History

In 2006, St Joseph's College celebrated 125 years of educating boys in the Marist tradition. From its early days as a boarding school with less than 100 students and staffed entirely by Marist Brothers, it has grown to become the largest boarding school in Australia with a student population of around 1,000 boys. The college has a very large community of dedicated Old Boys, many of whom return to the college on regular occasions and others who maintain a strong and active relationship with the college community.

The beginning

An independent Catholic school, St Joseph's was founded in 1881 by a French teaching order - the Marist Brothers - who had sent four pioneering members to Australia in 1872.

The college grounds were bought by the Marist Brothers in 1876 for the purpose of building a novitiate and a boarding school for boys. The novitiate was opened in 1878 – a two-storey stone building that still stands in the college grounds today. The work of the novitiate was essential to the yet-to-be-established college, as it prepared many of the Brothers who were to later become college staff.

In 1881, the boarding school that had been part of Australia’s first Marist school, St Patrick’s in Harrington Street, Sydney, was transferred to the Marist Brothers site in Hunters Hill. St Joseph’s College officially opened on 18 July 1881 with 55 students in a temporary wooden building that was located between the present swimming pool and the squash courts.

Buildings and grounds

That same year, construction began on the permanent college buildings. The southern wing of the present large stone building was built first, and originally stood on its own. From 1889 to 1894 the northern and central wings were built. The completion of these wings, created an architecturally impressive school that still dominates the skyline from many viewpoints today.

The college playing fields in Augustine Street, known as "The Park" were bought in 1893, as there were no suitable playing fields on the site of the college buildings. This coincided with the establishment of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of NSW (AAGPS) in the early 1890s, of which St Joseph's College was a founding member. Participation in GPS sporting competitions has remained a feature of the college up to the present day.

A unique community

One unique feature of the college from its very inception was the fact that its students were all boarders, a practice that continued uninterrupted from 1881 to 1996.

Because there were very few schools in the rural and remote areas of Australia, boarding was the only way for boys from these communities to obtain a high-quality secondary education. There was also a belief that boarding was a positive experience for boys because it could lead to the creation of an intense community spirit among a body of students, a facet of life that was obvious from the college’s earliest days. Boarding also presented an opportunity to train students very thoroughly in the practice of their religion, especially when almost every one of their teachers was a religious Brother.

Teaching and learning

St Joseph's has always aimed for excellence. Throughout its history, many brilliant teachers have helped students achieve wonderful results in public examinations. As early as 1885 St Joseph's obtained more passes in the Senior than any other school in New South Wales or Queensland. In 1890 Joeys students won the coveted Barker Scholarship, after coming second in 1889. Such successes are found consistently throughout the history of the college, perhaps in particular under the teaching of the famous Brother Liguori who, in one year, had seven of his students fill the first 11 places in the state.

Sporting tradition

The provision of good exercise and physical activities for the students was an early priority, evident in the purchase of "The Park" in 1893 (as mentioned earlier), which has been developed over the years into superb playing fields. The same healthy and competitive spirit led to the acquisition of a rowing shed on a nearby arm of the harbour, Tarban Creek, and to the building of baths there. Later, the college was one of the first schools in Sydney to provide an Olympic pool in the main grounds. In more recent times, the college purchased and developed its own outdoor education centre, Colo, on the Colo River.

Further developments

The main building had been constructed with such foresight that, with the addition of the magnificent Chapel in 1940, it was able to provide all the teaching and living spaces needed until the 1960s, when the teaching wing named for Pope Pius X was opened. Other amenities followed over time, including the individual study-bedrooms for senior students, modern dormitories for younger students and shared common rooms and recreation areas.

The teaching wing was greatly extended and a new specialist Science teaching facility was added. Around the time of the college centenary in 1981, the Brother Emilian Hall, and the adjacent gymnasium, was constructed. A former outbuilding became the Art Centre and the very large space beneath the hall was transformed into a music centre. Most recently, the south-east corner of the campus saw the construction of a purpose-built accommodation wing for students in Year 11.

The spirit of the college today

Over time, the number of Marist Brothers actively associated with St Joseph's College diminished and the number of specialist and support staff increased. In 2006, the college appointed its first lay Headmaster, Mr Ross Tarlinton.

Also in 2006, the college introduced the very significant change of accepting enrolments from day students. It is a major accomplishment that this change was accomplished without any loss of ethos or division among the students themselves. The college continues to appeal to rural parents, although half or more of the boys now come from Sydney or nearby, with many families taking the opportunity for the new weekly boarding option.

The changes that have taken place at Joeys in the 21st century have proven the college's ability to successfully respond to new circumstances and challenges within a rapidly changing world. The essential spirit of the college, however, continues to burn brightly. Just as it has always done, the college community strives to provide the best education and opportunities for boys in an environment that is safe, caring, happy and conducive to personal and academic excellence.

