Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield

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Coordinates: 33°52′19″S 150°57′43″E / 33.87194°S 150.96194°E / -33.87194; 150.96194
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the Patrician School in Blacktown, see
Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown
.

Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield
Roman Catholic
Established1953; 71 years ago (1953)[2]
OversightSydney Catholic Schools, Archdiocese of Sydney, Diocese of Parramatta
PrincipalPeter Wade
Employees~73[3]
Years7–12
GenderBoys
Enrolmentc. 1,200[3][4] (2024)
Colour(s)Royal blue and sky blue   
Websitepbcfairfield.syd.catholic.edu.au
Map

Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield (abbreviated as PBCF) is an

secondary day school for boys, located in Fairfield, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
.

Founded in the tradition of Bishop

high school aged students from the parishes of Villawood, Fairfield, Cabramatta and Smithfield. 85% of the student population are from non-English speaking backgrounds.[3]
The administration of the school is overseen by Sydney Catholic Schools.

In the 2009 Higher School Certificate (HSC), the college was ranked in the top 57 schools in New South Wales,[5] and is ranked in the Top 12 Catholic Schools in Sydney and in the Top 3 Catholic Schools in the Southern Region.[6]

History

Establishment

In August 1948, the Brothers received a letter from

Norman Cardinal Gilroy, requesting staff for a new boys' school planned for Fairfield.[citation needed] At this time, Fairfield was an outer and rapidly expanding suburb of Sydney with a large concentration of post war migrants from Europe. While there was a primary convent school at nearby Cabramatta, Smithfield and Villawood, there was no opportunities for senior primary and secondary Catholic Education for boys in Fairfield.[citation needed
]

Provincial, Brother Norbert and his Council agreed to the Cardinal's request and Brother Kevin Samuel, Brother Eugene Kelly and Brother Peter Johnson (Superior and Principal) formed the first Patrician Community at Fairfield.[citation needed] The Brothers took up residence in an old weatherboard cottage which was on the 10 hectare property, which had recently been acquired by the Archdiocese as a site for the school.[citation needed]

When Cardinal Gilroy blessed the monastery and officially opened the school on 13 March 1953, there were 170 pupils enrolled in Years 4, 5 and 6, in a year, this number almost doubled. The original classrooms were in brick, and separated by concrete quadrangles with trees everywhere.[citation needed] That pattern of building was retained and was repeated regularly to cope with the expanding enrolment which ten years later had reached almost one thousand. The grounds in which the school was situated were a disused orchard and vineyard – uneven and ungrassed and abounding in powdery surface soil. In the early sixties, the Brothers, supported by parents and students, embarked on a levelling, grass-planting and tree-planting campaign which was the foundation of the environment in which today's large complex is situated.[citation needed]

From six classrooms in 1953, the pupil accommodation has grown to over forty classrooms in 1982, as well as a library and assembly hall, science laboratories, a modern manual arts block and various other specialist facilities. The college is the largest single campus enrolment of any Boys' Catholic School in New South Wales.[7]

Early developments

In the early days, the students were mainly of established Australian background with a strong representation of children of East European parents as well as Maltese and Italians of fairly significant but there is a very large second generation Italian and Maltese group of students now, as well as many students of East European, Middle East, South American and Indo-Chinese background.

1956 was the year in which the students sat for the first public examination – the Intermediate Certificate – for candidates of present Year 9 age. The Intermediate level was the terminating year in the school until 1961, when the first group of students sat for the Leaving Certificate. This development marked a significant event in the life of the school as the first Leaving Certificate class contained students from Patrician Brothers' Schools at Blacktown, Granville and Liverpool. This intake of students from other Patrician Schools for their final years of secondary schooling continued until these areas gained their own senior secondary school.

Golden Jubilee

In 2003, Patrician Brothers' College celebrated its 50th Golden Jubilee year. The celebrations included a Golden Jubilee Opening Mass at

Cardinal George Pell and concelebrated by priests from Fairfield, Cabramatta, Smithfield and Villawood parishes, as well as priests who are old boys of the college. Other celebrations included an Old Boys' Reunion Dinner and a staff reunion, a golden jubilee ball and a concert, plus closing ceremony in December.[7]

21st Century

On 25 June 2000, several years of construction on the campus came to an end with the official opening and blessing of the new College facilities and classrooms. The old Year 8, 9, 10, and Primary blocks made way for an entirely new complex of buildings including a new library, Science wing, College hall and gymnasium, and Music and Creative Arts centre. The old senior block was completely renovated, what was once the College hall and library became the administration and staff areas. These facilities have continually been improved, with the refurbishment of the Science Centre, the introduction of lifts and WiFi within the college.

