Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholicism Established 1926 Phone +61 2 4629 4222 | Rector Fr. John Roberts, OFM Founded 1926 | |
Type Private, Secondary, Single-sex, Day & Boarding Motto Latin: Quae Seminaveris MetesWhat you sow, so shall you reap Similar Hurlstone Agricultural High Sch, St Patrick's College, Mount Carmel Catholic, Macarthur Anglican School, John Therry Catholic Profiles | ||
St Gregory's College (SGC or Greg's) is a Catholic, secondary, day and boarding, agricultural school for boys, located in Gregory Hills, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Contents
- Early days
- Post Depression era
- Sexual abuse allegations
- Campus
- Boarding
- List of Headmasters
- Sport
- Debating and public speaking
- Choir
- Agriculture
- Other
- Notable alumni
- References
Founded on 3 February 1926 and conducted by the Marist Brothers since 1929, St Gregory's has a non- selective enrolment policy accounting for the large number of students and currently caters for approximately 1100 students from Years 7 to 12, including 180 boarders.
The college is a school located in the Diocese of Wollongong, and is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association, the Association of Marist Schools of Australia. and is an associate member of the Independent Schools Association (ISA).
The School has hosted the Marist Cricket and Basketball Carnival's, Won the Arrive Alive and Nutri-Grain Cup. In 2008 St Gregory's had a mass in celebration of the "Journey of the World Youth Day Cross and Icon" just months before World Youth Day in which the college was very involved.
Early days
St Gregory's College commenced operations in 1926. The property on which the College is located was owned by Thomas Donovan. In the early 1920s he contacted the Marist Brothers about starting a school for boys to help them learn the skills to have careers.
St Gregory’s commenced operations as a boarding school on 3 February 1926 with five Marist Brothers as staff, and two students (The Cuskelly Brothers). By the end of the year the student numbers had risen to ten.
In 1929 the estate was handed over to the Marist Brothers by Thomas Donovan. Donovan intended that St Gregory's College should exist for country boys whom he would endow with bursaries. Much of the early infrastructure was also donated by Mr Donovan, for example the Chapel, classrooms and the first dormitory.
The foundation Principal in 1926 was Br Felix. However, before the end of the first year he was recalled to his position at St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill. Br Laurentius who was on the staff took over the position. Br Laurentius was only 27 years old but suffered from ill health. Enrolments climbed to around 50 students despite the College not having main electricity or a reliable supply of water.
The Great Depression saw enrolments drop to ten students and the College was threatened with closure. Principal Br Laurentius died in 1933 after a long illness. Br Antoninus was appointed the new Principal and led the College during the Depression years.
Post-Depression era
In 1937 Br William Molloy was appointed. Br Molloy had much experience as a principal as he had been a successful leader in several Marist schools before he came to St Gregory's.
Br Molloy registered the College as an agricultural High School, making it the first Catholic agricultural high school in Australia. Br Molloy also chose the College's motto: Quae Seminaveris Metes which is translated form Latin to mean "What you sow, so shall you reap".
Enrolments rose steadily but the perceived threat of Japanese invasion of Australia during the Second World War saw numbers rise dramatically due to the schools location away from Sydney Harbour. Br Ambrose Brady led the College during the war years and during this time the main building for class rooms and dormitories was constructed.
Sexual abuse allegations
In June, July and August 2014 the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, a royal commission of inquiry initiated in 2013 by the Australian Government and supported by all of its state governments, began an investigation into the response of Marist Brothers to allegations of child sexual abuse in schools in the ACT, NSW and Queensland. Five former students, one former teacher, a former assistant principal and two former principals, former and current Marist officials and clergy, and one of the clergy at the centre of the allegations gave evidence or made statements before the Royal Commission that the alleged cases of abuse happened during the 1970s, and 1980s at Daramalan College, Canberra, at Lismore, Campbelltown and in Far North Queensland.
In March 2015 a former Marist brother was arrested over a number of sex offences allegedly committed at St Joseph's College and St Gregory's College in the 1980s.
Campus
The College is situated on a single 3 hectare (23 acre) campus (the land owned by the school once exceeded 1000 acres before most of it was sold to create the Gregory Hills housing sub-division) located in the suburb of Gregory Hills (a suburb located within Campbelltown) and approximately 43 km from the Sydney central business district. St Gregory's is located on Badgally Hill, the second highest peak between Sydney and the Great Dividing Range.
Boarding
Boarders of St Gregory's College live in houses named after a significant Brother in the College's history.
