COL. STEVENS ADDRESSES OPA BUSINESS BREAKFAST

The class of 1979 rallied to the cause at Visy Park on Thursday morning, as one of their own, Col. David Stevens, reflected on 30 years with the Australian Defence Force, as guest speaker of the Old Paradians’ Association at its first Business Breakfast of 2013. In the house to hear Col. Stevens detail his remarkable experiences in such locales as Turkey and Israel were 1979 final year students Michael Bonadio, Phil Hammond, Martin Luby, Phil Luchetta, Edi Menegas and John Smith.

Also present was John Moore of the class of 1953, Vietnam veteran Paul McCrohan (1963) and Mark Aiello (1990), the newly-appointed Assistant Principal of Parade College and Old Paradians’ Association committeeman. In a speech entitled “A Life in Uniform”, Col. Stevens, now domiciled in Melbourne, delivered an expansive address relating to the ADF’s logistical operations, before fielding a series of questions from the floor. A broad range of topics were covered, from the Turkish perspective on the Gallipoli landing through to the East Timor peacekeeping operations under Major General Peter Cosrgove.

The Old Paradians’ Association will host two more Business Breakfasts at Visy Park this year, on the Thursday mornings of August 15 and November 21.

FIGHTING AT 14 - KEITH ROSS REMEMBERS

“You know that I’ve never talked about the war until the last four or five years. Isn’t that strange?” The speaker is Old Paradian Keith Ross, almost three quarters of a century after he completed his schooling at the Old Bluestone Pile in East Melbourne.

A World War II veteran, Keith is fast approaching his 87th birthday, having been born in Hobart on June 24, 1926. But when he enlisted with the Army at Royal Park on June 9, 1941, he gave his date of birth as June 3, 1920. This was a blatant lie, and Keith knew it. In truth, he was just 14 years, 11 months and 16 days when he committed for active service, not 21 as the Australian War Memorial’s Nominal Roll attests.

For a period of two years and seven months of active duty until his discharge from the 2/6th Battalion in January 1944, Private Ross was exposed to the horrors of military combat in New Guinea. With Anzac Day looming, Keith recently reflected on his extraordinary wartime experiences in an interview at his home in East Ringwood.

DINAN INDUCTED INTO STAWELL HALL OF FAME

John Dinan, the Parade College captain of 1977 and winner of the 1980 Stawell Gift, has completed an emotional return to Central Park, where he was inducted into the Stawell Athletic Club Hall of Fame on Good Friday.

Dinan, the Hall's 61st inductee, was also there when the ashes of his late friend the 1982 Gift winner Chris Perry were scattered on the following Monday. Both John and Chris were the first Stawell Gift winners to represent their country at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.

It's more than 30 years now since Dinan took line honours off five and a half with a time of 12.3 at Stawell, hence his gratitude to the club's decision-makers for bestowing him with this honour. "The Hall is pretty impressive . . . to think that the Stawell Gift has been going since 1878 and there's only 60 people in there . . . I'm quite humbled," Dinan said.

CURRIE ON THE CUSP OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL HISTORY

Daniel Currie, a final year student of 2007, is on the verge of creating Parade football history if and when he earns senior selection for North Melbourne this season. In making his League debut for the "Shinboners", Daniel will become the 100th Parade College student to play senior League football since Thomas Bernard Fogarty turned out for St Kilda way back in 1898.

Initially, 87 Old Paradians - amongst them "Jock" McHale, "Phonse" Kyne, Peter Bedford, Peter McKenna and Sergio Silvagni - were identified in the lead-up to the naming of "The Pride of Parade" best-ever team in 2011. Since then,a further 12 League footballers ex-Parade, including the 122-game former North Melbourne captain-coach and club best and fairest Charlie Cameron, have extended that tally to 99, with Currie hopefully bringing up the ton.

The Old Paradians' Association extends its very best wishes to Daniel Currie as he nears this significant milestone.

KILLEN & CO. TURN BACK THE HANDS

Members of the class of 1963 have gathered at the Treacy Centre in Parkville to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their final year as students of Parade College.

