Bernie's Bulletin

2026 Event Calendar  Bold = updated events

Compassionate, community-minded, charitable and resilient — these are just some of the ways to describe old collegian Phil Gatens (Class of 1972), who has recently been nominated for a Westfield Local Heroes Grant.

As a life member and board director of the Caroline Chisholm Society, Phil has helped ensure vulnerable women, children and families receive support during some of life's most challenging moments. He provides governance leadership that helps sustain services which supported nearly 800 children last year. Additionally, he and wife Sue have been active and involved members of our local community for many years, helping local schools, sporting clubs and dance clubs. Phil has done all this while fighting his own battle with cancer – an incredible effort.

In recognition of this work, Phil has been nominated for the Westfield Local Heroes Grant, giving him the chance to receive $20,000 for Caroline Chisholm. This would make a massive difference to the society’s cause in assisting local families in need, and helping women at risk. 

We encourage our community to get behind Phil and vote for him on the Airport West Local Heroes page – you can do so at the link here.

Thank you to Sue Gatens for reaching out and sharing the amazing work Phil and Caroline Chisolm do in our community!

If you know any old collegians who have been successful lately, let us know at development@sbc.vic.edu.au - we'd love to celebrate them!

The 2026 SBOCA Bowls Day was a terrific occasion, bringing together old collegians and our wider community for an enjoyable day of friendly competition and SBC spirit. Our bowlers enjoyed a BBQ lunch and drinks as they competed in the Pairs event.

Congratulations to our winners, Tony Milesi and Adrian McCormack, who played superbly throughout the day and finished as deserved champions.

A special acknowledgement also goes to the other finalists, Michael Christie (right) and James Swindon (left), who produced a strong performance and contributed to an entertaining final.

Thank you to the Aberfeldie Community Bowls Club for hosting, and to all players who participated and helped make the day such a success. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for our next Bowls Day, planned for around the same time in 2027.

The St Bernard's Class of 1975 are organising another reunion event for 2026. Please see the below message from Simon Madden:

Our reunion group had such a good catch-up last year that we want to do it again. The 1975 HSC year will be gathering at the Moonee Ponds Club on Friday, 16 October at 7:00pm to continue the stories. Hope to see you all there!

🔔 GUEST SPEAKER UPDATE 🔔

Carlton champion and AFL Hall of Famer Stephen Kernahan will be our third guest speaker for the 2026 AFL Grand Final Lunch. As a premiership captain, five-time All-Australian, all-time goals record holder for Carlton, and former president of Carlton, Stephen has plenty of stories from both on and off the field.

Stephen joins inaugural Brisbane Bears player and media personality Matt Campbell and former Carlton Blues Communications Manager Ian Coutts as our fantastic panel for the day.

📅 Friday, 25th September 2026
🕒 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
📍 The Moonee Ponds Club, 622 Mount Alexander Road, Moonee Ponds
🎟️ $120 per person
🍽️ Includes a two-course meal with premium steak

(alternative options are available to cater to dietary requirements)

Tickets on sale now - click here to book!

RSVP by Sunday 20 September. Please email Vinnie McGuire at development@sbc.vic.edu.au with any enquiries.

Congratulations to John Wieladek (Class of 2001) who was recently sworn in to the Magistrate's Court of Victoria. John (left) is pictured below with Richard Niall, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, after the swearing-in ceremony. The second photo features two generations of old boys, as John is pictured with his dad, Bill Wieladek (Class of 1967).

We invite all our old collegians to join Alumnly, our social platform helping our old collegians to connect and grow.

Whether you're browsing through photos from cherished moments, exploring or posting job opportunities, staying updated on upcoming events, or curious to know where your old classmates are now, our platform is here to cater to your needs. You can also share your own achievements and stories, fostering deeper connections within our vibrant community.

It has been great to see lots of sign-ups already and Old Boys have begun networking, updating their profiles and reminiscing with photos from back in the day.

Sign Up Here

2026 will see most of our alumni reunions occur on the same night.

Lock in Friday, 27 November, where the College will host all 1 to 50 year reunion cohorts in one big extravaganza in the brand-new Tobin Building cafeteria and the adjoining spectacular Piazza. All from the classes of 2025, 2021, 2016, 2011, 2006, 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986, 1981 & 1976 are invited for one big reunion party! Tours will be organised to view our new facilities with food and beverages available. 

Invites will be sent directly as we approach the event dates.

As the College's current Japanese students prepare for their upcoming study tour, this week we look back to the same trip from 2009.

Extract from the 2009 Clairvaux

Honouring our esteemed old collegians is deeply important to the College. If you wish to submit Vale notices for inclusion in The Strand magazine, please send them via email to development@sbc.vic.edu.au. Your contributions allow us to respectfully remember and celebrate the remarkable individuals who have been part of our community and have sadly passed away since our last publication.

Vale notices submitted will be acknowledged in the next edition of the Strand in Term 4 of 2026.

We greatly appreciate your support in helping us honour their memories.