Published on: 14 April 2016




On Tuesday 5 April, more than 300 guests gathered in the School Refectory for the Year 8 Father, Friend and Son Breakfast. At the conclusion of a busy term, it was a great opportunity for the boys to have some quality time with their loved ones.

Invited to speak to the guests, old boy Dr John Van Bockxmeer (2002) inspired the group with stories of his work in the fields of medicine and community development.

Dr Van Bockxmeer was Western Australia’s 2014 Young Australian of the Year. He has led numerous voluntary initiatives, including Fair Game, a charity dedicated to inspiring change to migrant and Indigenous communities through fitness, capacity-building and health education programs.

John spoke to the boys about his time working with disadvantaged communities, explaining that inequality is unfair, systematic and preventable. He asked the boys to treat others with respect and think about what they can do for those less fortunate around them.

He then explained to the boys that success is like building a ladder: “You can go to Bunnings and buy one, then climb to the top, but it is far more rewarding to gather some wood, piece the ladder together slowly, build it and then start to climb to the top one rung at a time. If you do this the success is so much more rewarding.”