Twenty-five members of the class gathered to hear from the 1963 College captain Tony Killen OAM as he reflected on his time at Parade, just as they had done fifty years ago when Killen delivered an address on the night of the ’63 Graduation Dinner.

Amongst them was Richard Ruff (pictured), who came complete with a souvenir program from that night, and Joe Chiera, a member of Parade’s inaugural First grade soccer team of 1963. Graeme Pound and Tony Sonneveld OAM jetted in from the ACT and New South Wales respectively to be part of the reunion gathering.

TWO OLD BOYS LOST TO THE CLASS OF '84

Members of the final year class of 1984 are mourning the passing of two of their own – Kevin Doyle (pictured far left) and Brendan McIntyre – who have died within hours of eachother.

Kevin, who was just eight days short of his 46th birthday, died suddenly last Wednesday morning. Brendan, who turned 46 in January, died in the oncology unit of Box Hill Hospital the following Thursday night.

A close friend of Brendan’s, Peter Jackson, said he’d been taken aback by the fact that both men had died less than two days apart. “It’s quite incredible. I called Tony Dabbs, a good mate of Kevin Doyle’s to tell him Brendan had died, but he thought I was ringing him to offer my condolences for Kevin’s passing,” Peter said.

THE SPINSET SETS THE TONE IN COLLEGE HALL

Pop punk outfit The Spinset, one of whose members is Parade’s 2005 final year student Stuart Watts, recently played their first College gig at Parade to support students participating in the World’s Greatest Shave.

Watts is pictured here at far right with fellow members of The Spinset (from the left) Dave Turner, Travis Suttie, Craig Luebker and James Karagiozis. A Watsonia boy and a founding member of the band in 2010, Watts said the band got the gig on the strength of a conversation with Rachel Roche, Parade’s Director of Ministry and Religious Education.

“I asked Rachel if there were any events coming up and she said ‘There’s an event coming up in a month or so – I’ll put you on the bill’,” Watts said.

OPs TEAM RAISES $10,000 FOR MELANOMA RESEARCH

A group of Old Paradians have raised $10,000 for melanoma research in support of two of their own who are currently battling ill health.

Proudly wearing the 1st XVIII Parade guernseys on loan from the College’s Sports Department, 14 members of the final year class of 1999, together with their families and friends, generated donations of $10,000 in total by completing the recent four-kilometre March Against Melanoma Walk to St Kilda.

“We were the highest rating team in terms of funds raised and definitely the easiest to spot,” said one of the Old Paradians’ team walkers, the ’99 Parade College Captain Paul Harris.

COACH FAIRLEY IN PARADE PUSH FOR OP UNDER 19s

Former North Melbourne Premiership player Ian Fairley has made an impassioned plea to the boys of Parade College to support the Old Paradians Amateur Football Club as it strives to field an Under 19 team in 2013.

Fairley (pictured here with his son Lachlan) has committed to coaching the Old Paradians’ Under 19s, numbers permitting. Currently, only nine players have fronted for training, but Fairley is prepared to mentor the minimum 22 and the club is offering free registration, free shorts and free socks to any new player who commits.

“I understand we’ve got a lot of work to do to get this happening, but we’ve identified what we need to get the Old Paradians back up and a big part of that involves getting an Under 19 team out there,” Fairley said. “We’re struggling for players at the moment and we’ve got two weeks to advise the Amateurs, but the boys who go to Parade should be made aware that there’s an Old Paradians Football Club to go to.”

OP NAMED FOR KOOKABURRAS' MALAYSIAN TOUR

Twenty years after helping to secure Parade's first senior hockey premiership, Daniel Mirecki (2004) is on the cusp of representating the all-conquering Kookaburras.

Daniel (pictured here for the Victorian Vikings AHL team) has been included in an 18-man Australian squad readying for the 2013 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (named after the ninth King of Malaysia), which is scheduled for Ipoh's Sultan Azlan Shah Stadium in Malaysia from March 9-17.

