Courageous determination Tony O’Byrne Principal 1989-2013
It is a remarkable achievement for the College to be celebrating 60 years of high-quality Catholic education and I offer my congratulations to the College and every individual who has played a part in its journey. In particular I acknowledge the support of so many fine parish priests who have always acted in the College’s best interests in their pastoral and governance role for the College. One of the most wonderful features of Aquinas College life is the vibrant community feel which has been present since the early days of the College. Throughout the history of the College life-long connections have been a feature of the Aquinas experience. Students maintain friendships throughout their lives and often choose to send their children and grandchildren to the College. The College has maintained a vibrance and warmth which in turn has resulted in past students returning to work at the College as teachers or support staff. Many have chosen life partners from former classmates. These enduring relationships are indicative of the successful formation and evolution of the College’s core Christian values enacted and sustained in everyday life. I see myself as fortunate to have experienced such rich connections over my 25 years as Principal and beyond. Without the courageous determination and foresight of the early Catholic parents, the Aquinas College we know today would be very different. It was in the mid 1950’s that these parents encouraged the parish priests of Ringwood, Mitcham and Croydon to purchase the land to build a secondary college. They succeeded but another hurdle quickly presented. At the time, the Chancellor (Business Manager) of the Archdiocese wanted to sell half the property believing what was left would be sufficient for the College. This was not seen as acceptable and so a delegation of parents took up the 8
challenge of meeting with the formidable Archbishop Mannix (Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years starting in 1917). They argued that all of the land purchased would be necessary not only for the beginnings of the College but also its development in the future. That Archbishop Mannix supported the parents has meant the College we now have was made possible. In time, Aquinas College became the first purpose built regional college in the Archdiocese and the forerunner of over 30 such colleges today. As the first such school to reach 60 years of educational service, we can all rejoice in the generous attitude of our first families and what their determination has meant for so many students and their families over the past six decades.
