A Farewell to a Legacy: Marist Brothers Conclude 96 Years in Cairns
- maristbrothers
- 22 hours ago
- 6 min read
At the end of this school year, the Marist Brothers Community in Cairns will conclude after an extraordinary 96 years of presence, service, and ministry. Last week, the community gathered with mixed emotions to honour nearly a century of Marist life at St Augustine’s College. Across those decades, 191 Brothers lived, taught, guided and shaped generations of young men in Cairns.
At the farewell celebration, Br Darren Burge offered a heartfelt reflection on this legacy and the spirit that has carried it. Here is his address.
St Augustine’s College was founded by the Marist Brothers in 1930 after Bishop Heavey invited us to take on the project. Before this, another religious congregation had declined the bishop’s request, saying that the location was too remote, wet, and hot for a major college. Probably a fair assessment at the time! Interestingly, when they inspected the land - mainly a swamp - they did so during summer. After being turned down, the bishop cleverly invited the Marist Brothers to visit the site in June instead.
Front Row: Brothers Bernard McGrath, Andrew Moraghan, Darren Burge, Michael Green, John Curry. Second Row: Br John Horgan, Fr Laurie Timms, Br Joachim Fabbro, Br Peter Corr, Br Roger Vallance. Third Row: Br Lawrie McCane, Bishop Joe Caddy, Br Paul Creevey, Br Neville Solomon. Back Row: Br Peter Rodney, Br Michael Haynes, Fr Kerry Crowley, Fr Martin Kenny, Br Robert Aitken.
At the time, Cairns was still a small, isolated town, and many believed the tropics were not suitable for a secondary school. Talented boys were usually sent south to Brisbane to further their education. This all happened during a challenging period in Australia’s history, as the country was recovering from World War I and was in the midst of the Great Depression.
You have to genuinely admire the Brothers who undertook the founding of this College, especially the four original members who started the endeavour. These four - Reginald, aged 46 and serving as Principal, along with Urban, Victor, and Climachus, all just 21 years old - demonstrate what young people can accomplish when they are determined and have faith and vision.
Arriving in Cairns with barely any money, they relied on support from the local community and the diocese. The site they settled on was far from desirable with limited resources available. Despite these challenges, the Brothers were committed to establishing a College that could compare with any in the State. Their efforts, along with those who came after them, resulted in remarkable success.
The spirit of initiative and confidence exemplified by Marcellin Champagnat and instilled in the early brothers in France is reflected in our own history from its inception. Marcellin lived in the period following the French Revolution, a time marked by significant social and economic challenges.
Educational opportunities were particularly limited in the more remote regions of rural France, and resources were scarce. Recognising these difficulties, Marcellin deemed it essential to unite young men as brothers with the purpose of educating children who otherwise lacked access to schooling. The parallels between these two stories are noteworthy.
These founding stories form the basis of the College's establishment and, I believe, have informed the development of this outstanding educational institution up until the present day. They provide the ingredients of a clear and uncompromising vision of the education of young people, the determination needed to achieve any goal, the collaboration of a community who shared the values and goals, and a faith in a God who is so much bigger than all of this.
These features coupled with a practical down-to-earth attitude, which emanates from those days in rural France, and a human relational dimension that appeals to the hearts and minds of people, are a winning formula. Many corporations would be envious of the clarity of vision and of the human resources, the brothers, who were motivated less by personal gain and more by a larger vision. And the Brothers lived a communal life that put the common shared goal at the centre ahead of the individual even though they weren’t perfect and didn’t always live up to the ideals.
The 191 brothers who served here over the last 96 years brought with them a shared vision that was not only a professional, educational approach but one that they took to heart in their own lives; it was their inner story. The alignment was outstanding when you think about it. They inspired other teachers, staff members, parents and students to adopt a similar approach, and they too were inspired by those in the College community.
Dare I say some members of the College community even fell in love with the same vision of education, which has had a major impact on their own working lives and in some cases their personal lives. Effectively, they too caught the spirit and internalised it.
The Brothers lived as best they could this vision or style of Marist education and created a faith community around them.
This faith community is deeply enriched by those here in the school and beyond who are committed to this vision of education and who deeply believe this way of living the gospel in their own lives. Those members of the Marist Association of Saint Marcellin Champagnat who have caught this vision and way of living are a testament to this shared Marist project.
There is no doubt that they will play a critical role in keeping the flame of this vision alive as we move into the future.
The Brothers have dedicated their spiritual journeys to a God who encourages continual renewal in how we live. Just as God is always active, so too should we strive to evolve and grow. We believe it's important to constantly seek renewal, with Jesus at the heart of everything, as we improve ourselves both as individuals and as brothers. At Saints, this commitment has shaped our approach; we've consistently sought innovative and creative ways to educate boys, pushing the boundaries of Catholic education. Our work was enriched by experience gained from other dioceses and schools, allowing us to draw on what succeeds and what doesn’t.
A notable instance of adaptability occurred in 1942, during World War II, when the school moved to Lake Barrine after Australian forces took over the campus. This relocation allowed classes to carry on.
This innovation, creativity and eye for constant improvement have been a feature of this College and its leaders, and I pray that they will continue here.
None of this is possible without collaboration and support. We thank the Diocese, the Bishops and priests for their support and belief in this Marist education project. There is no way that we could have done it without your invitation in the first place and your ongoing support through Catholic Education Services in our shared mission of education.
We also thank the parents, staff, OId Boys and friends of the College. I know the Brothers hold a deeply felt affection and gratitude for the people of Cairns. I believe that the Marist vision sat so comfortably with you because it is so close to your own heart and life experience.
This is what you wanted your children to strive for and hold dear. So, we became more than a school, we became a community, a family, that worked together to achieve our shared goals.
Your down-to-earth and simple approach to life, where people and relationships take precedence as they would in a family, enabled a thriving faith community to develop. We have all been enriched by this and the Brothers themselves have left here better people because of the experience.
It is with a heavy heart that we leave the College family. We remain confident though that with the Marist Association alive and the deep and ongoing connections that the College has with the excellent formation programs and other services offered by Marist Schools Australia, this College will continue to thrive as a Marist educational community making Jesus Christ known and loved in the way of Mary.
Never lose sight of the simple beginnings, the founding story, and the shared vision that laid solid foundations for the College and the spirit of Marcellin and the first Brothers that has woven itself through this community until the present day.
Finally, to the boys themselves, we are proud of the spirit of this College, with its gentle Marian spirit and outstanding sense of brotherhood that you embody. This flows from the Marist family spirit that has its origins in France over 200 years ago. Anything that lasts that long is precious. We are proud of you for adopting this spirit, this attitude and we hope and pray that it continues to shape who you are as a man into the future. It’s up to you now, keep the spirit alive!
We will miss you.
-Br Darren Burge
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