Staff in Focus

Q&A with . . . Mr McGoorty

Humanities and RE teacher Mr McGoorty’s connection to St Norbert College stretches back two generations. Growing up in Queens Park, he knew the College's Founding Fathers long before graduating in the Class of 2001 and returning to Treasure Rd as a teacher in 2016 . . . 

SNN: What is your earliest memory of St Norbert College?

AMc: Long before I was a student, my grandad, Eddie McGoorty, worked here in maintenance and I have fond memories of him taking my brother and I for rides around the oval on the College tractor. 

SNN: What are your early memories of the Norbertines?

AMc: They have really been a constant in my life since I was very young. I was baptised by Fr William Fitzgerald - I obviously don’t remember that, so my first memory would be as a child attending masses with Mum and Dad in St Joseph’s Church when Fr Tom McNulty and then Fr Peter Joseph were the Parish Priests.  My grandparents were also quite involved in the parish and more often than not when we were there visiting Fr Cooney, Fr Reynolds and Fr O’Reilly would often come to visit as well. Growing up in Queens Park I remember seeing Fr Reynolds during his walks with him often stopping to say hello. I also remember attending the College fetes on the oval. 

SNN: Exactly howfar does your family connection to the Norbertines extend?

AMc: For me, it has been more than a school. I grew up in Queens Park, attended St Joseph’s Primary School and my grandparents and parents were in St Joseph’s Parish as well so I’ve had that close connection to it from a very young age. My Dad, my uncle, aunty and brother all went to school here. My grandfather was quite a character who left a big impression on the place when he worked in maintenance. Sometimes the Norbertines visited our family home. My Dad, Shaun, worked for the Norbertines when they had the farm in Kerry Downs – he got a job carting hay from York to Perth for a few years. And it goes even further than that because I met my wife, Jo, during the 50th anniversary celebrations of Fr Cooney becoming a priest.

SNN: In the 15 years between graduating and returning to the College as a teacher, what did you do?

AMc: I completed my teaching degree and spent 10 years teaching Humanities, Geography and Religious Education at Mater Dei College in Edgewater, including 2014 as the acting Head of Humanities Department. I also spent some time travelling Europe, got married to my wife, Jo, and started a family. We have two boys, Keegan, 8, and Riley, 6. 

SNN: If you were to summarise St Norbert College to someone new, what would you say?

AMc: St Norbert’s is not just any school. There is a strong community spirit which was instilled by the values of the founding Norbertine Fathers. This continues today and I believe the Norbertine ethos sets the foundation for the nurturing environment provided to students at the College. It allows students to become lifelong learners and be the best people they can be. For a lot of people the school has provided them with some great opportunities in their lives after school so we must be doing something right.

SNN: Do you keep in touch with your school friends?

AMc: Yes. I have two very close friends from my time at the College. Paul Swanson and Steven Nelligan whom I graduated with in 2001. It’s great spending time with them and we often reminisce about our time at school together.

SNN: What were some of the highlights of your high school years?

AMc: I probably didn’t realise it at the time but I think the professionalism and devotion of the staff at the College to the education of the students meant a lot and helped inspire me to pursue a career in education. I am lucky that I now get to work alongside some of these teachers today – Ms Hilton, Ms Rainford, Ms Mark, Ms Smith and Mr Mulligan to name a few.  The Year 10 camp to Dwellingup was a highlight, spending time with your friends out of school for a week hiking, white water rafting and abseiling was great fun and I am sure that the Year 9s will have made some wonderful memories during their camp this week.

SNN: How was your 20-year reunion last year?

AMc: It was fantastic to catch up with a lot of people that I haven’t seen face to face since being in school and hear about where they are with their lives and discuss our time at the school together. One common theme was that their reflections of  their years spent at St Norbert’s were really positive with many of them remembering our College motto of being ‘prepared for all good works’ and judging by the people they have become I think a lot of them continue to live that motto out today.

SNN: Outside of St Norbert College, what are your interests?

AMc: I love fishing and scuba diving so in 2019 I purchased a boat and enjoy spending time out on the water following these pursuits. In fact during these holidays my family and I are heading to Exmouth with the boat to try our luck at catching the ‘big one’.

Mrs L Quartermain

(Community Relations and Marketing)