Introduction

St. Patrick's College began in 1854 as one of the first secondary schools in Melbourne and was run by the Irish Jesuits from 1865. Following gatherings of the past students of the College in the 1870s, an old collegians' association evolved. It was officially founded over a hundred years ago in 1912 as the St. Patrick's Old Collegians' Association (known as "SPOCA"). Although the College was closed in controversial circumstances in 1968, SPOCA has functioned continuously ever since its inception, and despite the closure. A history of the College is outlined in another section of this website.

SPOCA

The Association is operated by a committee which meets regularly, organizes functions and maintains its own finances. It protects the history of the College, supports its alumni and the works of its founders, and continues to interact with the wider community. Many of these functions, events and interactions are described in the pages within this website.

Assets

SPOCA proudly recognizes and values its many assets which include the following:

• Personal – The past students, teachers and associates of the College continue to be its primary assets

• Administrative - The formal committee is the primary structural asset, and this includes its finances

• Physical – The SPC memorabilia (now stored in the Xavier College Archives), the 'SPJC Room' (a most convenient facility in Cathedral Hall made available to SPOCA by the Australian Catholic University – St Patrick's Campus), and their contents including many books and videos; the Tower at the South East corner of the College is the only remaining physical reminder of where the College was and what (part of) it looked like

• Digital – Many of the formal records and history of the College and SPOCA are recorded in this website or are stored as photographic images on the Victorian Collections website (for quick connection click here)

• External – SPOCA has both long-held and recently-formed connections with a number of other institutions. These include the ACU, Xavier College, St. Ignatius College (Geelong), Loyola College (Watsonia) and the Australian Province of the Society of Jesus

• Intangible - whenever those who have ever had a connection with the College gather together, there is an undeniable and almost palpable connection that they feel part of a family with a long tradition, history and mutual support for one another. This is our other primary asset and links back to the first.