College News

The Right Spirit

Most of our students leave school with fond memories of being involved in, and watching, interschool sporting contests. Trinity College is a proud member of the PSA and our Principal, Mr Darren O’Neill, was the PSA president in 2020.

Many current and recent Trinity students may not realise that our distinguished sporting history goes back long before our existing membership of the PSA. When Aquinas College was established in 1938, it effectively “inherited” the PSA membership held by CBC Perth since 1905. CBC Perth – and then Trinity College – was suddenly “out in the cold”. 

In 1951, however, we were welcomed into another sporting association, then comprising three other Christian Brothers’ schools and two colleges run by the Marist Brothers. Then known as the Associated Catholic Colleges (ACC), that small cohort of schools is now a diverse group of almost 90 independent schools.

For eighteen years (1951 to 1968 inclusive), CBC Perth/Trinity College’s sportsmen were part of the ACC’s great inclusive tradition. Now, a history of ACC sport in WA has highlighted the outstanding contribution that Trinity and its predecessor school made to the association. 

Released this month and aptly titled “The Right Spirit”, the book salutes the work of such legendary teaching staff as Br Geoff Seaman who, as one ex-student recalled, “made us believe in victory”. 

Among those to compete for us in the ACC were Olympians Herb Elliott (before being lured to Aquinas), John Goodman and the legendary Pearce brothers. Our champions covered a range of sports and included a host of notable Western Australians, including promoter Michael Edgley, political commentator Peter Kennedy, and opera singer Chris Waddell.

According to author Ken Spillman, opponents of CBC Perth/Trinity were “exhilarated by the prospect of taking on the Terrace boys and then the lads from the riverside in East Perth”.  The challenge of defeating them, he says, raised standards across ACC competition.

So, did Trinity College win any championships? We sure did – and the memories of those who took part have never waned. 

“The Right Spirit” is an untold chapter in the Trinity story. It is packed with information, anecdotes and more than 200 images. To obtain your copy of “The Right Spirit” visit the ACC store at https://accwa.square.site/.

"The Right Spirit"includes excerpts on the Sporting History of Christian Brothers’ College (CBC) Perth and Trinity College1951 - 1968