1900 - Brothers Dominic Bourke, Clement Howlin,  Alphonsus Eviston (L-R)

The Brothers' school at Forest Lodge was begun as a branch of the Redfern house in 1892. For nearly thirty years the Brothers who taught there paced the distance between Redfern monastery and the school every day - a distance of five kilometres. The foundation was made at the urgent request of Cardinal Moran and Father Coonan, P.P. Bother Bernard Ryan and Bernard O'Toole were the first Brothers to assume charge of the school which was conducted in St James's Hall fronting Front Bridge Road. There were no partitions between the classes. One Brother conducted third and fourth class and the other fifth and sixth.

In 1923, due to the efforts of Father Moorehead, assistant priest of Forest Lodge, the Brothers were finally able to move into a house near to the school. The first superior of the house was Brother Cyril Boland. The school flourished, there were two hundred students and four teachers - one a lay teacher - by 1923.

The Brothers "travelled" with the people of the area during the Great Depression. Everyone shared what they could with each other and as a result a very strong bond developed between the parishioners and the Brothers.

In August of 1940 the Brothers were able to move into a newly constructed school building immediately adjacent both the monastery and parish church. The building is still there today. The first superior of the new house was Brother Norbert Phelan. He was also principal.

The school built up a solid reputation in both academic achievements and in sport. Students won many prizes in Diocesan exams and the school was a force to be reckoned with in all sports. Forest Lodge was a foundation member of the M.C.S. (Metropolitan Catholic Schools) sport competition which continues today as one of the strongest school sporting associations and competition in Australia.

Those who taught in Forest Lodge boast of all their ex-students. Perhaps the better known people who have passed through its portals are Bishop Toohey once Bishop of the Maitland/Newcastle arch-diocese; Brother Patrick Lovegrove who became Superior General of the Patrician Brothers; Brother Peter Ryan who became Provincial; and Kevin Scott who is the author the newsletter "The Green Sash".

With the introduction of new educational systems - Wyndham Scheme - and population movements to the western suburbs, the numbers at the school began to diminish. By 1965 only eighty-three students attended the school. In its final year (1967) there were only fifty-eight students - Brother Peter Higgins was principal.

The school closed in 1967 and the Brothers left the Forest Lodge monastery in 1968.

A short history of the St James parish has been written by John Fletcher and Michael Hogan, and John's son Tom has given us permission to create a link to that history. Thank you, Tom. Click the image to go there.

March 21, 1880  The Archbishop Roger Bede Vaughan, opens St. James school. The head teacher is Sister Mary Austin; Sister Marie Anges [infants], sister Mary Raphael Maher [music] Misses Scott, Taylor, Lonergan and Alice Brown assist. The boys are catered for by Professor Anglin, Messrs.Keating, Dunn, O’Connor and John Doyle. [The Miss Scott was, no doubt, my great-aunt Mary A. Scott 1862-1897? Sister Mary Zita , of the Good Samaritans 1882-1897]

June 1880 Over 400 children enroll at St James’ school.

1888 Average daily attendance of 380. The boys on the ground floor number 120; upstairs the Good Sams look after 190 girls 70 infants.

January 1892 The Patrician Brothers “at the urgent request of Cardinal Moran and Father Coonan”, take over the Boys’ School in St. James Hall. Early teaching Brothers, who walked from Redfern each day were Bro. Bernard Ryan, Bro. Bernard O’Toole and Dominic Bourke. 

[The Brothers had to respond to Cardinal Moran ? there were insufficient Brothers. Brother Ignatius must have gone mental. I guess cables to Ireland ran hot. I have not been able to verify the opening date of the school. It seems strange I cannot find a mention in the Freeman’s Journal. Forest lodge had enormous coverage in that paper. 

It is my opinion that the First Patricians at Forest Lodge were Bernard Ryan and James Ryan. Dominic O’Neill and James Ryan left Dubbo Oct/Nov 1891. Dominic and Fintan O’Neill then went on their “mystery trip”. James Ryan went to Redfern. Bernard O’Toole arrived with the returning Brothers O’Neill in April 92. The Brothers O’Neill, delegates to the General Chapter again set off for Ireland 32 days later. This was the trigger for the ‘1894 crisis’. A misnomer ? a far greater crisis had been recognized by Bro. Alphonsus Delaney in 1889 ? too many schools, not enough Brothers ? Bro Alphonsus landed in Melbourne ex the Lusitania in April 1889 and stayed until some date in 1890. But that’s another story.] 

The Sisters of the Good Samaritan record; “At first the boys were upstairs and the girls downstairs” but later the positions were reversed. [The “at first” seems to refer to 1880. So the Patricians were “upstairs” in 1892. In 1896 the Good Sams opened a new school in Woolley Street and vacated the old school. The playground used by the boys seems to be that located behind the church and the Sisters school ? rough and ready of clay, it was asphalted in 1940.

April 20, 1896 Father Coonan writes to Cardinal Moran advising he has experienced difficulties with the Patrician Brothers, and the Provincial, Brother Anthony Lee “when he called upon me …admitted the school was not it should be.” [Brothers Basil Cassidy, Clement Howlin, Bernard O’Toole at FL in 1896]

March 23, 1903 100 pupils at Boys’ School, 118 in 1915

March 3, 1923 Brothers move into 165 Bridge Road. First Superior - Bro. Cyril Boland with Bros. Finian Byrne and Joseph Tierney Bro. Boland at FL from 1919-35 as Principal and Superior ‘becomes a legend in Glebe.”
April 1940 Patrician Brothers occupy new school in Woolley St adjacent to the church 200 pupils.

1947 Work begins on old School Hall replacing wooden stairs, extending over small yard and general upgrade of windows etc and old stage. The lower floor comprised a hall with stage facing Bridge Road. The upgraded hall and upstairs rooms became the mecca of the Forest Lodge CYO ? one of the most vibrant in the Archdiocese.

1990s Hall handed over to Aboriginal Dance Co. Past pupil Jim Hilferty tells Ernie Dingo “You have taken over one of our sacred sites.”