He is one of five prospective debutants named in the touring party for what is the longest-serving invitational hockey tournament showcasing six of the globe's best teams in round-robin format – and as he said this week, "barring injury in the next few days, I'll be playing".

OLD PARADIANS BREAK BREAD IN HONOUR OF JG

The customary glass of red wine was again raised to honour the memory of the late John Giuliano when members of the JG Group recently gathered for their regular monthly luncheon at Melbourne’s Celtic Club. Old Paradians who matriculated from the College through 1956 and ’57 – clockwise from left Mike Moore, Pat McNamara (celebrating his 73rd birthday), JG Group Hon Sec. Peter Roberts, Adrian George, Dennis Stephenson and Kevin Ryan – came together as they have done on every fourth Wednesday of the month since the luncheon idea was first mooted by John back in 2008.

“It was John Giuliano who suggested that the guys from our Parade Class who attended the OPs’ Luncheon from time to time should have their own get-together that did not conflict with the long-established luncheon,” Roberts said. “And so it came to be, about four or five years ago.”

But when John suddenly died at the time of the luncheon’s formation, his fellow diners, according to Peter, “were all at a bit of a loss as to what we might do about our special function”. Regardless, they pushed on out of respect for their old mate, “and it was decided that we would call ourselves the ‘JG Group’ in honour of John Giuliano”.

SEEKING ALL FORMER TEACHERS OF PARADE COLLEGE

With the 100th anniversary of the formation of the Old Paradians’ Association looming in 2014, the OPA is endeavouring to contact all former Teachers of Parade College with a view to including them in a Major Gala function designed to reunite all who had a connection with Parade.

The association is seeking to reconnect with as many former teachers as possible to keep them abreast of all happenings – reunions, luncheons and breakfasts included - through the course of the landmark year of 2014 and beyond. Contact details will remain confidential and in the keep of the OPA, with association committeeman John Ramsdale (a final year student of Parade in 1966 and a teacher at the College from 1974-1988) the port of call for any former teachers wishing to touch base.

John can be contacted via email – jandsramsdale@hotmail.com with further enquiries directed to Tony De Bolfo, CEO, Old Paradians’ Association, on 9468 3301 or tony.debolfo@parade.vic.edu.au The OPA would be extremely grateful for your support in making contact and/or assisting with the whereabouts of other former teachers of Parade College.

NEW COUNTY COURT JUDGE AN OLD BOY

John Jordan SC, a final year student of Parade College in 1966, has been appointed as a Judge of the County Court of Victoria.

Attorney-General Robert Clark said Mr Jordan would bring to the court nearly four decades of experience in the law.

"I congratulate Mr Jordan on his appointment and look forward to him continuing to serve the Victorian legal system in his new role on the bench," Mr Clark said.

OP NOMINATED FOR GREEN ROOM AWARD

Tyson Legg (Parade 2000) has been nominated for a prestigious Green Room Award for best Musical Direction in the Cabaret category for "Showfolk".

Tyson officiated as both Musical Director of and performer in Showfolk, in collaboration with Natasha Basset and Rachel Conway (armed with the guitar) with whom he is pictured. Ten performances were held at South Melbourne's Butterfly Club over a two-week period in August last year, after he had helped organise the harmonies and the musicians to perform well-established music pieces and adapt them to a folk setting.

"We got a lot of positive feedback, much of it by word of mouth, so the production was well-received," Tyson said recently. "To now be nominated for a Green Room award is really terrific. I've never been nominated before, so I can now include this on my CV and something like this can hopefully open a few doors."

JENKINS CALLS ON PARADE TO "GO GOTYE"

The former Speaker of the House and current Federal Member for Scullin, Mr Harry Jenkins MP, has called on Parade College to promote the three-time Grammy Award winner and Old Paradian Gotye as "Parade's own".

