“I can recall feeling special about being a founding pupil. We had watched the school being built and there was a sense of excitement about being part of it.”

Vincent Maire was a founding student at Rosmini College and recalls with pride his first day at the school in 1962.

The opening day on February 6^th, 1962  attracted plenty of media interest at the time.

125 foundation pupils arrived as did their four teachers: Fathers Catcheside and Curran and Brothers Tedesco and Willett.

“I remember the three Tolich brothers, David, Michael and Peter, appearing on the front page of the Auckland Star in a story about the opening of a new Catholic boys' secondary school in Takapuna.

“I also remember meeting fellow class mates for the first time from other Catholic primary schools on the North Shore. I remember the bulldozer working the grounds. I remember feeling quite proud and excited about being part of this great event,” said Vincent. 

The Early Days: Rosmini College 11^th Grade Team, played in the ARU competition July 1962 Bayswater Reserve. Back Row: Michael Ward (coach), James Church, Stephen Gillespie, Michael Haydon, Phillip Bell-Booth, Larry Kosterer, Bruce Alder, Bro. Eric Willett, Michael Yates. Front Row: Donald Adolph, David Niccols, Tom Rutherford, William Curran, Paul Murphy (Captain); absent Michael Ward. Note: This team frequently played with only 13-14 players; some also played in the morning for the College 6^th grade Schools Competition team.

How times have changed. In 1962 there were just over 23,000 registered television sets in New Zealand, that was one TV between every 109 people! Keith Holyoake was Prime Minister, the Harbour Bridge had only been open three years, Sir Peter Snell set a new world record for the mile. It was the year Russell Coutts and Grant Fox were born. 

The Rosmini College of today differs massively from the college opened that year both socially and physically.

In that inaugural year there were only six classrooms and the playing fields, mostly a rubbish tip, were still being worked by bulldozers.

Clouds of dust formed every time a car drove up the unsealed drive and science practicals were undertaken with no gas, no water, pupils sitting on the floor and instruments on stools.

In addition to the lack of specialist classrooms there was also no assembly hall so the school was addressed at outdoor assemblies or via the speakers that adorned each classroom.

Ground floor laboratories and the administration block were completed during the third term of 1963 when Fr Holland and Br Myers joined the staff.

In addition a number of subjects had to be taught off-site.

That off-site teaching resulted in one of the more dramatic incidents that occurred in those early years at Rosmini and Geography teacher Br Tedesco was heavily involved.

Rosmini College's First 6^th Form Class, 1965. Back row: Michael Kalaugher, Alf Cameron, Roy Hilliard, Terry Pennell, John Lloyd, Dennis Dixon McIvor, Tony Transom, Michael Erskine, Bill Byers, Wayne Harvey, Phillip Bell-Booth, Michael Haydon Front row: Eugene Gormley, Bruce Colman, Liam Casey, Paul Sheehan, John Wallace, Denis Muller, Gerald McGuire, Paul McCarten

“It was in 1966 that he was teaching a class then suddenly raced outside and took off in the school car. He had seen a small group of students roll the vehicle they were in on Barry's Point Road,” Vincent Maire remembers.

One of those in the vehicle was Gavin Cameron who takes up the story.

“There were only four boys taking French that year, so the school provided a van for us to travel to and from St. Dominic's College on Onewa Rd. Northcote, to take part in their French programme. 

“This worked well until June, when we had a wee accident on the way back, resulting in the van ending up in the mudflats at the sweeping left turn into Barrys Point Rd. as it was then. I don't remember a lot more other than being concussed and staying overnight in North Shore Hospital. The other three guys were unscathed, I think. And Fr. Catcheside took the remainder of our French classes that year.....!

Fr Catcheside was the founding headmaster who taught Latin, English, History and French and was not averse to helping out on the sports field.

Gavin Cameron can still remember, “The accents of the Rosminian priests and brothers and the larger-than-life persona of Br.Ted(esco).

Br. Tedeco founded the Geography Society and took students on Field Trips to places of interest. He was a larger than life character who many remember with fondness including his teaching colleagues.

Fr Catcheside recalls a visitor saying “I have just dropped in to see your new educational system at work.”

Not knowing they had a system Fr Catcheside took the visitor out to the assembly area where Br Ted’s voice boomed through the louvre windows. “If you do not do what I tell you I will ………”

“Some system, I left the visitor to his thoughts,” said Fr Catcheside.

Rosmini 9^th Grade Rugby Team August 1963. Back Row: Peter Bailey, Bill Byers, John Wallace, Mr Marshall (Asst Coach). Second Row: Mr Moyle (coach, John Moyle, Wayne Marshall (TGS), Robert Chipnall (TGS), Tony Transom, Mr Muller (coach). Front Row: Dennis Muller, Tom Hall, Dennis Dixon McIvor, Michael Haydon, Graham Otter. Seated: Mark Chapman, David Dixon Mcivor; (absent – David Reid, Warwick Johnson, Dennis Brennan, Donald Tabetau). Note 1: Played in Auckland Rugby Union Open Grade to prepare for 1^st XV 1964. Note 2: (TGS – Takapuna Grammar School; we had 3 TGS players to help us make up the numbers)

As already mentioned Hato Petera College was a destination for some classes whilst 

woodwork classes were held at Devonport Primary School and biology was taught at Carmel College, which had opened in 1957. One compulsory subject was Latin which all students studied from Form 1.

Gavin Cameron recalls, “The school arranged for a visiting Art teacher to try and get us to appreciate the finer points of the subject. The poor lady fought an uphill battle and one day didn't turn up, supposedly having suffered a nervous breakdown. I felt a bit "stink" about that!

Michael Hudson, who has resided in Australia since 1970, understands that he was the first student enrolled at the college.

Rosmini Old Boys 2^nd Reunion 1967. Front Row: Kevin Harvey, Don Wrightson, Denis Muller, Roy Hilliard (Northcote boys stick together). Second Row: Liam Casey, John Lloyd, Warwick Johnson (behind), Michael Leggatt, unknown, unknown, Terry Wilson(?) At the rear: Harold Wallace and Father Phil Catcheside

“I was a live in Student at St Joseph’s Convent from 1953 to 1962 as my parents had separated when I was very young. Father Catcheside advised me at the  time I was the first student enrolled and remember the college being built and meeting the staff prior to the School being opened.

“My original and enrolment name was Michael Te Whata as my father was a Maori. My mother re married in August 1962 and I went to live with her and my stepfather and took his surname – Hudson and have used that name since.

“I remember my time at Rosmini very fondly and the original staff being Father Catcheside, Father Curran, Brother Tedesco and Brother Willet.  

“My last contact with any of these was with Brother Tedesco and some students when they were in Tauranga on an outing in 1967 and I just happened to run into them and had a chat with Brother Tedesco. 

“At the 50th Reunion in 2012 when talking to some of the original group of students one of these boys overheard me mentioning this and came over and said that he was one of the students and remembered the incident.”

In addition to Vincent Maire, Michael Hudson, Gavin Cameron and Paul McCarten who contributed to this story the following ‘Originals’ have also registered with the Rosmini Old Boys Association:

If you would also like to join Rosmini Old Boys Association, click here.

Article added: Friday 25 September 2020