The Legacy of Alaric Pinder Boor

The Pinder Boor Medal was struck in honour of Alaric Pinder Boor (1892-1917), one of our College’s most notable and highly respected scholars. Trinity College was deeply honoured to have Ms Delia Parker and Mr Alaric Parker, the great-niece and great-nephew of Alaric Pinder Boor, present the inaugural Pinder Boor Medal at this year’s 2022 Presentation Night. Alaric Pinder Boor’s life and accomplishments are recorded with pride in the pages of our history. He was the only son of five children born to Emily and John Boor and began his education at Christian Brothers’ College (CBC) Perth, our foundation school, in 1901. He was revered by staff and students alike and impressed everyone he met with his endeavour and dedication to excellence in all aspects of life. During his school days, Alaric Pinder Boor made the most of the opportunity to learn and contribute to the College to the fullest, claiming academic and sports’ honours in equal measure. Alaric was a CBC Prefect from 1909 and Head Prefect in 1912. He captained the 1st XVIII Football in 1911 and 1912, captained the 1st XI Cricket in 1912, was a member of the 1st VIII Rowing crew, was Champion boxer of the College in 1912, Champion gymnast in 1909–1912 and was a member of both the College swimming team and College athletic team where he was the high jump champion. He also played five games of league football for Subiaco Football Club in 1910 and 15 games of league football for East Perth Football Club 1911–1913 where his name is engraved on their Board of Honour. In 1912, Alaric was recipient of the Durack Medal for Dux of CBC Perth. He was also the winner of the Sir John Forrest special prize for allround proficiency and the winner of an Ormond Scholarship in Classics at Melbourne University.

In December 1912, it was announced that Alaric Pinder Boor had been awarded the honour of a Rhodes Scholarship and, in September 1913, he began at Oxford University where he studied the arts before taking up medicine. Whilst a student at Brasenose College, he represented Oxford University in the swimming team and was elected Captain of the gymnastics team. The following year, just ten months after arriving at Oxford, war broke out. In September 1914, Alaric cabled his parents for permission to enlist and the ‘desired authority’ was received the following day. He joined the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry as a Lieutenant and was in France by the end of the year. In 1917 he completed a short flying course which qualified him to serve in the 113th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, a service area of very short life expectancy. Sadly, when returning from a mission over Beersheba on the morning of the Battle of Beersheba in Palestine on 31 October 1917, Lieutenant Alaric Pinder Boor’s RE8 bi-plane crashed and he died of his injuries. He was laid to rest at El Imara in Egypt. He was 25 years old.

A notice from his ‘loving parents and sisters’ finished with the words:

Rest in Peace

“To memory ever dear”

When notice of his death was posted at CBC, “a gloom was cast over-all”.

Recorded in the 1917 annual are these words from the Requiem Mass for Pinder Boor, ‘He shed lustre during his life on the College of the Christian Brothers, where he was a distinguished student, ‘he was a great power of good’. His death, though so noble was yet inexpressibly sad – he was so young, so very young.’

So great was Pinder Boors influence amongst his peers that, on hearing of his death, Rev Br Nunan, CBC Headmaster, received this letter from the Head Prefect of Scotch College.

To The Rev Brother Nunan, Headmaster, Christian Brothers College.

Dear Sir,

We learnt with great regret to-day of the death, while on active service, of one of your late Scholars, Pinder Boor, and I wish to express, on behalf of the boys of Scotch College, our most sincere sorrow.

As a scholar and athlete, he proved himself by winning the Rhodes, and, as an opponent, he was regarded with affection and respect by all who came in contact with him and was looked upon as one of the best sportsmen in the true meaning of the term. We desire to express, both to his parents, and to his old school, our deepest sympathy in the great loss they have sustained.

I am, dear sir, yours faithfully

K A Barker, Head Prefect, Scotch College

The legacy left by Pinder Boor is one of ensuring that

At Trinity College, the Pinder Boor Certificates of Excellence are awarded each semester to those students who display excellence in their student work attributes by achieving an Attribute Point Average of 4.50 or greater across all subjects studied.

The Pinder Boor Medal is awarded to Year 12 students who have achieved a Pinder Boor Certificate of Excellence in every semester report from Year 7 to Year 12 – eleven consecutive reporting periods. Inscribed on the medal, each boy will receive are the words ‘a great power for good’ – the very words used by the Christian Brothers of CBC Perth to describe Alaric Pinder Boor.

These young men embody the spirit of excellence exemplified in the short but glorious life of Alaric Pinder Boor and we look forward to witnessing their impact in the broader community in future years.

The inaugural recipients of the Pinder Boor medal are Myles Brown, Luca Gosatti, Christian Marchesani, Kiran Thambiran and James Watson.

Mr Julian Fritz Deputy Principal –Student Wellbeing

Mrs Robyn Jennison College Archives