technics and art. This required, as a matter of urgency, a massive program of planning, extra staffing, teaching spaces and general administration to which the present complex bears fitting tribute.

“In a multicultural survey held in 1979, there were students born in 40 different States from 21 countries, with 25 different languages and dialects spoken at home. The school has generated a spirit of deep friendship and goodwill amongst all students from different ethnic backgrounds. 

Brother Patrick Lovegrove returned as Principal in 1983 

“In August 1951, the Brothers received a letter from Bishop O’Brien on behalf of His Eminence Cardinal Gilroy, requesting staff for a school for boys planned for Fairfield. Whereas there were primary convent schools at nearby Cabramatta, Smithfield and Villawood as well as Fairfield, there were no opportunities for senior primary and secondary Catholic education for boys in this new and rapidly expanding centre.

“Brothers Kevin Samuel, Eugene Kelly and Peter Johnson (Superior and Principal) formed the first Patrician Community at Fairfield. The Brothers took up residence in the old weatherboard homestead on the ten-acre property acquired by the Archdiocese as the site for the school.

“When Cardinal Gilroy blessed the Monastery and officially opened the school on March 8, 1953, there were 170 pupils enrolled in Years 4, 5 and 6. By 1963 the enrolment had reached almost 1000.

“The school grounds were a disused orchard and vineyard ? uneven and bare, abounding in powdery surface soil. In the early sixties, the Brothers supported by parents and students, embarked on a grass and tree planting campaign. This project laid the foundation of the pleasant environment enjoyed today.

“The six classrooms in 1953 had grown to 40 in 1982, as well as a library and assembly hall, science laboratories, a modern manual arts block and various other specialist facilities.

“In 1956 the Year 9 students sat for the first public examination, the Intermediate. The Intermediate level was the terminating year in the school until 1961, when the first group of students sat for the Leaving Certificate. Students from Blacktown, Granville and Liverpool complete their final years of secondary schooling at Fairfield. This has added special character to the quality of the senior student body of the College.

“The student population in 1982 was just over 1300 from years 5 to 12, making Patrician Brothers’ College, Fairfield the then largest single campus enrolment of any Boys’ Catholic school in New South Wales. The current enrolment is 1426 to Year 12. (1994)”

“The Brothers came to Liverpool in 1954. Brother Joseph Tierney was chosen as the one to bring the Patrician Brothers to All Saints parish in the old Macquarie town of Liverpool. Ill health forced his withdrawal in April, His successor, Brother Ignatius Barrett relished the idea of looking after a school in the then wide open spaces of Liverpool, after spending many fruitful years teaching in the inner-city schools. He was to set the high standard of the school in scholastic, sporting and spiritual matters. He chose the school colours, the details of the boys’ uniform and the school crest. Brother Ignatius had a vigorous interest in cricket and this character building sport still has a large following in the school and among its alumni.

“The first stages of the present primary school were completed in September 1955 and in that year a second Brother, Brother Lactean McGree was assigned to the school. Classes were held in a partition type shelter that was subject to the elements. These hardships were borne with good spirit by the Brothers and their first students.

“Until the Monastery was built in 1958, the Brothers travelled variously from Redfern, Granville and Fairfield. Shades of the history of the inner-city schools. The first Community to live at Liverpool comprised Brothers Ignatius Barrett, Eugene Kelly and Callistus Keating. Brother Ignatius was to remain Superior until 1962.

“The new Superior, Brother Gerald Egan, began his long association with the school in 1959 and in 1963 the first signs of expansion appeared. These included a larger tuck-shop and an extra classroom.  Extensions were made to the Monastery to house the increasing number of Brothers.

“The next stage of growth in 1966 was the building of the Secondary school in response to the demands of the Wyndham scheme. Further construction continued through into 1967.

“The next stage of expansion in the 1970’s included the building of a technical drawing room and extensions to the science rooms with improvements to the art amenities.

“In 1982 two new classrooms and a library were added to the Primary school. These additional classrooms helped Brother Basil Downey, Primary Principal for the previous 15 years, to continue the trend towards smaller, more manageable classes.

“The current enrolment is 600 to Year 10. (1994)”

To staff the schools required more Brothers. “The large number of Irish Brothers who came out to Australia in this period injected new vigour in the Province and made a remarkable expansion possible. What was more important was the fact that many of these Brothers were highly qualified and gifted, and were soon able to assume positions of authority. This had never occurred to the same degree in previous years, and it is almost certain nothing like it will ever occur again.