List of Headmasters
Sport
St Gregory's College has a strong reputation in sport. St Gregory's is known for its success in rugby league, cricket and in the last decade, soccer.
In 2008 the First XI winning the MCS competition, 2007 Australasian Marist Carnival and joint premiers in the Combined Catholic College's Downey Trophy, with 22 wins and 0 losses all season. The College has been dubbed "A Nursery for Rugby League Players" and with this Rugby League is very strong culture at the College as St Gregory's compete in the MCS competition and the Arrive Alive Cup and have been champions on a record 9 occasions and Runners Up twice. Strong support from the College community is present at semi-finals and finals in the MCS competition and all Arrive Alive Cup matches. St Gregory's won the 2010 MCS Rugby League Grand Final defeating Patrician Brother's Blacktown in the final 24-10 coached by Lee Addison. They also retained their title in 2011, thus becoming the first team from the college since 1994 to achieve back to back titles. Rugby Union is also becoming part of the sporting culture at the College with the boarding community representing the College against teams in the GPS and ISA sporting competitions. In 2008,only the second year of "serious" competitive Rugby Union fixtures, St Gregory's made the semifinals of the Waratah Shield, losing to fellow ISA school St Augustine's College held at St Joseph's College. The college has reached the final of the MCS Soccer competition 4 out of the last 5 years. The College provides facilities for the students with 8 rugby league/union fields, 3 cricket fields, 3 football (Soccer) fields, swimming pool, tennis courts, cricket nets, outdoor and indoor basketball courts and a College gymnasium.
Sports played at the college include: Rugby League, Cricket, Football (Soccer), Basketball, Rugby Union, Australian Rules Football, Touch Football, Golf, Tennis, Athletics, Cross Country, Swimming, and Softball.
St Gregory's College is known as a nursery to the National Rugby League (NRL) with some notable players representing several NRL teams along with State and National honours with more recently Ryan Hoffman gaining selection in the Australian Test side. On Grand Final day 2007 saw each 3 grandfinals Jersey Flegg, Premier League and the NRL Telstra Premiership had a representative from St Gregory's College. Rugby League is the dominant sport in St Gregory's College.
Debating and public speaking
Debating and public speaking has had a long history at St Gregory's College. The College represents itself in the Competition for Public Speaking and Debating. The College also participates in the regular seasons of the named curricula. The CSDA is the debating competition in which St. Gregory's College. Public Speaking is also widely encouraged at St. Gregory's with multiple competitions throughout the school year. The CSDA competition is an outside run competition in which the school selects students to attend, the Gordon Fetterplace Public Speaking Competition which is a school run competition. Finally the Marist Oratary is entered for the best public speakers of the college.
In 2012, St. Gregory's has enjoyed much success in this field. The College was the champion school of the Catholic Schools Debating Competition, with an unprecedented six teams entering the eliminations round, and four teams reaching the semi finals. An additional two teams made it to the grand final. This is a feat that the College has never achieved before, and no other school in the CSDA achieved in the 2012 season. The College continues to grow and prosper in Public Speaking and Debating under the patronage of the department head, Mrs Maria Santos. In the 2012 Marist Oratory, the College placed second, a result not achieved in over ten years. The College enjoyed much success in its Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9 divisions.
Until 2008 the Year 12 debating trophy was named for Douglas Berneville-Claye a former teacher who was a convicted criminal and British traitor.
Choir
The St Gregory's College Choir has had many outings recently. In 2008, the ARL selected St Gregory's choir to sing the National Anthem and also the tribute to the Cententrary of Rugby League at the opening game of the 2008 State of Origin in Sydney.
In 2013, under the direction of Mr James Clanfield (Choir Master), the new St Gregory's choir sung the National Anthem at the Telstra Premiership - West Tigers vs St George Illawarra heritage round (Round 6) at the SCG
Agriculture
The College competes in various aspects of agriculture. Along with running agriculture classes and the College farm, the College participates in show cattle and show sheep competitions and programs. Most recently the College participated at the annual Sydney Royal Easter Show, Camden Show and Dubbo Show. The College had great results at all of these events. Especially at Sydney Royal Easter Show where the College was the best school exhibit there.
Other
St Gregory's also participates with the Duke of Edinburgh Award as well as Telescope nights. And also participate in the Formula 1 in schools challenge.
Notable alumni
Alumni of St Gregory's College are commonly referred to as 'Old Boys' and may choose to join the schools alumni association, the St Gregory's College Old Boys Association. Some notable 'Old Boys' include:
- Brett Kelly Rugby League player for the Canberra Raiders