Docco's Diary | St Peter's College in 1996

With a thirty-year milestone reunion of those who left in 1996 coming up on Saturday November 7 2026, we looked back thirty years and remembered the good year that 1996 was at St Peter’s College.

There was a mood of confidence in Australia in 1996 as the Australian economy grew in 1996-97 for the sixth year in a row since the recession of the early 1990s. In the 1996 summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, Australia achieved its greatest ever Olympic result in winning 41 medals: nine gold, nine silver and 23 bronze. Old scholar Simon Arkell, who had left in 1983, represented Australia in the Pole Vault. He first learned the Pole Vault on the Northern Ovals at St Peter’s College when he was a boy in Woodcock House at our School. He visited a Woodcock House Muster in 1996 prior to Sports Day 1.

We had 1,077 boys in the school in 1996. In the Senior School there were 600 dayboys in nine Houses: Da Costa, Farrell, Hawkes, Short, Woodcock, MacDermott, Howard, Young and Farr. 109 boarders were in School or Wyatt and Allen House. There were 368 boys in the Junior School.

The academic results in the SSABSA Examinations of the 1996 cohort were again excellent. Chilton Chong and Gabriel Hung both gained five Certificates of Merit, and were among the eleven students in the State to achieve this distinction. Sixty-five Certificates of Merit were gained by boys who scored 20 in particular subjects. Others to do well included Pedro Lee, Ben Heinsohn-Deer, Sudhan Hamsanathan, and Alan Cheng (four 20s); Julian Whiting, Stephen Worthley and James Burchnall (three 20s); and Rishi Agrawal, Ming Hao Tan, Meng Fong, Alexander Themistocleous and Sam Gosse (two 20s). Eighty-one of our boys gained 72 or more out of 90, and 41 gained 81 or more out of 90. 785 subjects were examined. 333 As and 295 Bs were gained.

Anthony Roediger, Dux of the School in 1989, won the 1996 Rhodes Scholarship for South Australia. He became our 39th Rhodes Scholar.

Dr Andrew Thomas became our first Old Scholar to enter space when he successfully completed his mission aboard the Endeavour space shuttle in May 1996. He visited the School in late September.

Old scholar Scott Hicks enjoyed stunning success with his sensitive and moving film “Shine”. “Shine” had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 1996, followed by a theatrical release in Australia on August 15. At the 69th Academy Awards, the film was nominated for seven awards including Best Picture, with Geoffrey Rush winning Best Actor. Scott attended St Peter's College from 1967 to 1969 and was in Howard House. He had previously won major awards for Sebastian and the Sparrow in 1990, and an Emmy Award for his four hour series Submarines: Sharks of Steel in 1994.

Photo: Scott Hicks (HWD 1969)

Those who left in 1996 may remember that by the end of the year construction had already started on the Science, Art and Technology (START) Building. As the Headmaster said, “This was to be a resource which would have the twin benefits of replacing somewhat antiquated and crowded facilities and enabling us to take advantage of new directions in education and in technology in particular”. He commented: “Such a resource will, I hope, give us increased flexibility to offer both the academic and non-academic student a curriculum that is stimulating and enriching, and encourage that important balance between the theoretical and the practical, the analytical and the aesthetic”. How right he was!

In 1996 a large number of students prepared for Confirmation, and on Sunday, 23rd June, The Assistant Bishop of Adelaide, The Right Reverend Stuart Smith, confirmed those students in the presence of a packed Chapel of families and friends. Six others were baptised.

Under the banner of Action for Mission, a number of initiatives occurred in 1996. The annual Senior School's Founders' Day Run raised in excess of $5,700. The Mission management resolved that funds raised by students throughout the School in such activities as the Run, Casual Clothes Days and Pie and Pasty Days, and the Mission activities in the Junior School, and matched by funds from the Mission Guild, would be donated in 1996 to a number of causes. It was resolved that after many years of untiring support of our Year 10 programme, some of our agencies should receive assistance, so $500 was donated to each of the St Peter's Child Core, Wanslea Child Care, Hackney Kindergarten, Rose Park Pre-school Centre, St Luke's Mission, Riding for the Disabled, and to the volunteer services of the Julia Farr Centre. In the child care centres the money was for books or play equipment, while at the last three centres, the money was to assist in conducting their volunteer programmes. Following the visit of Bishop Kolini, of the Diocese of Shaba in Zaire, the Mission decided to donate, with Junior School support, $4,000 to be used in equipping Anglican schools in that war-devastated country. Mission Management also decided to support the Archbishop's Appeal for the refurbishment of the Magdalene Centre to the amount of $20,000. This was fitting, as the building was erected in 1912 by St Peter's College, and maintained as our Mission headquarters until 1957.

Nathan Adcock, Captain of School commented: “For me the most satisfying donation was the money we gave to provide homeless young people with start-up kits. These kits enabled us to help people who have shown and are continuing to show that they are willing to help themselves, and in my opinion these people deserve every chance we can give them, and I am glad that we will continue to support them in this way”.

