The Doyle Impact!  

GEORGE LEO DOYLE  (1902–40)

(SVC 1911 – 1916 )

Inducted posthumously onto the St Virgil’s Heritage Roll of Honour 2007

Family History

• Leo was born on July 12 1902.                                                                                        
• The Doyle family had its beginnings in Tasmania when William Doyle migrated to Tasmania from Liverpool in England.
• William married Margaret Cusack, a Hobart girl.
• Together they raised three children - Leila, Ita and Leo.
• Leila married and moved to Melbourne.
• Ita married well known sportsman, Bill Barwick, who was to become the                                                 inaugural Chairman of the St Virgil’s Parents & Friends Association.

            Bill & Ita’s son, Justin, was, in time,  to attend the College.

•          Leo met Gertrude O'Donnell when she was on holiday in Hobart from her Melbourne University Arts course. 
•          They were married at St Mary's Cathedral in February 1932.
• They had three children - Moya, Adrian and Brian. Both of the sons are also inductees of the St Virgil’s Heritage Roll of Honour.

            Moya, after leaving StMary's College, gained a science degree and

            later moved to Brisbane where she pursued a teaching and administrative 

career in Catholic colleges. Moya was Deputy Principal at Loreto College in Brisbane for 23 years.

The photo at the top of the page, shows Leo Doyle on the left greeting Phil O’Reilly in front of the College in 1911. Leo is acknowledged as the first day student of the College and Phil, from Geeveston, as its first boarder.

Education

• The Doyle family lived in Melville Street, close by to the site of the proposed new College.  Young Leo became a friend of Brother Alphonsus Prunster, who had come from Sydney to supervise the construction of College - a firm friendship, which stood the test of years, was established between these two.
• At school it was not long before he began to figure among the prizewinners.

-   in 1913  he won a state scholarship and passed the junior public examination              

-   in 1914 he gained a bursary and a university exhibition prize in                                        

-   in 1916 he passed the senior public examination and qualified for matriculation              

• he also won Christian Doctrine prizes in various classes.

Though quiet and unassuming Leo was always popular with his fellow students.

Whilst not excelling in games, Leo took an active interest in all branches of 

school sport. He was an authority on all the records and achievements of the past, 

and new sportsmasters found him of great assistance when information on 

previous years was required.

Career

• Leo gained first place among the Tasmanian candidates for the Commonwealth Public Service examination.  However, he decided to join the staff of Simmons Wolfhagen, Simmons and Walch as an articled clerk. (The one hundred pounds that had to be paid in those days by an applicant for Articles was kindly paid by Monsignor Michael Gilleran.)
• Leo took a law course at the University of Tasmania and his resultswere in keeping with his school record as he gained high distinctions in most subjects. 

          -           in the third and fourth years he shared the J.B. Walker prize. 

          -           in his final year he gained first place and was admitted to the bar by 

                      the chief justice to practice as a barrister and solicitor.                            

• Leo became a senior partner in the legal firm - Page, Hodgman, Seager & Doyle.
• Leo stood for the Tasmanian Parliament  as a Nationalist Party candidate. He was elected to represent the electorate of Franklin in the House of Assembly in February 1937                                                                                
• Leo was captain of the Royal Hobart Golf Club in1928 & 1929 and again in 1934 and 1935. 
• Leo was President of the Old Virgilians Association from 1932-1940.                                    

Leo Doyle died suddenly at his West Hobart home on October 26 1940. 

His close friend Archbishop Justin Simonds was at his bedside when he died.  

His untimely death at an early age was a tragic loss not only to his

family but also to the College, the Old Virgilians Association and indeed Tasmania,

as it was said that he was tailor-made to achieve high office at a state or even national level.

ADRIAN LEO DOYLE  AM – Archbishop of Hobart

(SVC 1947–54)

Inducted onto the St Virgil’s College Heritage Honour Roll in 2006

• Born 1936
• Attended St Virgil’s 1947-54
• Commenced studies for the priesthood at Corpus Christi Seminary, Werribee (Vic.) in March, 1955.
• Transferred to Rome (College Propaganda Fide) in September, 1956.
• Ordained to the priesthood in December 1961.
• Between 1962 – 65 Fr Doyle undertook post-graduate studies at St Peter’s  College in Rome and completed a Doctorate in Canon Law from the Gregorian University in June,1965.

