40 YEARS OF THE HOUSE SYSTEM
Since 1968, Marist Canberra has been a part of and had its footprints on the land of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples. As a College, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we stand. We acknowledge the continued deep spiritual attachment and relationship they have to this land and commit ourselves to the challenge of Closing the Gap and the ongoing journey of Reconciliation.
“Our boys become who they experience us to be. When they are met with goodness, they learn goodness.”
Men who value relationships, who understand the importance of community and who carry with them a lasting sense of belonging.
How vertical House Groups reshaped belonging
Matthew Hutchison leaves Marist College Canberra stronger, more hopeful, and well positioned for the future.
“It means being a person the boys can trust and confide in, displaying the Marist values everywhere I go.”
“Follow your passion. Be willing to brave the storm. And measure your success not by numbers but by growth.”
awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. One man. Two wars. A lifetime marked by service.
By contrast, there is Pte Charles Sharp who adjourns the honour board, who never returned. When Australia called for volunteers during the First World War, he enlisted in July 1915 despite being 46 years old—older than most men volunteering for the AIF. After training, he sailed from Sydney with the 30th Battalion and eventually joined the fighting on the Western Front. In the brutal fighting of 1916, as Australian forces fought to push German troops back in northern France, Private Sharp was killed in action on 30 July 1916.
For the young men of Marist, it means choosing to live with integrity: standing up for others, keeping your word, showing courage over comfort, and serving your community without seeking recognition. That is what “strong minds, gentle hearts” looks like beyond the College gates.
Not everyone is called to serve in uniform, but all are called to live lives of purpose.
The names on our honour boards were once boys like those who stand in our College today. Their service was not an idea—it was a lived commitment. Their example challenges each of us to consider how we will respond in our own time.
Not every Marist Old Boy returned.
Among the names on the Marist Darlinghurst honour roll are young men, not much older than today’s students, whose stories history has not preserved in full. We see their names in brass or ink, yet we know little of who they were—their ambitions, their friendships, the lives they might have lived. What we do know is this: they sat in Marist classrooms, learned the values of faith, kindness, and service, and when called, they answered. Some never came home.
The story of Marist College Canberra is deeply connected to its Darlinghurst origins. More than 250 Old Boys from Marist Brothers’ High School Darlinghurst served in the First World War alone, with 28 making the ultimate sacrifice. Their names remain a powerful reminder that this history is not distant—it belongs to our community.
And among those Old Boys is Lieutenant John Joseph Witton Flynn, MC—a Darlinghurst Old Boy who served in both the First World War (in France) and the Second World War (in the South West Pacific) and was
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These men were once students—boys with friendships, aspirations, and futures ahead of them. Their legacy lives on not just in honour boards, but in the responsibility it places on each generation that follows.
Today, as we stand in Canberra—our national capital—it is fitting to remember that the names on our honour boards are not only history; they are a responsibility. They challenge us to live in a way worthy of what was given.
Many of you know I come to this day not only as a citizen, but as someone who has spent a lifetime in service. That experience has taught me something simple:In the hardest moments, what matters most is character.
At Marist, we speak of forming “strong minds and gentle hearts.” This idea resonates deeply on ANZAC Day. The ANZAC Spirit is about both: strength— the kind that endures hardship—and gentleness—the kind that refuses to lose our humanity in the face of it.
Remembrance, therefore, is not passive. It asks something of us.
As we remember them, we do so with gratitude and respect—and with a shared commitment to live lives worthy of what was given.
May we honour their sacrifice not only in words, but in the lives we lead. And may this Marist community continue to form young men of faith and courage —strong in mind, gentle in heart, and worthy of service.
Lest we forget.
During the summer holidays, Marist staff and students embarked on the trip of a lifetime to France.
We were very lucky to get some rare snow in the city which then led to snowball fights and sore faces. The boys especially loved going to the Parc des Princes stadium, home of Paris’ beloved PSG football team.
Unfortunately, we didn't get to see any of the players, but the boys were happy to pick up some cool jerseys from the shop.
good and sometimes the bad of what the local French cuisine had to offer.
After an amazing weekend getting to meet some great new people while discovering parts of a brand-new city, we regrouped for a few days to tour around the landmarks of Lyon.
While the French Study Tour has traditionally taken place in the Term 1 break, a change up in 2026 allowed participants to experience a winter wonderland.
Three students took the time to record their experiences.
Beyond these activities, we also made our way north of Paris to a town called Villers-Bretonneux, a site of many WW1 battles and situated there is the John Monash Centre. This is a FrancoAustralian museum to commemorate and recognise the Australian soldiers’ sacrifices to protect the town.
We also experienced a school day alongside our hosts where we saw the differences compared to Marist College Canberra. Longer school days, 2-hour lunch breaks and some much stricter teaching proved a very new and unique experience.
On the third of January we departed for Doha where we had a short stopover and then finally arrived in Paris. All of us were very relieved to stand on firm ground after the long flights and eager to begin our two weeks of seeing the sights and occasionally speaking some French. After settling in we made our way around the city, exploring the streets and iconic locations such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Elysees, the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.
In the second week of the trip, we left the snowy streets of Paris and took the train down south to Lyon where we met our host families who we’d be staying with for the next week.
This week, rather than staying in hotels together, we each stayed with a student from our sister school Sainte-Marie Lyon. We began with a weekend to ourselves alongside our host families where many of us got used to both the
We closed out the Lyon trip with a big dinner with all the boys and their hosts followed by some sad goodbyes. After leaving Lyon, we spent our closing hours back in Paris taking an incredible boat tour and doing some last minute shopping before taking the long flight back to Australia.
