Guest Columnists- Catching
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Roger Gill (‘61)
Roger has travelled a varied path, the first step being
four years at the College teaching Languages and Maths
to third
and fourth form classes. Then followed a shift to Wellington
with three years at Mobil Oil and 10 years running his
own business, during which he finished a BA followed
by a law degree.
This led him to the Stock Exchange as executive director
right through the 1980s, bringing what the Chinese might
call ‘ interesting times’ as our financial marke ts
struggled to keep pace with the demands and opportunities
of deregulation.
A short diversion into politics saw him spend two years
as chief executive of the National Party, rubbing shoulders
in the Beehive with other SHC men such as Richard Griffin
and Michael Wall, after which he returned to the financial
sector as chief executive of the industry body representing
firstly fund managers and then later including life insurers.
Six years in this position then saw him move to his present
role of manager and registrar of the Wellington High Court.
Because of this he also holds the office of Sheriff of Wellington.
English common law gives the Sheriff certain powers, one
of which is to call upon a group of able-bodied men, a posse
comitatus, to assist him in defence of the realm. This group
is the origin of the sheriff’s posse, so often a feature
of western films. So for every boy who struggled through
his Latin classes, it would be galling to realise that while
he struggled, even the roughest, toughest cowboy in the West
understood Latin without realising it when the local sheriff
called for a posse to form!
Life of course has not been all work. Roger spent three
years in Bill Freeman’s Wellington rugby team in the
late 1960s, something he says he is reminded of every morning
as he struggles to get all his joints and bones in working
order. The NZ Rugby Almanac even named him as one of its
five promising players in 1968.
After one brief and futile flirtation with music in the
1960 Walter Kirby, he waited another 22 years before testing
the water again. The result was a role in Jesus Christ Superstar
and further roles in several succeeding productions with
Wellington Musical Theatre including South Pacific, Annie
Get Your Gun, Guys & Dolls and Oliver. This was followed
by 10 years with Wellington City Opera and NBR NZ Opera.
He is now “resting” as the saying goes but he
felt very honoured to be invited to join the star-studded
bill for the series of “So Sacred” concerts in
2003, celebrating the College’s centenary. He could
even claim to have taught one or two of these music stars
during his time at the College but in no way could he ever
claim any credit for their musical prowess.
He enjoys being part of a strong and active network of old
boys in Wellington and always looks forward to the annual
reunion. He and Joanna have had the house to themselves for
the past two years but as regular parishioners at Sacred
Heart Cathedral, a recent item in the parish newsletter has
prompted them to host an AFS student from Ramona, California
for the rest of this year, something Roger is especially
pleased to do remembering his year as an AFS student in 1961-62.
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Stephen Jelicich
(‘39)
B.Arch, FINZIA (Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of
Architects), Member of the College of Fellows of the
Institute, ONZM
(Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit) for services
to architecture and the community.
 Born in 1923 in Dalmatia, Crotia, Stephen arrived in New
Zealand with his mother to join his father in Helensville,
later moving to Auckland city in 1933. He was educated by
the Marist Brothers at Vermont Street School and Sacred Heart
College, Richmond Road, 1937-39. His first job was with the
public works department as a clerk, but later he transferred
to the architectural division. From 1943-48 he completed
a B.Arch at Auckland University and was capped in 1949.
During 1949 he and others, including artist Milan Mrkusich
another SHC old boy, formed Brenner Associates Ltd, a multi-purpose
design firm, at the same time opening a retail showroom selling
quality ceramics and glassware from around the world, while
promoting the products of New Zealand craftspeople.
After Brenner Associates closed, from 1958 to 1963 another
architectural practice was established, and Stephen joined
the Institute of Architects, becoming involved at National
Council, branch committee and sub-committee level.
In 1961 he convened the ‘Architects Planning Group’,
a team of architects and town planners concerned with the
potential effects of the expressway network planned for Auckland.
In 1962 and 1963 two exhibitions portrayed their concerns.
While practising independently between 1958 and 1963 he
was invited to join the Board of Auckland City Development
Association which represented the views of big business in
the city, and with their backing initiated Auckland’s
first shopping precinct – Vulcan Lane. In 1968, he
was honoured with Fellowship of the Institute.
He was joined by four colleagues in 1963 to form the partnership
Jelicich, Austin, Smith Mercep and Davies (JASMAD). This
practice grew rapidly and completed many project in university,
tourism, industrial and commercial fields. The partners continued
to be involved in planning matters, plus academic and institute
activities. Today its successor, JASMAX, is the largest in
New Zealand with 160 staff.