“The period began with the arrival of six Brothers in 1946 after an adventurous journey on the aircraft carrier HMS “Indomitable” and on the Transcontinental Railway: Brothers Majella Tobin, Pius O’Leary, John Gallagher, Aloysius Delaney, Malachy Corbett and Xavier Comerford. All of these except the last named were to hold important positions. 

“June 23, 1947 saw the arrival of Brothers De Sales Gilbert, Austin McCarthy and Norbert Daly. Brothers Gerald Egan, Basil Downey and Cronan O’Meara arrived on October 12, 1949 and Brother Vianney Foyle on December 30, 1950. 

“Brother Malachy Guidera and Brother Finian Power arrived on December 12, 1951. Brothers Eugene Kelly, Bernard Kennedy and Felix Kennedy on December 11, 1952.

“Brothers Fintan Connaughton and Lactean McGree arrived in November 1954 on the same boat as the Superior General, Brother Dermot Dunne and on January 5, 1955 arrived Brother Callistus Keating and Brother Bernard Bulfin.

“The following were received as novices:
1947 Brothers Kevin Samuel, Celestine Mulhall, Benedict Olsen, Marcellus Hartley.
1949 Brothers Augustine Grealy, Baptist Stenning, Patrick Lovegrove, Dominic Brassil.
1954 Brothers Gabriel Roberts, Martin O’Keefe, Xavier Melinz and Eymard Gillies.
1955 Brother Laurence Sellar.

“This was not a fruitful time for the novitiate and several of these novices did not go far in the religious life. The aftermath of the war was not a good time for recruiting subjects, as there was a general feeling of disillusionment concerning social institutions combined with ample opportunities for employment. There were no Brothers whose age, character and training made them suitable for the task of recruiting and training aspirants for life in our Congregation. In 1947 it was decided to ask some Bishops for permission to canvass in their dioceses for postulants, and Brother Anthony Phelan was twice sent on a tour for this purpose, with meagre results.”

“Brother Bernard O’Toole died on January 29, 1947 at the age of 82 years. He had laboured in Australia since 1892 and had done invaluable work. 

“Brother Alphonsus Feeney died on February 12, 1947 after a prolonged illness, at the age of 31 years. The loss of this good religious and excellent schoolman was keenly felt.’

“One of the Patrician Brothers greatest benefactors, Father E. Gell, parish priest of Ryde since 1906, died on July 25, 1951.”

 “Brother Nicholas Duffy left the Congregation in 1946, Brother Norbert Daly in 1947, Brother Xavier Comerford in 1952 and Brother Xavier McGovern in 1953.”

“This was a lean time for those seeking a holiday in Ireland. In 1948 Brother Alphonsus Eviston was refused a holiday in Ireland, and in the following year Brother Fidelis Downes was also disappointed. In 1950 some Brothers requested a holiday in Sydney during the September vacation but were refused permission. Brother Cyril Boland and Brother Fidelis Downes had holidays in Ireland in 1951. Other requests for holidays were refused in early 1953, but Brother Pius O’Leary was granted a holiday later in the year.”

There is a most interesting reference to Patrician Brothers’ Old Boys in Brother Paul O’Connor’s history. 

 “Our schools have produced many fine Christian men, including civic leaders of which Cardinal Moran would be proud; but Old Boys are notoriously hard to organize, and associations which have been formed from time to time have spasmodically flourished and fallen into inaction. Perhaps we have been apathetic about apathy, but in the time of Brother Norbert more was achieved in organizing Old Boys than in any other period. Earlier we have noted the Art Union of 1938. This was the beginning of a combined association of Old Boys that flourished particularly in the 1950s. Records of the activities of the Old Boys are fragmentary, and have been supplied by Mr. Frank Corless and Mr. Bill Bourke. Frank Corless was associated with the Brothers from the early 1930s, when he was a football coach, concert compere and Old Boys’ Secretary at Redfern. He was Secretary of the 1938 Art Union and remained a staunch supporter of Old Boys activities. Bill Bourke, an ex-student of Holy Cross, was mainly associated with the Old Boys of Forest Lodge and the combined association.” The reference concludes: “The combined association folded up in 1959 and has never been revived.”

We regret we are unable to include the full reference, which covers two pages, in this issue. It is an important record and will be published in full later this year. 

“Brother Norbert and the two delegates, Brothers Vianney Foyle and Joseph Tierney, sailed for Ireland on February 4, 1956. All three returned to the Province. During Brother Norbert’s absence Brother John Gallagher was Acting Provincial.”

