Aquinas College, informally known as Aquinas or AC, is an independent Roman Catholic single-sex primary and secondary day and boarding school for boys, located at Salter Point, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia.

The history of Aquinas begins with Christian Brothers' College, Perth (CBC Perth) which was founded in 1894 on St Georges Terrace in the City of Perth. Aquinas opened in 1938, when the headmaster, boarders and some day students from CBC Perth moved to the new campus at Salter Point. While CBC Perth continued to operate as a day school, Aquinas inherited the College colours of red and black, membership of the Public Schools Association (PSA), as well as the College honour boards, achievements and history for the period 1894–1937.Massam, p. 1

The campus at Aquinas was built on elevated land which is part of the site at Salter Point. The site includes a large area of bushland on the Mount Henry Peninsula with over of water frontage on the Canning River.

Currently, Aquinas College accepts day students from Kindergarten to Year 12 and boarding students from Years 7 to 12. School fees range from $7,353 for a Kindergarten day student to over $53,514 for a boarding student. The campus includes expansive sporting grounds, and boarding facilities for 210 students.

Aquinas is affiliated with the Public Schools Association, the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia, the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia, and the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia.

History

Foundation

The Christian Brothers opened CBC Perth on 31 January 1894. CBC Perth was built on the corner of St Georges Terrace and Victoria Avenue in Perth. The College was also commonly called CBC Terrace.Massam, Katharine (1998).On High Ground: Images of One Hundred Years at Aquinas College, Western Australia University of Western Australia Press CBC Perth was the first Christian Brothers school as well as the second oldest high school and the second oldest boarding school in Western Australia.

The Brothers were invited to the colony by Bishop Matthew Gibney who knew of the work of the Brothers in Ireland, England, and in the eastern colonies of Australia.South Perth Municipal Heritage Inventory (accessed:14-02-2007)

At first, CBC Perth was a day school. However, due to the rapid population growth in Western Australia during the gold rush, the Christian Brothers were pressured to allow boarders to live in makeshift conditions at the College.Florey, Cecil (2000), Canning Bridge to Clontarf: An Historical Journey Along Manning Road The first boarding students were enrolled in June 1896. Accommodation at the site was very limited and overcrowded. In 1917, Brother Paul Nunan, headmaster of the College, set-about acquiring a larger property away from the city centre in order to reside the whole school on a much larger campus.

College schism At first, the Brothers entered into negotiations for the purchase of 8 hectares (20 acres) at Point Heathcote on the Swan River. The negotiations fell through and in 1928 the Brothers purchased 95 hectares (234 acres) on the Canning River, just east of the Riverton Bridge, and they named the property Clune Park.City of South Perth Municipal Heritage Inventory (No.1). 1994 The following year the Great Depression started and plans to develop this site were shelved.Florey, Cecil (1995), Peninsular City: A Social history of the City of South Perth

In 1936, at the instigation of Brother Paul Keaney, the superior of nearby Clontarf Orphanage, 62.4 hectares (154 acres) were purchased from the Manning family at Mount Henry Peninsula on the Canning River at a cost of £9,925.Massam, p. 123

In April 1937, builders Snooks and Sons successfully tendered to build the College at a cost of £21,350. Earlier that year, the work of clearing the grounds and preparing the site was taken up vigorously with squads of boys from the old college playing a major role.Massam, p. 123

In 1937, CBC Perth began to splinter. Boarders and some day boys started moving to the fast developing Aquinas College campus at Salter Point.Westcourt – Christian Brothers WA & SA (accessed:14-02-2007) In 1937, the PSA committee agreed to transfer PSA membership and records of CBC Perth to Aquinas. Although CBC Perth continued as a day school until 1961, Aquinas inherited the College colours red and black, as well as the College honour boards, achievements and history for the period 1894–1937. The inheritance was largely due to the driving efforts of Brother C.P. Foley who was headmaster of CBC Perth and the founding headmaster of Aquinas. Brother Foley was steadfast Aquinas was not a new Christian Brothers school. The Brothers obeyed and in the ensuring schism the heritage of CBC Perth was removed. CBC Perth was no longer a member of the PSA. The colours of CBC Perth became light blue, royal blue, and green, and the college raised new honour boards from 1938 onwards. In 1962 CBC Perth moved to the new campus at Trinity College by the Swan River on the East Perth foreshore.

Aquinas The Aquinas College foundation stone was laid on 11 July 1937, and the school opened in February 1938 with 160 boarders and 55-day pupils. Brother C.P. Foley was the first headmaster.Curriculum Council of Western Australia (accessed:18-02-2007) The Catholic Archbishop of Perth, Redmond Prendiville, addressed the headmaster and students on 19 November 1938: "With the proud traditions of St Georges Terrace to sustain it, and with the additional advantages of new quarters and ideal surroundings, I have no doubt that Aquinas College will achieve still greater results in the moral and intellectual training of good Catholics and good citizens".

The Edmund Rice Administration wing was built in 1937. The main wing was brick in the late tradition of Federation Romanesque architecture, similar in style to CBC Perth. In its early years, the College extensively used wood framed and galvanized iron clad buildings for both dormitories and classrooms in order to cope with the steadily growing number of pupils.

