Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Monday 23 November 1936, page 8


ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE.

Appeal Realises £29,500.

MRS. FREEHILL .GIVES £15,000.

It was announced by *"he organising secre-tary (Father W. P. Clark) at a public meet-ing at St. John's 'College, Sydney University, yesterday, afternoon, that £29,500 had so tai. been subscribed to the fourth appeal for building of the tower and southern wing of the college.

The subscription list, he said, was headed with a donation 'of £15,000 by Mrs. F. B. Freehill, who eight years ago was honoured with the Papal title of countess. The tower of the college, which will cost £15,000, will be known as' the Freehill tower, in memory of the late Mr. F. B? Freehill, a former stu-dent and Fellow of St. John's College. In the tower a chapel will be erected in memory of the late rector of St. John's, the Rev. Dr. Maurice O'Reilly, CM. Other donations Included £2000 from an anonymous subscriber, £1000 from Archbishop Kelly, £1000 from the estate of tile late Monslgnor Coonan, and £500 from Archbishop Sheehan.

Father Clark stated that Mrs. Freehill was the most munificent and consistent bcnefactoi In the hLstory of the Catholic Church in New South Wales.

Archbishop Kelly, who was warmly wel-comed, presided over a gathering of more than 5000 people, including Archbishops Duhig (Brisbane), and O'Shca (Wellington, New Zealand), Bishops Canoll (Lismore), Norton (Bathurst), Coleman (Armidale), and Gleeson (Maitland). Others present included Sii John McKclvcy, Mr. Justice McTIernan, Mr. J, Lane Mullins, Mr. J. Ryan, M.L.O., Dame Constance D'arcy, Mr. W. A. Selle (reglstrai Sydney University), the Vice Chancellor of the University (Professor R. D. Wallace), Canon A, H. Garnsey (Warden of St. Paul's College), and Professor Andeison (principal St. Andrew's College).

Archbishop Kelly said that the college was a necessity for Catholic young mon, who would be the leaders of the future. They would keep the knowledge of truth and the standard of virtue before the people. With the number of différent ichgions they must be each tolerant to one another. He was pleased to see representatives of the Univer-sity present. During the past year 14 students had been refused admission to the college through lack of accommodation. But there would now be room for 70 more. They wanted to train students wh'o would be true to God. their country, and each other.

A COLOSSAL WORK.

Archbishop Duhlg (Brisbane), who made the appeal, said that Dr. Poldlng, the founder of St. John's College, nearly 80 years ago, had shown extraordinary foresight and cour-age in undertaking such a colossal work, even with Government aid. It would be a surprise to Catholics and non-Catholics to leam that between £50,000,000 and £60,000,000 had been spent in Australia on Catholic schools and colleges during the past 70 years, Catho-lic schools had proved, in secular knowledge, in no way inferior to those sponsored by the State system. Every University city in the Commonwealth recognised the alue of a col-lege like St. John's.

The rector of St. John's (Father J. C. Thompson, CM.) said that St. John's was on terms of the most cordial friendship with the other colleges within the University. He desired to remove the repronch that they had to refuse si.udents admission to St. John's. When it was completed few buildings in Syd-ney would compare with it. He hoped, through the success of the appeal to have a finis", i building, according to the original plan.

Sir John McKelvcy said St. John's stood for truth and culture, and had leavened the pro-fessional, social, and political life of Sydney

In reply to a vote of thanks, proposed by Mr. J. Lane Mullins and seconded by Dr. Walter Burfitt, Archbishop Kelly said that the generosity of the people was remarkable. Millions and millions were being collected for war. he snid. That was for destruction. Only men of good sense could stop war. The appeal of St. John's had been so wonderful that he now hoped that some good person would help him to put the spires on St. Mary's Cathedral. __________________