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St Stanislaus College (Bathurst)
Encyclopedia
St Stanislaus' College is a Roman Catholic
, day
and boarding school
for boys, conducted by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
's priests and brothers. It is located in Bathurst
, a regional centre 200 km west of Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
.
The college is the oldest Catholic boys' boarding school in Australia, and currently caters for approximately 710 students from Years 7 to 12, including 200 boarders.
St Stanislaus' College is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), and is a member of the Independent Schools Association (ISA).
, the land now occupied by St. Stanislaus' College formed part of the territory occupied by the Wiradjuri
people.
St Stanislaus' College was established in 1867. The school came under the control of the Vincentians
in 1889, following the arrival of the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers from Ireland
, with the purpose of taking over the college.
In 1896, the college received much media attention when it became the site of the first x-ray
for medical purposes in Australia. This x-ray was taken by Father James Slattery on 21 September, and showed the location of gunshot in the shattered hand of an ex-student.
Vincentians continued in the role of President and Headmaster at the College until the commencement of 1993, when it was decided to separate the two roles. The current headmaster at St Stanislaus' College is Mr John Edwards.
According to Broken Rights, a support group for victims of Catholic sex abuse cases, the following priests, brothers, or Catholic laymen associated with St Stanislaus' College were facing legal proceedings:
Academic
Clergy
Entertainment and the arts
Medicine
Military
Politics and the law
Sport
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, day
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
and boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for boys, conducted by the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international Roman Catholic voluntary organization dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need. Active in England & Wales since 1844, today it continues to address social and material need in all...
's priests and brothers. It is located in Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
, a regional centre 200 km west of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
The college is the oldest Catholic boys' boarding school in Australia, and currently caters for approximately 710 students from Years 7 to 12, including 200 boarders.
St Stanislaus' College is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), and is a member of the Independent Schools Association (ISA).
History
Prior to European settlementHistory of Australia (1788-1850)
The history of Australia from 1788–1850 covers the early colonies period of Australia's history, from the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships at Sydney to establish the penal colony of New South Wales in 1788 to the European exploration of the continent and establishment of other colonies...
, the land now occupied by St. Stanislaus' College formed part of the territory occupied by the Wiradjuri
Wiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
people.
St Stanislaus' College was established in 1867. The school came under the control of the Vincentians
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul
The St Vincent de Paul Society is an international Roman Catholic voluntary organization dedicated to tackling poverty and disadvantage by providing direct practical assistance to anyone in need. Active in England & Wales since 1844, today it continues to address social and material need in all...
in 1889, following the arrival of the Vincentian Fathers and Brothers from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, with the purpose of taking over the college.
In 1896, the college received much media attention when it became the site of the first x-ray
X-ray
X-radiation is a form of electromagnetic radiation. X-rays have a wavelength in the range of 0.01 to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 petahertz to 30 exahertz and energies in the range 120 eV to 120 keV. They are shorter in wavelength than UV rays and longer than gamma...
for medical purposes in Australia. This x-ray was taken by Father James Slattery on 21 September, and showed the location of gunshot in the shattered hand of an ex-student.
Vincentians continued in the role of President and Headmaster at the College until the commencement of 1993, when it was decided to separate the two roles. The current headmaster at St Stanislaus' College is Mr John Edwards.