1951–1979 In 1951, the College's premier oval, which is overlooked by the Edmund Rice Administration wing was named Memorial Oval to commemorate Aquinians who lost their lives at war. A scoreboard was constructed on the oval and is named after Brother C.P. Foley the first headmaster of Aquinas.

The first major classroom block, named the Murphy Wing in honour of Brother V.I. Murphy who was headmaster of the College from 1951 to 1956, was built in 1955.

The construction of the McKenna Wing, which was named after Brother V.C. McKenna who was the deputy headmaster of the College from 1963 to 1966, was completed in 1962. This was soon followed by the junior school in 1963, the Chapel of St Thomas Aquinas in 1966 and the completion of the main boarding wing in 1967.Aquinas College Brochure. Published by Aquinas College. c1990's

In 1975, the swimming pool was constructed. It was one of the first 50-metre swimming pools to be constructed in schools. This was followed by the Redmond Learning Centre (library) in 1975, which was named after Brother M.F. Redmond who was on staff at Aquinas for over 45 years.

1980–2000

In 1980 the College embarked on a further expansion which saw the addition, between 1981 and 1983, of the senior classroom block, the manual arts building, the art centre and finally, the gymnasium.

Because of ever increasing pressure on enrolments in the school and the need to involve married and single lay staff in the care of boarders, the college built new boarding accommodation in 1986 and renovated buildings to provide needed classrooms.

In 1987, the Aquinas College board was established with the responsibility for the day-to-day educational needs of the students – this area includes all teaching staff, the headmaster and the head of residential facilities.Aquinas College Website The major responsibilities of the board include forming policy, planning future developments, and financial management.

At first all teachers at Aquinas were Christian Brothers. The Brothers were gradually replaced by lay-teachers. By 2011, there were only two Christian Brothers actively teaching at the College. The first lay-headmaster of Aquinas, Robert White, was appointed in 2000.

Recent years The main entrance of the college was remodelled in 2003, with the cupola from the original Christian Brothers College building on St Georges Terrace as the focal point. The drive has five pillars with dates engraved in them that are significant in the College's history, and a large wall with large brick sections and smaller sections – which symbolise the highs and lows that the College has been through.The Aquinian Newsletter – 2003, Term 2, Week 3

In 2004, the Aquinas College Foundation was established, it exists under the auspices of the Christian Brothers, this unit is responsible for acquiring (through donations) and providing the funds necessary to operate, maintain and expand the school.Aquinas College Website – Foundation Page (accessed:17-02-2007) The Foundation operates independently from the Board to ensure a sound financial future for the College, however it does work collaboratively with the College to assist in achieving the College's vision.

2006 saw the College embark on further expansion. Churack Pavilion was constructed on the banks of Memorial Oval and the school canteen was relocated to the farside of the Murphy Wing.Aquinas College FISH Magazine – Winter 2007

At the beginning of 2011, the Brother Paul Centre was opened on the south-east side of the school. The state-of-the-art facility includes specialist classrooms and playing arenas for badminton, basketball and volleyball.

In late 2016 work started on a fourth boarding house named Brothers' House which was completed in mid-2017. Gibney, Pinder Boor and Nunan are also being refurbished in stages, with the Nunan due to be finished in mid 2018.

The development of a 650-seat recital hall and music centre, a new hockey building, a university centre and new tennis courts was approved in October 2024.

Headmasters

Ordinal Headmaster Term start Term end Time in office Notes Br. C.P. Foley 1938 1938 1 year Br. William V. Green 1939 1944 6 years Br. Thomas B. Garvey MBE 1945 1951 7 years Br. Vincent I. Murphy 1951 1956 6 years Br. Walter G. Hall 1957 1962 6 years Br. J.C. (Bill) Woodruff 1963 1968 6 years Br. Leo B. Hassam 1969 1974 6 years Br. D.F. Drake 1974 1978 5 years Br. Terrence X. Hann 1979 1986 8 years Br. John Carrigg 1987 1993 7 years Br. Kevin Paull 1993 1999 7 years Bob White 2000 2007 8 years Mark Sawle 2007 2016 10 years David McFadden 2017 2022 6 years Robert Henderson 2023 incumbent 2 years

Robert Henderson (Class of 1979) is the first Old Aquinian to lead the College.

Campus

Aquinas College is located on a property with of water frontage along the north bank of the Canning River. The land, which falls within the Manning ward of the City of South Perth, is valued at A$1.2 billion. All of the land belongs to the school which manages and funds the area – including the Mount Henry Peninsula.

The campus comprises a number of buildings and sporting facilities necessary for the day-to-day educational needs of the students. Two of these buildings are of historical significance, the Edmund Rice Administration Wing and the Chapel, which are listed with the Heritage Council of Western Australia.

Mount Henry Peninsula is a land feature and reserve located south of Perth, which is owned by the Christian Brothers as part of the Aquinas property. The region is recognised as a Bush Forever site and is listed on the Register of the National Estate.