Bernie's Bulletin

2026 Event Calendar  Bold = updated events

Congratulations to old collegian Damien O'Brien (Class of 1973) who was recently appointed Chair of the Board at Catholic Health Australia.

Catholic Health Australia represents the nation's largest non-government network of hospitals, aged and community care services, providing approximately 10 percent of hospital and aged care services in Australia. With previous experience as a director of St Vincent’s Health Australia, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Egon Zehnder, and an Associate Consultant with McKinsey & Company, Damien is more than up to the task.

We wish Damien all the best in his new role!

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 SBOCA Bowls Day returns in 2026! A fantastic opportunity to connect with Old Collegians, enjoy friendly competition, and win some cash from our $1500+ prize pool. Open to all in our St. Bernard’s community– Old Collegians, Current Students, Family and Friends.

This year's event will have teams of two - sign up together or join as a solo player and pair up with someone on the day. Who knows - you might be partnered with a secret prodigy!

📅 Sunday 30th August 2026
🕒 Registration opens from 9:15am for a 10am start
      Play finishes at 4pm
🍽️ Lunch and afternoon tea provided, refreshments available.
🎟️ $50 per person or $100 for a team of two.

Book Tickets Here!

For more info/enquiries please contact:

Gerard Mahoney (Community Bank Keilor East)
M: 0412 165 912    E: gerard.mahoney@ekcfs.com.au

or Vinnie McGuire (St Bernard's)
P: 03 9289 1105     E: development@sbc.vic.edu.au

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

SBOCA will be holding their next Old Boys Night on Thursday, 3 September and their next Old Boys Lunch on Wednesday, 9 September - both at the Laurel Hotel in Ascot Vale. Old collegians of all generations are invited to join these casual pub catch-ups!

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.

Yesterday (20 August) was the feast day of St Bernard, and as is tradition in the College we celebrated with a whole school mass. (Thank you to all the old collegians from our Golden Years cohort who attended as our special guests!)

This week we look back at the St Bernard's Day celebrations from 1989 - as documented in that year's 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.