Memories of Mittagong (Work in Progress)

Why did I enter the brothers?

I have been reminiscing!!

I was brought up in a devout Irish Catholic family. On reflection, it was quite matriarchal. My paternal grandmother was a tiny, highly devout mother of seven (with a likable drunk larrikan for a husband). Three of her five sons became Christian Brothers. We lived with these grandparents for a couple of years when I was five or six whilst my Dad built our home at Berala.

I attended St Peter Chanel School (Brown Joeys) at Berala until the Primary Final.

My mother was highly protective (and domineering) of myself and my older brother.

Because we were relatively poor, I attended the closest Catholic High School. Lidcombe Marist Brothers. (Michael Wenden. An Olympic swimmer, attended Marist Brothers Lidcombe, he won gold in the 100m and 200m freestyle, silver in the 800m freestyle relay and bronze in the 400m freestyle relay at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics).

At Lidcombe, I recall that I was realtively bright (usually in the top two or three of the class). I also recall I thought I was many 'teacher's pet'. However, on reflection, this might more that I was an attention seeker, forthright and opinionated (hence noticed and commented on by my teachers. I was relatively big (weightwise) for my age. I recall being taken for a teacher when on excursions with my classmates.

Maybe I was a bit of a show-off and often attempting to be the centre of attention.

Anyways, at some stage I seem to recall the brothers suggested I might like to consider if I had a VOCATION.

I think the brothers at Lidcombe sent a few of on a weekend retreat to somewhere on the Northern Beaches. Whale Beach perhaps. I seem to recall interacting with some boys from the Solomon Islands who played guitar.

Coming from what was basically a single childhood (my brother was five years older) I think I enjoyed the company.

I also assume now that I may have been enchanted by the opportunity to get away from my mother's apron strings.

Anyhow, I decided to enter the Brothers.

(It was interesting to note whilst doing research for this article that Marist Postulants now live in Mills Lane, Lidcombe. I assume that this might be in what in my time was the Brother's House behind the High School.)

Some of my teachers at Lidcombe were Br. Sergius (Principal), Br. Redmond, Br. Benedict (Codd), Br. Leatus (Joe Mennie Professed 1941). Leatus was a disciplinarian with a cane. He would 'grab' a boy, bend him over his knee and 'whack' away. I gained some local notoriety when I challenged him with 'Don't you lay a hand on me' ... I was caned upright. (Enough said?). (When I visited with some of the Brothers at St. Greg's Campbelltown in 2010, one of them asked me what I thought of Leatus. Methinks there might be a skeleton in that cupboard).

The trip to Mittagong

My recollection is that we all met at Central Station and boarded a steam train for the trip to Mittagong (no I don't think it was the mythical Platform 13A of Hogworth's fame).

During the trip, I still have memories of trying to chat up some girls on the train (maybe they were from Frencham?)


The Juniorate 1964

Coming from a small two bedroom fibro house at Berala the Juniorate presented as an imposing and intriguing building.







The top floor dormitory
I was soon at my new home on the top (third floor, now demolished) of the Juniorate.

My bed was next to Tony Burrows.

A Funny Story (The Dead Rabbit)
When I finally caught up with Terry KAchel after some fourty plus years he told a story about a practical joke I played on him when we were at the Juniorate together.

Evidently I had killed a rabbit I had caught on one of the ovals