St Patrick's College, Ballarat


St Patrick's College, sometimes referred to as St Pat's, Paddy's or SPC, is an independent Catholic secondary day and boarding school for boys, located in central Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. The school was founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 1893, who continue to run the school through Edmund Rice Education Australia. The school provides education for boys from Year 7 to Year 12, with an emphasis on academic and sporting programs.
The college promotes the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church, basing itself on the four pillars of faith, excellence, tradition and joy. The patron of the college, Paul Bird, Bishop of Ballarat, presides over the major college Masses along with other priests.
WWW stpats.vic.edu.au

History

The college was originally called Holy Ghost College, which was started in 1888 and administered by the Holy Ghost Fathers. Also in 1888, St Alipius' Primary School was established by the Christian Brothers. However, after a promising start, the senior school closed due to the Holy Ghost Fathers' departure for France. The Bishop of Ballarat at the time, James Moore, contacted the Provincial of the Christian Brothers in Australia, Brother Patrick Ambrose Treacy, to take over the running of the school. The new college opened its doors on 24 January 1893, as St Patrick's College. Four Christian Brothers were on the initial staff, with the Brother J. L. Ryan as the founding headmaster.
In 1924 St Patrick's Christian Brother's boys' primary school was built in Drummond Street South. This school and St Alipius were operated by the Christian Brothers at St Patrick's College but both became systemic parish schools in the 1980s. St Patrick's College now no longer has a junior school attached to it and students commence at Year 7 having completed their primary education elsewhere.
The school gradually grew in stature and size to become not only the largest Catholic school in Ballarat, but one of the leading Catholic schools in Victoria. The college, under the governance of the Christian Brothers, grew from its first enrolment of 36 students in 1893 to 168 in 1902. The school's academic record was first class even in its infancy, with the 1893 dux of the college, Sir Hugh Devine, becoming a world-famous surgeon. The school has grown immensely in the past 100 years, with over 1,000 boys enrolled.
The college, in 1933, completed the construction of the Brother's residence, a large imposing red-brick building, still dominating the facade of the school. A memorial chapel was constructed in 1954 and dedicated to the memory of St Patrick's Old Collegians who died during the First and Second World Wars. This large Romanesque chapel still holds pride of place at the front of the school and is the centre of the school's spirituality. The college has over 300 graduates who have been ordained priests, a record in Australia. Over 60 graduates have entered into religious life.
In 1966, the W.T. O'Malley Wing was completed in dedication to Brother William Theodore O'Malley, who was not only deputy headmaster of the college for 30 years, but taught there for over 40 years. He is remembered as one of the greatest brothers to grace St Patrick's College, with many Old Collegians dedicating their successes to his tuition. In 1976 the J.L. Kelty Resource Centre was opened. It is dedicated to Brother Justin Linus Kelty, a former headmaster, who led the college in the 1960s.
In 1979, the college completed the W.T. O'Malley Sports Centre, which was officially opened by former students and Brownlow Medal winners John James and Brian Gleeson.
In 2004, the college officially opened the W.J. Wilding Wing, which now houses the senior school. The building was named in honour of Brother William Wilding, a former headmaster of the college in the early 1980s who oversaw the completion of the Dr Spring Administration Wing.
Peter Casey succeeded L. B. Collins in 2002 in 2002, becoming the school's first lay headmaster. John S. Crowley became St. Patrick's second lay headmaster in 2015.

Curriculum

St Patrick's College offers its senior students the Victorian Certificate of Education.
YearRankMedian study scoreScores of 40+ Cohort size
20121783016.9264
2013232296.4332
2014192305.9306
2015183306371
2016237294.9376
2017271293.2357
2018186305.4344
2019225295.7278
2020300284.7292
2021292285.5258
2022270293.6281
2023299283.8265
2024289285.3276
2025337282.6254

Student abuse scandals

Between 1953 and 1983 a number of students who attended St Patrick's College made allegations that they were sexually assaulted. Some of these cases were litigated and the offenders found guilty. A Christian Brother who lived at St Patrick's College in the early 1970s was subsequently convicted of child sexual offences related to activities at a branch school.
In May 2015 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 Australian institutions, including the Catholic Church, to the impact of child sexual abuse on survivors, their families and their communities.
The royal commission's final report about Catholic Church authorities in Ballarat was released on 6 December. The commission found that:
"Many children, mainly boys, said they were sexually abused at St Alipius and/or St Patrick's College." Most allegations at St Patrick's College related to Ted Dowlan who taught there from 1973 to 1975.

Headmasters

The following individuals have served as headmasters of St Patrick's College:
OrdinalOfficeholderTerm startTerm endTime in office
1Bro. J. L. Ryan 18931894 years
2Bro. J. B. Nugent 18941899 years
3Bro. W. M. McCarthy 18991904 years
4Bro. J. G. Hughes 19041905 years
5Bro. J. B. Duggan 19051906 years
6Bro. J. T. Quinn 19061908 years
7Bro. F. S. Carroll 19081909 years
Bro. W. M. McCarthy 19091909 years
8Bro. Paul Nunan 19101912 years
9Bro. E. F. Keniry 19121915 years
10Bro. J. S. Turpin 19161919 years
Bro. E. F. Keniry 19201924 years
11Bro. T. B. Galvin 19251926 years
12Bro. J. C. McCann 19261930 years
13Bro. W. M. Reidy 19301930 years
14Bro. J. K. O'Neill 19311933 years
15Bro. D. G. Purton 19341939 years
16Bro. I. L Mackey 19401942 years
17Bro. J. D. Healy 19431948 years
18Bro. C. A. Mogg 19491949 years
Bro. J. D. Healy 19501954 years
19Bro. J. H. Lynch 19551960 years
20Bro. V. I. Murphy 19611963 years
21Bro. J. L. Kelty 19641966 years
22Bro. P. B. Murphy 19661966 years
23Bro. Michael B. Stallard 19671969 years
24Bro. Ronald S. Stewart 19701972 years
25Bro. Paul J. Nangle 19731978 years
26Bro. J. P. O'Halloran 19781978 years
27Bro. William J. Wilding 19791984 years
28Bro. T. F. Kearney 19851988 years
29Bro. K. J. Buckley 19891991 years
30Bro. L. B. Collins 19922001 years
31Peter M. Casey20022014 years
32John S. Crowley20152020 years
33Steven O'Connor2021incumbent years

House system

The college has four houses, named in honour of former headmasters of the college. They are:

Sport

St Patrick's is a member of the Ballarat Associated Schools. The College was a founding member of the Associated Catholic Colleges in 1911 until 1975 and re-joined in 2022.

Basketball Team Achievements

Championship Men (Open)

Notable alumni

;Arts, media, and entertainment
;Business
;Law, public service, and politics
;Religion
;Sport: