List of former staff of St Peter's College, Auckland: Difference between revisions

Notable former staff of St Peter's College, Auckland include the following:

• The Honourable Jim Anderton (born 1938): politician; taught in the intermediate at St Peters in 1959 and 1960 ; President of the New Zealand Labour Party (1979-1984); Member of Parliament for Sydenham (1984 – 1996); Member of Parliament for Wigram (1996-present): former Leader of the New Labour Party (1989-1991), former leader of the Alliance Party (1991 – 1994), and current leader of the Progressive Party (2002 - present); Deputy Prime Minister (1999-2006), Minister for Economic Development (1999-2005), Minister of Agriculture (2005-2008), Minister for Biosecurity (2005-2008), Minister of Fisheries (2005-2008), Minister of Forestry (2005-2008), Minister Responsible for the Public Trust (2005-2008), Associate Minister of Health (2005-2008), and Associate Minister for Tertiary Education (2005-2008)

• Br Vincent Nicholas Cusack (1912-2004): educated at Christian Brothers School, Dunedin; played rugby for the Dunedin Rugby Football Club (First Five Eighths) 1929-1932; in 1932 he played in the Otago representative team; he went to St Patrick's College, Strathfield to became a Christian Brother in 1933; he started off as a lay brother (which meant that he did not wish to teach but rather do manual work) made his final profession in 1944; in 1938-1939 and 1943-1944 he was at Tardun Farm School in Western Australia and in 1940-1941, 1945-1948 and 1957-1960 he was at Clontarf Orphanage, also in Western Australia; joined the staff at St Peter's College, Auckland to teach in the intermediate; taught at, and was otherwise associated with, St Peter's College for 37 years (1961–1997); one of his ex-pupils at St Peter's said "Mentors are few and far between. Br Cusack loved and understood his boys and was tough but fair"; in the mid to late 1990s was involved with the St Peter's tuckshop where he arrived at 7.30am every school day to heat the pies for the day; died aged 91 in 2004 (buried South Hill Public Cemetery, Oamaru)

• Br Noel Cuthbert Doherty (born 1936) BA: educated at St. Kevin's College, Oamaru (1950); entered the Christian Brothers in 1954; made his final profession in 1961; taught at St Edmund's School, Dunedin in 1956; taught at St Paul's High School, Dunedin; taught at St Peter's College, Auckland from 1960 (transferred from St Edmund's School, Dunedin); taught at St Thomas of Canterbury College, Christchurch 1970, 1972 and 1980; at St. Kevin's College, Oamaru in 1972; seventh principal of St Peter's College 1975-1980; taught at Liston College in the 1980s (?); Christian Brother 1954-1991.

• Miss Judith Edwards: influential and effective choir and singing teacher at St Peter's College late 1950s until 1962; trained as a singer by Sister Mary Leo at St Mary's College; in 1955 she won the John Court Memorial Aria Contest and she was a finalist in the first Mobil Song Quest in 1956.

• Mr Kenneth Coulton Gorbey (born 1945) CNZM (2007, for service to museums): Museum Consultant and Academic; taught at St Peter's College in 1967; director of the Waikato Museum (opened in 1987); involved in the development of Te Papa, New Zealand's National Museum (opened in 1998); project director of the Jewish Museum Berlin (opened in 2001); teaches Museum and Heritage Studies at Victoria University of Wellington.

Br Michael James Benignus Hanrahan (1877-1953): one of the founders of St Peter's College; Born in St Bathans, Otago, New Zealand; educated at Christian Brothers High School, Dunedin; he was for a time the classmate of James Michael Liston (later Bishop of Auckland) although Hanrahan was four years older than Liston; at about the time (1893) that Liston began his priestly studies, Hanrahan (without his parents knowledge) was spirited away to the Christian Brother's novitiate in Geelong, Australia to begin his training; this was later referred to "with only a little irony" as a "kidnapping" as it seems that the Christian Brothers were determined to get one of these two talented pupils as a member of their order, and "kidnapped" Hanrahan in retaliation for Liston's being recruited for the priesthood; Hanrahan entered the Christian Brothers in 1893; founded, and was first headmaster of, St Patrick's College, Strathfield, Sydney in 1928; Provincial for the Christian Brothers in Australia and New Zealand in 1930s; visited New Zealand in 1936 and attended the 60th anniversary celebration of Christian Brothers High School, Dunedin, taking the role call in the school yard at those celebrations; he negotiated the establishment of St Peter's College, Auckland with James Michael Liston, by then the seventh Catholic Bishop of Auckland; in January 1943, Liston wrote to Br Hanrahan on the occasion of the latter's Golden Jubilee, saying: " ... Auckland has its special reason for gratitude. Perhaps I can put that simply by saying that from the first day the school has been all that you or I would wish it to be"; in 1949, Brother Hanrahan (then the Director of the Christian Brothers Scholasticate at Strathfield, Sydney) visited St Peter's College, Auckland and attended the school prizegiving where he was welcomed by Bishop Liston who "recalled happy schooldays together" in Dunedin; Bishop Liston observed that it was due in great part to Hanrahan that St Peter's was started; in adulthood Brother Hanrahan had thin ascetic features remarkably like Liston's own features.

