OLD boys, current students, past and present teachers and the community at large came together to celebrate 150 years of education at Stannies’ on Saturday.
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The school celebrated it’s first official Sesquicentenary event with a Liturgy and the blessing and opening of the Sesquicentenary Historical Display in the school’s Marble Hall.
Following on from the official liturgy and blessing, guests enjoyed a garden party overlooking the school’s historical grounds.
Head of College Dr Anne Wenham, said she was absolutely delighted with the response to the school’s first sesquicentenary event.
“I think it’s been absolutely fantastic,” she said on Saturday.
“I’m really delighted with the breadth of representation that’s at the school today; from current students to recent Old Boys and Old Boys who came to the school generations ago.”
Dr Wenham said the historic display, which had taken staff and former students of the school months to collate was “remarkable.”
The display, which remains open for the entire year, gives an insight into the school’s sporting, religious and academic history, featuring items which have not been on public display before.
Saturday’s liturgy was held in the school’s chapel, with Fr Gregory Brett, CM, saying there was “much to celebrate” about the school’s Vincentian history.
At the conclusion of the Liturgy, the group moved to the Marble Hall with Fr Gregory officially opening the historic display.
Dr Wenham presented Fr Gregory with a limited edition artwork by artist Greg Hyde, commissioned for the celebrations before guests mingled among the display.
She also asked everyone sign the guest registry.
“Perhaps in 150 years the registry will make its way into one of these glass cabinets in future celebrations,”she said.
Two Old Boys, Bernard Murphy and Neville Bartimote, were among those who returned to their former school to mark the celebrations.
For Mr Bartimote, a boarder at the school between 1953 and 1954, it was an emotional day as he recalled the good times he enjoyed at the college, though he remembered the food at the time was average.
“We to call it Stannies’ Starvation Camp,” he laughed.
Bernard Murphy, a boarder from 1954-55, also attended the school’s 100-year celebrations as a 26-year-old, said it was great to be back at the school again to see how it has evolved.
“It’s totally changed; when we were here there were 180 boarders and just 20 day students,” he said.