Child sexual abuse allegations
During 2007 former priests, chaplains and teachers came under investigation over child sexual abuse that is alleged that up to 40 boys were sexually abused at the school from the 1960s through to the early 1990s. Local and national media reported that "chanting, spells and sex orgies" took place against boys of small stature.According to Broken Rights, a support group for victims of Catholic sex abuse cases, the following priests, brothers, or Catholic laymen associated with St Stanislaus' College were facing legal proceedings:
Charged / Guilty
| Name | Former religious status | Current religious status | Allegations / Charges | Status of criminal proceedings | Period at SSC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Gaven | Lay brother Lay brother In the most common usage, lay brothers are those members of Catholic religious orders, particularly of monastic orders, occupied primarily with manual labour and with the secular affairs of a monastery or friary, in contrast to the choir monks of the same monastery who are devoted mainly to the... |
Lay brother | Charged with 28 sex offences against students that were committed when Gaven worked at SSC | Further court proceedings during 2010 are expected | |
| William Stanley Irwin | Ordained priest Priest A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities... - Vincentian |
Lay teacher | Charged in a Sydney Local Court Local Court of New South Wales There are over 160 Local Courts in New South Wales. Local Court cases are heard by a magistrate without a jury. It hears summary offences as well as indictable offences and committal hearings. It hears civil claims up to $100,000 and has a Small Claims Division for claims less than $10,000. It... with two counts of committing a gross act of indecency on a 17-year-old Victorian boy allegedly while Irwin and the boy were visiting SSC in 1986 |
William Irwin, 55, was convicted in March 2011 of two counts of gross indecency on a 17-year-old boy in 1986. In September 2011, he was given a six-month suspended jail sentence in the NSW District Court. | 1980–1983; 1987-1989 |
| Richard John McPhillamy | Layman | Layman | Charged with five counts of indecent assault Indecent assault Indecent assault is an offence of aggravated assault in many jurisdictions. It is characterised as a sex crime.Indecent assault was an offence in England and Wales under sections 14 and 15 the Sexual Offences Act 1956... and one count of sexual assault Sexual assault Sexual assault is an assault of a sexual nature on another person, or any sexual act committed without consent. Although sexual assaults most frequently are by a man on a woman, it may involve any combination of two or more men, women and children.... involving two boys in the mid-80s. After being committed to trial Jury trial A jury trial is a legal proceeding in which a jury either makes a decision or makes findings of fact which are then applied by a judge... , in October 2010 a District Court jury Jury A jury is a sworn body of people convened to render an impartial verdict officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Modern juries tend to be found in courts to ascertain the guilt, or lack thereof, in a crime. In Anglophone jurisdictions, the verdict may be guilty,... found McPhillamy guilty Guilt (law) In criminal law, guilt is entirely externally defined by the state, or more generally a “court of law.” Being “guilty” of a criminal offense means that one has committed a violation of criminal law, or performed all the elements of the offense set out by a criminal statute... of indecently assaulting two boys while McPhillamy was working as an assistant dormitory master |
Awaiting sentencing Sentence (law) In law, a sentence forms the final explicit act of a judge-ruled process, and also the symbolic principal act connected to his function. The sentence can generally involve a decree of imprisonment, a fine and/or other punishments against a defendant convicted of a crime... - expected in December 2010 |
mid-1980s |
| Kevin Francis Phillips | Ordained priest - Vincentian | Ordained priest - another order | Appeared in a Sydney Magistrate's Court in May 2009 and charged with attempting homosexual intercourse by a teacher on a student, gross act of indecency, and supplying a prohibited drug | Pleaded guilty in a Sydney District Court on 3 December 2010 to four counts of gross indecency with a child under the age of 18. All other charges were dropped. Phillips was sentenced on 21 April 2011 to a total of 15 months jail. On the first three counts, he was sentenced to a concurrent term of nine months starting on 21 April 2011 and expiring on 20 January 2012. On the final charge of gross indecency by a male with a male under 18 years, Phillips was sentenced to a term of nine months to start on 21 October 2011 and expiring on 20 July 2012 with a non-parole period of three months. | 1990s |
| Brian Joseph Spillane | Ordained priest - Vincentian | Layman | Appeared in Bathurst Local Court in July 2008, charged with 33 separate offences including six counts of sexual intercourse with pupils aged 11, 12 and 13 from SSC. Spillane faced 18 counts alleging he engaged in acts of gross indecency with the pupils he allegedly solicited and incited to commit gross acts of indecency. Other allegations against Spillane relate to male-to-male sexual intercourse with persons from 10 to 16 years of age under authority. Spillane faced additional charges that were laid at a later date and included sexual assault against a 12-year-old girl that allegedly occurred during 1979 and 1981, when he was a parish priest in the Marsfield Marsfield, New South Wales Marsfield is a suburb on the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Marsfield is located 16 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Ryde.-History:... district of Sydney's north-west. By September 2009, Spillane was charged with 146 offences including allegedly molesting girls in the confessional box and raping hypnotised boys between 1971 and 1990 during his time at SSC and at St Anthony's parish at Marsfield |
A District Court trial by jury commenced on 2 November 2010, with Spillaine convicted on 30 November 2010 on nine counts of indecent assault against three girls aged between eight and seventeen while he was based in Sydney in about 1979. During bail proceedings it was heard that Spillaine faces a further 135 charges relating to alleged offences against boys at SSC whilst Spillaine was chaplin. These latter charges are expected to be heard in four more trials that are expected to last until late 2011. Spillaine was refused bail. | 1970s-1979; 1980s-1990s |
Notable alumni
Years at St Stanislaus' College in brackets.Academic
- Pat Moran: (1930–1933) - Statistician who made significant contributions to probabilityProbabilityProbability is ordinarily used to describe an attitude of mind towards some proposition of whose truth we arenot certain. The proposition of interest is usually of the form "Will a specific event occur?" The attitude of mind is of the form "How certain are we that the event will occur?" The...