In 1972 he attended the United Nations conference on the
human environment in Stockholm, as a member of an unofficial
delegation.
Stephen retired from JASMAD in 1983 to carry on a small
practice from home and to progress other interests, mainly
the research and recording of the history of the Dalmatian
Croats in New Zealand. He belongs to the Yugoslav Tamburica
Orchestra and Choir at St Patricks Cathedral and is secretary
of the Yugoslav Club. He is involved in continuing research,
presenting papers and organising symposia on the settlement
and history of Dalmatian settlement in New Zealand and is
initiating the establishment of the Dalmatian Genealogical
and Historical Society.
Stephen is married to Jean (McLennan) and has four daughters,
two sons and 13 grandchildren.
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Tim McGuire (‘82)
Since leaving the College I got a BCom
from Auckland University; travelled overseas, and returned
to New Zealand to start
a career. In recent years I have held marketing and sales
roles within Carter Holt Harvey and Fletcher Challenge,
and latterly Norske Skog (formerly Fletcher Challenge Paper).
I have spent sometime overseas, being posted to Singapore
in 2002, and now reside in Sydney in the Australasian marketing
team of Norske Skog. I travel extensively throughout Australia
and Asia, as my role includes international sales responsibility
throughout the Asian region.
I was married in the SHC chapel in January 1997, and have
two sons, aged six and four. The oldest boy has completed
his first year in school,
In attendance
were From Left to Right: James
Houghton (NZ), Greg Morgan (Dubai),
Ric Clark (USA), Richard Murphy
(NZ), Dave Clark (Aus), Tim
McGuire (Aus), Kev Verryt (Germany),
Andrew Smith (UK). |
and I have to say the worst part
is him having to sing "Advance Australia Fair" most
weeks when they raise the flag in the school yard. However,
we have drummed into them their New Zealand identity and
they know and support the All Blacks. If they lose however,
my son very quickly converts to being a Wallaby supporter,
which doesn't please me! There are other pitfalls to living
in Australia ... the Australians! the spiders, snakes, and
other man-eating creatures, but we do enjoy our lifestyle
here in Sydney.
We will return to New Zealand someday, as I am keen for my
kids to experience the same things I did as a child growing
up in Auckland. This includes attending SHC. I do have fond
memories of those days, especially the 1st XV matches (both
as a spectator and a player), and the school spirit.
I have a number of school mates that are scattered across
the globe and recently I organised a combined 40th birthday
function in Sydney.
So if you like, it was a mini-SHC reunion, as some of these
guys hadn’t seen each for the best part of 20 years.
John
Reilly (’63)
 I left SHC at the end of Form 6 to go to the Redemptorist
Juniorate at Galong, NSW. That was for one year and the
following year - or most of it - I spent in the Novitiate,
but religious
life wasn't for me.
The following three years were spent in a variety of jobs
(I was getting myself a commercial pilot's licence and the
jobs were all directed at getting as big a wage as I could).
In 1969, I joined the police - a good job and with a passable
salary that was able to support the ongoing quest for piloting
qualifications but that, as the story goes, was that. Policing
proved to be a far more challenging, exciting and stimulating
career. It took me to Taihape (1970), Mangaweka (1973), Rotorua
on promotion to sergeant (1974), Wairoa (1976), and Christchurch
(1977) on promotion to senior sergeant. I stayed in Christchurch
on promotion to inspector in 1985 and superintendent in 1996.
I moved from managing the South Island Communications Centre
(the police call centre business) to Dunedin as district
commander in 1997. I stayed in Dunedin as district commander
of the new Southern District which merged the old Otago and
Southland Districts, until my return to Christchurch as district
commander in 2000, from where I retired in 2002. I re-started
my tertiary education a bit late in life - 1988 - and worked
part time at it over the next eight years finishing with
an MA in Psychology in 1994.
Post retirement from the police I have done a mixture of
low-stress, part-time work. However, in 2003, my wife and
I came to Britain and got work as general factota to the
wealthy, titled gentry. We look after the country property
of the Earl and Countess of Liverpool. The position comes
with a goodish wage and the use of a car. It is allowing
us to indulge ourselves and do the travel that we never got
to do when we were younger - we had our family as soon as
we got married. We have three children, none married; our
eldest, Erin lives in London and she is a senior lawyer for
a government organisation, our son, Brendan, is back at university
in Christchurch completing a PhD, and our youngest, Bridget,
is a recruitment consultant in Queenstown.
