Bernie's Bulletin

2026 Event Calendar

2026 will see most of our alumni reunions occur on the same night.

Lock in Friday, 27 November, where the College will host all 1 to 50 year reunion cohorts in one big extravaganza in the brand-new Tobin Building cafeteria and the adjoining spectacular Piazza. All from the classes of 2025, 2021, 2016, 2011, 2006, 2001, 1996, 1991, 1986, 1981 & 1976 are invited for one big reunion party! Tours will be available to view our new facilities with complimentary beverages and food supplied. 

We had a great turnout for our Golden Years Reunion earlier this year, and we're pleased to announce we will be holding it again in 2026. All old boys from the classes of 1975 and earlier are welcome to attend this fantastic event on Friday, 21 August.

Invites will be sent directly as we approach the event dates.

Alumni Kevin Conlon stepped back into the spotlight last week as he helped break the world record for the most Pipers playing “It’s a Long Way to the Top” by AC/DC.

What makes this achievement truly extraordinary is Kevin’s unique place in music history.

Back in 1976, he was one of the original Pipers riding on the back of the now-iconic truck as it rolled down Swanston Street for AC/DC’s legendary film clip (check out his close-up in the photo above!). Nearly fifty years later, Kevin found himself centre stage once again, surrounded by a record-breaking assembly of pipers delivering the same electrifying tune in Federation Square. 

Kevin first walked through the gates of St Bernard’s College in 1949, beginning a family connection that now spans generations. His grandsons—Isaac Cullen (alumnus) and Patrick Cullen (Year 9)—have followed in his footsteps, proudly continuing the family tradition at the College.

It’s not every day a St Bernard’s old boy gets to make history… twice. Kevin did just that, and will now always be a part of Melbourne's music history - thanks to some good old fashioned rock n' roll.

Kevin Conlon (third from left) accepting the world record certificate with fellow pipers, including Les Kenfield (second from left) who also performed in the original music video

If you know any old collegians who have been successful lately, let us know at development@sbc.vic.edu.au - we'd love to celebrate them!

Our first event of the year is brand-new, and sure to book up quickly!

Join us at Scotchmans Hill Winery on the beautiful Bellarine Peninsula for a day of fine food and wine. The day will begin with an exclusive Barrell Hall Tour and Tasting personally guided by the wine makers - a rare opportunity as this tour is not available to the general public. We follow with a two-course lunch with premium wines included at Scotchmans Restaurant (beer and non-alcoholic drinks can be purchased separately).

Taking place on Saturday 21 February 2026, the tour begins at 12:30 pm, followed by lunch at 2 pm and the event concluding at 4:30 pm. Partners are more than welcome to attend this event - in fact, why not make a weekend of it and enjoy all that the Bellarine has to offer? The winery is just a few minutes away from Portarlington, and close to St Leonards, Queenscliff and Drysdale.

Tickets are $165 per person and can be booked at this link: https://www.trybooking.com/DHBZM. Spots are limited for this exclusive event, so don't wait - book now! As always, any inquires can be directed to development@sbc.vic.edu.au.

We kindly thank old collegian and Scotchmans Hill Director Peter Reilly (and his fantastic team) for making this event possible.

That's a wrap on our 24th annual Chris Lane Golf Day!

We had great participation this year as nearly 100 players headed out to the course for a day of friendly competition. While the weather conditions were much kinder than last year's brutal 38°C heat, the persistent wind proved a challenge, leading to a few cries of 'Fore!' Thankfully no one was hit!

The scores went down to the wire, with hardly anything separating first through third. After a suspenseful presentation from SBOCA President Jasper Brettell (perhaps channeling Gil McLachlan on Brownlow night) it was the JPS Health and Fitness team that ultimately took the chocolates. Congratulations to our 2025 Chris Lane Cup winners Jacob Schepis, Glenn Walsh, John Panna, and Luke Marchesani. 2nd Place went to Brian Pound, Mark Fotheringham, Ben Collins and Ray Williams, and in 3rd place came Kevin McGuire, Dean Marnell, Graeme Teesdale and Ray Kenny. Well done to all our prize winners!

Our Chris Lane Cup winners POse with the trophy

Our second place team- who were less than a point off first place!

A heartfelt thank you to Medway Golf Club for hosting, our major sponsor MNG Lawyers for helping this event go from strength to strength, and our amazing hole sponsors Paywise. We'd also like to thank our sponsors Essendon BMW, McDonald Upton and Community Bank (Bendigo Bank) Keilor East for their ongoing support and generosity, and Scotchman's Hill Winery and Numurkah Golf and Bowls Club for kindly providing the prizes for the day.

(L - R): Principal Dr Michael Davies, Craig Osborne, Steve Perrett and Chris Kavenagh representing the school

The short game is key!

After making a putt - "Did you get that?"

Further photos of the day can be accessed on our Alumnly platform for Old Collegians - see them at this link Alumnly | Album View

Most of all we'd like to thank you all for coming, having fun and playing in great spirits - the participation from our community is what makes this event truly great. 

We look forward to our 2026 Golf Day on Friday 13th November 2026, and hope to see you again!

With VCE exams over and a new cohort freshly graduated, it’s time to say hello to the class of 2025!

On behalf of the St Bernard’s Old Collegians Association (SBOCA): congratulations on finishing your schooling, and we’re very excited to welcome you all to our old collegians community. 

SBOCA is here to help you as you transition out of school and beyond – our mission is to provide opportunities, support, and a welcoming community for all past St Bernard’s students. We run a number of exciting annual events, as well as our reunion program, and provide financial assistance such as the Global Gateway Grant for overseas study, and the Leadership in Community Grant to assist volunteer work.

This newsletter is one of our key means of communication, and will keep you informed on our amazing alumni events and other important community happenings.

You may have also received a link to sign up to Alumnly, our networking platform for old collegians. Among the many things you can do with Alumnly include accessing photos from events, searching by industry to connect with fellow old collegians, seek career advice, and view job and study opportunities posted by our community. 

We wish you all the best, and remember, once a Bernard’s boy, always a Bernard’s boy.

This week we have a pretty impressive find - a cinema advertisement for St Bernard's!

This ad was screened as part of the pre-show at Hoyts Highpoint in 1994. We're not sure exactly what time of year it was displayed, but it could well have played before classics like Forrest Gump, The Lion King, Speed, or Dumb and Dumber. Not bad company!

Honouring our esteemed old collegians is deeply important to the College. If you wish to submit Vale notices for inclusion in The Strand magazine, please send them via email to development@sbc.vic.edu.au. Your contributions allow us to respectfully remember and celebrate the remarkable individuals who have been part of our community and have sadly passed away since our last publication in mid- 2025.

The December Edition of the Strand has been sent to print, any Vale notices submitted from now on will be acknowledged in the next edition of the Strand in Term 2 of 2026.

We greatly appreciate your support in helping us honour their memories.