St John’s Dandenong: For Working-Class Migrant Australia

“It is the Church that you are serving.” This is a Founder’s reminder to  Brothers and other Lasallians which can be easily forgotten. The Australian Catholic church often struggled, and still does these days, in negotiating a strong anti-cultural moral stance, with its recent history of disregard for the rights of children, and in its perceived conservatism generally – all this with other churches and public institutions. Its strengths in social welfare and positive marketplace tenets can play very much second fiddle.

The establishment of St John’s Regional College Dandenong in outer suburban Melbourne was an answer to a Church request, and the needs of the working-class. Creating new Catholic schools was seen as essential to the Catholic tradition, as well as working towards the ideal of every Catholic child having the opportunity of an education where the Gospel was proclaimed and lived.*

Nano Nagle & De La Salle Growing Together

Catholic education began in Dandenong with “dedicated lay catechists,” says the College website, followed by Nano Nagle’s Presentation Sisters at St Mary’s Primary in 1912. The boom post-World War 2 migrant years saw new primaries at North Dandenong, Doveton and Berwick. In 1957, there were over 800 students at St Mary’s.

Like most schools, the boys’ school had a very humble start. A key figure was the parish priest, Fr. O’Donnell, who was a stalwart figure over the following decades of development.  Br Amedy Molloy taught  51 boys in Forms 1 and 2, and Mr J F Maher  had 69 in a Grade 6 class. They taught at St Mary’s before moving across the road, in August 1958, to the famed “tin shed” of sizeable proportions. The bell hanging in a gum tree was the call to class. The new year listed 331 students, taught by Br Aelred Wilson and three lay teachers.

As Br Amedy wrote in the Silver Jubilee Annual:

“Money was scarce and so classes had to be very large, often twice the size we would consider appropriate today. Since many of our students, approximately two-thirds, had come from overseas, English was a difficulty. We were helped in this regard by a number of mothers who gave of their time to help with a reading programme we organised.”

In 1964,  the Brothers numbered five – Amedy, James, Dominic, Lawrence, and Angelus; they were living in a new community house at 189 Foster St. St. John’s became a regional secondary school in 1966, serving Nth. Dandenong, Noble Park, Doveton and Berwick parishes. Within 2 years, new buildings in Caroline St housed 430 boys from Forms 1 to 6. The school shared resources and teachers with the Presentation Sisters at St Angela’s with its 300 girl students. By 1970, the roll call was 448 boys, with 17 on staff, 10 lay teachers and 7 Brothers.

A First for the Nation

In 1971,amalgamation into one school, on two campuses, eventuated, but there were single sex boys and girls’ classes in Forms 1 to 4. However, Years 11 and 12 were fully co-educational. Br Dominic Della Bosca become Principal and, with his typical braggadocio and ease in relating, there were, even at junior levels, combined talent quests and learn-to dance classes. A Yr 11 Christian Living Camp was organised in 1974. A first College Ball was held the following year. There was a new library building, and the athletics carnival on the new oval. Sr Josepha Dunlop was Deputy Principal.

After interminable meetings, the first fully Catholic co-educational regional college in the nation was born In 1977, in a rationalization of resources and with a new strong belief in mixed learning. By 1976, when Br Leo Scollen became Headmaster, there was continued sharing of leadership with the Sisters. The Deputy was Sr June Marie Mason (followed by Sr Patricia Foley). Br Leo’s hands-on approach is remembered. One memory was his diverting the creek, and using a pump for the water to irrigate the oval grass. A blockage saw him digging trenches for pipes at midnight. Worried neighbours diligently called the police about an intruder!

The burgeoning College had three Sector Heads / Deputy Principals – Br Matthew Bell (Boys 7-10),         Sr Magaret Bellesini (Girls 7-10), and Br Ben Schaeffer, and  later Mr Charles Haynes (Senior 11-12).        Br Joe Gabel administered the middle years for many years as Deputy Principal.  

In his term as Headmaster, Br Leo pushed the consolidation of academic and pastoral programs. There were Yr 11 social service programs and retreat, camp, and holiday events at the leased Allambee bush site. Debutante balls were held, and drama groups performed plays and an opera. Successes in various sports emerged. New infrastructure included a lecture theatre and a gymnasium.

Ex-Students and Staff

In the 25-Year Jubilee Annual,  Br Leo noted 2 Old Boys priests, and 3 in training, and Cathy Hornby entering the Presentation Sisters. By 1983, when Br Kevin Moloney became the new Headmaster (till 1987), there were 1600 pupils in total on the large campus.

An embedded and proud history can be perceived in the number of ex-students on the staff currently. Three of the five members of the College leadership team are such, including John Rhynehart, Director of Faith & Mission. Peter Colvin recently retired after 40 years at St John’s, and Sonia McNally employed in 1984 are other examples. Many pre-service teachers have been students, and Peter’s son Paul Colvin is on staff.

