This week’s Principal Commissioning Ceremony was a special occasion for my family. Hopefully, it was also significant to the College given it marked the first appointment of an Old Aquinian to the role of Principal.

During the assembly, I provided the following message:
“It is wonderful to have students from the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools present here today.

The three biggest influences on my life have been my family, my friends and Aquinas College. It is particularly special for me to have my wife, Robyn in attendance and to have my brother Sean involved in the ceremony. We are a close family. Our childhood home is just across from the McMahon Oval and Aquinas has played a huge role in my family for the past 50 years. I am proud to be an Aquinian.

When I first walked into the grounds of Aquinas College as a Junior School student, I was filled with wonder and awe. As a much older Aquinian, I still have those feelings as I wander around our campus.

I was here when the Christian Brothers ran the College. Here in our Chapel is where I really learned to pray and got married; I was here when the first concrete was poured for our Swimming Pool; I was here when the Redmond Library was built. I was here when students used to run around the bottom ovals, which we knew as ‘the Desert’.

All that is history. Hopefully, today is much more about our Aquinas than it is about me.

As well as my family and EREA being present, we also have guests representing Catholic Education Western. We are part of a wider network of Catholic schools, and I am delighted that the Principals of Santa Maria College, John XXIII College, St Norbert College, Corpus Christi and Mazenod College are in attendance. They are my friends as well as my colleagues.

Mrs. Oaten’s presence is particularly important as we are both keen to further harness the relationship between Aquinas and Santa Maria. Mrs. Oaten is a former student of Santa Maria so we are both in quite a unique position.

Thank you to Dr O’Connell from Scotch College for joining us today. We are a PSA school and it is great to have that network represented.

I am absolutely delighted that my former colleagues from John XXIII College are in attendance. I love that school. I have always been very loyal to JTC, and I know that loyalty has been reciprocated. I learnt the value of loyalty as an Aquinian.

Thank you also to representatives of our College Advisory Council, Foundation and Parent Groups for their attendance. Most importantly, thank you to the young Aquinians and our staff, in front of me. You are the reason I am at Aquinas.

I am incredibly impressed with the young men I have met to date and our staff are wonderful. As Aquinians, I am determined that we will win with grace and lose with dignity in everything that we do. I am excited to be part of Aquinas College with all of you in the years to come.”

Robert Henderson
Principal