Old Collegians COLLEGE CREST The sad passing of George Dore (SKC '47) brings to mind an entertaining story from the archives that George often told. George was a devoted Kevinian who did anything he could for the school. He missed a handful of Old Collegian Annual Dinners but basically attended more than anyone in their 74 year history. Let us say nearly 60 dinners and the no arguments record holder. He was a brilliant dinner companion, a wonderful raconteur and enthralled all with stories. Not all seemed to be told the same way each year but nobody minded as they invariably had people in fits of laughter.
thought the school should have it rather than reside with CBC Victoria Parade. The way George told it, it was that late one night in a scene more suited to a Marx Brothers slapstick movie – including the ladder carried by two where they went either side of a tree. They liberated the crest. George cleverly patched the hole, then and there, to obliterate any sign it ever existed. He was a devout and saintly man and always maintained that he had permission, as a man he took to be a Christian Brother approached the troop, condoned the activity and wished them God’s Blessing.
the 13th century "Heater" or "Couche" shape was in 1959 as we entered the APS. The inclusion of the Celtic Cross atop the shield was used at various times to depict our Christian Brothers and Irish heritage.
The crest has little resemblance to the crest we have today but was a common design and motto for Christian Brother’s schools where one just changed the name for each school.
Bill O’Reilly (SKC '57) lives in Hastings on Hudson in New York State, USA. A short-term move in 1969 for he and his wife (also from Melbourne) turned into a lifelong stay. His children are grown up and giving them lovely grandchildren. Bill’s career has been in management of national charities and foundations and of course more recently they have been caught up in avoiding COVID-19, with great success so far. Bill last visited the school in 2013 and sends his usual best wishes to all Kevinians. His lovely letter is on our Facebook page.
The crest, once liberated, stayed with George, then was forwarded to the school (questions of its origins were not asked) in 1971 where successive nervous Headmasters kept it stored away. In the late 1977 it was installed in the foyer of the Heyington Campus for all to see. Our cultural icon was saved. The school crest had several design reincarnations mostly due to the individual way Brothers drew it for uniform manufacturers, cap badge producers and printers.
One such was the liberation of the original school crest (1918), stone carved and affixed high on the wall in Albert Street, East Melbourne. George and some fellows 14
By 1920 the Christian Brothers motto changed to Facere et Docere (To Learn and to Teach) so our sandstone crest dates the badge to being between 1918 and 1920. The earliest versions of our current crest start during Br Kearney’s time as Headmaster (1931–1934) and it appears on the first Annual in 1935. The first time our current shield shape appeared using
POSTCARDS FROM ABROAD It has been wonderful receiving notes for Kevinians living overseas and hearing the rich tapestry of life that has taken them there. We have heard from Europe, Asia, Antarctica and North America – perhaps the continents of South America and Africa could be next.
Justin Quirk (SKC '90) sends his best wishes from Northern Ireland where he and his wife Shauna live in County Derry with their four children. Over the years Justin has expanded his Dominos Pizza Stores ownership and has been most successful in business. Justin is well known for his welcoming of Kevinians who journey to the North and keeps in touch with several school mates regularly. Paul Lai (SKC '92) lives in Hong Kong where he works in the telecommunications ST KEVIN’S COLLEGE
