Xavier College
Encyclopedia
Xavier College is a Roman Catholic
, day
and boarding school
predominantly for boys, with its main campus located in Kew
, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria
, Australia
.
Founded in 1872 by the Society of Jesus
, classes started in 1878, and the college is part of the international network of Jesuit schools begun in Messina
, Sicily
in 1548. Originally an all-boys school, the College
now offers co-education until Year 4, and an all-boys environment from then on.As of 2011 the school has 2,085 students on roll, including 76 boarders.
The school is in the Archdiocese of Melbourne
, and is affiliated with the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and the Associated Public Schools of Victoria
(APS).
In December 2010, The Age
reported that, based on the number of alumni who had received a top Order of Australia
honour, Xavier College ranked equal tenth among Australian schools.
Culturally, Xavier was described in June 2009 by old scholar John Roskam as "the last bastion of old-style Labor Right
, DLP
education".
as the only Catholic institution among the six Associated Public Schools at that time. A Memorial Chapel on the Senior Campus was constructed in memory of Old Xaverians killed in the First World War, opening in 1934.
In 1993, a multi-purpose Sports Centre, the Stephenson Centre, was opened, including a 25-metre pool, a basketball stadium, gymnasium and multi-purpose rooms. The building's Gleeson Room has views onto the main oval. Following a bequest to the school, in 2008 the wooden scoreboard on the main oval was replaced with a video scoreboard, the first of its kind at an Australian school. Construction of a new science facility and the Eldon Hogan Performing Arts Centre began on the campus in 2005. The development includes eleven science laboratories, a large music rehearsal room, and a 500 seat auditorium
. In April 2008, science classes began in the new laboratories. The centre was officially opened on 25 July 2008 with a blessing by the Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, and old boy of the c.
At his appointment as principal in October 1997 Chris McCabe was the first lay head of a Jesuit school in Australia
. On his retirement at the end of 2008, the post was filled by Dr Chris Hayes, the former principal at St Edmund's
, Canberra
,.
Some buildings on the Senior Campus, and Studley House at the Burke Hall, are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
.
The foundation stone reads:
In honour of our living God
In memory of our fallen comrades
This foundation stone was laid by
His Grace Daniel Mannix
D.D.
Archbishop of Melbourne
on the Feast of Christ the King
In the year 1927
In 1920, Studley Hall, a gift from T.M. Burke, a Catholic businessman, was opened in 1921 as Xavier's first preparatory school
. Fr James O'Dwyer SJ, Rector of Xavier between 1908-1917, became Burke Hall's first headmaster, before the campus was renamed Burke Hall several years later in honour of its benefactor. Burke donated a classroom block in 1923 and, in 1926, Burke's wife provided funding for a construction of a chapel
in memory of her deceased brother. The campus was extended in 1966 with the donation of an adjacent mansion from the estate of John Wren
following his death. After renovations to the original ballroom, which in 1975 became the library, and the original hall had been converted to classrooms, a new classroom block was built in 1987. A multi-purpose hall was constructed in 1997 overlooking the main oval that was re-graded in 1998. In 2002, a co-educational Early Years Centre was opened on the Burke Hall campus for students up to grade 4. In 2011 a new classroom block, the Mary Mackillop Building, was added and named after the first Australian-born saint.
, Archbishop of Melbourne, that the school should have a campus in the southern suburbs of the city, Fr. William Hackett SJ, Rector of Xavier, purchased 'Maritima' in Brighton in 1936 that was opened in 1937 as the Kostka Hall Junior campus with the addition of a second building, Marchwood (also known as St Johns). This was demolished in 1959 to make way for a major building project, including classrooms, tuckshop, and administrative buildings, and a chapel was built in 1967. Science rooms were added in 1969 and in the 1970s the Jesuits bought various adjoining properties to expand the campus. In 1996 a multi-purpose hall was completed with a new arts centre opened in 1998. In 2005, an Early Years Centre was opened and was based on the one at Burke Hall .