He returned to Tasmania in 1966 and his appointments included: 

            -           Responsibility for the Marriage Tribunal - 1966 – 98

            -           Judge on the Appeal Tribunal

            -           President of the Canon Law Society of Australia & New Zealand from1991-94

            -           Assistant Priest at Invermay, Bellerive and St Mary’s Cathedral

            -           Parish Priest of Sandy Bay – Taroona                                               

• Fr Doyle was chaplain of the Italian community in Hobart for 25 years from 1973.
• He was Director of Renew from 1992-96.                                                                    
• Dean of the Southern Region, 1982-89
• Chancellor of the Archdiocese1988 – 96
• Vicar General 1996 – 98
• On February 6 1998 Fr Doyle was ordained a Bishop to become Coadjutor Archbishop of Hobart
• On August 261999 he was installed as the tenth Archbishop of Hobart.

Archbishop Doyle also fulfilled as number of key roles as a member of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC)

            -           Chair of the Bishops’ Commission for Caritas

            -           Chair of the ACBC Committee for Social Welfare

            -          Chair of the Board of Management, Pastoral Research Projects of the 

              ACBC.

             -  Member of the ACBC Bishops’ Committee for Justice, Development & Peace

• In 2005 he was one of two representatives of the ACBC at the Synod of Bishops held in Rome.
• Archbishop Doyle also represented the ACBC at regional gatherings of Bishops in South Korea and Fiji.
• He is a trustee of Corpus Christi College, the seminary for Victoria and Tasmania.
• He has led delegations of young Tasmanians attending World Youth Day in Toronto and Cologne.   

Archbishop Doyle retired in 2013 and was succeeded by Archbishop Julian Porteous

BRIAN DOYLE AM    

(SVC 1948 – 55)

Inducted onto the St Virgil’s College Heritage

Honour  Roll in 2009

               Born at Hobart, 29 December 1937, third child of Leo and Gertrude Doyle.

• Married with four daughters
• Brian’s father, Leo, and brother, Adrian, are also on the St Virgil’s Heritage Roll of Honour

               Education

• Early Primary Schooling: St Mary's College, Hobart and Sacred Heart School, New Town
• St Virgil's College - 1948-55

               -    Prefect in 1994                                                                                    

               -    Head Prefect in 1955 and first recipient of Old Virgilians’ Scholarship

               -     Senior Rowing crew                                                                            

                    (Brian's was an excellent crew that almost won the Head-of-the River.

                    The crew was leading by a couple of lengths when the 

                    stroke’s sliding seat came off the runners and the crew 

                    watched the remainder of the field go past.  However, there 

                    was some excuse as Dan McMahon (the stroke) broke his 

                    toe the day before the race and had to be carried to the boat.)

• University of Tasmania : 

               -    Completed Bachelor of Laws with first-class honours in1960.

• Lincoln College, Oxford University, United Kingdom: 

               -    Graduated as Bachelor of Civil Law in 1963.

      Professional Career

• Partner at Page Seager Solicitors, Hobart (where his father had been a partner)                                                         
• Solicitor at J M Smith and Emmerton, Melbourne                                        1967 - 1968
• Barrister at the Victorian Bar.                                                                     1968 - 1971
• Legal Counsel and Assistant Secretary, later Secretary, of 

                 Australian Industry Development Corporation, Canberra.                           1971 -1976

• Partner at Macphillamy, Cummins & Gibson Solicitors, Canberra.                 1976 - 1982
• Spent 17 months with my family living in France and Switzerland.                1982 -1983
• Barrister at the Victorian Bar.                                                                     1984-1988
• Partner in Melbourne office of national legal firm , Clayton Utz,

       Solicitors.                                                                                                   1988-2003

• Consultant, Clayton Utz; National Chair of Learning and

            Development                                                                                         2003-2007

Other Interests

• Sir Robert Menzies Memorial Foundation.

   Brian has been a director of the Foundation since 1990 and is presently 

   Deputy Chairman. The Foundation supports medical and health research, 

   provides tertiary scholarships

• L’Arche, Australia

  L’Arche was founded in 1966 by Jean Vanier.  L’Arche seeks  …”to support people with intellectual disabilities to take their rightful place in our communities and in our societies. As an international organisation, it seeks to promote inclusion, the valuing of diversity, and international solidarity, and seeks to be a sign toward the building of respectful societies founded on “relationships between people of differing intellectual capacity, social origin, religion and culture.” (Extract from the Charter)

               Brian was President of Asia-West Pacific Zone of L’Arche 

               International                                                                                             1991 - 2006

      and a  Director of the International Federation of L’Arche                            1988 – 2006

Brian was awarded an AM  (Australia Medal) in 2014 for his significant service to the community through role with philanthropic, education and health research organizations, and to the community.