• Mr Patrick Richard Lam (born 1968), All Black, loose forward (1992), Teacher at St Peter's College (1991 - 1992) see Notable Alumni of St Peter's College, Auckland.

• Br James Bonaventure Lynch (1908—1995) BA (known generally as "Bon" or "Bonnie" but known as "Tojo" to his students at St Peter's College): important New Zealand science teacher; born Queenstown; educated at Christian Brothers High School, Dunedin 1921-1923; his mother was during that time housekeeper for the Christian Brothers; influenced by Br P I Hickey to become a Christian Brother; went to Australia in 1923 to become a Christian Brother; made final profession in 1933; joined the staff at St Peter's College, Auckland in 1944; transferred to Dunedin in 1945; and was Principal 1948-1950; transferred to St. Kevin's College, Oamaru in 1951; arrived back in Dunedin in 1957; taught at St Peter's College, Auckland from 1957 until 1970; he gained his Bachelor of Arts by correspondence in Latin, French and English but actually taught Science all his life, becoming a leading Physics teacher in the 1960's; in 1973, "three old boys [of Christian Brothers School, Dunedin], Brothers Ryan, Lynch and Mills, along with a highly respected teacher, Brother Beeden, celebrated their Golden Jubilee. The New Zealanders left together for Australia in 1923"; in 1980 when he was 71 he learnt and taught the new subject of Computer Studies; he taught himself Greek so that he could read the New Testament in its original form; in 1992 he enrolled in a course of scripture studies with the Otago University extension; he was a potter, wood-turner, composer of musicals, carver, boat-builder and publisher - and these were his spare-time interests; spent the last 21 years of his life at the Christian Brothers' residence at St. Kevin's College, Oamaru; died aged 86 in 1995 (buried South Hill Public Cemetery, Oamaru) (he is the subject of Sam Hunt's poem, "Brother Lynch").

• Br Thomas Aquinas Monagle (1928-1983) (MA in French): educated in Melbourne (St. Kevin's College, Toorak (?)); entered the Christian Brothers in 1945; made his final profession in 1953; spent three years at St Peter's College and transferred to Christian Brothers High School, Dunedin in 1948; transferred to St. Kevin's College, Oamaru in 1950; returned to St Peter's College in 1952 and remained there until 1966; taught at St Paul's High School, Dunedin 1967; at St. Kevin's College, Oamaru from 1968; taught at Liston College from the mid-1970s; he was the Deputy Principal of Liston College in 1981, 1982 and 1983 until his death; died in 16 February 1983 (Ash Wednesday) aged 54, buried St Patrick's Catholic Church Cemetery, Panmure, Auckland; Brother Monagle was an important teacher at St Peter's College, Liston College and other schools; a leading New Zealand teacher of French; arranged for student visits from Tahiti to St Peter's College and student exchanges; organised the North train boys and travelled on the train each afternoon from the 1960s; mounted a successful campaign for the North train to stop on the St Peter's College boundary, and therefore was the principal creator of the Boston Road railway station; at Liston College he beautified the grounds by planting and tending trees around the boundary; at Liston, he also organised the school transport; he travel around by bicycle or car plotting the school bus routes and stops and working out the distances; on his death, a newspaper in Papeete published an obituary honouring him by calling him "Un Ami Meconnu" (a friend of French Polynesia who should have been better known); in February 1983 his funeral Mass was held in the Liston College school hall and was attended by parents, past pupils and many religious; Bishop Rogers was the main celebrant assisted by 13 priests most of whom were ex-pupils of Br Monagle; the brothers who carried the casket from the hearse to the graveside had all been pupils in schools at which Br Monagle had taught.

