The Boatshed Renewal Appeal was launched on Friday 3rd May with a cocktail party at the Br NN Wilson Boathouse.

On what could only be described as an extraordinarily warm Autumn evening, guests arriving at the venue were treated to a stunning performance on the Canning River, with single sculls and jet skis powering through the water under the orange glow of the setting sun.

Inside the transformed Boathouse, Year 11 jazz band “Frankie and the Five “ provided easy-listening background music for guests to mingle, view decades-old rowing memorabilia, inspect the proposed building plans and artist’s impression of the boatshed, bid on silent auction items and purchase fresh honey from the honey bar or a drink from the cash bar.

Auctioneer and Boatshed Renewal Appeal Chair Peter Bowler provided additional entertainment later in the evening with the auction of three oars from the successful ’94 & ’95 crews.

Thank you to past and present rowing community members for supporting the event. All profits from the Launch evening will directly benefit the Boatshed Renewal Appeal. If you would like to support the Appeal by making a donation of money, memorabilia or silent auction items - for our upcoming rowing reunion events in June - please click here for further information.

Thank you to Peter and Robyn Bowler for providing the door prize of four night’s accommodation at their beautiful Gracetown beach house, the O’Hare-Searle family for the delightful honey bar, Christine Bogunovich for the two amazing silent auction hampers, Phylissa Jessop and Julia Schortinghuis for the stunning silent auction flowers and Greg from Liquor Barons for the silent auction magnums.

Thank you to our helpers on the night:

• Head Rowing coach Nick Collins for his enthusiasm and support across all areas
• our trusty P&F volunteers Mat Scott, Louise Jeffees, Una Henderson, Marie Condon and Catherine Martin who gave up their Friday night to run the cash bar
• rowing coaches Ben Davidson, Riley King, Phil Colic, Will Robinson, Cooper Reeves, Cameron Glover, Liam Rafferty, Chris Kilroe, Jono Van den Einden and Joel Kelly who served the canapes throughout the evening and helped with the clean up afterwards
• Year 11 jazz band "Frankie and the Five", comprising Luke Schortinghuis, Bryce Kilpatrick, Thomas Jessop, Samuel Dixon and Luka Humich, for the musical interlude
• Megan Sweeting and the Grounds and Maintenance staff for helping with set up
• Andre Trentini for providing our AV requirements
• Bernard Major and rowing boarders Matthew Clarke, Daniel Bumbak, Tom Johnston, Ben Smith and Jesse Harris who directed parking on the McMahon Oval

Finally, a big thank you to our Launch Committee – Julia Schortinghuis (Chair), Abby O’Hare-Searle, Phyllisa Jessop, Suzanne Teasdale, Helene Long and Christine Bogunovich, Louise Symonds (Foundation Office) and Nichole Rowson (Events & Alumni) - for pulling together a very successful and enjoyable evening.

The Aquinas College Foundation and Aquinas College are delighted to announce the appointment of Fiona Gebauer to the Foundation Council, commencing immediately.

Fiona will bring to the role of Foundation Councillor an abundance of experience in fundraising and sponsorship in the arts. Her qualifications include a Bachelor of Music Performance and Education from UWA on Viola, (she is still a passionate musician) and a Graduate Diploma in Business and Journalism from Murdoch University. Following her studies, Fiona spent time on cadetship with the BBC in the UK. With opportunities to study not for profit management in Australia rare, Fiona was delighted to be accepted to complete several modules in Fundraising and Philanthropy through Harvard University.

Ever passionate about the arts, Fiona has held the positions of Development Manager for West Australian Opera as well as Development Manager for the Perth International Arts Festival, where her team raised the multi-million dollar funds required to bring The Giants to Perth as part of the 2015 Festival. The acquisition of these significant funds from philanthropy, sponsorship and grants lead to Fiona being a finalist in the 2014 Telstra Businesswoman of the Year Awards.

Fiona has three children with her husband Dieter (’94), Torsten (6) Marius (4) and Estelle (1). Torsten and Marius will commence their Aquinas journey in 2021 and Fiona looks forward to watching her boys and Aquinas grow over the coming years – as does the College!

The Veritas Society welcomed three new members at a morning tea ceremony in the Chapel Meeting Room on Friday 13th March.

Hosted by Principal David McFadden and the Aquinas College Foundation, new members John (’65) and Bella Perry and Chris Garratt (’62) – representing his late brother Nick Garratt (’65) – were joined by Legacy Project Manager Virginia Eastman, Veritas Society Patron The Honourable Justice Eric Heenan (’62), Head of Development Peter Robertson, Head of Rowing Nick Collins, Foundation Executive Officer Louise Symonds and Alumni and Events Administrator Nichole Rowson.

The Veritas Society was established to thank and acknowledge friends and supporters of the College who let us know they will be leaving a gift to the College in their will.

Speaking at the presentation, Mr McFadden thanked John and Bella Perry and Chris Garratt individually, before presenting each one with their Veritas Society pin.

“We want to recognise the kindness and generosity of the three of you,” Mr McFadden said.

“Nick is one of the great names of Aquinas rowing, if not the great name. His gift to us wasn’t so much the success he brought to rowing, but the quality of man he brought and the relationships that he brought ... making the basis of rowing at Aquinas today,” he said.