, near Marysville
, and a rowing shed on the banks of the Yarra River
. It also leases the historical mansion Billilla in Halifax Street, Brighton, from the Bayside City Council. In 2009, the Buxton outdoor education centre was temporarily closed due to extensive damage from the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria.
† Unawarded 2001-2002.
‡ Gonzaga and Claver shared the 2010 Old Xaverians Trophy for the Champion House, having accumulated the same number of points throughout the year.
‡ Tied premierships: 1987, 2006.
and one of only two which offers Ancient Greek
, which it has done continuously since 1878.
Xavier has a strong academic history. For each of the past fifteen years (excluding 2009) the Dux of the school received an ATAR score of 99.95, the highest possible. In 2010, three students achieved this mark at Xavier out of 32 in the state.
Club. Outdoor Education is compulsory in Years 5 to 10, and students spend up to one week at the Outdoor Education Centre at Buxton, or an alternative venue, where they are given instruction in a variety of activities.
apartments in Richmond
, where many residents are recent migrants or refugees. This activity is completed with students from the sister school Genazzano FCJ College
. Year 11 students are required to participate in an additional 35 hours while on a week-long community service placement.
and Loyola Mt Druitt
.
is compulsory for all students at Xavier, and in addition to cricket and Australian rules football
, a range of sporting activities are offered including
athletics
,
badminton
,
basketball
,
cross country
,
hockey
,
lawn bowls,
martial arts
,
rowing
,
rugby union
,
sailing
soccer,
swimming
,
tennis
,
triathlon
,
water polo
and volleyball
.
Cricket
is the main summer sport, and the school has won premierships in 2009/10 and 2010/11. Two alumni who pursued careers in the sport were Percy McDonnell
(1860-1896) who captained the Australian Test team in six matches, including the tour of England in 1888, and Karl Schneider
(1905-1928), who is described in Cricinfo as one of "the most naturally gifted batsmen to have graced the game". While at the school, he played in the 1st XI for four years, three of which as captain. He broke the APS
runs (1642) and wickets (139) records which remain unbroken, and captained Xavier to back-to-back premierships in 1923-24. Due the performances of David Seal in 1974 the school won the premiership once again after fifty years.
The school's Australian rules football eam has produced numerous VFL/AFL players, and has won twenty-nine football premierships, second of the APS schools
behind Scotch (36). The Old Xaverians Football Club
has also been successful in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), winning eight premierships in the last decade.
. The two Junior Campuses also have Performing Arts and Dramatic programs, each staging a major production every year.
es, and other communities in Victoria and beyond. The annual fairs have been assisted by traditional sister school Genazzano FCJ College
, and together, the two schools have provided a number of student-run stalls such as "Go Nuts for Donuts", a Fairy Tent and face-painting, amongst others.
Each stall and attraction at the Maytime Fair donates its profit to the work of Jesuit Mission. The Maytime Fair consistently contributes over $100,000 each year for work in the developing world, including India, Cambodia
, East Timor
and Myanmar
. In 2008 over $130,000 was raised, which was given to assist in the relief effort by Jesuit Missionaries in response to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake
. In 2010, over $150,000 was raised.
Amongst the school's notable alumni are:
. Together, students from both schools participate in an annual musical production, orchestral workshops, fairs, debating, and masses. Since 2007, Xavier College has also been associated with Saint Ignatius College, Geelong
. The College has many rivalries with fellow APS Schools
, most notably Scotch
and St Kevin's.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, day
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
and boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
predominantly for boys, with its main campus located in Kew
Kew, Victoria
Kew is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Kew had a population of 22,516....
, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Founded in 1872 by the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, classes started in 1878, and the college is part of the international network of Jesuit schools begun in Messina
Messina, Italy
Messina is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, Italy and the capital of the province of Messina. It has a population of about 250,000 inhabitants in the city proper and about 650,000 in the province...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in 1548. Originally an all-boys school, the College
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
now offers co-education until Year 4, and an all-boys environment from then on.As of 2011 the school has 2,085 students on roll, including 76 boarders.
