Mission In The Mountains: St Bernard’s Katoomba and “Clairvaux”

On a fateful 7 December 1941, the Japanese attacked the United States naval facility at Pearl Harbour. Inadvertently, they had a synchronous, memorable event for a new De La Salle School in quiet Katoomba NSW. That date was the official opening by Archbishop Gilroy of St Bernard’s College. What following was a quarter century of vibrant education for boys in the Blue Mountains, outside Sydney.

The fear of Japanese invasion led to planning the possible requisition of the Oakhill Training College. The Brothers’ dilemma was resolved with the prospect of shifting all Brother-trainees to the Oakhill College site, and, like many other boarding schools, evacuating the resident students inland – in this case, to Katoomba.

Catholic secondary boys’ schools at Lithgow and Katoomba had been mooted in 1929 by Archbishop Kelly. Katoomba’s parish priest demurred, citing financial constraint and impact on the Sisters’ school in town. His successor, Fr. Galvin was more enthusiastic, there being no such secondary school between Parramatta and Bathurst. Br. Benignus, Visitor was an astute manager and keen builder, and with expert negotiation bought three blocks – “Woodlands”, “Briers” and “Driffields”.

Brothers for the Mountains

On Boxing Day 1940, he, with five other Brothers including Br Adrian, unofficial clerk of works, arrived to build a school. The following January, Brs Austin and Philbert began class with 43 day boys and 9 local boarders in the basement of the St Canice’s parish primary school. The new establishment was to be residential, in order to make the venture viable.

The whole site was heavily wooded; a track had to be created in what the Brothers’ ‘History of the House’ called a “veritable wilderness;” 11 huge pine trees had to be felled; and the whole operation “taxed the patience and the muscles” of the working Brothers. Amazingly, in comparison to modern days, the double-storied school building was completed in 6 months – March to September 1941. A first Mass was celebrated in October, with a large crowd of town people and parents present.

The Catholic press reported that“ a huge gathering of people, possibly the largest for an opening of a school” in the region, was present for the official opening on December 7th. With the arrival in 1942 of the 40 Oakhill boarders, the new school grew quickly: by year’s end there were 203 pupils, of whom 103 were resident students. A new dormitory was even built late in that year. A performance of “HMS Pinafore” & the first Annual magazine were produced.

The 1940’s

The year 1943 saw the science rooms equipped and functioning, and secondary school registration attained. A young Dominic Curran went to Oakhill Juniorate to test out his vocation, but after 12 months was tragically drowned in a swimming accident. A memorial of a Sacred Heart statue was erected. Other events of the 1940’s were the first Ball social, formation of a cadet unit, and more infrastructure: tennis courts were paved, and a concrete swimming pool built.

Like all Catholic schools of the era prior to Vatican 2, the large number of Brothers and a few lay teachers built up a traditional Catholic community as part of the local parish. “It was almost that the air you breathed was Catholic” , says Br Declan Thompson, a student of the time. There were regular opportunities to show faith: prayers before each lesson, processions on major feast-days with cadets as a guard of honour, preparation and celebrations of ‘First Holy Communion’ and ‘Confessions.’ There was a 3-day annual retreat for pupils, pious associations (‘solidarities’), visits of bishops for the sacrament of Confirmation, and usually a resident chaplain. (Fr Troy, S.M. was the first). Details of several boys asking for baptism as Christians is noted in the House History, as are vocations to priesthood and religious life.

The Junior School – ‘Clairvaux’ / Boarding

Most significantly, the property bought for a sports oval was developed into a junior department, called  ‘Clairvaux’. The area was blasted further out of the hillside, and the erection supervised by the Director Br Michael Joseph, and Br Adrian, “with faith, tenacity and cash”.  Opened in 1947, 4km. from the senior college, it was quite independent, with its own boarders.