He said the Perry family had made its mark outside Aquinas and nurtured the community of Mandurah, helping it become the wonderful place it is today.

“Your notion of generosity – the gift from both of you to the College – will be treasured. Our aim is to take it and fund bursaries for the disadvantaged who want to come to Aquinas College.”

John and Bella Perry

John Perry’s long association with Aquinas College commenced in 1960 as a boarder. In the years since graduating, he has continued his involvement with Aquinas College, marrying Bella at the Aquinas College Chapel in 1971, returning to the College for various events and reunions over the years and supporting College fundraising efforts, including the Boatshed Renewal Appeal.

After achieving his Leaving Certificate in 1965, John went on to complete the Real Estate Valuation course at WAIT (now Curtin), eventually returning to Mandurah to manage the family’s real estate agency, H&N Perry Mandurah. John’s successful real estate career spanned many years and many successful projects, including the development of the Garden City Shopping Centre in Booragoon and the high profile land developments at Madora Bay and Florida Beach Estate, Dawesville.

According to Bella, John often recalls his six years as a boarder at Aquinas with fondness “…where he had the opportunity of education, sporting success and the formation of personal values.”

“The school also sowed the seeds of giving assistance to those less fortunate. The Veritas Society will provide an avenue to enable talented young people to attend the College for an education they may otherwise have been denied,” she said.

Now retired, John and Bella - who has an Associate Diploma in Speech and Drama and spent several years teaching privately in Mandurah - are still heavily involved in the Mandurah and Peel Region, supporting groups involved with health, sport and education, including the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Peel Health Campus Foundation, Mandurah Performing Arts Centre and Mandurah Catholic College (Music Scholarships). They are particularly interested in supporting our youth.

Nick Garratt

In December 2019, Chris Garratt surprised Aquinas College Rowing with a gift from the estate of his late brother Nick who passed away suddenly in July. A prefect and crewmember of the 1965 winning 1^st VIII in his final year of school, Nick was a much loved and admired member of Aquinas College rowing and Australian rowing in general, across all levels and spanning many decades. Nick returned to Aquinas in the early 1980s as coach of the senior IVs, before pursuing his successful Olympic rowing career. Despite his international successes, he always maintained close ties with his College rowing club.

The Summer 2019 edition of the Fish magazine published a lengthy obituary in honour of Nick and his outstanding life achievements and is well worth reading.

Thank you to John and Bella Perry and Chris and Nick Garratt for your generous support of Aquinas College.

If you would like to learn more about including a gift to Aquinas College in your will and joining the Veritas Society, or you would like to notify us that you or a late family member have already included the College in your will, please contact:

T: (08) 9450 0799 E: foundation@aquinas.wa.edu.au

Headmaster David McFadden and the Aquinas College Foundation welcomed past Captains Jeremy Burke (’17) and Tim Bodlovich (’18) back to the College for the commissioning of the Peer Scholarship Program plaques for the Classes of 2017 and 2018 on Friday 3^rd May.

Following in the inaugural footsteps of the Class of 2017, it is now College tradition for each leaving class to contribute the life-changing gift of a two-year half-scholarship for a boy as their parting gift to the College. Students are asked to consider a contribution of $50 in their final year at the College, with a further contribution of $50 per year for the first two years out of school – that’s around one dollar per week for three years.

With the completion of renovations to the Heritage Room last term, the plaques commemorating the gifts from the Classes of 2017 and 2018 now take pride of place on its north-facing wall, with plenty of space for future contributions.

Speaking at the ceremony, David McFadden thanked the boys for their support of the Peer Scholarship Program, a program that exemplifies the mission of our Founder Edmund Rice - making a difference in the lives of boys from challenging financial positions.

Contributions to the Class of 2019 Scholarship Gift can be made by visiting the Online Store and selecting “Peer Year Scholarships” from the drop down menu, or by contacting Louise Symonds at foundation@aquinas.wa.edu.au

The Class of 2018 returned to the College for the annual Aquinas College Foundation Leavers’ Breakfast in the Churack Pavilion on Wednesday.

The boys enjoyed a delicious cooked breakfast and a chance to catch up with their peers, as they poured over their final College Annual.

Dean of Development Peter Robertson warmly welcomed the graduates back to Aquinas, emphasising the importance of the Annual Leavers’ Breakfast as a mechanism for the boys to reconnect with the College and their peers, so soon after graduation.

Peter congratulated the boys on their generous contribution to the College by way of the Class of 2018 Scholarship Gift, adding “…there is now a young man at Aquinas College who would not be here without your help”. Following a commissioning ceremony in early May, the 2018 scholarship commemoration plaque is hanging on the interior, north-facing wall of the Heritage Room, alongside the Class of 2017 plaque.

Old Aquinians’ Association President Matthew Noonan-Crowe also addressed the boys, encouraging them to join the OAA to take advantage of the wonderful social and networking opportunities available to them through membership.

For further information about the OAA and upcoming events, please visit the OAA’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/oldaquinians/ or contact Matthew at matthew@valentilawyers.com.au

We wish the Class of 2018 the best of luck in the next stage of their lives and look forward to many more opportunities to welcome them back to Aquinas College.