The school is in the Archdiocese of Melbourne
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne is a Latin rite metropolitan archdiocese, located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.Erected initially in 1847 as the Diocese of Melbourne, a suffragan diocese of Archdiocese of Sydney, the diocese was elevated in 1874 as an archdiocese of the...
, and is affiliated with the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
Junior School Heads Association of Australia
The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia , is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia....
(JSHAA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and the Associated Public Schools of Victoria
Associated Public Schools of Victoria
The Associated Public Schools of Victoria are a group of eleven elite independent schools in Victoria, Australia, similar to the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales in New South Wales....
(APS).
In December 2010, The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
reported that, based on the number of alumni who had received a top Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
honour, Xavier College ranked equal tenth among Australian schools.
Culturally, Xavier was described in June 2009 by old scholar John Roskam as "the last bastion of old-style Labor Right
Labor Right
The Labor Right, or Labor Unity in some State branches, or Centre Unity in NSW, is the organised faction of the Australian Labor Party that tends to be more economically liberal and socially conservative than Labor Left....
, DLP
Democratic Labor Party
The Democratic Labor Party is a political party in Australia that espouses social conservatism and opposes neo-liberalism. The first "DLP" Senator in decades, party vice-president John Madigan was elected to the Australian Senate with 2.3 percent of the primary vote in Victoria at the 2010 federal...
education".
Senior Campus
The Senior Campus is located in Barkers Road, Kew, 8 kilometres (5 miles) from the centre of Melbourne. The foundation stone of the campus was laid in 1872 and the school began formally in 1878 on land known originally as Mornane's Paddock. Founded as a Jesuit school, it was originally named St Francis Xavier's College. Construction continued during the school's early years, with the main oval added in 1883, and the West Wing and Great Hall in 1890. In 1900, Xavier replaced St Patrick's College in East MelbourneEast Melbourne, Victoria
East Melbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, adjacent to Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, East Melbourne had a population of 4,330....
as the only Catholic institution among the six Associated Public Schools at that time. A Memorial Chapel on the Senior Campus was constructed in memory of Old Xaverians killed in the First World War, opening in 1934.
In 1993, a multi-purpose Sports Centre, the Stephenson Centre, was opened, including a 25-metre pool, a basketball stadium, gymnasium and multi-purpose rooms. The building's Gleeson Room has views onto the main oval. Following a bequest to the school, in 2008 the wooden scoreboard on the main oval was replaced with a video scoreboard, the first of its kind at an Australian school. Construction of a new science facility and the Eldon Hogan Performing Arts Centre began on the campus in 2005. The development includes eleven science laboratories, a large music rehearsal room, and a 500 seat auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
. In April 2008, science classes began in the new laboratories. The centre was officially opened on 25 July 2008 with a blessing by the Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, and old boy of the c.
At his appointment as principal in October 1997 Chris McCabe was the first lay head of a Jesuit school in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. On his retirement at the end of 2008, the post was filled by Dr Chris Hayes, the former principal at St Edmund's
St Edmund's College, Canberra
St Edmund's College, is a private, Catholic, day school for boys, located in Griffith, a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.The college was established in 1954 by the Christian Brothers as St Edmund's War Memorial College...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
,.
Some buildings on the Senior Campus, and Studley House at the Burke Hall, are listed on the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
.
Memorial Chapel
To celebrate the golden jubilee of Xavier College in 1928, a chapel was built to be “a memorial for the dead, a reminder to the living, a beacon of faith lit by charity and always burning brightly for those still to come.” The external architecture is in the Italian Renaissance style with four massive Ionic style pillars at the main entrance. From conception to completion, construction took around sixteen years and was led by Rectors Fr. Edmund Frost S.J. and Fr. Frank O’Keefe S.J. In 1926, Fr. Frost wrote, “From the centre of the City and from the surrounding suburbs the distant view of the noble dome would catch the attention of many a Catholic as he returned home from a day of weary toil.”The foundation stone reads:
In honour of our living God
In memory of our fallen comrades
This foundation stone was laid by
His Grace Daniel Mannix
Daniel Mannix
Daniel Mannix was an Irish-born Australian Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th century Australia....
D.D.
