By Max Davies
Assumption College marked its 130th anniversary with a gala at Crown Palladium last month, bringing together college alumni and current families for a night of celebration and recognition.
Among the Hall of Excellence inductees were past students who had gone on to have meaningful and impactful careers, including firefighters, politicians, physicians, scientists, and an Australian Air Force officer.
There was also a portion of the evening dedicated to Assumption’s ‘Rising Stars’ – students who graduated in the past 20 years that are progressing in their careers and working towards greater achievements.
Assumption principal Kate Fogarty said it was special to see so many college alumni and current families together at the celebration.
“The highlight of the night was certainly the celebration of the 10 new inductees into the Hall of Excellence and Rising Stars – all who are worthy role models for us all and our motto ‘Quae Supra Quaere’ – to see the things that are above,” she said.
A posthumous inductee to the Hall of Excellence was Father John Brosnan, who attended Assumption from 1934 to 1937 and went on to become a strong advocate for human rights and civil liberties. He was recognised for his lasting impact on the lives of many people.
Also inducted was Damian Drum, a former politician who served in both state and federal parliaments for more than 20 years and was a strong advocate for the development of projects to create employment for communities and support economic growth. He attended Assumption from 1975 to 1976.
Assumption also took the opportunity to recognise some of its sporting ties, as well as announce new partnerships with Essendon Football Club, Netball Victoria, Cricket Victoria and Melbourne United Basketball Club.
“In recognition of our partnership with Liverpool Football Club, there was an incredible performance by our dance troupe, our college band and vocalists of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, followed by a rousing rendition of our college song ‘Shandon Calls’,” Ms Fogarty said.
“We are deeply grateful to each of these organisations for their courage in joining us in this new endeavour and look forward to sharing our work together over the coming years.”
ACK Hall of Excellence inductees
John Brosnan (Class of 1937)
Ordained in 1945, Father Brosnan was a strong advocate for human rights and civil liberties and the posthumous honour recognises the lasting impact he had on so many lives.
James Tibballs (Class of 1965)
An intensive care physician at the Royal Children’s Hospital from 1979-2022, Dr Tibballs, an associate professor, has researched and taught resuscitation, poisoning, envenomation, paediatrics, and law and ethics, with a particular focus on organ donation and procurement.
Robert Chipman (Class of 1988)
Air Marshal Robert Chipman is a highly decorated officer in the Royal Australian Air Force with a distinguished career spanning three decades. He was appointed as Australia’s Military Representative to NATO and the European Union in 2019.
James Michael Butler (Class of 1966)
Currently the professorial associate in the Department of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, Dr Butler has also served as the President of the Australasian College of Dermatologists and the Skin and Cancer Foundation of Victoria.
Damien Meredith (Class of 1974)
Mr Meredith has presided over Kia Australia as Chief Operating Officer since 2014 and has contributed to numerous boards including the Clown Doctors, the Community Concussion Board and Chair of the Nova Peris Foundation. He also spearheaded the campaign to build the college’s Neale Daniher Sports Pavilion.
David McNamara (Class of 1982)
After many years working in the not-for-profit sector, Mr McNamara was appointed as Foodbank Victoria chief executive in July 2013, bringing with him his lifetime love of food and drive to change the injustice of food insecurity.
James Dullard (Class of 1978)
Mr Dullard was appointed assistant chief fire officer of Fire Rescue Victoria in 2020. Instrumental in leading fire service reforms, he continues to provide front line command and control duties by attending major incidents and multiagency events.
Peter Traynor (Class of 1978)
Mr Traynor received the Distinguished Service Award from the Australian Society for Microbiology in 2012 and was a finalist in the 2019 Unsung Hero of South Australian Science Awards and honorary life member of the Australian Society for Microbiology.
Damian Drum (Class of 1976)
A strong advocate for the challenges specific to rural and regional Australia, Mr Drum served his community for over 20 years in both State and Federal Parliament. This honour acknowledges his selfless service to community.
Tony McNamara (Class of 1984)
Mr McNamara made his film debut in 2003 directing The Rage in Placid Lake, which won several awards. Writing for various Australian TV shows, he also received critical acclaim for his work co-writing The Favourite, which earned him a BAFTA in 2018.
Rising Stars
Kaitlyn Cummins (Class of 2002)
Establishing The Play Project in 2017, Ms Cummins’ work in occupational therapy supports parents to raise happy, healthy, and confident kids.
Belinda Bourne (Class of 2007)
As the national lead clinical nurse consultant managing the paediatric heart and lung transplant programs at both The Alfred Hospital and The Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Belinda has also led various research projects, published numerous papers, and presented at key local and international medical conferences.
Tony Armstrong (Class of 2007)
A rising star in Australian sports media, a talented writer, creator and Silver Logie winner, Mr Armstrong was the first Indigenous person to call live AFL on commercial radio.
Alisa Urokohara (Class of 2016)
After graduating in 2016, Ms Urokohara took a gap year in Japan to teach English. Successful as a songwriter, she landed the role as host of popular Japanese children’s show ‘ABC Broccoli’.