A history of notable Old Boys

Academics

• Professor James Franklin, historian and philosopher at UNSW
• Professor Barry Quinn, Professor of Statistics, Macquarie University, Sydney

Rhodes Scholars

• Stuart Eric Turvey, BSc (Med) MB BS University of Sydney

Business

• John O'Neill, former Head of Football Federation Australia and former CEO of Australian Rugby Union

Clergy

• The Most Rev. Geoffrey James Robinson, Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney 1984-2004, Titular Bishop of Rusuca
• The Most Rev. Philip Edward Wilson, D.D. J.C.L., Archbishop of Adelaide

Entertainment, media and the arts

• Brian Castro, award winning novelist, essayist and academic
• Ian de Renzie Duncan, founder and CEO of Paris Live Radio
• Stephen Feneley, ABC arts reporter and former US correspondent for the Nine Network
• Anthony Field, of the children's band, The Wiggles
• Tom Gleeson, comedian, actor and radio personality
• Pete Graham, Sydney radio announcer
• Jack Waterford, former editor-in-chief of The Canberra Times
• Jackson Mullane, Australian Gladiator 'Outlaw'

Politics, public service and the law

• Sir William Deane AC KBE, former Governor-General and Justice of the High Court of Australia
• Justice Murray Gleeson, Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia
• Bill Heffernan, NSW (Lib) Senator
• John Marsden, prominent lawyer and former President of the Law Society of New South Wales

Sport

Rugby Union - Wallabies

• Ted Fahey, former Wallaby (1912-14) and captain seven matches in 1913
• Dr Herbert Moran, former Wallaby (1908-09) and captain 16 matches
• Steve Williams, former Wallaby 28 Tests (1980-1985) and captain seven matches in 1985
• Des Bannon, former Wallaby (1946)
• Mark Bell, former Wallaby (1996)
• Jack Blomley, former Wallaby (1949-50)
• Matt Burke, former Wallaby fullback (1993-2004)
• Alister Campbell, Wallaby (2005)
• Chris Carberry, former Wallaby (1973-82)
• Bill Cody, former Wallaby (1913)
• Declan Curran, former Wallaby (1980-83)
• Tony Daly, former Wallaby prop (1989-95)
• Eric Ford, former Wallaby (1927-29)
• Jack Ford, former Wallaby (1925-30)
• Bill Gunther, former Wallaby (1957)
• Ted Henrich, former Wallaby (1961-63)
• Vince Henrich, former Wallaby (1954)
• Jake Howard, former Wallaby (1970-73)
• Paul Johnson, former Wallaby (1946)
• Darren Junee, former Wallaby and Sydney Roosters rugby league player
• Tim Kelaher, former Wallaby (1992-93)
• Ted Larkin, former Wallaby (1903)
• John Malone, former Wallaby (1936-37)
• Bruce Malouf, former Wallaby hooker (1982)
• Bill Monti, former Wallaby (1938)
• John O'Gorman, former Wallaby (1961-67)
• Brian Piper, former Wallaby (1946-49)
• Ernie Reid, former Wallaby (1925)
• Barry Roberts, former Wallaby (1956)
• Peter Ryan, former Wallaby (1963-66)
• Brett Sheehan, Wallaby (2006)
• Bill White, former Wallaby (1928-32)
• Harry Woods, former Wallaby (1925-1928)
• Bill Young, former Wallaby loosehead prop (2000-2004)

Other Nations

• Kori Chan, Papua New Guinea Puks Puks captain
• Steve Devine, NZ All Blacks half-back
• Noel Flowers, Philippine Volcanoes winger/fullback
• Michael Lipman, English international

State/Provincial

• Kurtley Beale, NSW Waratahs five-eighth
• Peter Betham, ACT Brumbies fullback/wing
• Luke Burgess, NSW Waratahs half-back
• Gareth Hardy, Western Force prop
• Peter Playford, ACT Brumbies centre/wing
• Afusipa Taumoepeau, ACT Brumbies centre/wing
• Jeremy Tilse, NSW Waratahs prop
• Cameron Treloar, Queensland Reds lock
• Sanualio Afeaki, ACT Brumbies centre/wing

Cricket

• Adam Hollioake, former English Test Cricketer
• Ben Hollioake, former English Test Cricketer
• Stan McCabe, former Australian Test Cricketer
• Trevor Boyd, former New South Wales cricketer

Rugby League

• Jack Beaton, former Australian (1936-1938) versatile back
• Harry Caples, former Australian (1921 -1922), five-eighth
• Arch Crippin, former Kangaroo (1936), and as of 2007 the oldest surviving Kangaroo
• Ben Kennedy, former Australian(2000-2006) lock
• Jarrod Saffy, St George Illawarra Dragons forward/former West Tigers forward

Other

• Ian de Renzie Duncan, former Australian downhill ski team member