Holy Cross College, Ryde


Holy Cross College is an independent Roman Catholic secondary day school for boys, located in the Sydney suburb of Ryde, New South Wales, Australia, established in the tradition of the Patrician Brothers.

History and tradition

In 1808 Bishop Daniel Delany established in Ireland the Congregation of the Brothers of St Patrick and sought to have the youth of his native land instructed in the principles and lifestyle of the Gospels. The Patrician Brothers arrived in New South Wales in 1883, opening a Boarding College at Ryde in 1891. The College moved to its present site in 1896. The great sandstone edifice which is now a landmark of the district gradually rose on the heights above the Parramatta River. It celebrates its 125 years of educating young men in 2016.

Motto and crest

The Crest was designed in the early 1900s, and was installed in a stained glass window of the Oratory in the Monastery building. In 1959, a larger replica was installed in the new College Chapel. The Crest features the Waratah and Shamrock entwined, symbolising the shared Patrician Apostolate of Australia and Ireland. In one adaptation, the Harp is replaced by the Southern Cross. The overall design of the Crest is technically termed "Quarterly per Cross" and "Cross Fillet". The stars indicate the Southern Cross. Clockwise, from top left, the Quarters symbolise:
Students entering the College in Year 7 have a core teacher who works with them in at least three subject areas. The team of core teachers work together to meld the curriculum outcomes across the several subjects they teach, thus 'buying back' class time and providing greater opportunity to engage in project-based learning, using notebook computers especially reserved for the Year 7 cohort. This approach to junior secondary schooling allows teachers to know students and their needs well and thus better cater for them. This approach to learning also encourages boys to 'learn how to learn', equipping them better for the greater independence and autonomy that come in the later high school years.

Information Communication Technology (ICT)

Higher School Certificate results in ICT have in recent years been up to ten points above State average. The College possesses extensive computer facilities, including a new state-of-the-art Technology and Applied Studies complex. Notebook computers are widely used by students throughout the school, with the option of a purchase/lease program to assist families who with their sons to have a personal notebook for home and school.

Principals

The following individuals have served as Principal of Holy Cross College:
YearPrincipalNotable Achievements
1891Fintan O'NeillFirst Principal of Holy Cross College
1891-93, 1899-1904Andrew Dwyer
1894Stanislaus Bergin
1896Louis Hunt
1897Anthony Lee
1898Dominic Rickerby
1905-07, 1912-19Boniface Carroll
1908-11, 1923-24Beningnus Kealy
1920-22, 1925Canice Grimes
1926-28Celsus Daly
1929-36Austin O'Connell
1937-39Alphonsus Eviston
1940-43, 1948-54Aloysius Hannigan
1944Charles Cody
1945-47Anthony Phelan
1955-56, 1960-65John Gallagher
1957-59Norbert Phelan
1966-68Patrick Lovegrove
May 1968-70Mark Ryan
1971-80Stephen Aitken
1981-86Philip Mulhall
1986-97, 1999-2000Anthony Visser
Acting 1998Frank Malloy
2001-02Matthew Mahoney
2003-08Garry WilliamsFirst Full-Time Lay Principal
2009-16Adam Taylor
2017–presentPhillip StewartSchool Captain of Holy Cross in 1984

Notable alumni