Daramalan alumni stories, Bernard Kane, ‘Goodbye, farewell and amen.”

For many years, Daramalan student and Daramalan staff, posted interesting and entertaining posts on the achievements of college alumni. Last year, he passed on the task and posted this entry. It is also a mini-memoir and of the College.

Bernard worked with Jim Littleton for photos for many of his books,

In coming weeks we will continue the Daramalan alumni stories.

I’m writing to say goodbye. After 20 years, I’m finishing in this role. The school has employed another person who will take on the Alumni baton, so I would not only like to take this final opportunity to pass on my thanks to everyone who has made our group what it is today, but to also ask for your indulgence while I bore you with a short history of, well…me.

Since Daramalan opened in 1962 there have been sporadic attempts to maintain links with our ex-students but it wasn’t until 2002, during the College’s 40th anniversary, that the Principal at the time David Garratt realised the need for a more formal organisation. Which is where I came in.

I started at Daramalan in 1964 in 4th Class, graduating after 9 years in 1972. Soon after, I left Canberra returning some 25 years later when I reconnected with the College at the request of Principal Frank Fulton in 2001 who asked if I would work with the aforementioned anniversary committee. Sadly Frank passed away just two weeks after the 40th event.

Around this same time the Hospitality Department at the College also opened a commercial Restaurant in the Dickson shops called ‘Pathways’ which was designed to give our students real-world experience in the hospitality industry. An admirable concept, but for many reasons, it was not to be an economic success. The Bursar at the time, Fr Harold Baker, asked me to take on the management of ‘Pathways’ and submit a report with a recommendation as to its long-term viability. Reluctantly, after six months, it was time to close it.

It was then Dave Garratt asked me if I would be interested in working at Dara to create an official Alumni Association, as by that time, some 14,000 ex-students had passed through the school gates and many were actively seeking to stay connected. I readily agreed and, as they say, the rest is history.

A lot has changed at Dara since I arrived nearly 60 years ago. We now have girls, but sadly no priests or brothers teaching. Back then, the College comprised three buildings for 700 boys; we now have eleven (soon to be twelve) with co-ed enrolments approaching 1500 this year. (The first girls arrived in 1977).

In 1964 the school was led by Fr McCowage; in 2023, our second female lay Principal Rachel Davies is at the helm after Rita Daniels retired in 2020. We have been lucky to have had so many memorable teachers over this time, far too many to mention, as we all have our favourites depending on personalities and generation.

Finally it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge some individuals such as Fr Jim Littleton, Fr Bob Irwin and Fr Harold Baker who helped make the MSC ethos at Daramalan the cornerstone of what the College stands for today. Thank you.

Anyway I think that’s probably enough from me. Thank you again to everyone for your support and commitment to our Alumni over the years, and to ‘borrow’ the title of the final episode of M*A*S*H, Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.

Bernard Kane