Aquinas College on

Montefiore Hill Montefiore Hill is a small hill in North Adelaide, South Australia, which affords a view over the Adelaide city centre. Location and description The hill lies within the northern Adelaide Parklands, within the area known as Park 26: Adelaide O ...

, at Palmer Place,

North Adelaide North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct and suburb of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands. History Surveyor-General Colonel William Light of the colo ...

, is a residential college providing accommodation and support for Roman Catholic students at one or other of Adelaide's universities:

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

Flinders University Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator ...

and the

University of South Australia The University of South Australia (UniSA) is a public research university in the Australian state of South Australia. It is a founding member of the Australian Technology Network of universities, and is the largest university in South Australi ...

. The centrepiece of the establishment is "Montefiore", once the residence of Sir Samuel Way and (later) his family.

History

The building "Montefiore" was purchased by the Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide in 1945 and in 1948 dedicated by the Bishop of Adelaide as a residential college for male Catholics studying at the

. It was intended to function in much the same way as the nearby St Mark's had served male Anglicans since 1925 and St Ann's had provided for females of any persuasion since 1947. In this respect Adelaide had fallen behind the other capital cities, according to the master of St Mark's, Dr A. Grenfell Price. Father Cornelius P. Finn SJ, previously Dean of Newman College of the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

, commenced his duties at the college on 17 January 1950. The college, which was expected to cater for 50 students, opened in March 1950 with 20 enrolments. Inter-college sporting contests began almost immediately, with the first cricket match being won by Aquinas. Its official opening took place on Sunday 30 September 1951, when Archbishop Beovich performed the blessing ceremony and Sir

Mellis Napier Sir Thomas John Mellis Napier (24 October 1882 – 22 March 1976) was an Australian judge and academic administrator. He was a judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia between 28 February 1924 and 28 February 1967, Chief Justice of South ...

, Chancellor of Adelaide University, declared the college officially open. By this time there were 40 students and a "considerable waiting list". In 1975 the all-male college became co-residential. By 2020 there was accommodation at the college for 200 students.

List of rectors

Originally recruited from the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

, from 2014 rectors of St Aquinas College were supplied by the

Marist Brothers The Marist Brothers of the Schools, commonly known as simply the Marist Brothers, is an international community of Catholic religious institute of brothers. In 1817, St. Marcellin Champagnat, a Marist priest from France, founded the Marist Brother ...

. *1950–1951: Rev. Cornelius Finn SJ *1952–1961: Rev. Michael Scott SJ *1962–1969: Rev. Bryan Buxton SJ *1970–1975: Rev. James McInerney SJ *1975–1982: Rev. Ian Howells SJ *1983–1986: Rev. Daven Day SJ *1986–1997: Rev. Theo Overberg SJ *1997–2000: Rev. Michael Head SJ *2001–2004: Rev. John Shanahan *2005–2006: Mr Sam Armstrong *2006–2011: Prof. Denis Ralph *2011–2013: Dr Colin MacMullin *2014: Brother John Furlong FMS (acting) *2015–2017: Brother Paul Gilchrist FMS *2018– : Brother Michael Green FMS

Notes and references

External links

Aquinas College Website
{{coord, -34.91214, 138.59384, format=dms, type:edu_region:AU-SA, display=title 1950 establishments in Australia Residential colleges of the University of Adelaide North Adelaide

History

List of rectors

See also

Notes and references

External links