In officially launching the 38th Annual Art Show in The Great Hall at the Bundoora Campus recently, Mr Jenkins took the liberty to acknowledge the recent achievements of Gotye, more specifically Walter De Backer, the Parade College Captain of 1998. He also related a tale which he said best illustrated the need for the country, let alone the College, to “claim” world popular music’s most famous artist.

"Embarrassingly, a parliamentary delegation went off to Europe last year and one of the countries they went to was Belgium,” Mr Jenkins said. “Now of this delegation were people that were of an older generation and I can excuse that . . . (but) what happened was they met with their Belgian colleagues who talked about 'Belgium's own Gotye' and the Australian parliamentarians to their shame didn't actually know who they were talking about. So it's in the marketing.”

TRIPLE GRAMMY WHAMMY EARNS PM's PLAUDITS

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Arts Minister Simon Crean have congratulated Australian signer-songwriter Gotye on his Grammy wins, as recognition of the overwhelming success and popularity of his winning single and album.

"Gotye is an outstanding example of the quality of the artistic talent in Australia today and highlights the need for continued investment in young artists and musicians," a statement released by the PM's office read.

"In recent years he has achieved much-deserved global recognition for his work, with Somebody That I Used to Know going platinum in Australia and the US, and achieving number one status in more than 18 countries."

GOTYE THANKS FOLKS FOR GRAMMYS GLORY

Walter De Backer (Gotye), Parade College's captain of 1998 and the first Australian artist this century to win mutliple Grammys for the same release, has thanked his parents for their part in the 'Making Mirrors' album's monumental global success.

In his acceptance speech at the 55th annual awards at Los Angeles' Staples Centre, Walter offered a glimpse into the story behind his winning of three Grammys - Record of the Year, Best Alternative Music Album and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance with Kimbra ('Somebody That I Used To Know').

“I recorded mostly in a barn on my Dad’s block of land south-east of Melbourne Australia, so I’ve got to thank Dad and my Mum for letting me set up a lot of weird recording equipment in a barn near their house,” Walter said. “Seriously, thankyou also to everybody who makes, quote unquote, “non alternative albums” so that this category can exist, and to all other nominees in the category and all other artists making incredible music this year, I really thankyou for incredible inspiration . . . I don’t really feel worthy to be up here accepting an award for my record.”

PARADE BENEFITS FOR PETER'S GIFT OF THANKS

The Parade College Library is the welcome beneficiary of Moira Scollay's book "Lalor" through the generosity of an Old Paradian and Lalor resident Peter Dalton.

Peter recently took time to visit the College and forward Moira's tome for the Library's use. In the process, he agreed to pen the following article about his time at Parade and his connection with the Lalor community.

The Old Paradians' Association and Parade College acknowledges Peter's generosity for his gift of the book for the benefit of the boys.

VALE BILL SULLIVAN

Bill Sullivan, a final year student of Parade College in 1946, and a Life Member of the Old Paradians' Amateur Football Club, has died after a short illness at the age of 82. Bill, who never married, died in Heidelberg's Warringal Hospital on Sunday morning, his lifelong friend and Old Paradians' football club stalwart John Booth by his bedside.

Another close friend, Peter Walker, who was to have visited Bill later that afternoon, said it was comforting to know that a fellow old boy should be there with him to the end.

Schooled at the college through the wartime years, William Kevin Sullivan spent most of his professional life with the PMG. He was a regular at the Old Paradians' monthly luncheons, and was an apology for the final Christmas get-together of 2012 due to ill health. Though he never played football for the Old Paradians, Bill was a regular supporter on matchdays. Only gardening rivalled his love of the great Australian game and as Peter added "Dahlias were his specialty". "Bill was a terrific fellow," Peter said. "He was always there, but he never imposed himself on anyone. Everyone remembers him as a terrific bloke and a dedicated and loyal Old Paradian." Bill Sullivan is survived by an older sister Maureen. His younger sister Margaret and brother Geoff (also an Old Paradian) predeceased him. Though details are still yet to be confirmed, Bill Sullivan's funeral will take place this Friday, February 22, at St Martin of Tours Rosanna, and Peter is to deliver the eulogy.