• Br Francis Pius O'Driscoll (died 1964): taught at Christian Brothers High School, Dunedin, first arriving there in 1891; foundation Principal of St Peter's College, Auckland (1939-1944) and the superior of the foundation St Peter's College Christian Brothers community of five brothers; he arrived in Auckland on January 11th, 1939, accompanied by Br Killian, and, after being welcomed by a group of Dunedin old boys, they went to the Bishop's Palace where they were given a very special welcome by Bishop Liston; after he left St Peter's College at the end of 1944, " ... he moved to Western Australia where he was to continue his good work by founding other Colleges and setting them on their feet as he had done so well here in Auckland"; Brother O'Driscoll's parting was regretted by many. As one of his ex-pupils, Mr Devon Hern, expressed it: "He combined a wonderful teaching ability with a benevolent yet severe discipline and won our respect and loyalty. Indeed, he won the respect of all those he came in contact with, and obtained for the college a prestige that was out of all proportion to its years of existence"; Felix Donnelly wrote that at St Peter's College, Br O'Driscoll had a "go-getter approach" that did good things in getting the school established. Donnelly goes on to point out that Br O'Driscoll had to cope with the resentment of the Marist Brothers and their supporters at the coming of this new group into the Catholic boys' education scene. "We, his pupils, were never in any doubt about his uncertain temper. Sometimes he was beside himself with anger"; he died in Perth, Western Australia in August, 1964: see St Peter's College, Auckland ("The first year") for examples of his driving dynamism in establishing that school.

• Br John Paschal Prendergast (born 1937): educated at St Peter's College, Auckland (1948- 1953); entered the Christian Brothers in 1955; made his final profession in 1962; taught at St. Kevin's College, Oamaru 1961; taught at Christian Brothers High School, Dunedin 1962 - 1970s (?); eighth principal of St Peter's College (1981-1988) (first old boy to hold the position); Christian Brothers outreach, the Edmund Rice Community, in Murupara, Bay of Plenty (1989-1992) where he worked at the community learning centre and in the local Catholic parish; he was at Nukutere College, Avaura, Rarotonga, Cook Islands 1992-2001; in 2002 he was at Saint Bakhita Formation Centre in Kitale, North West Kenya; 2003-present, a pastoral worker at the Catholic parish of Otorohanga.

• Br Paul Malcolm Robertson (born 1957) ("Br Rob"): MA (Anthropology - Auckland); educated at St Peter's College, Auckland 1969-1975; entered the Christian Brothers in 1976; made his final profession in 1982; he attended Christian Brothers Teachers Training College, Melbourne (1976 - 1978); he was a teacher at St Edmund's School, South Dunedin (1979-1981); he was at St Peter's College, Auckland for 26 years 1982-2007 and, as at 2008, he was the last Christian Brother to teach there; he held many positions at St Peter's, including as a year 8 teacher, Director of Special Character and Head of Religious Studies, Dean of year levels including the Senior Deanship, Deputy Principal, Associate Principal and Acting Principal; he was a member of the St Peter's College Leadership Team and the St Peter's College Board of Trustees (1990–2007); In 2007, he was Deputy Province Leader of the New Zealand Province of the Christian Brothers, he lived in the Edmund Rice Community Auckland (at Queen Mary Avenue - also the location of the Auckland Christian brothers community), a community for tertiary students from the Edmund Rice Network who wanted to live a community life; he was closely associated with the development of the Edmund Rice Network in New Zealand and was responsible for vocations promotion, the NZ schools student leadership program, the India Immersion programme and Edmund Rice Volunteers; In July 2007 he left St Peter's College on his appointment as a Member of the Leadership Team of the Oceania Province of the Christian Brothers, located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; wrote study of Christian Brothers: Malcolm Robertson, Nga Parata Karaitiana The Christian Brothers, A Public Culture in Transition, A Comparative Study of the Indian and New Zealand Provinces, an unpublished thesis for MA in Anthropology, University of Auckland, 1996.

• Br Benjamin Everard Ryan (1920-2008): educated at St. Kevin's College, Oamaru (1934-1936); entered the Christian Brothers in 1939; made his final profession in 1946; first taught at St Peter's College 1944-1949(?); in 1949 went from St Peter's College to Rome; back at Christian Brothers High School 1956-1960; was in charge of the New Zealand Juniorate at Morven, South Canterbury 1960-1966; he was sixth Principal of St Peter's College, Auckland (1966-1974); at St. Kevin's College, Oamaru in 1974; taught at St Thomas of Canterbury College, Christchurch in 1977 and 1980; Principal of Nukutere College, Avarua, Rarotonga, Cook Islands 1982-1988; from 2004 he did administrative work at Nukutere College; he retired in 2007 and resided in the Christian Brothers community at Nukutere College; in July 2006, Br Ben Ryan was honoured as he celebrated 70 years as a Christian Brother at a Mass celebrated by Bishop Stewart O’Connell in St Joseph’s Cathedral, Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The local newspaper reported that, including his time as principal, Brother Ben had taught for 22 years at Nukutere College. He died in Rarotonga in 2008 and is buried in the Old Cathedral cemetery in Avarua.