Archbishop of Melbourne
on the Feast of Christ the King
In the year 1927
Burke Hall
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
. Fr James O'Dwyer SJ, Rector of Xavier between 1908-1917, became Burke Hall's first headmaster, before the campus was renamed Burke Hall several years later in honour of its benefactor. Burke donated a classroom block in 1923 and, in 1926, Burke's wife provided funding for a construction of a chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
in memory of her deceased brother. The campus was extended in 1966 with the donation of an adjacent mansion from the estate of John Wren
John Wren
John Wren was an Australian businessman. He has become a legendary figure thanks mainly to a fictionalised account of his life in Frank Hardy's novel Power Without Glory, which was also made into a television series...
following his death. After renovations to the original ballroom, which in 1975 became the library, and the original hall had been converted to classrooms, a new classroom block was built in 1987. A multi-purpose hall was constructed in 1997 overlooking the main oval that was re-graded in 1998. In 2002, a co-educational Early Years Centre was opened on the Burke Hall campus for students up to grade 4. In 2011 a new classroom block, the Mary Mackillop Building, was added and named after the first Australian-born saint.
Kostka Hall
Following the request by Daniel MannixDaniel Mannix
Daniel Mannix was an Irish-born Australian Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th century Australia....
, Archbishop of Melbourne, that the school should have a campus in the southern suburbs of the city, Fr. William Hackett SJ, Rector of Xavier, purchased 'Maritima' in Brighton in 1936 that was opened in 1937 as the Kostka Hall Junior campus with the addition of a second building, Marchwood (also known as St Johns). This was demolished in 1959 to make way for a major building project, including classrooms, tuckshop, and administrative buildings, and a chapel was built in 1967. Science rooms were added in 1969 and in the 1970s the Jesuits bought various adjoining properties to expand the campus. In 1996 a multi-purpose hall was completed with a new arts centre opened in 1998. In 2005, an Early Years Centre was opened and was based on the one at Burke Hall .
Buxton Campus
In addition to the three main campuses, the school has an outdoor education facility in BuxtonBuxton, Victoria
Buxton is a small town north-east of Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria. At the 2006 Census, Buxton had a population of 396.The district around Buxton was significantly impacted by the Black Saturday Bushfires...
, near Marysville
Marysville, Victoria
Marysville is a small town, 34 kilometres north-east of Healesville, in the Shire of Murrindindi in Victoria, Australia. The town, which previously had a population of around 500 people, was devastated by the Murrindindi Mill bushfire on 7 February 2009. On 19 February 2009 the official death toll...
, and a rowing shed on the banks of the Yarra River
Yarra River
The Yarra River, originally Birrarung, is a river in east-central Victoria, Australia. The lower stretches of the river is where the city of Melbourne was established in 1835 and today Greater Melbourne dominates and influences the landscape of its lower reaches...
. It also leases the historical mansion Billilla in Halifax Street, Brighton, from the Bayside City Council. In 2009, the Buxton outdoor education centre was temporarily closed due to extensive damage from the Black Saturday bushfires in Victoria.
