10 September 2025
It was a joy to welcome so many fathers, grandfathers and special friends to our Father’s Day Breakfast. There was great warmth in conversations and connections shared across the Big Quad along with plenty of energy expressed in the paper plane competition.
I reflected on the importance of male role models in our sons’ lives. They learn not only from what we tell them, but perhaps more powerfully from what we show them. They are watching how we greet others, how we respond when things don’t go our way, how we balance work and family and how we treat people. These seemingly ordinary examples become lessons that help shape their character.
Fathers, grandfathers, uncles, mentors and friends each play a part in this journey. Our presence matters more than we sometimes realise. A boy who knows he is seen and supported by the men in his life will always stand taller.
On Wednesday, I had the pleasure of making pavlovas with our Junior School ‘Chook Chiefs’. Armed with two dozen fresh eggs from our School chickens, we managed to whip up three pavlovas. There was a good deal of joy as we worked out how best to separate the eggs and beat the mixture into shape. While the pavlovas were the reward at the end, it was the fun, teamwork and shared effort along the way that made the experience memorable. Just as in families, these small, everyday experiences spent side by side leave a lasting impression on our boys.
Experiences like these remind me that education is about far more than academics. It is about building character, forming habits and nurturing the ability to think and act with purpose. This is why I often say that a great school should never simply reflect society; it should be a place where young people are encouraged to reflect upon society. This distinction is important. The mission of St Peter’s College has always been countercultural: we exist not to produce graduates who passively accept whatever the world serves up, but to prepare young men who are willing to think deeply, to question and to act.
A recent visit from BaptistCare highlighted the ongoing challenge of homelessness in our community. I commend Short House and Farrell House for participating in the School Rough Sleep Out, but the reality is that homelessness will only be addressed through structural change. This is not an issue we can afford to simply accept as part of the social fabric; it is a call for thoughtful engagement and courageous action.
We see similar tensions in the sporting world. The AFL was right to suspend a player for using a homophobic slur, yet at the same time, the institution chose an artist with a history of homophobic and misogynistic lyrics to perform at its showcase event. Are these issues connected? Can we, or should we, separate the art from the artist? These are the kinds of questions I encourage our students to grapple with.
At St Peter’s College, I want our young men to engage with the world critically and respectfully. Open discussion, disagreement and firm views are welcome – so long as they are expressed with respect. When our students graduate with the courage to question and the wisdom to reflect, they carry with them one of the most valuable outcomes of their education.
This School must always be a place where we think deeply about society, where we challenge what is set before us and where we strive to live lives of truth, respect and service.
I look forward to seeing Senior School families next Friday at the Athletics Day and Junior School families the following Tuesday for the Years 3 to 6 Sports Day. These occasions are always a wonderful celebration of School spirit, teamwork and community, and I encourage you to come along and support the boys.
Tim Browning
Headmaster
