| Whitefriars College | |
| Motto: | la|Almae in Fide Parentis[1] |
| Motto Translation: | In The Care of a Loving Mother |
| Zipcode: | 3111 |
| Country: | Australia |
| Coordinates: | -37.7906°N 145.2003°W |
| Established: | 1961 |
| Chairman: | Peter Duffy |
| Principal: | Mark Murphy |
| Chaplain: | Fr Paul Sireh |
| Grades: | 7–12 |
| Colours: | Brown, gold & navy blue |
| Slogan: | Belong. Believe. Become. |
| Fees: | Domestic: $13,418–$14,934International: $24,770 |
| Address: | 156 Park Road |
| Grades Label: | Years |
| Gender: | Boys |
| Enrolment: | 1,200 |
| Homepage: | www.whitefriars.vic.edu.au |
Whitefriars College is a Roman Catholic Independent school for boys located in the Melbourne suburb of Donvale, Australia. Established in 1961, the college reflects the tradition of the Carmelites, and is recognised for its uniform's brown blazer with the college crest appearing on the breast pocket. The college has been a member of the Associated Catholic Colleges since 1999. The college was one of the first schools in Victoria to implement a notebook-computer program, which has now transitioned to a notebook-tablet program, in which every student is provided with a notebook-tablet.
The college has eight houses, each one named after a Carmelite of note. The houses are:
| House name | Patron | Colour | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avila | |||
| Brandsma | Titus Brandsma | ||
| Corsini | Andrew Corsini | ||
| Lisieux | Therese of Lisieux | ||
| Stein | |||
| Mantua | Baptista Mantuanus | ||
| Soreth | |||
| Trinity | Elizabeth of the Trinity | ||
As there is a vertical pastoral care (more commonly known as homeroom) system at the college, each house is made up of six pastoral care groups and each group contains approximately 24 students. This change was made in 2005. Each house is governed by a Head of House. Unlike other schools, students at Whitefriars College are more so responsible to their respective Head of House combined with Pastoral Care teacher, than that of their Year level co-ordinator.
Whitefriars College offers its senior students the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE).
| 2012 | 84 | 32 | 14.2 | 308 | |
| 2013 | 140 | 31 | 8.2 | 289 | |
| 2014 | 136 | 31 | 8.1 | 299 | |
| 2015 | 135 | 31 | 8.3 | 336 | |
| 2016 | 148 | 31 | 7.3 | 316 | |
| 2017 | 184 | 30 | 5.9 | 289 | |
| 2018 | 198 | 30 | 4.5 | 307 | |
| 2019 | 122 | 31 | 9.3 | 275 | |
| 2020 | 146 | 31 | 5.9 | 271 | |
| 2021 | 128 | 31 | 9.2 | 274 | |
| 2022 | 150 | 31 | 5.5 | 266 | |
| 2023 | 96 | 32 | 10 | 262 |
The college celebrated its 50th year in operation from 2010 to 2011. The school received a New Chapel, Quadrangle and Classrooms to commemorate the occasion. In addition to this, some existing classrooms were also renovated. Students were also presented with a 50-year badge to be worn on their blazer lapel.
| 1961–1972 | 11 Years | Frank Shortis, O.Carm | ||
| 1973–1976 | 3 Years | Bernie McPhee, O.Carm | ||
| 1977–1978 | 1 Year | Peter Byrth, O.Carm | ||
| 1978–1988 | 10 Years | Noel Kierce, O.Carm | Served as College Chaplain until 2015 | |
| 1989–1995 | 6 Years | Hugh Brown, O.Carm | ||
| 1996–2012 | 16 Years | Paul Cahill, O.Carm | Longest serving Principal | |
| 2013–2017 | 4 Years | John Finn | First lay Principal | |
| 2018 | 1 Year | Anthony Kirley | ||
| 2019 | 1 Year | Gregory Stewart | Temporary Appointment | |
| 2020–2023 | Present | Mark Murphy |
Whitefriars is a member of the Associated Catholic Colleges (ACC).
Whitefriars has won the following ACC premierships.[3]
The school has two student-run community service organisations, the Key Club, sponsored by the Doncaster-Templestowe Kiwanis, and Young St. Vinnie's. Both groups work in the school community as well as in the wider community on a number of projects. The Key Club runs a recycling drive and St Vinnie's runs a weekly blood donation drive, in which VCE students are encouraged to give blood.
In 2019, Whitefriars reached a confidential settlement with a student relating to accusations that the school failed to take adequate action after an older student allegedly groomed and sexually abused at least two younger boys.[8]