Senior Campus
After existing in some form for several decades, in 1977 the system of inter-house sport and activities was restructured. Each house was assigned a housemaster and seven tutors. Boys are split up into these seven tutor groups within each house and the tutor group meets each day with the tutor acting as mentor during their four-year attendance. House meetings take place around once a week, lockers are organised according to house and several inter-house sporting events are held each year. In 1991, the houses, previously known by their colour, were given names. and in 2010, the new houses of MacKillop and Regis were added.| House | Named after | Motto | Premierships† |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellarmine | St Robert Bellarmine Robert Bellarmine Robert Bellarmine was an Italian Jesuit and a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was one of the most important figures in the Counter-Reformation... |
Integrity In All | 1998 |
| Cheshire | Grp Cpt Leonard Cheshire VC Leonard Cheshire Group Captain Geoffrey Leonard Cheshire, Baron Cheshire, VC, OM, DSO and Two Bars, DFC was a highly decorated British RAF pilot during the Second World War.... |
No Call Ignored | 1992, 1997 |
| Claver | St Peter Claver Peter Claver Peter Claver was a Jesuit who, due to his life and work, became the patron saint of slaves, Colombia and African Americans... |
To Serve Not Be Served | 1995, 2004, 2009, 2010‡ |
| Gonzaga | St Aloysius Gonzaga Aloysius Gonzaga - Early life :Aloysius Gonzaga was born at his family's castle in Castiglione delle Stiviere, between Brescia and Mantova in northern Italy in what was then part of the Papal States. He was a member of the illustrious House of Gonzaga... |
No Greater Love | 1991, 1993, 1996, 2006, 2010‡, 2011 |
| Ignatius | St Ignatius Loyola Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation... |
To God Alone The Glory | — |
| MacKillop | St Mary MacKillop Mary MacKillop Mary Helen MacKillop , also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, was an Australian Roman Catholic nun who, together with Father Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia with an emphasis on... |
Virtue Conquers All | — |
| Mannix | Archbishop Daniel Mannix Daniel Mannix Daniel Mannix was an Irish-born Australian Catholic bishop. Mannix was the Archbishop of Melbourne for 46 years and one of the most influential public figures in 20th century Australia.... |
Love One Another | 2000 |
| Regis | St John Francis Regis John Francis Regis John Francis Regis, also known as Saint Jean-François Régis, Saint François Régis, and St. Regis, , was a French priest of the Society of Jesus, recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.... |
Courage Burns Within | — |
| Ricci | St Matteo Ricci Matteo Ricci Matteo Ricci, SJ was an Italian Jesuit priest, and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China Mission, as it existed in the 17th-18th centuries. His current title is Servant of God.... |
To Understand The Unknown | 1994, 1999 |
| Spinola | Bl Charles Spinola Charles Spinola Father Charles Spinola or Blessed Charles Spinola was born in Genoa in 1564, the son of the Count of Tassarolo, and the nephew of Cardinal Philip Spinola. He was educated in Spain and in the Jesuit school in Nola, Italy. He entered the noviatiate in 1584, and was ordained in 1594. In 1596, he... |
Always and Ever Faithful | 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008 |
Burke Hall
The six houses of Burke Hall had existed for many years as Hodgson, Ignatius, Studley, Surbiton, Trawalla, and Waverley. In 1987, two new houses were added and with the exception of Ignatius, the houses were renamed.| House | Named after | Motto | Premierships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aloysius | St Aloysius Gonzaga Aloysius Gonzaga - Early life :Aloysius Gonzaga was born at his family's castle in Castiglione delle Stiviere, between Brescia and Mantova in northern Italy in what was then part of the Papal States. He was a member of the illustrious House of Gonzaga... |
No Greater Love | 1999, 2005, 2008, 2009 |
| Campion | St Edmund Campion Edmund Campion Saint Edmund Campion, S.J. was an English Roman Catholic martyr and Jesuit priest. While conducting an underground ministry in officially Protestant England, Campion was arrested by priest hunters. Convicted of high treason by a kangaroo court, he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn... |
The Expense Is Reckoned | 1987‡, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2006‡ |
| Claver | St Peter Claver Peter Claver Peter Claver was a Jesuit who, due to his life and work, became the patron saint of slaves, Colombia and African Americans... |
To Serve Not Be Served | 1988, 2010 |
| Ignatius | St Ignatius Loyola Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation... |
To God Alone The Glory | 1992 |
| Loyola | St Ignatius Loyola Ignatius of Loyola Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish knight from a Basque noble family, hermit, priest since 1537, and theologian, who founded the Society of Jesus and was its first Superior General. Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the Counter-Reformation... |
And Not To Count The Cost | 2002, 2007 |
| Owen | St Nicholas Owen | Unless The Lord Builds | 2003, 2004, 2006‡ |