A Keys Award was made to Tyson Vickery. He was a member of the First XI Cricket team for three years and Captain of the 1996 winning Intercollegiate side. His batting prowess has led to his selection in the ISSA team and the Under 17 State squad. In Soccer he represented the School at First XI level for three years, showing his versatility first as an effective striker and later as a stalwart defender and, by his own example, inspiring his team mates. He was Captain of the 1996 winning Intercollegiate Soccer team. In Athletics he won the A.K. Gordon Trophy in 1995 for the best individual performance and this year was the Open Age Champion, despite being still in the Under 17 Age group. He showed himself on many occasions to be a fine middle distance runner and a tough competitor. Not only has he shown impressive leadership in the sporting arena, but as Captain of Farrell House and a School Prefect he has been a fine role model to other boys.

Photo: Tyson Vickery (FLL 1996) 

 A large number of our boys distinguished themselves in a range of Mathematics competitions across the year.

In the Australian National Chemistry Quiz, several of our boys were presented with plaques.

There were a range of concerts and public performances by our musicians across the year. Jono Sloan was selected in the Super Band at the National Jazz Festival in Mt Gambier.

In March The Little Quad (now Allen Quad) proved a perfect setting for the delightful Italian comedy "The Servant of Two Masters". The 1996 magazine commented: “As a company the performers managed to create a feeling of ensemble and a strong connection with the audience. The excellent script, strong design concept, delightful music and sparkling performances combined to produce a delightful performance in a venue which deserves a lot more productions in the future”.

The sixth annual French Drama production was another success. Le Barbier de Seville took actors and audiences back to the costumed wit and elegance of the Eighteenth Century with a lively interpretation of Beaumarchais' comedy. “A dedicated cast from Saints and Wilderness put many hours of preparation into the three successful performances. Their efforts were admired by full houses on each occasion, and the enthusiastic response of all audiences must surely have made all the hard work worthwhile for the actors. Once again, the difficulty in performing in French, and mainly Eighteenth Century French at that, was a major hurdle. However, the confidence and fluency gained by the actors in surmounting this language barrier fully justified the great effort involved”.

Tim McArthur's performance in "Nits" at the Adelaide Festival in March was outstanding.

There were again a range of clubs and societies that provided opportunities for boys. These included: Art Club, Aviation, Chess, Computer Society, Debating, French Society, Future Problem Solving, German Society, Model Solar Car Club, Mooting Society, Public Speaking, Sailing Club, Scientific Society, Tae Kwon Do, Tournament of Minds, UNICEF Ambassadors, Young Achievement Australia.

The Exploration Society had a busy year. Activities included a Coorong Kayaking Venture, a basic rock climbing course, a Cross country ski venture to the Bogong High Plains, a Flinders Ranges Venture, Surf Kayaking and a Blue Mountains Venture.

1996 was an excellent year for sport.The Achilles Cup was won for the 26th year in a row.

In cricket, Nathan Adcock, and Chris Taarnby, who made 189 in the 118th First XI intercollegiate match (the second highest score by a Saints player in the 119 year history of the Intercol and the fifth highest of all time), were selected for the State Under 19 side as well as joining Ashley Newland and Tyson Vickery in the Independent Schools team. We won the Intercollegiate match by an innings and 51 runs.

In badminton we lost an exciting Intercollegiate match 6 rubbers to 3.   

The 1st VIII Rowing Crew won the Head of the River in fine style, following impressive victories by both the 2nd VIII and Open IV crews.

We had a victory over our traditional rivals in tennis.

Onno Koelman was selected in the State Under 17 Water Polo team and the Under 17 Australian Squad. We had a successful tour to New Zealand.

Our swimming team finished a very creditable third in the SASSA A grade final, behind Pembroke and Rostrevor who won for the third year in a row.

In the winter three of our best performance came from our soccer, rugby and basketball teams.

In soccer we showed tremendous character in the Intercollegiate Match to come back from 1 - 0 down with five minutes to go, and win 2-1.

The rugby team capped off a brilliant season with a polished performance, and ended the run of close Intercollegiate matches with a well-deserved victory.

Our basketballers ventured bravely into enemy territory for their Intercollegiate match, again in front of a vocal crowd. We were able to get it all together on the night, and, in a terrific display of consistent and determined teamwork, we won.

Tom Black captained the SA Under 17s Schoolboys Hockey team.

In the football we lost the Intercollegiate match by a point. Hamish Tamlin gained all-Australian selection after his performance for SA in the Teal Cup.

Debating was another contest in which we took the upper hand, when our speakers imaginatively and persuasively convinced us "That all tables should not be round".

In 1996 the book “The Founding Years 1847-1878”, written by Dr John Tregenza, was published. It is an account of the School from its beginnings to the retirement of Headmaster G.H. Farr in 1878. It is an impressively detailed, beautifully written work.

Those who left in 1996 may remember that the Guest of Honour on Speech Day was Dr Barbara Hardy, the environmentalist and scientist. Her focus is ecologically sustainable development, renewable energy production, and biodiversity. She was South Australian Citizen of the Year in 1996. When she received her Australia Day award, saying "I believe that Australia is an absolutely wonderful place. We are particularly lucky". How right she was!

There was again much at St Peter’s College in 1996 that was “strong, and lovely, and of good report”.

Researched and written by David Docwra
David Docwra retired from St Peter’s College in December 2015 after 37 years’ service and is fondly remembered by many as a dedicated teacher, a committed coach of squash, cricket and soccer, and most especially as a passionate Head of Hawkes House for 21 years. David remains connected to St Peter’s College and regularly provides historical articles for the St Peter’s Old Collegians’ newsletters. In 2023 David was made an Honorary Member of the St Peter’s Old Collegians’ Association.