Primary school closure

In 1993 the primary school of the College moved across the creek to take up residence at the Weston Street Campus, then occupied by Our Lady of the Rosary, Primary School. A Brother remained

Principal
there until 2003.

The Catholic Education Office decided that the Weston Street campus was unsustainable for the growing primary school. There were proposals to remerge the Primary School with the Secondary College. However, the Catholic Education Office decided that the most viable option was to allow students in Years 5 & 6 to continue their education with their feeder primary schools.

At the end of 2006, Patrician Brothers' College Primary School closed, and the grounds were returned to the Our Lady of the Rosary Parish to use. Patrician Brothers' College Primary School Fairfield was the last primary school to close which was affiliated with the Patrician Brothers. However, Our Lady of the Rosary Primary School Fairfield is currently under Patrician Leadership.

World Youth Day cross and icon

Patrician Brothers' College hosting the WYD cross and icon

Patrician Brothers' College was chosen to be the first school in Australia to host the World Youth Day (WYD) cross and icon upon its arrival in Australia for the Sydney 2008 World Youth Day celebrations. The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney entrusted the Western Deanery[8] (officially, a geographical region in South-West Sydney that comprises 16 Sydney Archdiocese parishes[9]) with the WYD cross and icon for the day of 2 July 2007. The WYD cross and icon was hosted Patrician Brothers College, Fairfield for three hours that day for public veneration, which was attended by 5,000 people.[10]

Patrician bicentenary celebrations

The Patrician Brothers were established by Bishop Daniel Delany in 1808 in the Name of St Patrick and in 2008, the Patrician Brothers celebrate their 200th anniversary. The following Patrician linked schools joined in and celebrated the Patrician bicentenary:

The college has had two major bicentenary celebrations:

  • St. Patrick's Day – a mass was held at the State's Sport Centre on 17 March, with over 5000 people attending – celebrated by Bishop David Cremin and guests included the Superior General of the Patrician Order, Brother Jerome, the entire Patrician Brothers Congregation of NSW and abroad and members of parliament.
  • Patrician Bicentenary Concert – this was celebrated on 30 April, at Acer Arena with musical performances from all the patrician colleges.[11]
  • Concluding Mass – The concluding Mass was held in Tullow Ireland (the birthplace of the Patrician Order) and was attended by various Brothers of the Patrician Order and Principals of Patrician schools from across the globe.

Headmasters

Patrician Principals

Period Headmaster
1953–1958 Brother Peter Johnson f.s.p.
1959–1962 Brother Alyosius Delany f.s.p.
1963–1964 Brother Baptist Stenning
1965–1967 Brother Charles Barry f.s.p.
1968–1980 Brother Angeus Kavanagh f.s.p.
1981–1986 Brother Christopher Finucane f.s.p.
1987–1990 Brother Mark Ryan f.s.p.
1991–2001 Brother Bernard Bulfin f.s.p.

Lay Principals

Period Headmaster
2002–2006 Michael Krawec
2007 Wayne Marshall (Acting)
2008–2015 John Killeen
2016–present Peter Wade

In 2001, the last Patrician Principal of the college, Br. Bernard Bulfin, retired, and was replaced by the college's first lay principal, Michael Krawec, ending 48 years of leadership by the Brothers of St. Patrick. However, Br. Nicholas Harsas remained as principal of Patrician Brothers' Primary, until 2003 when he was replaced by Warren Loy. The primary closed at the end of 2006.

During 2007, Michael Krawec, was appointed to the Catholic Education Office and the governors elected Wayne Marshall as the temporary Principal. At the end of 2007 the CEO appointed John Killeen to principalship. In 2016 Peter Wade, once a student at the college, became Principal.

Facilities

Learning facilities

Patrician Brothers' College spent six years and $14m redeveloping and rebuilding[12] classrooms, Jubilee Hall, music, IT, visual arts, science, administration, technology and applied studies centres and the college chapel.

Technology

The college is currently[when?] undertaking a five-year technology roll over period. The College recently purchased and installed new computers in the Information and Technology Centre, new laptops and light probe projectors, 5 portable projection systems which are used for student presentations in the ITC, TAS and science blocks, a new computer lab in the science block, and several touch sensitive SmartBoards. Technology is being incorporated in all lessons and is utilised as a teaching aid in the senior school. Additional fixed SmartBoard and Data Projector units have been installed in over 90% of the student learning areas and classrooms.

