Welcome to our Green, White and Blue newsletter

Welcome to our third full edition of the "Green, White and Blue" e-newsletter for St Patrick's College Old Collegians for 2026. We especially welcome any new Old Collegians to our e-newsletter. The "Green, White and Blue" is distributed at the end of each school term and is full of news for and about our Old Collegians. We hope you enjoy!

Four Legends inducted at 2026 Celebration Dinner

What a wonderful evening celebrating the people and stories that make the St Patrick’s College community so special! 

Around 150 members of our community gathered at the OCA Pavilion on Saturday, 22 August for our 2026 Celebration Dinner, as we proudly inducted four remarkable Old Boys as College Legends:

• The Most Reverend Archbishop Shane Mackinlay (SPC 1977-82)
• Brigadier Eamon Lenaghan AM (SPC 1985-90)
• The late Flight Lieutenant Paul Pardoel (SPC 1982-87)
• The late The Honourable John Sheehan (SPC 1925-32)

From leadership and service to courage, sacrifice and an enduring commitment to community, each has left an extraordinary legacy. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate their achievements, share in the stories and help make it such a memorable night. Four remarkable lives. One proud St Pat’s community. 

Vote now for Old Boy Matt Bellchambers

Get your vote in quick and support Old Boy Matthew Bellchambers (SPC 1995-2000), who is currently in the lead to win the title of the 'Legend of the Tongs'. 

Matt has been nominated in the competition for his volunteer efforts as the heartbeat of the Malvern District Auskick BBQ over the past five years. After suffering a stroke and acquiring a brain injury, Matt could no longer coach, and so he found another way to give back and every single week, with his support of his amazing wife, Matt fronts up to cook snags for hundreds of families, all while sharing a laugh and a chat with everyone who walks past, in the rain, hail or shine. The BBQ simply wouldn't run without him, and what's why he's been nominated as the true definition of a "Legend of the Tongs"! Good luck Matt!

Congratulations to Dr Brendan Flynn 

Congratulations to Dr Brendan Flynn (SPC 1985-90) who has been appointed as NSW Health's Chief Psychiatrist.

Brendan is an accomplished and highly respected psychiatrist, with more than 25 years of experience across the NSW Health public health system, in both clinical and executive leadership roles. 

Brendan is currently Executive Director, Mental Health Branch, NSW Ministry of Health, where he provides expert and strategic advice on mental health policy, services and regulatory matters. He has previously held senior leadership roles in Hunter New england Mental Health, including Executive Director and Director of Medical Services, and worked clinically as a Senior Staff Specialist Psychiatrist. Brendan will commence in his role at the end of this month.

Major General Shaun Hoffmann (SPC 1985-87)

Further congratulations are in order for Brigadier Shaun James Hoffmann (SPC 1985-87), pictured above, who has been promoted to the rank of Major General in the Australian Army.

The announcement ceremony was recently held in the historic War Cabinet Room at Victoria Barracks in Melbourne before Maj Gen Hoffmann assumes of role of Head Land Systems in the Australian Army's Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG). 

Major General Hoffmann was promoted by the Chief of Army, Lt Gen Susan Coyle AM, CSC, DSM and is only the second SPC Old Collegian to reach this rank, following in the footsteps of Maj Gen Victor Secombe (SPC 1911-1914) as our highest ranked military officers. 

Maj Gen Hoffmann was also appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Military Division earlier this year in the 2026 King’s Birthday Honours List. 

2026 MENtal Brekky - Buy your tickets now

Tickets are now available for our 2026 MENtal Brekky, and we are excited to welcome world record-breaking ultra-runner, high performance speaker, resilience and leadership expert Sean Bell as our guest speaker this year. Supported by St Patrick’s College, the 2026 MENtal Brekky will be held at the OCA Pavilion on Friday 23 October from 7.00-8.30am. 

The MENtal Brekky, now in its 10th year, is a major fundraiser for the Chris Yeung Fund, which aims to raise awareness of and provide financial assistance for families in the St Patrick’s College community where the father is suffering mental illness.

Tickets for the 2026 MENtal Brekky are $65 per person, or buy a table for $600.00, and can be purchased now by clicking on the button.

The Chris Yeung Fund is also running a fundraising raffle with some fabulous prizes on offer. You can win prizes even if you are not at the brekky. To buy tickets or make a donation, simply click on the button. 

You can also sign up as a sponsor or donate a prize to our mega raffle, check out the various options below.

If you have any queries, please contact the College’s Alumni and Foundation Officer Lorrie Liston on 5322 4442 or email lliston@stpats.vic.edu.au

Blue Tree unveil as a reminder no one stands alone

A Blue Tree now stands in the front gardens of St Patrick’s College as a permanent tribute to former student Rohan Cosgriff (SPC 2018-2022) and a powerful reminder of the importance of mental health, wellbeing and looking out for one another.