theory and its application to populationPopulation geneticsPopulation genetics is the study of allele frequency distribution and change under the influence of the four main evolutionary processes: natural selection, genetic drift, mutation and gene flow. It also takes into account the factors of recombination, population subdivision and population...
and evolutionary genetics
Clergy
- Rev Fr Patrick Dwyer: (c.1867 - c.1874) - Titular Bishop of Zoara and Coadjutor-Bishop of MaitlandMaitland, New South WalesMaitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
- Rev Fr Chris Middleton SJ – (???? - 1976) - Principal of St Aloysius College, Sydney
Entertainment and the arts
- John O'GradyJohn O'GradyJohn Patrick O'Grady was an Australian writer. His works include the comic novel They're a Weird Mob and the poem The Integrated Adjective, sometimes known as Tumba-bloody-rumba.- Pseudonym :...
: (c.1920s) – WriterWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
with works including the comic novel They're a Weird MobThey're a Weird MobThey're a Weird Mob is a 1966 film based on the novel of the same name by John O'Grady under the pen name "Nino Culotta", the name of the main character of the book. It was one of the last collaborations of the British filmmakers Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger...
(1957) - Damien ParerDamien ParerDamien Peter Parer was an Australian war photographer. He became famous for his war photography of the Second World War, and was killed by Japanese machinegun fire at Peleliu, Palau. He married Elizabeth Marie Cotter on 23 March 1944, and his son, producer Damien Parer, was born after his father...
: (c.1930) – Australian war photographer - Rodney RudeRodney RudeRodney Rude is an Australian 'blue' stand-up comedian, poet and writer. He is infamous for his bawdy humour. He has released 12 albums and 5 videos throughout his long career, all of which are distributed by EMI Music Australia. To date, Rodney has sold well in excess of 3 million CDs videos and...
: – renowned Australian stand-up comedian. - Mark CorcoranMark CorcoranMark Corcoran is a Scottish professional footballer, currently with Ross County. He plays in midfield, however is also able to play up the left wing and upfront...
: - ABC Foreign Correspondent
Medicine
- James Fitzpatrick: (???? - 1991) – Paediatrician; awarded Young Australian of the YearAustralian of the YearSince 1960 the Australian of the Year Award has been part of the celebrations surrounding Australia Day , during which time the award has grown steadily in significance to become Australia’s pre-eminent award. The Australian of the Year announcement has become a very prominent part of the annual...
2001
Military
- Leslie Jones: (c.1900s) – RAAFRoyal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
Pilot, aeronautical engineer - Peter McIntosh – Major, Royal Australian Engineers – Army, Conspicuous Service Medal
- Ray ParerRay ParerRaymond John Paul Parer AFC , was an Australian aviator.Parer was born in Melbourne, and developed an interest in aviation at an early age. He enlisted in the Australian Flying Corps in 1916, initially as a mechanic, but was soon accepted to train as a pilot. His initial training was conducted at...
: (c.1910s) – RAAFRoyal Australian Air ForceThe Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
Pilot, aviator and adventurer
Politics and the law
- Francis ClarkeFrancis ClarkeFrancis Clarke was an Australian politician. Born in Stroud, New South Wales, the son of Thomas Clarke and Ellen Walsh. He attended St Stanislaus College at Bathurst before becoming a surveyor. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1893 to 1898, representing the seats of...
: (c.1870s) - Member for MacleayElectoral district of MacleayMacleay was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales established in 1880 in the Macleay River area. Between 1889 and 1894, it elected two members with voters casting two votes and the two leading candidates being elected. In 1894, it was...
(NSW Colonial Parliament) and later inaugural Member for CowperDivision of CowperThe Division of Cowper is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election and is named for Charles Cowper, an early Premier of New South Wales...