All previous Provincials, with the exception of Brother Anthony Lee who died in office, had returned to Ireland or, as in the case of Brother Ignatius Price and Brother Raphael Phelan who both resigned from office, transferred to another Province. Brother Norbert chose to remain in the Australian Province where he laboured for the remainder of his days. 

Brother Norbert Kieran Phelan died at Narellan, NSW, on March 2, 1982 in his 87th year.

In memory of all the departed mentioned in the above.

Requiescant in pace.

Explanatory Note: The above article is drawn from the writings of Brother Paul O’Connor (RIP), and “The Patrician Brothers in Australia - The First Hundred Years”.

For the information of our readers both Frank Corless and Bill Bourke are in their nineties and continue to enjoy good health.

Every now and again when I check the mail and have cast aside the bills and other trivia there remains an envelope addressed in unfamiliar handwriting. One such letter arrived on March 14 last. I have shared it with my co-editor and the contents touched us very deeply. The words come from the heart.

The Green Sash is the work of two Kevins, Scott and Hilferty, classmates through our schooling. Each has an important part to play in the preparation of the copy. One does the compilation; the other the editing. Both are essential in producing a document of interest to the reader.

If any one was to ask what pleasure we derive from publishing “The Green Sash”, we could only say, “in knowing that those who read it receive as much pleasure as we do in putting it together.” We know that many eagerly await each issue.

And so, we want to share a letter that has given us a great deal of joy. We hope you, too, will share in that joy.

12 March ‘03

The Editor,
“The Green Sash”,

Dear Kevin,

The March issue of The Green Sash arrived at Padstow recently; reading its contents and viewing its photographs gave me a great deal of pleasure, particularly the photo of the Mount Carmel nun in her habit of those days.

Then there was the photograph of the St. James’, Forest Lodge Catholic Younger Set Debutantes ? 1945. All the girls with flowers in their long hair and dressed in beautiful white frocks draped in folds reaching to the ground.

It took me back to when I was talked or pushed into being a Debutante’s partner when I was a member of the Mount Carmel Younger Set in 1946.

For two weeks before the presentation, all the pending Debs and their partners had to proceed to Jack Keating’s upstairs dance studio at Newtown Bridge to be taught what had to be done on the big night.

Next, all the boys had to hire dress suits and bow ties with white shirts, stiff fronts and black buttons. The people in charge of that Younger Set had set us a task.

However we all showed up spick and span on the night of the Parish Ball at the Waterloo Town Hall. All the girls looked beautiful, but the boys? Well, nobody said!

Those girls in the photograph looked just like the Mount Carmel girls on the big night. It reminded me of a poem I once read called, “In the days when we were young”, and I wonder if there are any old Mount Carmel boys out there who took part that night. Thank you for the photograph, it brought back memories of 57 years ago.

Brother Rodan taught me English; so as an extra curriculum item he introduced elocution, the art of voice production, gesture, pronunciation and delivery.

But the Brothers didn’t teach elocution; they brought in a man who was an elocutionist, and for a fee of three pence per week my parents allowed Brother Rodan to enroll me, with other members of my Class, in the weekly elocution instruction.

Well, the instructor put us through the vowels ‘A, E, I, O, U’ and pronunciation, and then he had us reciting “The house that Jack built”.

After a few months, with the Brothers’ permission and when he felt we were good enough, he entered us in a voice-speaking contest between certain Catholic Schools to be held at the Conservatorium in Sydney.

On the night the whole Class gathered at the tram stop and travelled by tram into town. 

My Mum & Dad came and some other boys’ parents joined the tram which was well crowded.

Mount Carmel went on stage and gave of our best. But we didn’t win; Christian Brothers’ Waverley won. We were disappointed, but accepted the judges’ decision like good sports. The main point was that the good Patrician Brothers were encouraging the sons of poor working men at Waterloo and Zetland to get up there and mix it with the best of them in the art of speech.

Later on I felt that my journey into elocution perhaps led me into a debate with my father over the pronunciation of the English language when I was very young.

Dad was an Irishman from County Limerick with a brogue to match. Whenever he used the word ‘Melbourne’, he always put prominence on the stress or pitch with special emphasis on the last syllable, ‘bourne’.

