Principal

With Thanks

I am not good at saying goodbye, so instead I will bid you au revoir instead of adieu, because, like Arnie says, “I’ll be back”. At least I intend to be once they let people out of Melbourne again! 

It has been my profound and humble privilege to lead this community for too-short-a-time. I have been completely blessed to live and work among the people who comprise our College family. Thanks to our boys most particularly, who while keeping me on my toes, delight and entertain always. I thank each one of you our parents for the trust you have placed in us to work with you in growing fine young men. I thank our Old Boys who continue to give back to their alma mater through their financial generosity, their time, their sponsorship of young men who need a start and who offer their wisdom to the next generation. And, I also want to thank our staff who work tirelessly at their vocation with young people, from our maintenance crew, to office staff and teachers’ aides, to our counselling team, IT team and our teachers and executive members. They all come here daily to serve the boys in their learning and growing. 

The only place I could have dreamt of moving on to after St Patrick’s would be another EREA entity. To my honour and delight, I now have the immense and awesome task of leading the organisation across this country along with the team in Richmond, Victoria. We have 54 schools and more than 39,000 students across the country from Alice Springs to Adelaide and from Bindoon to Brisbane and much more! I pray that I can measure up to the trust that has been placed in me. 

We have something special here at this College. It is obvious from the first time one enters the gates. It is welcoming, genuinely unpretentious, yet has a confidence and maturity about it as a school that suggests that St Patrick’s knows what it is on about. I realise I have just anthropomorphised the College, but I think you get the metaphor. Our liturgical celebrations are beautiful, our formation of boys as members of the wider Church and committed to living out the Gospel in tangible ways are really important to me. Equally, I believe that we inculcate in young men a desire to learn and to be better. We offer a wide array of ways in which our fledgling men can express their manhood that is life-giving and respectful of others. I will miss this place terribly and I will miss it because of you all! I have been so warmly welcomed into the beating heart of St Patrick’s. I so quickly became a fixture and an integrated member of the community, that I do not think part of me will ever leave. I do hope to be welcomed back for new celebrations and to simply drop in and say hello. I have enormous pride in, and gratitude for, all of the individuals that make up this community. We need to tell everybody what a great College we have.

When I first started to get fit, I used to go to a gym in town. A really buff, well-built dad from the school I was principal at the time used to frequent the gym as well. He was about two metres tall and had massive arms. He used to call me Arnie. Not in a condescending or mean way, just in jest. I reckon I weighed about half or less than half of what he did. He told me it had nothing to do with my size; but that I was a giant in other ways. I chose to take this as a compliment. I always figured I was more Danny De Vito than Arnold Schwarzenegger, but as they said in the movie “Twins”, only their mother could tell them apart! So, as Arnie, I promise I will be back to visit if you will have me.

Continue to let your collective light shine St Patrick’s, and thank you sincerely for the privilege. 

Live Jesus in Our Hearts.

Craig Wattam

Principal