March 2021 Dan McErlean Bryan McSweeney 12 Werona Street email:[email protected] Sunnybank Qld 4109 Dear Old Boys St Mary’s College began the 2021 School Year with the arrival of our new Principal Brendan Stewart, enrolments now 940, including an additional Year (5) Class. Then the Blessing and Opening of the Edmund Rice Cultural Centre, which overlooks the Brother Frank Rodgers Sports Fields on the corner of Hill and Helen Streets, was officially opened on Tuesday 2/2/2021 The building caters for full College assemblies, provides state of the art lecture rooms for educational purposes and learning demonstrations and has tiered seating arrangements. The fit out includes a Kitchen area and an Archives display which depicts the great history of St Mary’s College. The lower floor includes a gymnasium, weights room, as well as students change room facilities, and leads out directly to the Sports Fields. Yes Boys – It’s On, The next meeting of the Brisbane Sub-Branch of the Toowoomba (St Mary’s) Brothers Old Boys’ Association will be held on Friday 26 March 2021 from 11:30am in “Harlequin Jacks” Bistro in the Sofitel Hotel situated above Central Station. Please remember in your prayers Old Boys and Friends of the College recently deceased: Life Member Rev Fr James Byrne (1949-1953) the second son of the late Dick and Moreen Joyce (Fitzpatrick) Byrne and brother of Anne, Patrick, Redmond, Denis and Mary Frances. Rev Brother Gary Ferguson (1951-1956). Rev Brother B.P.McCrossan – St Joseph’s College Staff 1982 and St Mary’s College 1983-1984. Life Member Brien Dunne (1942-1948) husband of Patricia (Roney) & father of Stephen, Maree, Rosie, Michael, John and Bernard and brother of Sister Regis Mary AM. Life Member Jim Mullins (1942-1948) husband of Fay brother of Mary, Joe & John (all dec), Patrick & Brian Life Member Kevin Killoran husband of Colleen (Scott), brother of Jack and Brian (dec), Patricia & Carmel. Life Member John Orford (Scholarship 1947) husband of Glenda (Carroll) father of Natalie, Mark, Paul and Grant and brother of Eric Neil (dec), Ian, Gae, and Margaret. Life Member Daniel Reilly (1939-1946) husband of Carmel (Carmichael). Denis Healy (1946-1948) husband of June (dec) & father of Graham and Peter. Colin Meneely husband of Moya (dec) father of Monsignor Peter, Jan Maree (Brennan) and John. Terrance Michael (Terry) Muller husband of Annie, father of Joel and Andrew and brother of Lorraine (Fraser), Noel, and Trevor(dec) . Also please remember in your prayers a number who are unwell or recovering from surgery: John Arndell, Tim Coonan, Colin Green, Gail (Rosenthal) Mahon, Wally Nugent, Joe Short, Bob Sullivan, Philip Stephens, Grahame Swenson, Kevin Garrett, Syl Stower, Max Winter, Jim Hannant, and Bevan Zeller. Annual Membership Fee ($10.00) for Calendar Year 2021 is now due / or Life Memberships are available (Fee $100.00) Cheques for Membership should be made payable to the “Toowoomba Brothers Old Boy’s Association” * * * Cheques as donations towards the Indoor Sports Complex should be made payable to ‘Br. Baptiste O’Sullivan Building Fund’. Bryan McSweeney: Brisbane Branch President: Mobile 0420 565 712 Dan McErlean: Secretary: Ph (07) 3345 4404 1 Late in 2020 two of our long serving Life Members, When Dan retired in 1992 he had served (45) years Daniel William Reilly and Brian Regis Dunne, with the Commonwealth Bank in a career which had passed to Eternal Life. Their occupations were seen him working hard and often long hours, and somewhat different, Dan a Bank Officer and Brian a being recognised for his loyalty to his employer and Railway Engine Driver. respected across the organisation. Daniel Reilly (24/11/1930 – 19/9/2020) Carmel & Dan then returned to Queensland and Dan Reilly was the settled in Carindale where they lived until the last youngest of five children year or so when they moved into St Luke’s Green in and the only son of his Buranda. Dan enjoyed his involvement with Probus parents Daniel & Rose and as Co-ordinator of the Brisbane Sub-Branch of Reilly. He was lovingly our Toowoomba (St Mary’s) Old Boys Association doted upon by his four for some (20) years. sisters Pat, Maureen, Phyllis and Eileen. He was well versed in current affairs and had a great record and CD collection. Dan was a man generous in His early education years spirit and generous with his time and the couple had a were spent at St Saviour’s huge influence on the lives of his extended family Jim Convent where he was and Kim (Carmichael) and their children Jake, Bronte joined by life long friends (Fr) Pat Hall, Kevin Garrett and Isaac, sharing in birthday parties, life milestones, and Kevin Bartenstein. In 1939 his Class Group regular