By Charlene Macaulay
This educator has reached a golden milestone.
Tony O’Byrne was celebrated last week for notching up 50 years of service to Catholic education.
In his younger years, Mr O’Byrne was a member of the Christian Brothers Order, where he received teacher training and fronted his very first class when he was only 19 years old.
His first proper role wasn’t until a couple of years later, when he began at St Joseph’s Pascoe Vale in 1968.
He was only 23 when appointed year 9 co-ordinator at St Bernard’s in Essendon and has been in leadership positions ever since, including as principal at St Leo’s Box Hill and later principal at Aquinas College Ringwood, where he spent 25 years.
In 2007 he won the Victorian Principal of the Year and he won the Victorian Educator of the Year – Hedley Beare Award in 2006.
“I’ve always loved teaching, loved working with young people – they were always great fun – and always interested in ensuring that they enjoyed their learning.”
Mr O’Byrne also spent four years as a member of the National Catholic Education Commission, was an independent chair of Catholic School Parents Australia and for the past three years has been a principal consultant for the western region, where he offers support to principals in Catholic schools.
The 71-year-old said he would continue the role for one more year, then is likely to retire.
“Apart from my initial teaching, which was around Melbourne, my principalships were out in the eastern suburbs and so I’ve found it really quite enjoyable to be here in the west, which is very different.”