• Br Patrick Celestine Ryan (1909-1996) BA, (known as "Wee Digger" at St. Kevin's College, Oamaru and Christian Brothers High School, Dunedin and "Paddy" at St Peter's College, Auckland): educated at Christian Brothers High School, Dunedin; went to Australia in 1923 to become a Christian Brother; entered the Christian Brothers in 1924; made his final profession in 1934; taught at St. Kevin's College, Oamaru from 1933 and was Rector there 1945-1950; when Brother McCarthy retired in 1948, Br Ryan took over the training of the "Seminarians" (or the "Sems") by teaching them Latin and preparing them for their priesthood training at Holy Cross College, Mosgiel; he was Principal of Christian Brothers High School, Dunedin 1951-1953 (he took ill in the third week of the 1952 school year and did not teach for the rest of the year, Br Watson being temporarily appointed acting Principal); was Principal when the school celebrated its 75th anniversary in 1951; joined the staff at St Peter's College, Auckland in 1954; he was the fifth Principal of St Peter's College 1957-1965; second New Zealand Provincial of the Christian Brothers 1965-1972; he attended the General Chapter of the order in Rome in 1966 when New Zealand was raised from the status of a Vice-Province to that of a Province; he met Pope Paul VI at that time; in 1973, "three old boys [of Christian Brothers School, Dunedin], Brothers Ryan, Lynch and Mills, along with a highly respected teacher, Brother Beeden, celebrated their Golden Jubilee. The New Zealanders left together for Australia in 1923"; returned to teach at St Peter's College in the 1980s; "Has there ever been a better maths teacher than Paddy Ryan? Mind you, he scared the hell out of us in 1961 or 62 when he misread the news on the radio and said that the Cuban missile crisis had lead to war"; died aged 86 in 1996, buried at Anderson's Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.

• Br Skehan: taught at St. Kevin's College, Oamaru from 1937; he was Principal of St Patrick's Primary School, Oamaru in 1938; one of the five foundation Christian Brothers of St Peter's College, Auckland, arriving from Oamaru in 1939; Donnelly calls him an "impressive personality"; he taught in the intermediate, and was a particularly memorable Maths teacher; he formed a choir of "selected voices" to sing at weddings and concerts; he took the boxing classes at St Peter's; transferred to Christian Brothers High School, Dunedin in 1949; he was Australian and he returned to Australia in 1949; in 1960 he was " ... Superior at Mt Carmel College, Charters Towers, Queensland".

• Br W. R. Smith: B.A. Otago; taught at Christian Brothers High School 1944-1947; in 1947 the Christian Brothers High School orchestra (comprising 110 players - it was a full orchestra of strings, wind, brass and percussion instruments) was under his direction; he was third Principal of St Peter's College, Auckland 1948-1953 (established the first school orchestra); Principal of Christian Brothers High School 1954 and 1955; transferred to Australia in 1956; he left the Christian Brothers and was ordained as a Carmelite priest; in 1960 he was in Ireland.

• Br Lawrence Hubert Wilkes (1923-1998): educated at St. Kevin's College, Oamaru (1937); entered the Christian Brothers in 1942; made his final profession in 1949; taught for some years in Australia, notably in Brisbane; joined the staff at St Peter's College, Auckland in 1956; "The work done in the Technical Department [at St Peter's College] drew great praise from the Education Department Insepectors. Boys from his class obtained the highest mark in School Certificate Technical Drawing for several years"; taught at St Peter's College for 25 years until 1981; then taught for some years at Liston College (?); he was back at St Peter's in the late 1980s until the mid-1990s(?); Brother Wilkes died in Timaru on 03 March 1998, aged 75; buried Grahams Road Cemetery, Christchurch.

Tom Weal

Mr Thomas K Weal was born in 1929, and taught at St Peter's College from 1953 to 1989. In the 1960s he particularly taught History to the Form Three classes (Year 9). He was greatly loved for his willingness to depart from the curriculum to talk about any aspects of Philosophy, History, Religion or current affairs raised by students only too eager to encourage these instructive diversions. He was Deputy Leader of the Social Credit Party (then called the Social Credit Political League) from 1970-1972. In 2008, he was the Honorary Consul in Auckland for El Salvador.