With the provision of the

Rudd government's "Digital Education Revolution" Patrician Brothers College Fairfield will be one of the first schools to provide specially customized Apple MacBook's to over 400 Years 9 and 10 students in 2009.[13] In commitment to this scheme, all students who enter Year 9 at the college will be provided with their own personal laptop computer to be used through their remaining time at the college. In 2011, Year 7 and 8 students are to purchase their own Apple MacBooks due to a policy change within the current Gillard government
.

To facilitate this rollout scheme, the college has implemented wireless

WiFi
network in 2009–2010. This $40 000 project seeing new wireless access points being installed across campus and Intranet capabilities being expanded to cover 95% of the school grounds including the school oval. Electrical infrastructure such as digital projectors have also been installed on the entire college campus.

Curriculum

Gifted and talented

The curriculum incorporates enrichment and the opportunity of extension in all courses. Acceleration is possible in individual courses (such as Mathematics and Mathematics Extension 1 and 2).[14] Acceleration has proven successful for the college, with many of its students achieving Band 6s in their accelerated courses.[15]

Sport

The college was once involved in the Metropolitan Catholic Schools (MCS) Competitions and now competes in the newly established Sydney Catholic Schools sports competition. Patrician Brothers' is also involved in the Combined Catholic Colleges, State Competitions and other competitions including the Parramatta Knockout. The College has been a dominant figure in the NRL Schoolboy Cup winning it 6 times, whilst winning the NRL Schoolboy Trophy Cup in 2018. Most recently, the college has gone on to win the 2022 Peter Mulholland Cup.

Mock trial

The 2007

The King's School and other private and selective schools.[16]

Debating

The 2008 Debating Senior Debating team completed another first for the college, becoming the first side to take the NSW Catholic State Title for Patrician Brothers' College.

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield Alumni

Alumni of Patrician Brothers' College are known as 'Old Boys' and may join the school's alumni association, the Old Boys' Union.[17][18] Some notable Patrician Brothers' College Old Boys include:

See also

References

  1. ^ "College Motto". The College. Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield. 2005. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  2. ^ a b "Patrician Brothers College Fairfield". Colleges. Our Lady of the Rosary, Catholic Parish, Fairfield. Archived from the original on 29 May 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  3. ^ a b c "Annual School Report to the Community 2006" (PDF). Annual Report. Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  4. ^ "Public School Enrolments Increasing". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 January 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
  5. ^ "2009 School Ranking – All Rounders". HSC 2009. Better Education Australia. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
  6. ^ "Curriculum – HSC 2007". Curriculum. Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield. 2005. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  7. ^ a b "Mass, flags set celebrations in train". Sydney: Catholic Weekly. 2 March 2003. p. 1. Archived from the original on 28 July 2008. Retrieved 24 March 2008.
  8. ^ "The Western Deanery". www.activ8thewest.org.au. Archived from the original on 18 July 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  9. ^ http://www.sydney.catholic.org.au/Archdiocese/CAS-Parishes.swf
  10. ^ "School first to welcome World Youth Day Cross". Sydney: Catholic Education Office, Sydney. 4 July 2007. p. 1. Archived from the original on 29 July 2008. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
  11. ^ "18/03/2008 – Bicentenary Bonanza". Article. CEO Sydney. 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2008.
  12. ^ "Curriculum – Facilities". Curriculum. Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield. 2007. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  13. ^ "Dump the laptops, says school head". Fairfield Champion. 2008. Archived from the original on 30 October 2009. Retrieved 9 August 2009.
  14. ^ "Curriculum – Gifted & Talented". Curriculum. Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield. 2005. Archived from the original on 11 October 2007. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
  15. ^ "Merit List – 2008". Curriculum. Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield. 2009. Archived from the original on 13 September 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  16. ^ "Law Society of New South Wales". Law Society of New South Wales. 2007. Archived from the original on 1 August 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2009.
  17. ^ "Old Boys' Union". Wider Community Links. Patrician Brothers' College, Fairfield. 2005. Archived from the original on 12 May 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  18. ^ http://www.pbcf.nsw.edu.au/1_media_resources/other/Pdf/Newsletters/2012/term3/week5.pdf [dead link]

External links

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