I feel that my old school has been wiped from history. I started form one (year seven) at St Paul’s College, Traralgon, in 1979. I progressed to Year 11 at the co-educational Lourdes College in 1983 and finished my high school education there in 1984.
These schools no longer exist, because of amalgamations, and their histories seem to be poorly acknowledged on the web.
When I started in 1979 the Marist Brothers ran St Paul’s College. The principal was Br Doug Walsh, who was a cousin of the television personality Mike Walsh. The other Marists who taught me were Br Aubrey (maths), Br Chris (Duke of Edinburgh and sport) and Br Ken (English literature at Lourdes).
The brothers who taught me were all decent men. Br Doug used the strap sparingly and Br Aubrey only whacked the stupid and naughty kids, which was fair enough.
We wore ties and blazers in my time at St Paul’s. The college owned, or had access to, sports ovals across Grey Street which today are housing estates. We were on the edge of town and cross-country runs were held into farmland. Today the school is in the middle of a residential area.
We were a boy’s only only school until Year 11. The co-ed tech school was next door, but 90 percent of its students were male. Today the tech school is merged with the high school and St Paul’s has merged with the all-girls’ Brigidine Kildare College.
Originally it was called Catholic Regional College, but now it is called Lavalla College. Follow that link and you will learn little about the history of the original schools, hence this blog.
So when people ask me where I went to school, what do I tell them? It used to be Lourdes College, which in Victoria at least was known for a few years after I finished there in 1984. Later, I found it easier to say St Paul’s College.
Today, in Western Australia, I find it easiest to say that I went to a Marist Brothers school in Traralgon; St Paul’s if they want the specifics. Lourdes and Catholic Regional College were short lived and I know nothing about Lavalla.
×0
I finished at st pauls in 1988 – i feel the same as you…
Dont forget some of the other noteworthy characters such as Mr O’hara (who was a bit over zealous with the strap) Miss King ( our schools first encounter with a silicon breasted women) and Mr (school pride) Hansen, those cross country runs were handy for picking up dead black snakes to put in the teachers handbags, ahhhh what memories
Imagine how I feel. I started in their first year (1956) with the Marist Fathers, under the Principal – Father Davis. Researching those founding years is extremely difficult, with the control of the college having been passed from the Marist Fathers to the Marist Brothers, and so on over the past decades! If anyone has added information (like earlier roll-calls, etc, please do contact me. Cheers ~ BjD
Bruce, I remember you well you were a bit older than myself, iremember you had an older brother and a younger sister and you lived in cumberland ave ,street..near tennis courts ,remember swampy turner..i think he lived close by.I was really saddened when the priests left. i disliked the brothers but i was stuck there. I spoke to gavin hodgson a while back. he told me Fr.Hill was in a retirement home in sydney..i got gavins name from an article re traralgon historical society.will sign off but it was good to see your name …regards peter laws
I started school there in the early 80′s. I remember all of the above mentioned. I remember Miss KING. But I was shocked the other day as my daughter is now at our old school and she asked me if I remember Ross Sizeland (Rosco), He is still there teaching sport!
Would love to catch up with anyone that knows me
Regards
AZZA
Dear gentlemen
it is heart warming to read your comments and rest assured that there are plenty of us who carry the flame for Lourdes, St Paul’s and Kildare; and in later years for the Presentation Regional College.
I remember your name Michael and most of the names of the people who have written here. All those years ago I would have been in my early years of teaching at Lourdes – now I am the Principal of Lavalla Catholic College. I have lived through the changes you talk about but some things are constant – Like Ross Sizeland and Mike Hansen (who are still here) and Mr O’Hara who retired only two years ago.
The best part of being in a school for so long is that the family connection stays alive with the next generation (or the next etc etc)! It’s life giving.
If ever you or any former student is in town, any one of us oldies would be happy to reconnect you to your old school.
Come see – we’ve changed a lot but still very vibrant.
Take care
Erica Pegorer