EXTENSIVE RESEARCH UNCOVERS WARTIME LEGACY

This is the RAAF identity card for Flight Sergeant Dennis Geoffrey Featherstone. Dennis had just turned 18 when he enlisted for wartime duties. It was October 1943, just a few short months after the boy from Surrey Hills completed his training with the Commonwealth Aircraft Co-Op.

Dennis was also an Old Paradian. In 1942 he completed his third and final year at Parade College and perhaps that’s the school blazer and tie he’s pictured wearing.

Dennis’ ID card carries his physical particulars, signature and brief acknowledgment of his short history with 24 Squadron. Sadly, it also carries the words “Missing, believed killed over Balikpapen (sic) on 2 July, ’45”.

ERA ENDS WITH PHOEBE'S PASSING

Phoebe Mount, the modest matriarch of one of Parade College’s most famous families, has died at the age of 104.

The wife of the late Old Paradians stalwart Frank Mount senior, mother of Frank junior, James, John and Pat, and grandmother of Peter and Anthony (all schooled at Parade), Phoebe was a long-serving champion of both causes and ably served the College’s Ladies’ Auxiliary for nigh on two decades, including a three-year term as secretary from 1962-64.

Born on May 29, 1908 at Glen Creek near Dederang (south east of the old Victorian mining town of Yackandandah), Alice Phoebe (nee Arter) Mount was one of 12 children of local farmer John Arter and his wife Elizabeth. She is pictured here with her husband Frank, together with Brother Frank McCarthy, former Old Paradians' Association President Rene Stella and the then OPA committeeman Bill Dunne at the Celtic Club in the mid-1970s.

MEN OF STATURE ACKNOWLEDGED ON OPs HOMEPAGE

Featuring at the top of this homepage, flanking our Parade College Captain of 2012 and newest "Old Boy" Lachlan Holmes are six Old Paradians of genuine stature.

They are from left the founding member and bass guitarist for iconic Australian rock band Rose Tattoo the late Michael Cocks; our first Olympian and Australian middleweight boxing champion Peter Read; the former chief of the Australian Defence Force the late General John Stuart Baker; the Seven Network's long-serving musical director and film and television critic the late Ivan Hutchinson, South Melbourne's 1970 Brownlow Medallist Peter Bedford and the oldest-known living Old Paradian, Fr Vincent Creed, now in his 100th year. Both Cocks (pictured here) and Hutchinson were inducted into the Old Paradians' Association's Hall of Fame in 2012.

2013 . . . AND THE TRADITION CONTINUES

Outgoing Parade College captain Lachlan Holmes (far right) completes the handover of the purple, green and blue pennant and offers a hearty handshake to Daniel Valeri, the Captain for 2013.

This image was captured by Parade's Learning Area Leader Visual Arts and Drama Tony Teo, at last year's 4th Term assembly in The Great Hall at the Bundoora campus.

As is the custom with outgoing College captains, Lachlan's visage now graces grace the Old Paradians' website masthead as the representative of our newest Old Paradians.

EXHIBITION GIVES CAUSE TO CRIES OF NATURE'S GENTLEMAN

The artist and Old Paradian John Borrack, now in his 80th year, has dedicated his working life to the living, breathing landscape . . . and today his works in watercolour and gouache carry an even greater pathos.

“In a world where the natural landscape has never been so endangered by so-called ‘progress’ - extraordinary and often thoughtless development - perhaps the 400-year old category of landscape paintings may be seen again with the relevance it has always held in art,” John said at the weekend. “However the natural corollary to that is assuming much of the landscape remains.”

John is pictured here moments after having conveyed his deep concerns for the disappearing backdrops he’d so lovingly put to canvas these past 40 years. Speaking at the Bundoora Homestead Arts Centre, John was on hand for the formal opening of an exhibition of his significant lifetime works – “John Borrack Selected Paintings & Drawings 1970-2012” – which was launched by Tim Fisher, the Senior Curator of the Arts Centre in Melbourne.