This trip was the best experience of many of our lives. Learning French, building some great friendships and seeing a whole new culture in one of the best parts of the world is something I would 100% recommend to everyone as I’m only missing it more every day.
There was a perfect balance of roaming the cities, visiting the essentials, and just relaxing and bonding with other people.
I would also like to acknowledge Mr Bergin, Mr Dwyer, and Mr Ahearne who accompanied us; their presence enriched the trip and added a touch of humour. It is imperative that we also thank Fatima, the tour guide from World Strides who took us everywhere in Paris - her experience with Paris and teenagers made her the best tour guide for us.
We went on this trip to understand a language, yet we came home understanding each other — strangers becoming friends, small moments becoming big memories, and La France forever woven into our hearts.
Homecoming a hit
Commencement Mass
World-renowned Scientist Visits Marist
displayed exemplary behaviour, respect, and sportsmanship.
competed across a variety of track and field events, including sprints, middle-distance races, jumps, throws and novelty events.
The day was filled with excitement as students cheered on their teammates and contributed valuable points to their Houses. It was particularly pleasing to see so many students stepping outside their comfort zones and embracing new challenges.
Across all three carnivals, students displayed exemplary behaviour, respect and sportsmanship. We thank our staff, volunteers, and supporters for their assistance in making these events successful. Congratulations to all students for their efforts and achievements throughout the sporting carnival season.
Final Standings
Swimming Carnival
1 ) Le Rosey - 926 points
2 ) Mark - 874 points
3 ) Francois - 817 points
If you’d like to support more families in our community with the life-changing gift of education, please scan the QR code above or reach out via foundation@mcc.act.edu.au or visit www.maristcfoundation.org.au
Access, stability and belonging can change the course of a boy’s life
We love hearing what our Old Boys and former staff are up to.
Each edition we invite Old Boys to share some of their Marist memories and life beyond Marist College Canberra.
If you are an Old Boy, former staff member or former College family and would like to share your story, please contact news@mcc.act.edu.au or send us a DM via the Marist College Canberra pages on Instagram or Facebook
You can also scan the QR code below and share your story
That match was as captain of the First XV and the occasion was the semi-final against Daramalan.
Six years on, Bowron made his return to the College as part of a Brumbies side playing a Super Rugby Pacific trial against NSW Waratahs on February 5.
“It’s really exciting to be back, I have so many memories here and a lot of my mates here at school I still hang around with. It’s really nostalgic to come back.”
A member of the class of 2020, the now 23-year-old was hit with a wave of nostalgia as he made his way down to the ground, past the familiar Parents Building and not-so-familiar Veritas.
The last time Liam Bowron ran onto Oval 1, the world was in the midst of a global pandemic.
“It’s nostalgic, big time,” he said. “You always come back here and look around and little things have changed but a lot of it is the exact same as when I was here.
“The Jubilee Building just got finished when I was in Year 12 so we were lucky enough to use that building and there’s always new ones getting added which is exciting.”
In 2024, three years following graduation, Bowron was plucked from club rugby with Royals to make his Brumbies debut.
He has since established himself as a consistent member of the Brumbies squad and been selected for Australia A.
In many ways, Robert exemplifies the best tr Marist Old Boy – a lea keen sportsman, a volunteer and someone who gave everything a go in his career.
Robert started at Marist Brothers High School (MBHS) Darlinghurst in 1957 and graduated in 1961.
Kiwi by birth, Robert took to the school’s preferred code, rugby league, with gusto, captaining the 1961 Darlinghurst senior rugby league team which won the Metropolitan Catholic Colleges (MCC) competition, following upon the victorious 1960 team captained by the late Neil McKenna.
Those football matches rank high amongst Robert’s fond memories of school and served a as microcosm of the broader culture enjoyed by Old Boys of Darlo.
Richard Dixon, Doc O’Connell, Chris Grygiel, Tony Hagan, Ken Graham, Neil Griffin, Graeme Morris and Gerry Fanning.”
“Watertight defence, line speed and slick passing to our speedy wingers Larry Boyd (RIP) and Owen Shiels, who in 1961 scored the premiership winning try against St Pat’s in the last minutes of the game. In 1959 Darlo won the Junior Division so 1959-1961 was one of the most successful periods in the School's history.
A prominent player in 1959 was Daryl Rees, father of NSW Premier Nathan Rees. In 1961 Darlo’s spirited ‘never say die’ attitude had prevailed once again. The camaraderie at the Marist High School was exceptional.
so many of his Darlo colleagues and has been part of the glue that has maintained the loyalty, friendship and bonds between so many of them despite the School having closed almost 60 years ago.
“Except for a gathering hosted by Tony Zahra (LC 60) the last forty annual reunions from 1980 until 2019 took place at our Centennial Park home, with an average attendance of 24.”
Post-school life
Robert, a capable footballer and cricketer, developed into a keen competitive golfer and was captain of the world ranked NSW Golf Club for seven years from 1994 to 1998 and 2004 to 2007 and was instrumental in writing, with some fellow members, a well-received history of his famous club, subsequently being honoured with Life Membership.
After school, Robert attended Marconi School of Wireless and after working as a television technician for three years was convinced by his father to join him in a fledgeling furniture and home improvements business in Oxford St Darlinghurst known as Cheapside.
Named after an historic medieval shopping market in the City of London, Cheapside benefitted tremendously from the two decades of post WWII immigration of predominantly Greek, Italian, and Maltese, who were attracted to
