Dean of Identity | Mr Charles Brauer

Ballybricken to Gregory Terrace

Ballybicken, 1794. The muddy and rough end of town. The bustling commerce centre of Waterford, Ireland. The place where our story began. The site of awakening for our founder. It was in this setting that the spark of Ricean education was lit. Through commencing a new year together as a Terrace Family, we have a wonderful opportunity to revisit ‘Ballybricken’ to rediscover the core of our College’s Mission.

Reconnecting as a Terrace Family has been a theme that has resonated throughout this week’s student and staff gatherings. By gathering in these forums and purposefully re-visiting our foundations, we also reconnect with the heart of our College – our identity as a Catholic school in the Edmund Rice tradition. The scene on Monday morning in Treacy Court of new families and Terracians being greeted by their Year 12 buddies highlighted that somewhere along the way we have connected to the Terrace Family and the wider Edmund Rice community.

At some point in time – a parent decision, a car park conversation, a mention by a friend, each of us connected to the Terrace Family. Be it by design or by a twist of fate, we have all connected to this 215 year old story of Edmund Rice education.

How are you connected to the story of Edmund Rice?

January 12, 1868. The day Australia was connected to the mission of Edmund Rice. Br Ambrose Treacy, Br Fursey Bodkin, Br Barnibas Lynch and Br James Nolan stepped off the ‘Donald Mackay’ and onto the docks of Melbourne determined to invite others into the mission of Edmund Rice. After 20 years and 27 schools, Edmund Rice education spanned Australia and crossed the Tasman Sea to New Zealand. Fast forward another 130 years to today and 1633 Terracians proudly wear the ‘Red and Black’, proud men of faith and learning.

Our Terrace Family is deeply connected to the stories of Edmund Rice and Ambrose Treacy. We were the first Edmund Rice school to open in Queensland and the site of Ambrose Treacy’s passing. This is worthy of celebrating each and every day. With 150 years of Edmdund Rice education residing firmly in Australia, 2018 will see our College community make an extra special point of celebrating our deep connection to the Edmund Rice and Ambrose Treacy story, our connection to ‘Ballybricken’.