Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham (also known as CBHS Lewisham), is a private Roman Catholic comprehensive single-sex secondary day school for boys, located in Lewisham, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1891 by the Christian Brothers, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1,350 boys from Year 5 to Year 12. The school is the oldest of the Christian Brothers schools operating in Sydney.[1]
Principals
The following individuals have served as Principal of Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham:
| Ordinal | Officeholder | Term start | Term end | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | L. Murphy | 1889 | 1890 | 0–1 years | Newtown site |
| 2 | B. O’Hagan | 1891 | 1892 | 0–1 years | |
| 3 | P. Nunan | 1892 | 1896 | 3–4 years | |
| 4 | V. Caffrey | 1897 | 1902 | 4–5 years | |
| 5 | B. Coyne | 1903 | 1904 | 0–1 years | |
| 6 | J. T. Quinn | 1905 | 1906 | 0–1 years | |
| 7 | F. Magee | 1907 | 1909 | 1–2 years | |
| 8 | P. Walsh | 1909 | 1910 | 0–1 years | |
| − | J. T. Quinn | 1910 | 1912 | 1–2 years | |
| 9 | T. B. Galvin | 1913 | 1915 | 1–2 years | |
| 10 | T. P. Harty | 1916 | 1919 | 2–3 years | |
| 11 | P. S. Mulkerns | 1920 | 1922 | 1–2 years | |
| 12 | J. A. Kearney | 1923 | 1924 | 0–1 years | |
| 13 | J. A. Fitzgerald | 1925 | 1925 | 0 years | |
| 14 | M. E. Breen | 1926 | 1931 | 4–5 years | |
| 15 | J. M. Wynne | 1932 | 1937 | 4–5 years | |
| 16 | J. S. Turpin | 1938 | 1943 | 4–5 years | |
| 17 | K. B. O’Farrell | 1944 | 1946 | 1–2 years | |
| 18 | J. K. O’Neill | 1947 | 1952 | 4–5 years | |
| 19 | R. B. Healy | 1953 | 1958 | 4–5 years | |
| 20 | V. A. Doody | 1959 | 1961 | 1–2 years | |
| 21 | W. V. Green | 1962 | 1966 | 3–4 years | |
| 22 | M. B. Gallagher | 1967 | 1967 | 0 years | |
| 23 | M. L. Hanlon | 1968 | 1972 | 3–4 years | |
| 24 | M. Q. Brady | 1973 | 1982 | 8–9 years | |
| 25 | F. R. Pelin | 1983 | 1988 | 4–5 years | |
| 26 | P. A. Hester | 1989 | 2000 | 10–11 years | |
| 27 | B. Roberts | 2001 | 2007 | 5–6 years | |
| 28 | P. Conn | 2008 | 2020 | 12-13 years | |
| 29 | M. Blowes | 2021 | incumbent | 4–5 years |
Crest and motto
The school motto Conanti Corona, translates as "A crown to the one who strives", which is used as an expression to help students to try their best in all aspects of life. The school crest is adapted from the Christian Brothers’ crest, highlighting the Celtic Cross and the Irish heritage of the Christian Brothers. The crest also contains the two symbols for the first and last letters of the Latin alphabet, symbolising learning and knowledge.[2]
Notable alumni
Alumni of Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham are traditionally known as the "Old Boys".
Arts and letters
- Ron Blair, playwright
- Gordon Elliott, journalist and producer
- Leo Schofield AM, journalist and food critic
- Greg Sheridan AO, journalist
- Francis Webb, poet
- David Wenham AM, actor[3]
Medicine and science
- Victor Chang AC, heart surgeon[4]
Military
- Jack Mackey VC (1936), military man given the Commonwealth's highest honour for bravery[5]
Politics, public service and the law
- The Hon John Aquilina AM, politician,[6] a former Speaker of the NSW Legislative Assembly, and a former Minister for Education and Member for Blacktown and Riverstone;[7]
- George Brandis QC, former Attorney-General of Australia and Leader of the Government in the Senate
- Steve Doszpot ASM, politician, and Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly[8]
- Brian McGowan, politician, a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly[9]
- Sir Edward McTiernan Judge of High Court of Australia
- Justice Kevin Frederick O'Leary QC, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory;[10]
- The Hon Terry Sheahan AO, a former NSW Attorney General and Member for Burrinjuck.[11]
- The Hon Harry Woods, Member Federal House of Representatives, Member NSW Legislative Assembly, Minister Local Government, Regional development, Rural Affairs.
Sport
- Paul Akkary, Newtown Jets rugby league player
- Raphael Bove, footballer
- Jeremy Bray, an Irish cricketer
- Steve Gearin, rugby league footballer
- Roger Hartigan, Test cricket player
- Solomon Haumono, rugby league footballer and professional boxer[12]
- Brett Holman, footballer
- Andrew Koczka, footballer
- Andrew Lomu, rugby league footballer
- Martin Mulligan, tennis player[13]
- Paul Osborne, a professional rugby league footballer; politician,[14] Schoolboy Player of the Year Award 1984[15]
- Kurtis Patterson, test cricket player.
- Nathan Peats, former rugby league footballer for the Gold Coast Titans
- Tim Pickup, rugby league footballer and test representative.
- Joe Reaiche, rugby league footballer
- Shane Rigon, rugby league footballer[16]
- Michael Speechley, rugby league footballer
- Greg Stafford, an AFL player for Sydney Swans and Richmond Tigers
- Marco Tilio, footballer for Celtic and the Australian national team
- Bailey Hayward, rugby league footballer for Bulldogs
References
- 1.Christian Brothers' High School- About us Archived 12 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine (accessed:16-06-2007)
- 2.Christian Brothers' High School: Crest and Motto Archived 29 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine (accessed:16-08-2007)
- 3."Spittin' image". The Age. Melbourne. 5 October 2003.
- 4.Victor Chang biography Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- 5.Taplin, Harry (2000). "John Bernard (Jack) Mackey (1922–1945)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 15. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
- 6.John Aquilina biography
- 7."The Hon. John Joseph Aquilina". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- 8."STEVE DOSZPOT – Canberra Liberals". Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 2011-10-17.
- 9."Brian McGowan". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- 10."The Honourable Kevin Frederick O'Leary". Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2019.
- 11."The Hon. (Terry) Terence William Sheahan". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
- 12.www.sportingpulse.com NSWCCC Players Representing Australian Schoolboys 1972 – 2007
- 13."School Choice". Archived from the original on 22 July 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2008.
- 14.Paul Osborne interview Archived 7 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- 15.Peter Sterling Medal, Player of the Year Award Archived 9 June 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- 16.Shane Rigon player profile