(Federal Parliament) - Justice Williams Collins – Former Judge of the Supreme Court of New South WalesSupreme Court of New South WalesThe Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales...
- Paddy CrickPaddy CrickWilliam Patrick Crick, known as Paddy Crick or W.P.Crick was an Australian politician, solicitor and newspaper proprietor...
: (c.1870s) – Politician, solicitor and newspaper proprietor - Jim CurranJim CurranJames Lawrence Curran was an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1980 to 1981, representing the electorate of Castlereagh....
: (c.1940s) - Member for CastlereaghElectoral district of CastlereaghCastlereagh was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales originally created in 1904, partly replacing Coonamble and named after the Castlereagh River. In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into Wammerawa,...
(NSW Parliament) - Tony Kelly: (c.1970s) – Former Minister in the ReesRees ministryThe Rees ministry is the 91st ministry of the Government of New South Wales, and was led by the 41st Premier Nathan Rees.The Rees Labor ministry was formed following the resignation of Premier Morris Iemma on 5 September 2008 and the unanimous election of Rees as Leader of the Labor caucus and...
and KeneallyKeneally ministryThe Keneally ministry is the 92nd ministry of the Government of New South Wales, and was led by the 42nd Premier Kristina Keneally....
governments - William Patrick Kelly: (c.1880s) - Member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales
- Greg McGirrGreg McGirrJohn Joseph Gregory McGirr was an Australian politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly....
: (c.1890s) – Member for YassElectoral district of YassYass was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales between 1894 and 1920. It largely replaced the electoral district of Yass Plains. In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed along with Burrangong into...
, CootamundraElectoral district of CootamundraCootamundra was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1904 to 1941, in the Cootamundra area. It elected one member between 1904 and 1920 and between 1927 and 1941. In 1920, it absorbed Burrangong and Yass and elected three members under...
, and later SydneyElectoral district of SydneySydney is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly of the Australian state of New South Wales in Inner Sydney. It includes the commercial centre of the Sydney CBD; the suburbs and localities of Barangaroo, Broadway, Chinatown, Chippendale, Darling Harbour, Dawes Point, Elizabeth Bay,... - James McGirrJames McGirrJames McGirr was the Labor Premier of New South Wales from 6 February 1947 to 3 April 1952.A Catholic, McGirr was the seventh son of John Patrick McGirr, farmer and Irish immigrant, and Mary McGirr, whose maiden name was O'Sullivan. Born in Parkes, New South Wales, he grew up on a dairy farm near...
: (c.1900s) 28th Premier of New South Wales - Richard MeagherRichard MeagherRichard Denis Meagher MLA was an Australian solicitor and was Lord Mayor of Sydney from 1916 to 1917.-Early life:...
: (c.1880s) – Politician, elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative AssemblyNew South Wales Legislative AssemblyThe Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
(also attended St Aloysius' College)
Sport
- Mick Clifford: (1927–1933) - Rugby international
- Herbert Daly: (1899) - Rugby international
- James Grant: (1981–1982) - Rugby international
- Tim LaneTim Lane (rugby union)Tim Lane is an Australian rugby union coach and former player.-Playing career:As a player, he played either in the centres or at fly-half...
: (1976–1977) – Rugby international - Beau RobinsonBeau RobinsonBeau Robinson is an Australian rugby union player currently contracted to the QLD Reds. Robinson made his NSW debut against the Brumbies in the 2006 Australian Provincial Championships. He plays primarily as an openside flanker and was the back-up to Phil Waugh at NSW before gaining a starting...
: – Rugby Super 15 Reds (Super Rugby Champion 2011) - Marty RoebuckMarty RoebuckMarty Roebuck is a former Australian rugby union footballer who represented New South Wales and the Wallabies as a fullback....
: (1977–1982) - Rugby international - Peter TooheyPeter TooheyPeter Michael Toohey is a former Australian cricketer who played in 15 Tests and 5 ODIs from 1977 to 1979....
: (c.1970s) - Australian Test cricketer - Jim WhiteJim White (rugby)James Matthew "Jim" White was a rugby union player who represented Australia.White, a flanker, was born in Orange, New South Wales and claimed one international rugby caps for Australia, playing against Great Britain, at Sydney, on 30 July 1904.-References:...
: (1899–1903) - Rugby international