The College was honoured to receive back the Honour Blazer of Old Boy Peter Capelin (1956), generously donated by his family following his passing last year at the age of 86. The blazer will be placed on periodic display in the Hall of Fame, where it will stand as a tangible reminder of Peter’s connection to Joeys and the legacy of the men who have walked our halls before.
During a recent assembly, Headmaster Mr Michael Blake reflected on the significance of the return, noting that items such as Peter’s blazer are not simply memorabilia, but are part of the College’s living history. They connect today’s students with the thousands of Old Boys who came before them, each shaping the story of Joeys in their own way.
Peter Capelin’s achievements at Joeys, noted Mr Blake, were exceptional. “Through the education he received, Peter went on to live an extraordinary life. He graduated from Joeys in 1956. As a student, he earned the Honour Blazer through his sporting achievements, representing the College in the First XV rugby in both 1955 and 1956 – in fact, the 1955 team won every game and earned the title Champion team.”
Peter played in the Combined GPS representative rugby team at five-eighth and was also an outstanding cricketer. ”He played four years in the First XI cricket team from 1953 to 1956, and had a rare honour of captaining the team for two seasons in 1955 and 1956. One of the few boys to captain a First XI team for two years and the 1955 team won the Premiership,” revealed Mr Blake.
His accomplishments extended well beyond sport. Peter finished among the top 10 students in his Leaving Certificate and received a Commonwealth Scholarship to support his university studies. He also demonstrated a strong commitment to service, serving as president of the Holy Name Society. At Joeys, he embodied the belief that excellence is not one-dimensional, but expressed through the full development of a person’s gifts.
After leaving Joeys, Peter forged an outstanding legal career. Admitted as a solicitor in 1962 and called to the New South Wales Bar in 1964, he served on the Council of the New South Wales Bar Association for more than a decade. In 1979, he was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now known as King’s Counsel) and later served as an Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, working alongside his former Joeys teammate and great friend Murray Gleeson.
Peter also made a significant contribution to Australian thoroughbred racing, serving for more than 20 years on the committee of the Australian Jockey Club, including as chairman, before being made a life member. Yet despite these achievements, he remained closely connected to Joeys throughout his life, serving as bursar and secretary of the SJC Old Boys’ Union and helping establish what was then the Monsignor Duffy Learning Centre, opened in 1981. His name remains on the plaque near today’s Learning Enrichment Centre.
Peter’s family connections to the College continued through his sons Andrew (1988) and Chris (1991), both Old Boys, with Chris a long-serving member of staff. Peter’s life stands as a reminder that the true measure of a Joeys education is not only what a boy achieves while at school, but the man he becomes in the decades that follow. Peter Capelin lived that ideal with humility, service, wisdom and vision.
Published in August 2026.