| Regis | St John Francis Regis John Francis Regis John Francis Regis, also known as Saint Jean-François Régis, Saint François Régis, and St. Regis, , was a French priest of the Society of Jesus, recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.... |
Your Word My Light | 1994, 1997 |
| Southwell | St Robert Southwell | Who Least Hath Some | 1987‡, 1996, 2000 |
Early Years Centre
Upon its foundation in 2002, separate houses were created for the Early Years Centre students at Burke Hall.| House | Named after |
|---|---|
| Chisholm | Caroline Chisholm Caroline Chisholm Caroline Chisholm was a progressive 19th-century English humanitarian known mostly for her involvement with female immigrant welfare in Australia. She is commemorated on 16 May in the Calendar of saints of the Church of England... |
| Favre | Bl Peter Favre |
| Berchmans | St John Berchmans John Berchmans Saint John Berchmans was a Jesuit seminarian and is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. He is the patron saint of altar servers.-Early life:... |
| MacKillop | St Mary MacKillop Mary MacKillop Mary Helen MacKillop , also known as Saint Mary of the Cross, was an Australian Roman Catholic nun who, together with Father Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart and a number of schools and welfare institutions throughout Australasia with an emphasis on... |
Kostka Hall
Awards commenced in 1971.| House | Named after | Motto | Premierships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Campion (formerly Tully House) | St Edmund Campion Edmund Campion Saint Edmund Campion, S.J. was an English Roman Catholic martyr and Jesuit priest. While conducting an underground ministry in officially Protestant England, Campion was arrested by priest hunters. Convicted of high treason by a kangaroo court, he was hanged, drawn and quartered at Tyburn... |
The Expense Is Reckoned | 1976, 1977, 1991, 1992, 1994, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 |
| Claver (formerly Hackett House) | St Peter Claver Peter Claver Peter Claver was a Jesuit who, due to his life and work, became the patron saint of slaves, Colombia and African Americans... |
To Serve Not Be Served | 1973, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2009 |
| Owen (formerly Maritima House) | St Nicholas Owen | Unless The Lord Builds | 1972, 1975, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1989, 1995, 1996, 1997 |
| Regis (formerly Craig House) | St John Francis Regis John Francis Regis John Francis Regis, also known as Saint Jean-François Régis, Saint François Régis, and St. Regis, , was a French priest of the Society of Jesus, recognized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church.... |
Your Word My Light | 1971, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1988, 1993, 2001, 2008 |
Curriculum
Thirty-three VCE subjects and five external VET studies are offered. Xavier is one of only fifteen schools in Victoria to offer LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and one of only two which offers Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
, which it has done continuously since 1878.
Xavier has a strong academic history. For each of the past fifteen years (excluding 2009) the Dux of the school received an ATAR score of 99.95, the highest possible. In 2010, three students achieved this mark at Xavier out of 32 in the state.
Co-curriculum
The main activities include Sport, Music, Drama, Debating, and Community Service. Students may also join specific interest groups such as the ChessChess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
Club. Outdoor Education is compulsory in Years 5 to 10, and students spend up to one week at the Outdoor Education Centre at Buxton, or an alternative venue, where they are given instruction in a variety of activities.
Community service
Students are encouraged to participate in community service, and a minimum amount of completed service hours is mandated. Each Friday evening Xavier students volunteer their time at a tutoring school in housing commissionHousing Commission of Victoria
The Housing Commission of Victoria was a State Government body responsible for public housing in Victoria, Australia...
apartments in Richmond
Richmond, Victoria
Richmond is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Yarra...
, where many residents are recent migrants or refugees. This activity is completed with students from the sister school Genazzano FCJ College
Genazzano FCJ College
Genazzano FCJ College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
. Year 11 students are required to participate in an additional 35 hours while on a week-long community service placement.
Debating
From Year 8 and above, students have the opportunity to participate in the Toorak division of the Debaters Association of Victoria competition. The college also takes part in the annual Jesuit Schools' Debating Carnival competing with Aloysius, Ignatius Riverview, Ignatius AdelaideSaint Ignatius' College, Adelaide
The College has two campuses, the Junior school and Early Childhood Centre in Norwood and the Senior campus in Athelstone.Saint Ignatius' College is part of the international network of Jesuit schools which began in Messina, Sicily in 1548...
and Loyola Mt Druitt
Loyola Senior High School, Mount Druitt
Loyola Senior High School is a Roman Catholic co-educational day school for students years 11-12 located in Mount Druitt, New South Wales, Australia. An Ignatian school in the tradition of St Ignatius of Loyola, it is situated in Sydney's Western Suburbs in a seven hectare lightly wooded,...
