Page 22 - The Gonzaga Record 1985
P. 22
Milltown Park, who were glad to discontinue living amongst the book-stacks of
Milltown Park library. They drop out of our story here for a few years. There was a
ditch between the two properties, and the theologians lived their own mysterious
lives in Sandford Grove. In the meantime, Sandford Hill had to be prepared as the
new school and Community house combined.
What the Jesuits had acquired as the start of their new College was the
following: a large seventeen-roomed house, which however would require much
repair and alteration to fit it for a school and community house. The grounds
consisted of seven and a half acres: this included a well-kept vegetable garden; an
open field in front of the house; some ornamental gardens around the house, and
some out-houses down in the yard, which were in an indifferent state of repair.
On 21 June, the feast of St Aloysius Gonzaga, a temporary altar was established
in the house, and Rev. Michael O'Grady, SJ the Rector of Milltown Park,
celebrated the first Mass in the house in honour of the new Patron.
Five days later a qualifying entrance examination was held, at which twenty-
eight prospective students of the new College presented themselves.
The house was then given into the hands of plumbers, carpenters, painters,
electricians. The bulk of this work-apart from the re-wiring of the whole house for
electricity - was in the basement. An excellent job was done in providing a kitchen,
a scullery, a Community refectory, as well as a lunch room and toilet for the boys.
Three class rooms had to be fitted up, two on the ground floor, and one upstairs. If
there is any advantage to be gained by pupils from 'Jesuit contact' they certainly
had a lot of it in those early years. Whether the 'pupil contact' did anything for the
Jesuits, apart from the noise level, is anyone's guess!
First Jesuit Community
With the publication of the Status (Appointments) on 31 July 1950, the feast of
St Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus, Gonzaga College acquired its
fir st official Jesuit Community.
They were: Fr Charles O'Conor, SJ as Superior; Fr William White, SJ as Prefect
of Studies; Fr John Murphy, SJ as Minister; and Fr Timothy Hamilton, SJ.
By 14 August 1950 the reconstruction of the house had so far advanced that it
was possible for the small community to go into bare residence ('bare' being the
word), sleeping and working on the premises, but availing themselves of the
hospitality of Milltown Park for their meals. (It was not until 6 October that meals
could be provided in the College itself.)
Opening Day: 8 September 1950
Gonzaga College opened on 8 September 1950 with fifty-two boys on the roll.
Mass was celebrated in the Chapel of Milltown Park by the Rector for the boys
and their parents. Afterwards the boys returned to the College where they
assembled in their respective classrooms. The ages varied between eight and ten.
Had applications in the different age grades been more numerous, up to seventy-
five boys could have been accommodated, but in the nine and ten age grades
appl cations were relatively few. Amongst those who did apply, some were too old,
others too young, and a number not sufficiently advanced for the classes
contemplated. A stand had early to be made on these points, even at the cost, for
the moment, of some empty desks which could otherwise have been filled .
14
Milltown Park library. They drop out of our story here for a few years. There was a
ditch between the two properties, and the theologians lived their own mysterious
lives in Sandford Grove. In the meantime, Sandford Hill had to be prepared as the
new school and Community house combined.
What the Jesuits had acquired as the start of their new College was the
following: a large seventeen-roomed house, which however would require much
repair and alteration to fit it for a school and community house. The grounds
consisted of seven and a half acres: this included a well-kept vegetable garden; an
open field in front of the house; some ornamental gardens around the house, and
some out-houses down in the yard, which were in an indifferent state of repair.
On 21 June, the feast of St Aloysius Gonzaga, a temporary altar was established
in the house, and Rev. Michael O'Grady, SJ the Rector of Milltown Park,
celebrated the first Mass in the house in honour of the new Patron.
Five days later a qualifying entrance examination was held, at which twenty-
eight prospective students of the new College presented themselves.
The house was then given into the hands of plumbers, carpenters, painters,
electricians. The bulk of this work-apart from the re-wiring of the whole house for
electricity - was in the basement. An excellent job was done in providing a kitchen,
a scullery, a Community refectory, as well as a lunch room and toilet for the boys.
Three class rooms had to be fitted up, two on the ground floor, and one upstairs. If
there is any advantage to be gained by pupils from 'Jesuit contact' they certainly
had a lot of it in those early years. Whether the 'pupil contact' did anything for the
Jesuits, apart from the noise level, is anyone's guess!
First Jesuit Community
With the publication of the Status (Appointments) on 31 July 1950, the feast of
St Ignatius Loyola, Founder of the Society of Jesus, Gonzaga College acquired its
fir st official Jesuit Community.
They were: Fr Charles O'Conor, SJ as Superior; Fr William White, SJ as Prefect
of Studies; Fr John Murphy, SJ as Minister; and Fr Timothy Hamilton, SJ.
By 14 August 1950 the reconstruction of the house had so far advanced that it
was possible for the small community to go into bare residence ('bare' being the
word), sleeping and working on the premises, but availing themselves of the
hospitality of Milltown Park for their meals. (It was not until 6 October that meals
could be provided in the College itself.)
Opening Day: 8 September 1950
Gonzaga College opened on 8 September 1950 with fifty-two boys on the roll.
Mass was celebrated in the Chapel of Milltown Park by the Rector for the boys
and their parents. Afterwards the boys returned to the College where they
assembled in their respective classrooms. The ages varied between eight and ten.
Had applications in the different age grades been more numerous, up to seventy-
five boys could have been accommodated, but in the nine and ten age grades
appl cations were relatively few. Amongst those who did apply, some were too old,
others too young, and a number not sufficiently advanced for the classes
contemplated. A stand had early to be made on these points, even at the cost, for
the moment, of some empty desks which could otherwise have been filled .
14