The tree was unveiled and blessed on 20 August with Rohan’s parents, Rebecca and Anthony, and his brother Darcy (SPC 2015-2020), joining members of the SPC community for the ceremony.

Matthew Heffernan (SPC 1989-94) pays a visit

We were delighted to welcome Old Collegian Matthew Heffernan (SPC 1989-94) back to the College during the term.

Matthew now runs a dairy factory in Queensland and was visiting Ballarat while watching his son competing in the national cross-country championships. It was good to see you Matthew, thanks for visiting us!

🎄Old Boys' Christmas Lunch

GUEST SPEAKER PAUL JENS (SPC 1958-69)

Our next St Patrick’s College Old Boys’ Lunch is now locked in the calendar and will be held on Friday 27 November 2026 at the Golden City Hotel, in Ballarat and we would love to see you!

Come and get into the festive spirit and join us for a hearty meal, enjoy some great company and guest speaker, our very own King's Counsel Paul Jens (SPC 1958-69). This event is hosted by our Old Collegians Association. We would love to see you and we warmly encourage you to bring an Old Boy or two who may not have been before. Partners are also very welcome.

TO REGISTER: You can do this a couple of ways - 

Contact the College's Alumni Officer Lorrie Liston on 5322 4442 or email lliston@stpats.vic.edu.au and bring $35 cash with you on the day

OR

Register and pay online prior to the event by clicking on this link below.

What have our Old Boys been up to lately...

Congratulations to Austin Reinehr (SPC 2018-21), pictured top left, part of the Men's Eight bronze medal-winning team at the World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam. Click on the button below to read more about this pair and other Old Boys who have made the news recently.

Drew Petrie guest speaker at John James Medal

St Patrick’s College celebrated another outstanding season of football at the annual John James Medal presentation night, recognising the commitment, perseverance and achievements of the young men who represented the College throughout 2026.

This year’s event was made even more special with former St Patrick’s College student and North Melbourne and West Coast AFL great Drew Petrie (SPC 1995-2000) returning to the College as guest speaker.

Peter Klopotowska (SPC 1964-66) pops in

We were delighted to welcome Peter Klopotowska (SPC 1964-66) and his wife Sue back to the College recently.

Peter and Sue had planned to attend our St Patrick's Day Lunch back in March this year, however the fuel crisis at the time forced the South Australian residents from Kangaroo Island to put their trip on hold. The couple were impressed with the many developments which our students and staff enjoy today. Thanks Peter and Sue for visiting us!

Honouring the legacy of Mark Waddington

In our last full edition of the GWB, we shone the spotlight on a special youth football event, to be played in July in Africa in honour of former staff member Mark Waddington who sadly passed away in 2022. We are honoured to be able to share footage and photos from the Play4Mark Tournament, a truly successful day held in the memory of a truly great man.

Where are they - Chris Plummer (SPC 2001-06)

The College reconnected with Christopher Plummer (SPC 2001-06) who has travelled the world working on the development of biodegradable polymers. Over the course of his research career, Chris has published 23 scientific publications and a patent. 

A desire to be closer to home saw Chris and his young family move back to Australia and thriving, complete with a career change as a teacher where Chris is enjoying making a difference in the lives of his students!

Break the Cycle a success in third year

We’re incredibly proud of our students leading this year’s Break the Cycle initiative, standing up against gender-based violence and championing respectful relationships.

Their willingness to speak up, start important conversations and take action is a powerful example of young men creating positive change in our community.

Now in its third year, the 2026 campaign involved a 24-hour spin cycle event and online auction, with proceeds supporting two organisations helping local women impacted by domestic violence, Raven Collective and WRISC Family Violence Support. Together, we can make a difference.

Where are they now - Joe Baxter (2006-11)

We were delighted to reconnect with Old Collegian Joe Baxter (SPC 2006-11) recently and hear he is working for laughs as a full-time comedian these days!

Obituaries

St Patrick's College honours those Old Boys who have sadly left us and recognises their contribution to the life of the College and to broader society in general. The College received news in recent times that these Old Collegians have passed away, including:

• Leonard (Ian) Basham (SPC 1958-64) 
• Peter Davey (SPC 1945-49)
• Peter Martin (SPC 1963, PY1967) 
• Bryan Murphy (SPC 1949-50)
• Desmond (Des) Nolan (SPC 1956-59)
• Patrick Roache (SPC 1945-46, PY1948)
• Pierre Russo (SPC 1942-49) 
• John Ryan (SPC 1953-55, PY1956)
• Robert Sargent (SPC 1955-56, PY1959) 

Please click on the button below to read more about these much-missed members of our community.

Where are they now - Frank White (1947, PY1949)

We recently reconnected with Frank White (SPC 1947-49), a boarder from Hopetoun, who has happy memories of his time at SPC, especially playing football whenever he had the opportunity.