One day when I was young and foolish, just after Dad head used the word ‘Melbourne’, I said, “Dad it’s not ‘Mel-bourne’, it’s ‘Mel-bin’. “What rubbish”, he said. “It’s spelt ‘bourne’ not ‘bin’, you must pronounce it as it’s spelt. You are like the English cockneys where I was in East London, you can’t speak English properly.” I left it at that, never to bring it up again.

My wife, Mary O’Shea, NEE Clements, died last year, 2002. Mary was the sister of Father Bill Clements (RIP), one-time curate at St. James’, Forest Lodge; his boss I think during his time there was Mons. Bartlett. Mary was a fond part of Father Bill’s life. I ask all the people who knew Father Clements at St. James’ and yourself to remember his sister, Mary, at prayer time.

To you and your associates I send my thanks for the splendid work you do in making the contents of “The Green Sash” so interesting.

Your reporting on the coming and going of the Patrician Brothers over past years to and from Ireland and Australia is great. I enjoyed Brother Malachy’s letter, also Brother John Gallagher’s. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Patrick O’Shea. 

And, Patrick, we respond with our sincere thanks to you! 

Members of the Official Party at St. James’, Forest Lodge CYO Debutantes’ Ball 1951, held at Marrickville Town Hall, comprising Brother Aloysius Delaney fsp, Fr. Michael Hogan, Miss Pat Stenning, Fr. James Byrne, Monsignor Gerald Bartlett, Fr. Bill Clements, Mrs .Jurd, Fr. W.J. Murphy and Fr. Walter Higgins. If memory serves me correctly, on that night the writer escorted debutante, Miss Anne Donnelly.

Brother Aloysius was born in Stanthorpe, Queensland on July 4, 1889. He performed his novitiate at Redfern in 1906/7. He was stationed at Bathurst, Orange, Forest Lodge, Wahroonga and Ryde. Brother Aloysius was Superior at Redfern and Orange, both for two terms and at Ryde twelve years in all. He was Novice Master at Wahroonga in 1930-36 and 1958-63. He was a delegate to the General Chapter of 1937.

Brother Aloysius was certainly one of the outstanding Patrician Brothers of this country. He was a good religious, devoted to the Blessed Sacrament, the Rosary, the Sacred Heart and particularly to the Mass. He often attended Mass and made the Stations of the Cross several times on the one day.

He was man of powerful personality and had a wide circle of friends in all walks of life ? he made friends easily. Among his life-long friends were two past pupils who became State Premiers ? Mr. J.J. Cahill and Mr. J.B. Renshaw.

Brother Aloysius was a character ? he was certainly a humourist, consciously or unconsciously. He never failed to impress people. His rather grandiose manner of speaking was the object of much amusement. It is reported that one student made a listing of a thousand of his sayings. Every person who knew him can quote him, especially his occasional malapropisms like “While I’m up, I’m up” ? “Here he comes with his ipso facto wife” ? “Just so” [a favourite expression which often proved his composure in trying circumstances.]

There was never a dull moment when Brother Aloysius was around. His colourful conversation is illustrated in such passages as, “Did you hear how they got the metre? Well-l-l, they measured the distance from the North Pole to the Equator, and they cut, and they cut, and they cut, until they got the metre.”

Brother Aloysius was proud of Queensland, (“Queensland, thou art the land.”) and of Australia ? he had little time for foreigners, as such. He was keenly interested in international sports in which Australia took part. He was an “out-door” type, interested in gardening, painting and erecting statues and greenhouses. He took part in Community recreation, indoor and outdoor, with great gusto. 

Brother Aloysius was a successful schoolman and organiser, but is perhaps best remembered for his simple faith and piety.

Upon the departure of the Brothers from St. Patrick’s Monastery, Redfern at the end of 1963, Brother Aloysius and Brother Thomas Brennan acted as caretakers.

Brother Aloysius Hannigan died at Redfern on July 1, 1964. 

Requiescat in pace.

The above memorial is one of a number written in the early 1970s of Brothers of the Australian Province. The author is unknown.

We add the following that was related to the writer:

A few months ago, while cleaning up the spiked beads that fall from the Liquid Amber tree on the front verge, a beep on a car horn caused me to identify the driver, Les Durrington, who proceeded to provide a photo of the 1940 2nd Class at the convent school. Les always recalls his schoolboy days with a huge smile and a laugh here and there throughout the conversation. 

Within a few days in the post arrived from Terry Beasley a photo with a note; “Kevin, The year was 1940, 3rd Class, I believe, at Good Sams?” Clearly, Terry meant 2nd Class. The only problem was that it differed from the 1940 2nd Class Les Durrington had given me!