UPHOLDING THE TRADITIONS IS FATHER'S CREED

In the Gold Coast suburb of Ashmore, at the De Paul Villa aged care facility on Edmund Rice Drive, Father Vincent Creed – at 99 the oldest known living Old Paradian – spends his days in quiet contemplation.

The facility’s kind-hearted staff members, amongst them Dulcie Craig who assisted with the following interview, ensure that Father Creed (pictured here at his 1939 ordination in a photograph supplied by his second cousin Michael Grogan) is well-looked after.

That his 101 year-old sister Kathleen is also a Villa resident helps Father Creed’s cause no end, as he and she draw daily on the experiences of 200 years in total.

OLD PARADIAN THE NEW CHIEF MAGISTRATE

Peter Lauritsen, who completed his matriculation in Parade College Bundoora’s inaugural year of 1968, has taken on duties as the new Chief Magistrate of the State of Victoria. A Victorian Magistrate since 1989, and Deputy Chief Magistrate since 2003, Peter commenced last Thursday after replacing Ian Gray, the newly-appointed County Court judge and State Coroner.

“I am very proud to take on this position, and I thank Mr Ian Gray for his excellent service to the court over his ten years as Chief Magistrate,” Peter said in a statement released by the Magistrates’ court of Victoria.

“Courts are complex places, and it is incumbent upon us to work towards simplifying our practice and processes to ensure all court users can access our services.”

AN OP REMEMBERS HIS TIME IN VIETNAM

Paul McCrohan completed his schooling at Parade College East Melbourne almost 50 years ago. His family has long been associated with Parade and a relative, Michael McCrohan, ably served as captain of the College at Bundoora in 1992. 

To coincide with Remembrance Day, when Australians to a man, woman and child observe a minute’s silence in honour of those who died in all wars, Paul, now the President of the Tramways-East Melbourne RSL Sub-Branch, agreed to recount his own experiences of Vietnam through what was an 11-month period of active service in 1968.

In the presence of his friend and fellow former Vietnam vet the long-serving former Parade College teacher John Joss, Paul recently took part in a Q and A over a cup of tea at Café Scintilla in Heidelberg, in which he also revealed his on-going commitment to those who served in subsequent conflicts including Iraq and Afghanistan.

BEYOND THE GATES OF THE BROTHERS' CEMETERY . . . TAKE THE VIRTUAL TOUR

To each and every student of Parade College Bundoora since 1968, it’s a well-known landmark - yet few have ever ventured inside the gates of the Christian Brothers’ Cemetery.

Today, the graves of 142 Christian Brothers can be found in the cemetery – amongst them six former Principals of Parade College – Brothers Turpin, Garvey, Carey, Naughtin, Nash and McCarthy. Brother John De Sales Tevlin was the first laid to rest in the cemetery in October 1959 and Brother Leonard Francis, in August 2011, the most recent. The graves of the Reverend Father Daniel Gerrard Briglia and Reverend Father Daniel Daly are also there.

To view the final resting places of the 142 Christian Brothers and two Reverend Fathers, go to the “Quick Links” section to the right of this home page, open the file marked “Brothers’ Cemetery”, scroll down and click on the links.

HALL OF FAME FINDS A PLACE AT PARADE COLLEGE

The Old Paradians' Association Hall of Fame now has a home, sharing wall space with the college honour boards in the Hickey Foyer at Parade's Bundoora campus.

With the support of Parade College Principal Br. Denis Moore, precious space was made available to the association to showcase the Hall's nine inductees and their unique contributions to society. Currently nine old boys are so acknowledged - Sir John Collins, "Jock" McHale, Bishop Arthur Fox, Lou Arthur, Sir Bernard Callinan and Sir Norman O'Bryan (all inducted to the Hall in 2010), together Michael Pratt (2011), and Michael Cocks and Ivan Hutchinson last year.

Panels carrying the Hall of Famers' portraits and chronicling their deeds proudly hang in a spotlit area of the foyer, which continues to serve as the preferred venue for final year student anniversary reunions.