The Gala Dinner will be a three course meal with a 5 hour beverage package. The evening will commence at 7pm and conclude at 12am. The cost will be $130.00 per person and the dress code is formal: 'after five' for ladies and suit & tie for men.

Payment is required at the time of booking and refunds will be available up to Monday August 15 after which there must be a 10% surcharge that reflects arrangements that the College has entered into with the Hotel Sofitel.

We are advised that tables will seat 10 people, the organisers will endeavour to seat alumni years together.

The Sofitel has also indicated that accommodation options are available at a discounted rate. The discounted rate for Aquinas Guests attending the dinner for a 'Classic King Room' is $275 per room per night and can be gained by phoning the hotel direct (03 9653 0000) and quoting AQU090911. Breakfast is available for an additional charge of $30 per person.

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On Saturday evening September 10 there will be a large scale Reunion Event at the College. This will be quite informal. During the evening finger food will be served and people will have the opportunity to purchase drinks. Given the number of students who have attended Aquinas it is important that we have a registration process and registrations will take place across July and August. We are looking forward to a very large attendance and a vibrant and wonderful evening.

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The Reunion weekend will conclude on Sunday September 11 with the Return to Aquinas afternoon. This will provide families with the opportunity to come and reconnect and as well look at the many developments that have taken place at the College over recent years. There will be barbeque options and we hope that a number of our current students can be in attendance to provide childcare and play options such as face painting and the like for younger children.

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Join in the Celebration

Belinda Ashe - 02-05-2011

In 2011, Aquinas College celebrates its 50th year of Catholic education. The College community recognises that it has been the commitment, energy and vision of past staff and students of the College that has enabled it to forge its wonderful place in secondary education in Victoria. From its humble beginnings in 1961 with 129 students and 3 teachers, Aquinas has grown to become one of the leading Catholic regional co-educational Institutes in Melbourne.

To celebrate this exciting occasion, we invite you, past and current students, teachers and friends of Aquinas to a number of commemorative events in 2011. The College Community is hosting a Gala Concert, Jubilee Dinner and a Return to Aquinas Weekend. Join us at one or all of these celebrations as we remember those events and people that have significantly shaped the spirit and vision of the College.

Like the key aspects of Catholic life, let us gather together, telling the story and celebrating the College's 50th year as we look forward to another 50 years of allowing students to soar.

Click here to tell your friends about the celebrations

Illuminare et Ardere

Tony O'Byrne - 02-05-2011

It is pleasing to pen these words to former students of the College from across the fifty years of our proud history. We are looking forward to the various celebrations that recognise the important contribution of Aquinas College to the lives of so many families. Already our Opening Mass which incorporated the Blessing and Opening of our new $10.7M Senior Years building has gone off most successfully.

Honour Board Inauguration

Tony O'Byrne - 17-06-2011

A very pleasant function was held at the College on the evening of Thursday June 2. Our first two Honour Boards, one recognising former Captains of the College and the other those who have been Dux of the College were officially launched. It was pleasing to have so many of those represented on the Honour Board present. All in all there were nearly 70 of our former College Captains and Duxes present and a
number more family members and friends and members of staff.

Gala Concert

Tony O'Byrne - 02-05-2011

The Gala Concert on May 27th at the Melbourne Convention Centre Theatre was a wonderful event for the College and I am sure it will be fondly remembered for years to come. It was especially pleasing to have present three Christian Brothers who played very important roles in the development of the ethos of the College across its early years. Fifty years of providing Catholic secondary education is a wonderful achievement and it was good to be able to celebrate it with so many of our community in this manner. Former staff members and parents present also commented very positively on the evening and were delighted to have received an invitation. They also were delighted with the quality of performance.

Gala Dinner

Tony O'Byrne - 02-05-2011

The major formal event of our 50 Years Celebration is the Gala Dinner that will take place on Friday September 9 at the Hotel Sofitel in Collins Street Melbourne.

We look forward to this being a wonderful evening that will celebrate the life of the College over 50 years and the people who have contributed to developing the wonderful community spirit that characterises the College. We look forward to the attendance of many former students spanning the College's 50 years, members of staff and also parents and friends of the College who supported its development. It is wonderful that I can indicate that Founding Principal Sr Gabrielle Kelly OP has accepted our invitation. I think it would be quite unique for a College to be able to welcome one of its founding principals to a 50 Years celebration. It is also pleasing that many former staff stretching back to the early years of Aquinas will also be with us. They are listed below.

  • Sr Helen Reed RSJ
  • Br John O'Halloran CFC
  • Br Mark O'Loughlin CFC
  • Br Terry Burke CFC
  • Mrs Adele Miller
  • Mrs Sue Ferdinando
  • Mrs Jocelyn D'Souza
  • Ms Di Moss
  • Mr Jim Miller
  • Ms Alison McNeil
  • Mr Jock Arthur
  • Mrs Phillipa Lovell
  • Sr Lynette Young RSJ
  • Mr Tony Box
  • Mr Peter King

The night will also be special given that we will have our first inductees to the College Honour Roll. A brief biography for each is given below and it is clear that they have contributed much in their chosen career or vocation to the wider community not only here in Australia but across the world. We look forward every second year to inducting more former Aquinians into our College Honour Roll.

Click on the names to view the brief biography:

Lieutenant General Peter Leahy AC

Peter Leahy completed his studies at Aquinas in 1970 before entering Royal Military College Duntroon and pursuing a highly decorated career in the Australian Army. From 2002 – 2008 he held the position of Chief of Army. He is retired from the army and is now Professor and Foundation Director of the National Security Institute at the University of Canberra.

Professor Alan Dupont

Alan Dupont completed his studies at Aquinas in 1967. He has a PhD in International Relations and is also a graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon. He is one of Australia's foremost thinkers on international security and is currently the Michael Hintze Chair of International Security and Director of the Centre for International Security Studies at the University of Sydney.

Associate Professor Barry Morphett

Barry Morphett completed his studies at Aquinas in 1969. He has worked as a Consultant, a Physician and a Gastroenterologist and in 2007 was appointed Associated Professor and Director of the Greater Green Triangle Clinical School at Deakin University School of Medicine. He is also a member of the examining panel of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.

Sr Lee Davison OLSH

Lee Davison finished at Aquinas in 1972. She joined the Religious Order of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart which has a tradition of working in developing countries and missionary situations. She is currently working in Tzaneen which is approximately five hours by road north east of Pretoria in South Africa. Part of the work of the sisters in Tzaneen is around providing a Health Ministry dealing with the scourge of AIDS.

Mr Michael Humphris

Michael Humphris completed Matriculation at Aquinas in 1967. He has gone on to a highly successful career as a Chartered Accountant and registered Liquidator. The Richmond Football Club made him a life member due to his years as their Finance Director among other roles and he has also made a significant contribution to the Yooralla Society in Victoria.

On a number of occasions I have commented that our 50 Years Celebration is akin to a school reaching maturing adulthood and I believe this is certainly the case with the College. The spirit of Aquinas has always been a wonderful one of community, co-operation and commitment and this is due to the many staff and thousands of students who have passed through the portals of Aquinas College since 8 February 1961. We look forward to celebrating all of this and hopefully you can attend as many of the events as possible especially the Gala Dinner.