Murphy’s Lore and Other Stories

When the growing school on a tiny pocket of land in Moonee Ponds threatened to burst at the seams, one Br P.B. Murphy came to the rescue.

The purpose of publishing this book was to put into print some of the remembered history of St Bernard’s College, as told by those who were part of its first seventy years. It is woven through with contributions from students, Brothers, teachers, parents, volunteers and others associated in some way with the college, at both Moonee Ponds and West Essendon. To paraphrase playwright Bertolt Brecht, we particularly wanted to hear the voices of the previously unheard: the student whose name never appeared in gold-leaf on an honour board; the quiet-achieving Brother; the mother who found time to serve in the tuck shop while raising other children; the worker who mowed the grounds and repaired the buildings year in, year out; the father whose proudest moment was when a son followed in his footsteps and became a St Bernard’s boy.

Through the pages of Murphy’s Lore and Other Stories former students will relive their St Bernard’s schooldays with all their joys, sorrows, humour, escapades and pranks; readers who did not attend the school will join with them to discover the absorbing story of a college that found its own promised land.

BrownJudy

An ‘Irish-born, London-bred’ ex-con from the notorious island convict colony of Van Diemen’s Land is hired at the 1839 new year convict muster in Geelong to be shepherd on a station at the frontier of white settlement expansion into what was then known as the Portland Bay District. He soon learns that the rules agreed among the self-appointed British laird settlers include giving guns to their assignees to clear away the Australians.

On station are squatter and wife, an overseer and his manservant, three other shepherds on an outstation run, all of whom have also crossed over Bass Strait. Wife has a black housemaid who speaks English; she is the most prized hand on station, BrownJudy, a London-flash name given her by the ex-con. In conversations in his hut after dinner she tells about the creeds and customs of the people he is being paid to murder …

Defending The Eye Of The Needle

When the shadows of war became a reality in September 1939 Australia was forced to look to its own resources for its defence. Initially a number of World War 1 Naval lookouts, known as War Signal Stations, were reopened at key points around its coast. These quickly proved ineffective—in 1940 the German Navy easily evaded the War Signal Stations at both Wilsons Promontory and Cape Otway to lay 110 mines in Bass Strait. Those mines claimed two ships before they could be cleared. This prompted plans to deploy top secret radar stations at Cape Otway and other key points.

Before the radars could be commissioned, a Japanese aircraft was launched from a submarine in Bass Strait to make a reconnaissance flight over Melbourne. It was sighted, but before action could be taken it had flown back to the submarine which quickly left the area.

In both of these enemy intrusions radar would have provided timely warning so that defences could have reacted successfully.

The Cape Otway radar station was duly brought into operation; this book details its activities—told by the men who served there, as well as drawing on German and Japanese records to detail the enemy actions noted above.