.
Sport
SportSport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
is compulsory for all students at Xavier, and in addition to cricket and Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
, a range of sporting activities are offered including
athletics
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
,
badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
,
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
,
cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
,
hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
,
lawn bowls,
martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
,
rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
,
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
,
sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
soccer,
swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
,
tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
,
triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
,
water polo
Water polo
Water polo is a team water sport. The playing team consists of six field players and one goalkeeper. The winner of the game is the team that scores more goals. Game play involves swimming, treading water , players passing the ball while being defended by opponents, and scoring by throwing into a...
and volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
.
Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
is the main summer sport, and the school has won premierships in 2009/10 and 2010/11. Two alumni who pursued careers in the sport were Percy McDonnell
Percy McDonnell
Percy Stanislaus McDonnell was an Australian cricketer who captained the Australian Test team in six matches, including the tour of England in 1888....
(1860-1896) who captained the Australian Test team in six matches, including the tour of England in 1888, and Karl Schneider
Karl Schneider
Karl Joseph Schneider was a cricketer who played for Victoria and South Australia . A tiny man at just 157cm tall, he was born in the Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn and was a specialist left-hand batsman who occasionally bowled right-arm wrist spin...
(1905-1928), who is described in Cricinfo as one of "the most naturally gifted batsmen to have graced the game". While at the school, he played in the 1st XI for four years, three of which as captain. He broke the APS
Associated Public Schools of Victoria
The Associated Public Schools of Victoria are a group of eleven elite independent schools in Victoria, Australia, similar to the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales in New South Wales....
runs (1642) and wickets (139) records which remain unbroken, and captained Xavier to back-to-back premierships in 1923-24. Due the performances of David Seal in 1974 the school won the premiership once again after fifty years.
The school's Australian rules football eam has produced numerous VFL/AFL players, and has won twenty-nine football premierships, second of the APS schools
Associated Public Schools of Victoria
The Associated Public Schools of Victoria are a group of eleven elite independent schools in Victoria, Australia, similar to the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales in New South Wales....
behind Scotch (36). The Old Xaverians Football Club
Old Xaverians Football Club
The Old Xaverians Football Club was established in 1923 by alumni of Jesuit school Xavier College in Melbourne, Australia. The club is one of Australia's most successful in the Victorian Amateur Football Association....
has also been successful in the Victorian Amateur Football Association (VAFA), winning eight premierships in the last decade.
Performing Arts
Performing Arts have been part of the school's activities since 1929, with Musical Theatre/Operetta's and Dramatic Plays having a shared focus in the college's co-curricular program. The school conducts an annual Senior Musical Production with Genazzano FCJ CollegeGenazzano FCJ College
Genazzano FCJ College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
. The two Junior Campuses also have Performing Arts and Dramatic programs, each staging a major production every year.
Maytime Fair
The Maytime Fair has been held annually in May since 1952 and is hosted by Xavier College. It raises funds for the work of the Jesuit Mission, with support from friends and benefactors connected with schools, parishParish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
es, and other communities in Victoria and beyond. The annual fairs have been assisted by traditional sister school Genazzano FCJ College
Genazzano FCJ College
Genazzano FCJ College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, and together, the two schools have provided a number of student-run stalls such as "Go Nuts for Donuts", a Fairy Tent and face-painting, amongst others.
Each stall and attraction at the Maytime Fair donates its profit to the work of Jesuit Mission. The Maytime Fair consistently contributes over $100,000 each year for work in the developing world, including India, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
and Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
. In 2008 over $130,000 was raised, which was given to assist in the relief effort by Jesuit Missionaries in response to the 2008 Sichuan earthquake
2008 Sichuan earthquake
The 2008 Sichuan earthquake or the Great Sichuan Earthquake was a deadly earthquake that measured at 8.0 Msand 7.9 Mw occurred at 14:28:01 CST...
