KWS Alumni Magazine 2013 Edition - Kinross Wolaroi School

Alumni 2013
Wolaroi:
Across the years
Leadership narrows the
age barrier
Vaughn Higgins, a Year 11 boarder from Griffith, is the
Head Boy Prefect at KWS for 2014. Over the holiday break
Vaughn met and chatted with local Griffith resident and
former Head Boy Prefect of Wolaroi College, Jack Vearing.
Jack was Head Boy and a Wolaroi boarder in 1953.
Jack is formally of Rankins Springs. Vaughn spent two hours
with Jack and they discussed old times and current events.
Jack was able to provide Vaughn with some advice from
his vast inside knowledge of what went on in his year as
leader in the fifties. Jack was impressed by Vaughn’s vision
and with how much the school had progressed over the past
sixty years. Jack is planning a visit to KWS in the near future,
with Vaughn keen to show him the boarding house, his old
dormitory and the stunning new buildings and myriad of
opportunities available to the students of this decade.
Wolaroi 1953 Head Prefect Jack Vearing chats to 2014 KWS Head Boy Prefect
Vaughn Higgins.
Paul becomes legend amongst
current students
Dr Paul O’Keeffe (‘57), became well
known to the students this year … and
they haven’t even met him! During a
visit to Sydney earlier this year, Director
of Development Paul Tierney visited Dr
Paul at his surgery in Manly. Tall tales
of the good times were regaled over a
meal and Dr Paul mentioned the times
he had spent ‘on the Wolaroi roof’.
The story sounded a little far-fetched,
and so to prove it, Dr Paul sent though
some photos of his adventures during
his time at Wolaroi, one of which
showed him perched high up on the
roof of Wolaroi mansion!
During a presentation to the senior
assembly on school history and
archival material, the photo shown here
was displayed to the student body on
the giant screens in the Derek Pigot
Auditorium.
Whilst consequences (via safety and
punishment) may be dire if the stunt
were to be replicated now, credibility
was forever gained and Dr Paul will live
long in the minds of the Wolaroi boys,
as the time approaches to say farewell
to Wolaroi mansion as a boarding
house.
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