Terry’s photo was taken before the rebuilding of the rear of the convent school. From memory this work was completed a few months after the Brothers’ school opened in April 1940. Among those recognized is Hayden Purkiss on the extreme right of the back row, with Terry Beasley immediately to the left of him. In the middle row on the left hand side is Paul Scott with Tom McManus on the extreme right. Is it Rex Poginoski, or the boy Gallagher from Hegarty Street immediately to the left of Tom McManus? In the front row fourth from the left is Brian Ronan. How could anyone fail to recognize Brian with his curls? All are wearing open necked shirts with the exception of Brian Ronan who is sporting a bow tie. They are wearing shorts buttoned to the shirt and are certainly younger than those in Les’ photo. The dress indicates the photo was taken in the warmer months. The photo may be of 2nd Class in January 1940.

Les’ photo [below] is identified, with the help of a magnifying glass, to be “St. James’ II, 1940”. Known details are:

Some of the boys are wearing jumpers. The photo was probably taken in the spring of 1940, perhaps September/October. The writer’s younger brother, Paul Scott, was in 2nd Class in 1940 yet he does not appear. Tom McManus is absent yet his younger brother, Patrick, is in the second row fourth from the left. Pat and Tom McManus surely could not have been in the same Class? It is a mystery!

Why does Terry Beasley seem to be the only one to appear in both photos? Terry is clearly younger in the photo he supplied. Perhaps one of our readers has the answer to the riddle?

However, the writer cannot let this photographic record pass without mentioning John Fitzsimmons and Les Durrington. ‘Fitzy’ and ‘Durro’ were inseparable throughout their school life. They were of which legends are made. 

Alan Cook and Bernie Turner, brothers in law, both now sadly gone from this world, never allowed a get together to go by without recalling the escapades of Fitzy and Durro. 

Bernie would recite the episodes; Alan would have a folded ‘hankie’ in hand wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes and the rest of us would be rolling on the floor. Then someone would say, “but, how about when…..,” and so it would go on. 

It didn’t matter if you were a Class or two ahead of them; nobody was spared! They ‘took the mickey’ out of us all. No doubt the Brothers enjoyed their escapades as much as we did. 

They [photos] bring back fond memories. Many in the photos have sadly passed on.  Requiescant in pace.

Brother Joseph was born at East Orange on May 24, 1901. He entered the Congregation in 1919 and made his novitiate at Croagh Patrick, Orange under Brother Bernard O’Toole. 

Brother Joseph taught at the following schools:

Forest Lodge 1922-May 23 [St. Patrick’s Monastery, Redfern]
Forest Lodge Balance 1923 [Blessed Oliver Plunkett Monastery, Forest Lodge]
Ryde  1924-1925
Forest Lodge 1926-1928
Mount Carmel 1929-1931
Redfern  1932-1937
Ryde  1938
Mount Carmel 1939-1941
Granville 1942-1947
Redfern  1948-1953
Liverpool 1954
Wahroonga 1954-1956
Blacktown 1957-1969

At most of these schools he was Principal for some years. He was a member of the Provincial Council 1944-1962, Acting Provincial in 1950 and a delegate to the General Chapter in 1956. 

Although Brother Joseph had no formal qualifications he was an outstanding teacher, especially in Commerce and English. He was also a keen follower of sport (football, cricket and boxing) and a successful coach especially of junior teams. His knowledge of sport was extensive and his qualities of leadership outstanding. His energy was sustained in spite of poor health that often led to his hospilisation. He had a kidney removed in 1944, then appendicitis and finally cancer.

Brother Joseph was ascetical and confined his interests to the religious life, school activities and sport. He rarely read newspapers or listened to the radio and on no account would he watch television; and never felt at home except in a community. He was good humoured and full of jokes and stories (often retold!).

This frail, saintly man had remarkable influence on his pupils, even after they left school. His obvious piety and sincerity was reflected in his famous collections on behalf of the Missions. His meticulous observance of the Rule, his impressive talks on religious subjects, his asceticism combined with his kindness to others and his courteous behaviour, not only impressed and edified others but showed the true value of the religious life when lived wholeheartedly, as a single-minded response to a call from God.

Brother Joseph Tierney, a member of the Blacktown Community, died on June 7, 1969.

Requiescat in pace.

The above memorial is also drawn from those written in the early 1970s by author unknown.
[Web editor: Sorry about the photo, I am far away from the archives. I would happily accept a better photo by email or mail.]
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