. In 2010, over $150,000 was raised.
Notable alumni
Alumni of Xavier College are known as Old Xaverians, and all former students become members the Old Xaverians' Association (OXA).Amongst the school's notable alumni are:
- Timothy ConigraveTimothy ConigraveTim Conigrave was an Australian actor, writer, and activist. He was born in Melbourne, and after attending the Jesuit Xavier College and Monash University he moved to Sydney to study at the National Institute of Dramatic Art , from which he graduated in 1984...
, best-selling author - Will DavisonWill DavisonWill Davison is an Australian racing driver. He currently competes with Ford Performance Racing in the #6 Trading Post FPR Falcon, in the premier Australian touring car class, V8 Supercar.-Early career:...
and Paul DumbrellPaul DumbrellPaul Dumbrell , is an Australian racing driver who currently drives for Rod Nash Racing in the V8 Supercar Championship Series...
, V8 SupercarV8 SupercarV8 Supercars is a touring car racing category based in Australia and run as an International Series under Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile regulations...
drivers - Sir James GobboJames GobboSir James Augustine Gobbo, AC, CVO, KStJ, QC was an Australian jurist and was the 25th Governor of Victoria.-Family:...
, the 25th Governor of Victoria - James P. GormanJames P. GormanJames P. Gorman has been CEO of Morgan Stanley since 1 January 2010. He was formerly Co-President and Co-Head of Strategic Planning at the firm.- Business career :...
, CEO of Morgan Stanley - The Most Reverend Denis HartDenis HartDenis James Hart, DD is a Roman Catholic bishop, elected as the 8th Archbishop of Archdiocese of Melbourne, since 2001.-Early years and background:...
, the 8th and current Catholic ArchbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Melbourne - Bill ShortenBill ShortenWilliam Richard "Bill" Shorten is an Australian politician, the Member for Maribyrnong in the Australian Parliament, Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Superannuation and Financial Services. He was the Parliamentary Secretary for Disability and Children's Services in the Rudd/Gillard Government...
, Assistant Treasurer and Member for Maribyrnong in the Australian Parliament - Simon WhelanSimon WhelanSimon Whelan was appointed judge on 17 March 2004 in the Supreme Court of Victoria, which is the highest ranking court in the Australian State of Victoria...
, Justice of the Victorian Supreme Court
Associated schools
Xavier's sister school is Genazzano FCJ CollegeGenazzano FCJ College
Genazzano FCJ College is a Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for girls, located in Kew, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
. Together, students from both schools participate in an annual musical production, orchestral workshops, fairs, debating, and masses. Since 2007, Xavier College has also been associated with Saint Ignatius College, Geelong
Saint Ignatius College, Geelong
Saint Ignatius College is a coeducational Roman Catholic secondary college located in the town of Drysdale, Victoria, Australia. The college is the only coeducational catholic secondary college in the Geelong region.-History:...
. The College has many rivalries with fellow APS Schools
Associated Public Schools of Victoria
The Associated Public Schools of Victoria are a group of eleven elite independent schools in Victoria, Australia, similar to the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales in New South Wales....
, most notably Scotch
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
and St Kevin's.
In popular culture
- Holding the ManHolding the ManHolding the Man is the best-selling memoir by the Australian writer, actor, and activist Timothy Conigrave. It was adapted for the stage by Tommy Murphy in 2006, and has become one of the most successful Australian stage productions in recent years.Holding the Man was published in February 1995 by...
, a memoir and later a play, begins at Kostka Hall and then the Senior Campus. - Sir Les PattersonSir Les PattersonDr Sir Leslie Colin Patterson is a fictional character portrayed by the Australian comedian Barry Humphries. Obese, lecherous and offensive, this farting, belching, nose-picking figure of Rabelaisian excess is an antipodean Falstaff...
, a fictional character portrayed by Barry HumphriesBarry HumphriesJohn Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
, "attended" Xavier College.
See also
- List of schools in Victoria
- List of high schools in Victoria
- Victorian Certificate of EducationVictorian Certificate of EducationThe Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...