bar-be-ques and numerous trips around enrolled at St Mary’s College in Grade 2 to be taught Brisbane and Sydney. by Rev Bro J.A. Geraghty. The Principal was Rev Bro J. Levander. Astute, Quiet and Unassuming and with a strength of character to which people seemed to be attracted, Dan A keen member of football teams and a very good was always ready to offer support. A ‘Good Guy’ student, Dan completed Junior in 1946. He had a who will be dearly missed, he passed away on number of opportunities; but elected to join the 19/9/20 and was laid to rest on 25/9/20 after a Mass Commonwealth Bank after successfully passing their of Thanksgiving offered by Rev Fr Varghese at St examination. Other classmates –Leo Bailey, Frank Luke’s Church, Buranda. Deighton, Philip Stevenson and Sylvester Stower were appointed to positions in the CBA that year. Brien Regis Dunne (29/10/1933 – After work he enjoyed games of tennis with Luke 14/10/2020) Dillon, Les Stephson and others. Brien Dunne a 1942-1948 student passed away on the Dan was selected to join the Bank’s State Inspection 14/10/2020 and Old Boys Staff for a few years and coincidentally, at around this of that era will recall that same time there was another Bank Officer travelling his mother Mrs Denny the State, teaching Staff how to use a range of Dunne was the maker of accounting machines. She was Carmel (Carmichael) the Debutante cakes for the and the two often met up at various Branches, as they Annual Brothers Old Boys’ cris/crossed Queensland. Eventually they tied the Balls. His sister; Sister knot, on a very wet weekend in 1963 at the Sacred Regis Mary AM was a well Heart Catholic Church in Sandgate. known Sister of Mercy at the Mater Hospital, Late that year they were posted to Mount Isa and 15 Brisbane. months later were appointed to Toowoomba and then On leaving St Mary’s Brien commenced work with Brisbane. The next move was to Sydney where he the Queensland Railway Department as a cleaner and worked his way up to a very Senior position, then fireman on steam locomotives in Toowoomba, eventually leading the Bank’s Personnel Division. before moving on to the diesel era when transferred to Central Queensland in the early 1960’s. Here he 2 drove diesel locomotives, triple headers, hauling coal born on the 3rd July 1934 in Gatton, the son of trains on the ever-expanding rail network from farmers Jack and Minnie Healy. centres like Blackwater to coastal ports. In 1942, Jack decided to sell the family farm and lease a hotel in Toowoomba which the family On the 11/10/1958 he was married to Patricia Roney eventually bought. That hotel was the Gladstone by Rev Fr Peter Murphy in their Parish Church, Holy Hotel in Ruthven Street. Denis attended at St. Mary’s Name. The bridal party was Val (Roney) McErlean, College from 1942 - 1947 and was a schoolmate of Barbara (Littleton) Butler, John Morris (Best Man) Father Hal Ranger as well as other prominent people and Les McKee (Groomsman). The couple were like Henry Wagner. blessed with (6) children – Michael, John, Bernard, Stephen, Maree and Rosie. His brothers-in-law are Jack Healy died in 1954, just a few months before his Old Boys Ron and Allan Roney. son Denis was due to marry the love of his life, June Henry. They were married in St Patrick’s Cathedral A Life Member of our Association, Brien worked later that year. hard to achieve successive Railway promotions and often rostered on for shift-work away from home. He Denis, his new wife and his mom who most people was ever thankful of the role Patricia played as a good knew as Ma Healy, started running a business that care-giver when he was absent so much. would become legendary in the hotel industry in Toowoomba. He unconditionally supported his family to achieve their education, something he missed out on going to Two years later in 1956 Graham was born and second work at an early age when his father was disabled in son Peter in 1959 – both St Mary’s Old Boys. Peter an accident permanently. represented Queensland in Rugby Union and was as a successful Risdon Cup winner and coach, while He showed his great sense of service to the Graham was elected to State Parliament and had a Community, as a Justice of Peace, Member of the St successful radio broadcasting career. Vincent de Paul Society and as the founder of the Men’s Shed at Emu Park. After 34 years Denis and June sold the Gladstone Hotel and went relieving managers at hotels around For some 30 or more years Brien and Pat lived in the state and then for 10 years were bar and catering North Rockhampton and then Emu Park, before managers at Clifford Park Racecourse before they relocating to Brisbane in recent years to be closer to retired.