I don't know how much longer we will do this, but in the
meantime, we have seen most of Britain and Ireland and large
parts of Europe from Russia across as far as Turkey, and
we do it in relative comfort, courtesy of the Liverpool's
wage packet.
Richard Keenan
(‘95)
 After leaving Sacred Heart in 1995 I travelled to Dunedin
to study Law and Commerce at the University of Otago. I
was fortunate to also play for the Otago University rugby
club
and win the senior club competition with University A.
At the conclusion of my final year I was selected for a
rugby tour of China with the University A side. We were believed
to be the first team to tour the country, had a great time
along the way, and were undefeated.
I had three months until starting my law graduate job at
Simpson Grierson Auckland so I flew to Ireland to take up
a rugby contract for the remainder of the northern hemisphere
season with Rathdrum, a small town in the Wicklow mountains
about 45 minutes drive south of Dublin. We had a successful
season and won promotion to the second division of the league,
much to the delight of the 1200 rugby-mad Rathdrum residents.
At the completion of the season I travelled around the UK
and had an interview at the University of Oxford, where I
was successful in gaining entrance to read for my Master
of Science in Environmental Policy at Keble College. Once
accepted I was awarded the Ian Tucker Scholarship by the
Oxford University Rugby Club.
I had a fantastic Oxford experience completing my degree
and representing the university in both rugby and cricket
and taking the field for the MCC. I had lunch at Merton College
with Jacob Dunningham (91) and Duncan McGillivray (94), both
also studying at Oxford at the time.
I would like to thank the Sacred Heart Old Boys’ Association
and Simpson Grierson (where I am back working now), which
both contributed to my university fees. Without this extra
funding the task of getting to Oxford and studying would
have been a great deal more difficult for both myself and
my main financial backers, my parents Mike and Trish. Don't
worry guys, you know I am good for it!
Rowan Cann (‘99)
 I left SHC at the end of sixth form
for Melbourne as I had succesfully auditioned for the Australian
Ballet
School.
What followed was a three-year intensive tertiary dance
course. In my time there I performed with the Australian
Ballet in three seasons and in my graduating year we
did a five-week tour down the east coast of Queensland.
In my final year I had applied to take part in the Monaco
Dance Forum at the end of the year, Part of this was
an opportunity for young dancers to find jobs. I was
accepted
and this meant
a week in Monaco with the trip funded by the Princess
Grace Foundation. I then spent a fortnight seeing the
sights
of Berlin, Paris And London. I had also auditioned
for the Royal
New Zealand Ballet as I wanted to come home and I was
lucky enough to be offered a contract.  It
was a real buzz to join the company I had aspired to
when I was younger, especially as the first piece I danced
in was 'Frenzy' which was set to the music of Split Enz.
The highlight of my time in the company so far was a six-week
tour to Britain last year, taking in Manchester, London,
Glasgow, Edinburgh, High Wycombe and Bath. We performed a
contemporary triple bill including 'Frenzy' and Romeo and
Juliet. We have just completed 'Tutus on Tour'; I was with
the North Island half of the company and we did 34 performances
in 26 towns over 41 days. It’s a great experience performing
in small towns and sometimes we would only have an audience
of 200 people. This coming season we are doing a triple bill
of modern works with a tour to San Franciso and Sydney to
look forward to.
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Kevin O’Neill (‘99) weighs
in at 114kg and is 2.01m tall so it is no wonder he is
known as ‘Giant’. Kevin was part of the World
Cup-winning U21 team in 2003. He plays lock for Canterbury
and was a standout performer in the Air New Zealand NPC.
He is pictured here playing in the Crusaders v Blues
clash on 19 March 2005, up against another old boy, Blues
captain Xavier Rush (‘95). 
New
to Super 12 and to the Chiefs, Nili Latu (‘99) is
a specialist openside flanker who was impressive throughout
the Bay of Plenty’s successful NPC season. Nili
was a member of the Chiefs Development Squad in 2004,
is a former New Zealand U19 rep (2000), and NZ schools
rep. 
From 1983 until 2003 Br Albert was the Bursar at Sacred
Heart College. He had always intended to retire at 80 years
of age, but when his failing eyesight finally got the better
of him at 79 he knew it was the right time to make the move.