The Brothers’ house history has the correspondent suggest that perhaps the growth was too rapid. The boom was pushed by the attraction of boarders, which by the late forties, were regularly 160, over the two sites. Included were boys from Malaya, New Caledonia and some “new Australians”. Later there were Solomon Islanders, and students from Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea. The smaller cohort of day boys came from the region, right up to Springwood. Br Bill Good, a boarder from 1950 – 54, remembers Br Leo Beasley, Prefect of boarders, up at 4.30am every morning, to turn on the ‘donkey engine’ to power hot water for showers. Brothers, of course, needed to be on deck, before and after teaching 8 lessons a day.

A Solid Reputation

The curriculum and extra-curriculars were attractive too. Fine teachers like Br Dermot, Mark Murphy and Mark Mahon, sports carnivals, and local sports successes, debating, a solid cadet unit under Br Leo, and a brass band engineered by Br Eric Thompson all had impact. Br. Bill speaks about the good relations between pupils and Brothers. They gave him a love of reading and the groundwork for his vocation. Many activities built a presence, and respect for the venture in the Katoomba community. There were good relations with Katoomba High School, for example. Br Bill says returned soldiers appreciated the parades of the cadet corps; the College choir performed very successfully. Some football teams won competitions, and possibly a stoush with the High School.

When Br Cassian Corbett finished his six years as Director / Principal, he was farewelled by the town at a formal dinner at the Ritz Hotel; he was spoken about for his  “admirable and devoted work.(as) an excellent townsman – kind, tolerant and far-sighted”. St Bernard’s, said the local press, was “recognised as one of the finest country colleges in the State”.

As the 1960’s approached the school roll – St Bernard’s and Clairvaux – numbered over 200 boys, of whom 120 were day students. Boarders increased in numbers at both schools.

The year 1960 saw the cadet band performing at the Waratah Festival in Sydney, the Rhododendron Festival in Blackheath and the Bathurst St Patrick’s Day March. The cadets enhanced regularly the Anzac ceremonies in Katoomba. They won several competitions. G. & S. productions were created by Mr McVeigh, and Br Leander Cash directed “Murder in the Cathedral”. The Katoomba Men’s A Grade basketball competition was won by the students / Brothers team, including Brs Kilian Ryan, Anthony Walch, and Dominic Scollen.

The Sixties & Closure

The climate was bracing in the mountains. When the French Br Superior came on a typical wet, windy, cold day in the early 1960’s, Br Ray remembers that he gave a clear directive to the Director to upgrade immediately the totally inadequate heating system, which Brothers, students, teachers, and boarders had suffered from, for years. At this time, since 1948, Br Leo had been on staff, and was now the Principal. Originally as Prefect of boarders and Sports-master, he was well respected by the boys. He was never a punitive leader; he was Mr Fix-it -organising droves of boarders, solving problems like the boiler-room flooding or the swimming-pool pump collapsing. He was also a well-known figure in town, and a large presence with the Old Boys.

A recognised presence in town also was the full-size St Bernard’s bus, used for transporting students to any number of events. Br Claude Sweeney, with entrepreneurial skill, ran a “Golden Holden Art Union”. The proceeds bought the 50-seat vehicle.

The College with its extensive facilities was used by the District for Brothers’ retreats and holidays, e.g. Dec. 1948-Jan. 1949 it was the venue for a Thirty-Day retreat for 48 Brothers. But the successes were paled by the cost of operations, as boarding schools faced bleaker times and less support in country areas. The introduction of the NSW Wyndham Scheme demanded expanded facilities too. Boarding numbers were dropping and the financial situation urged the Brothers to approach the archdiocese and parish for assistance. When this was not forthcoming, the College was suddenly closed (and Clairvaux the year before) in 1966.

The shock affected all, including ex-students who had formed a vibrant association. Always in the activities of the College, Br Leo (James) continued to be a lively presence in annual Old Boys’ reunions and meetings in Sydney over decades.

The stories of St Bernard’s life and exploits continues still to this day, with the gathering of appreciative men from other years. The College was a hard-won initiative, which flourished in the tradition of skilled and dedicated school educators – Lasallian Brothers and increasingly lay colleagues.

The Blue Mountains was the grateful recipient of this quarter-century Lasallian community.

Top: 30-Day Retreat 1949
Left: St Bernard’s
Right: Procession & Mass Clairvaux

Source: Br Gary Wilson FSC