Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) students, staff and members of the Jarara Cultural Centre gathered around Hyde Park’s Pool of Reflection for the 2024 Indigenous Veterans Commemoration Service at Hyde Park.
Since its inception in 2007, the annual Indigenous Veterans Commemoration Service continues to unite Australians to remember and honour the service and sacrifice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander veterans.
Students from schools across the Parramatta Diocese joined Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales, The Hon. David Robert Harris MP, NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, many more dignitaries and hundreds of other students at the moving ceremony.
Guided by members of the Jarara Cultural Centre, CSPD students laid wreaths and paid their respects to Indigenous veterans for their service and protection of our country. Xavier College Llandilo School Captain, Jai Johnstone said it was really important for the students to be there.
“As young people it means so much to us to pay respect to those who came before us, especially considering in their time they didn’t receive the appropriate commendation for the work they did,” said Jai.
Taking place in Reconciliation Week the ceremony combines conventional military protocol with Indigenous ceremonial display. The service has a focus on attendance by school children, with guest speakers sharing the remarkable stories of their service to inspire our youth, both indigenous and non-indigenous alike.
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Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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23 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Here's what's going on at Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown this week!
20 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Last night we proudly celebrated the achievements of our Year 12 students at the ACU Step Up Into Teaching (SUIT) Program Completion Ceremony Congratulations to Francesco Tabone and Lucas Sheehan on receiving their certificates as part of this outstanding initiative, alongside a cohort of over 160 students from across multiple dioceses and education systems. This year’s celebration was made even more special, with the SUIT program recently recognised on a national stage, taking out the Future Builder People’s Choice category at the Universities Australia Shaping Australia Awards 2025. The program continues to open doors for aspiring educators, providing students with a head start in their teaching journey while fostering leadership, opportunity, and community impact. We are incredibly proud of Francesco and Lucas as they take their next steps towards becoming future educators and leaders.
Latest News More news
23 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Here's what's going on at Patrician Brothers' College Blacktown this week!
20 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Last night we proudly celebrated the achievements of our Year 12 students at the ACU Step Up Into Teaching (SUIT) Program Completion Ceremony Congratulations to Francesco Tabone and Lucas Sheehan on receiving their certificates as part of this outstanding initiative, alongside a cohort of over 160 students from across multiple dioceses and education systems. This year’s celebration was made even more special, with the SUIT program recently recognised on a national stage, taking out the Future Builder People’s Choice category at the Universities Australia Shaping Australia Awards 2025. The program continues to open doors for aspiring educators, providing students with a head start in their teaching journey while fostering leadership, opportunity, and community impact. We are incredibly proud of Francesco and Lucas as they take their next steps towards becoming future educators and leaders.
18 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Congratulations to everyone involved with our St Patrick’s Day celebrations last Tuesday. Our Mass was celebrated by Fr Wim Hoekstra and featured the outstanding musical talent of our student choir. Our special guests included Br Aengus Kavanagh - Patrician Brothers, Deborah Scollard - Principal of Nagle College, Stephen Bali Jnr - representing Stephen Bali Snr, State Member for Blacktown, and Michelle Rowland, Attorney-General of Australia, Patrick Murray - College Captain 1983, along with former staff members; Kim Crawford, Barbara Newton and Dave Backhurst. Pat Murray spoke to our students with tremendous wisdom and relevance after Mass about the far-reaching impact of his Patties Blacktown education. The Staff v Students Soccer match was as entertaining as ever, and the response of the students in the crowd was tremendous. Our day finished with a Patties Got Talent concert and there was certainly an abundance of musical talent on display.
12 Mar 2026
From Facebook
As we head into the grand final of the 2026 CSDA Public Speaking tomorrow. We want to congratulate the three students who progressed through the first round to this preliminary final round last week. The competition was held at All Saints Catholic College, Liverpool. All three performed brilliantly, and we are thrilled to announce that one student, Jay Pandya of Year 9, has now progressed to the grand finals, to be held at St Patrick's Strathfield tomorrow, Friday the 13th of March. Congratulations and good luck to Jay on this outstanding achievement, and a huge thanks to the staff who have supported all our public speakers this year.
09 Mar 2026
From Facebook
04 Mar 2026
From Facebook
This week we had our Open Night where we welcomed prospective 2027 students and parents and provided tours of our College. We successfully showcased our excellent facilities and, more importantly, the enthusiasm and pride of our wonderful students and staff. Both tour sessions attracted strong turnouts of excited and curious students and parents. It was a joy to host our visitors, and we look forward to welcoming many of them as future Patties Boys and parents!
03 Mar 2026
From Facebook
Last Friday, the first round of the 2026 CSDA Public Speaking competition was held at St Andrew’s Marayong. We had 12 boys representing the College, from Year 7 through to Year 12. Our students spoke about their chosen topics with enthusiasm and passion and they all represented the College with distinction. Congratulations to the three boys who successfully progressed through to Round 2: Jake Laidlaw - Year 7 Jay Pandya- Year 9 Jordan Laidlaw - Year 11
27 Feb 2026
From Facebook
This week our Year 10 and 11 students attended a presentation given by Service NSW about how to obtain your drivers licence. This is the first year that Service NSW has offered such presentations and Patrician Brothers’ College, Blacktown was privileged to be the first school in our region to attend. In the career pathways space, obtaining your drivers licence is a valuable process. Some post school pathways may require young people to have their licence. Additionally, being able to drive can open up opportunities for tertiary education as well as employment options, without reliance on public transport. The presentation outlined some significant changes to the Driver Knowledge Test (DKT), the different identification documents required and the importance of bringing the right identification on the day.
26 Feb 2026
From Facebook
Remember, our Open Evening is next Tuesday, the 3rd of March! Come for a tour and enjoy a Sausage Sizzle afterwards. Make sure to register using the QR code, see you there!
24 Feb 2026
From Facebook
Join us on the 3rd of March for a tour of the school! With everyone who registers, a sausage sizzle will be provided.
24 Feb 2026
From Facebook
Last week, a group of our Year 12 Pasifika students attended a conference on Future Student Engagement Programs at Western Sydney University. The Pasifika Achievement to Higher Education (PATHE) team hosted the event, providing students with important information and advice about their futures. They participated in a number of exciting workshops that explored educational and career pathways and helped prepare them for life beyond school.