The Kerin Benefactor

Pictured above: Gregory, Damian and Stephen Kerin with their sister, Lisa.

The Kerin family has had a long association with Edmund Rice colleges - St Patricks, Ballarat, St Kevin’s Toorak, St Joseph’s Nudgee, St Virgil’s College and St Peter’s School.

The first of the family to arrive in Australia was Michael Kerin. He was born in Ireland in 1818 and emigrated to Australia as an illiterate Irish peasant in 1848. He married in Geelong in 1854 and the next name on the marriage register was Peter Lalor of Eureka Stockade fame.

Michael had a gold mining lease at Lal Lal outside Ballaan near Ballarat. The family held mining leases from 1860 to 1905. Michael died in 1898, a very successful miner and farmer.  Michael’s eldest son Denis sent his son Frank to St Pats in 1902/03.

Frank was the great-grandfather of Damian, Stephen and Gregory Kerin. Their father Vincent was a student at St Pat’s Ballarat between 1942 and 1945.

Damian and Stephen commenced at St Kevin’s College, Toorak in 1967. However, their father, Vincent, was made Tasmanian manager for the AMP in 1968 and, and hence his three sons were to become Virgilians - Damian (SVC 1968-75), Stephen (SVC 1968-76) and Greg (SVC 1981-86). Damian’s son Joseph attended the College (SVC 1996-2003). Stephen’s twin sons attended Nudgee College in Brisbane.

All three boys have had successful careers – Damian with his Granton Plants, Stephen with a successful law practice in Brisbane and Greg with the New Town Station Nursery.

When the family arrived in Hobart, their father coached College crews and all three sons became St Virgil’s rowers.

Sadly Vincent passed away from bowel cancer in 1979 at the age of 49. His widow, Shirley, decided to stay on in Hobart where she had established a strong friendship group. 

Stephen rowed in the College’s first eight in 1975. Regrettably he had a car accident in late November 1975 which prevented him from rowing in the 1976 eight.  After a couple of years out of the sport he started again at Tas University Boat club then switched to Buckingham Rowing Club. He was fortunate enough to have a very successful rowing career with Buckingham being part of the National Champion Lightweight Eight in 1982.

After he stopped rowing Stephen started coaching at Tas University and after he moved to Brisbane had a very successful coaching career and involvement with Commercial Rowing Club - some of his crews being successful at State and National level.

The connection, Damian, Stephen Gregory have with St Virgils College runs deep. 

The Memorial Garden was a concept borne out of the possible ways to attractively support  and complete the setting for the Centenary Memorial Wall at Austins Ferry. The Kerin family offered their services to design and donate all the components of the garden. The rosemary bushes that line the adjoining walls of the buildings are a major feature. These were created from cuttings of bushes from Lone Pine in Turkey. The Kerin family are responsible for propagating these plants - now known as ANZAC  Rosemary - and the plantings at St Virgils was the first ever use of this particular plant in Australia. The gardens provide a wonderful reflective area where members of the College community can gather to remember our fallen.

Stephen stopped rowing about seven years ago and as part of his ‘moving on’ donated four sculling boats to the College.

He was thrilled to hear the College was again offering Years 11 and 12 and had the urge to provide further support to its rowing programme.

He happened across a Hudson Eight for sale in Brisbane and together with his brother Greg decided to jointly fund its purchase along with a set of new sweep oars.  Stephen also gifted his remaining single scull and five sets of sculling oars.  Furthermore, Stephen organized for the transportation of all of the above to their new home at the New Town Rowing Centre. 

To quote the St Virgil’s Principal, Jon Franzin -  “The College is extremely appreciative of this significant contribution -  extraordinary generosity. The addition to the fleet will greatly contribute to the success of the St Virgil’s College rowing program and support the move to the development of our senior rowing program”.