During the many years Mr Weal taught at the college, he undertook some interesting trips. During the St Peter's College summer vacation of 1970/1971, as Deputy Leader of the Social Credit Party, he mounted a one-man campaign in London to protect New Zealand's interests in relation to the entry of the UK into the European Community (then known as the EEC). Mr Weal felt that the British public was not aware of the damage which New Zealand would suffer if Britain joined the Common Market without safeguards for her primary produce. He spent three weeks talking to anti-market groups in England. He felt that British people knew that New Zealand would have to have a special arrangement if Britain entered the EEC, but that they did not know why. Mr Weal said he had found that very few people knew exactly what joining the EEC meant for Britain. He thought that that was why there was a great fear of going into Europe. He said: "The public just doesn't know what's going on in Brussels. For this reason they're interested in hearing the Commonwealth view on the negotiations and that's what I've tried to express." Mr Weal was invited to return to Britain and was urged to bring a member of the New Zealand Labour Party with him. "We wouldn't be here to play politics, but just to let people know what's in it for us if Britain joins the EEC," he said. He rejected the idea that he was "meddling" in British politics. "In fact one of the most successful things I did was to deliver a letter outlining New Zealand's objections to British membership to every MP before the Common Market debate," he said. Mr Weal thought that letter had an influence in the fact that more than 100 Labour members signed a petition opposing the entry negotiations. On his way back to New Zealand, Mr Weal broke his journey in Rome, where he had an audience with Pope Paul VI. The UK joined the EEC in 1973, but there were special arrangements put in place for New Zealand primary product exports.

Mr Weal was also in Zambia in 1970 where he met, and was impressed by, Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo of Lusaka.

In 1980 Mr Weal and his wife, Margaret, were in the UK and in Rome where they met Pope John Paul II. Mr Weal said to the Pope, "'Back at St Peter's College where I teach Christian Living, three of my boys each want to be Pope'". "[The Pope] ... paused a moment, shook with mirth and stepping back to me with an appreciative grin, he said, 'Maybe'". In 1982 Mr Weal went to El Salvador where as part of a "a trip of a lifetime", he met President José Napoleón Duarte of that country.

Main References/Sources

• Zealandia, 1939-1990.
• St Peter's College Magazines, St Peter's College, Auckland, 1948-2008.
• St Peter's College Silver Jubilee 1939-1964, Christian Brothers Old Boys Association, Auckland, 1964.
• J.C. O'Neill, The History of the Work of the Christian Brothers in New Zealand, unpublished Dip. Ed. thesis, University of Auckland, 1968.
• 1876-1976: The First 100 Years in New Zealand at Christian Brothers School Dunedin, Christian Brothers School Centennial Committee, Dunedin, 1976.
• Redcastle Recollectionsn Brothers School Dunedin, Christian Brothers School Centennial Committee, Dunedin, 1976., A Golden Jubilee Volume, St Kevin's College, Oamaru, 1977.
• Felix Donnelly, One Priest's Life, Australia and New Zealand Book Company, Auckland, 1982.
• St Thomas' Jubilee 1961-1986, St Thomas of Canterbury Jubilee Committee, Christchurch, 1986.
• Barry M Coldrey, The Scheme: The Christian Brothers and Childcare in Western Australia, Argyle-pacific Publishing, O'Connor, Western Australia, 1993.
• Malcolm Robertson, Nga Parata Karaitiana The Christian Brothers, A Public Culture in Transition, A Comparative Study of the Indian and New Zealand Provinces, an unpublished thesis for MA in Anthropology, University of Auckland, 1996.
• NZ Catholic : the national Catholic newspaper, 1996- present.
• Graeme Donaldson and J P Stumbles, Dunedin Rugby Football Club, 1871-1996 : 125 years history of the Club, The Club, Dunedin, 1997.
• Liston College, 25th Jubilee Magazine, Liston College, Auckland, 1999.
• Peter Joseph Norris, Southernmost Seminary: The History of Holy Cross College, Mosgiel (1900 - 1997), Holy Cross Seminary, Auckland, 1999.
• Graeme Donaldson, To All Parts of the Kingdom: Christian Brothers In New Zealand 1876-2001, Christian Brothers New Zealand Province, Christchurch, 2001.
• Bridget (Anderson) Harrod, 100 Years Catholic Education in Rotorua 1903-2003, St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Rotorua, 2003.
• John Tamihere and Helen Bain, John Tamihere Black and White, Reed, Auckland 2004.
• Graham W.A. Bush, The History of Epsom, Epsom & Eden District Historical Society Inc, Auckland, 2006.
• Nicholas Reid, James Michael Liston: A Life, Victoria University Press, Wellington, 2006.
• Rick Maxwell, St Peter's College, Auckland, Simerlocy Press, Auckland, 2008.