Specialist Sports classes deliver results 

A passion for sport is helping drive student engagement and learning at St Patrick’s College Ballarat, where specialist AFL and Basketball subjects have enjoyed a highly successful first semester. Introduced for Year 10 students in 2026, the subjects are the only dedicated AFL and Basketball curriculum offerings of their kind in Ballarat. Demand has been so strong that the application process was highly competitive, with the College already exploring opportunities to expand the program in 2027 and beyond.

Michael Dinley (SPC 1950-57) comes to visit

We were thrilled to welcome back Michael Dinley (SPC 1950-57) and his family to the College during Term 3. It was a particularly emotional visit and brought much happiness and excitement to Michael as he relived some special memories with his family.

Michael was a boarder from Preston, in Melbourne and excelled during his time at SPC, experiencing what he described as "a great feeling of mateship, I believe, by the traditions, by the spirit, the energy, the goodness and values within St Pat's College".

Spring in air at Paddies Lunch at the Emerald 

The Paddy Boys were out in force once again at the Emerald Hotel, in South Melbourne, last Friday where around 35 Old Boys from the 1950s through to the 70s enjoyed a wonderful afternoon of friendship, laughter and nostalgia.

📆 Don't forget the next Emerald Summer Lunch will be held on Friday, 4 December.

Warm welcome for Kevin Opie (SPC 1949-52)

We were delighted to welcome 92-year-old Old Collegian Kevin Opie (SPC 1949-52) back to the College earlier this term. Kevin was thrilled to walk the old hallways once again and see photos on the walls of his peers including some of his great schoolmates including Brownlow Medallist John James (SPC 1948-52) and talented runner John Deany (SPC 1949-53).

👉Don't forget to update your contact details 

Click on the button below to update your contact details to ensure you stay updated with SPC news, especially if you have an OCA Class Reunion coming up in 2027!

Family of Len Dunne follow in his footsteps

We were delighted to welcome Andrew and June Dunne, son of Old Collegian Francis Langton Dunne (SPC 1937-40, PY1941) during the term. The couple called in to the school during their travels and Andrew, pictured above, was thrilled to discover a class photo of his father on the walls in Front Reception.

Memories abound for this Old Boy

We were delighted to welcome Old Collegian Neville Mikulandra (SPC 1974-76, PY1978) back to the College this week. Neville and his twin brother Neil (SPC 1974-76, PY1978) were full-time boarders from Kew, in the Melbourne suburbs. Neville recalled enjoying his time immensely at SPC, especially mealtimes, where he recalls plenty of food always on offer, including steak at lunchtime!

SPC Debating team into history books

Our youngest debaters wrote themselves into the history books, becoming the first St Pat's team to win the Year 7/8 section of the Royal South Street Society Debating competition since it began in 1998!

Showcasing clever moves and good sportsmanship

Chess has been popular this term with SPC hosting both the BAS Chess Competition and then ACC Chess Competition. The competitions brought together hundreds of students for two days of strategy, concentration and friendly competition. 

SPC defeated in BAS grand final

Ballarat Clarendon College defeated St Patrick’s College in the Ballarat Associated Schools (BAS) Football Grand Final back on 24 June. Our First XVIII team play in the Associated Catholic Colleges (ACC) competition, but we also field a team in the BAS competition.

SPC 10.5 65         BCC 15.8 98

Best: T. Ough, F. Foley, D. Rizzoli, L. Ireland, N. Armstrong, H. Metcher

Goals: D. Rizzoli, L. Ireland 2, H. Metcher, J. Atkinson, L. McDaid, G. O’Donnell, F. Foley

📆2026 Calendar 

Friday 23 October – 2026 MENtal Brekky 

Sunday, 8 November - Class of 1974 informal catch-up, Red Lion Hotel (Ballarat)

Saturday 28 November – Class of 2025 One-Year Reunion 

Friday 27 November – Old Boys' Christmas Lunch (Ballarat)

Friday, 4 December - Paddies Summer Lunch at Emerald Hotel (Melbourne)

We will keep you updated via email and social media, so make sure you follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

Supporting current and future Paddy boys

Through this year's Annual Giving Appeal, we are seeking your support for two initiatives that will make a lasting difference at St Patrick's College - scholarships for Indigenous students and the refurbishment of the College's outdoor basketball courts. 

Donations to both projects are tax deductible and a gift, of any size, will support these worthwhile projects.

To donate to the Basketball Courts update, click here 

To donate to the Endowed Scholarship Fund for First Nations students, click here

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA & FACEBOOK - To keep fully up to date with all happenings in and around the College and the OCA we strongly encourage you to join our Instagram page and like our Facebook page and join the thousands of members of our community already receiving regular updates into their daily news feed, simply click on these links - @spcballarat & https://www.facebook.com/spcoca/