The 1980’s are remembered by Sonia. “The enormity of the school” at 1500 students, the very pastoral approach promoted by Brothers, Br Calixtus teaching her to drive the school bus, and Br John Mitchell roaming with his 2 guard dogs are mentioned. As an English and sports teacher, Sonia notes Deborah Frizza (present Principal of St Bede’s Mentone) and Ria Greene (St Bede’s REC), were previous staff members. In sport, ex-students have included Danielle de Toro (Paraplegic Olympian), Adam Ramanaskus (AFL)  and Digby Ioane (Rugby Wallaby).

Lay Leadership and the Two Charisms

From 1988, the strength of the College traditions has grown. As the Brothers and the Sisters relinquished leadership, with the formers’ over-commitment of resources and an ageing cohort, lay leaders were employed. Mr Michael Quin (1988-91), was followed by Mr Pat Power (1992-2008), Mr Andrew Walsh (2009-16) and the current Principal Mr Tim Hogan (2017-  ).

One of John Rhynehart’s mandates over almost a decade has been “to bring the charisms (of Nano Nagle and De La Salle)…to the fore.” Together with the College motto- “Courage reaches for the stars” and John’s Gospel of “Light of the world”,  “the lantern light of Nagle and the Star of Signum Fidei of DLS…(have been able to) be utilised, to promote the luminous stories of our Founders, and then translate that into the imaginations and hearts of our students.”

John sees that the dual charisms “work for us,” and that the College is proud of its endeavours in this way. It is made real by supporting the works of the Presentations’ ‘Wellsprings for Women’ and the Lasallian Foundation. The Lasallian Mission Services also are employed for the Senior retreat, and the Year 8 and 10 Reflection Days.

St John’s Today

With other Catholic secondary colleges established in recent decades, St John’s now numbers 600 students and 90 members of staff. The clientele come from a vast cultural spectrum socially. John Rhynehart details:

A growing minority are children of migrants from South Sudan, Vietnam, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, China, Afghanistan, Mauritian and Cambodia and a spattering of Europeans.  Very few are more than second generation.  With this comes a lot of wellbeing issues as well as a very healthy respect, from parents, regarding the benefits of education.  Dandenong offers affordable housing and work for the parents and the students, on days like Harmony Day, bring with them their love of dance, singing and music and share it with the rest of the College community.  The vast majority of our students are Christian, if not Catholic, and bring with them that typical (especially South East Asian) reverence and respect to religious experiences.  Additionally, we have a growing number of students who are committed Muslims who willing share not only the culture of their birth-places but the very best that Islam as a religion has to offer.  In all, it’s a far cry from the early days where there may be one or two “exotics” in the student population and the rest where Anglo-Celtic fifth or sixth generation.

Distinctiveness and Social Justice Action

Every school advertises its special character and St John’s formulates it as:

“At the very core of our belief is the idea that no child gets left behind, and our socio-economic situation doesn’t preclude any child for higher academic, vocational or sporting success.  We offer Soccer and Basketball through a relatively new Academy; we are a host Campus for St Mary’s School for the Deaf; and we are a host campus for various VET and TAFE courses.”

In addition, a Cambodian immersion experience is striking:

“For over 10 years we have been visiting La Salle School in Pouthum, Cambodia.  The school is administered by the Brothers from the Vietnamese Province – they began the school in response to the need to educate very young children.  Each year (COVID not-with-standing) we take anywhere between 10-18 students (mostly recently graduated Year 12 Students but also current Year 11 students) to teach English, and do odd jobs around the campus.  The Year 12 students do this in lieu of Schoolies.  We live, work, and pray with the Brothers, and visit the cultural sites of the Phnom Penh on the weekend.  Prior to departure in late November, we fundraise purely for the school, the students attending pay their own way and, as you can imagine, the rewards are endless.  We’ve even had ex-scholars travel with us on their second immersion program.  The students share their experiences early in the New Year with the current students to promote the program, but also to relate to the community the living out of the Charisms.  I’ve travelled to Cambodia five times now and it’s a pleasure and privilege to watch our students work with the poorest of the poor and come to certain realisations about the good life they experience here in Australia. (John Rhynehart)

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* Peter Donovan’s history maintains, too, that it was important for Victorian Brothers to expand ministry, as was happening extensively in New South Wales, when so many recruits came from Malvern and Mentone colleges. Br Jerome Provincial had promised a new school before he left his post in 1958.

Sources:

De La Salle Brothers Archives (Castle Hill)

Donovan, Peter: For Youth & the Poor: The DLS Brothers in ANZPNG 1906-2000

Interviews: Br Joseph Gabel, Mr John Rynehart, Mrs Sonia McNally

St John’s College 1958 -1983 (Silver Jubilee Magazine)

Article written by Br Gary Wilson