The Australia of the 1920s and 30s was a nation in flux, caught between the lingering shadows of the Great War and its aftermath, cautious optimism before the slow creep of the Great Depression, and the looming spectre of another global conflict into which the country would inevitably be drawn. It was a time of resilience, where austerity was not just a necessity but a way of life, shaping a generation that learned to endure with quiet strength.
It was into this world that Br Noel Hickey was born and raised - a man whose very character was forged by the trials of his generation. His personality remains reminiscent of his time - measured, pragmatic, and rational - all underpinned by that quintessential Aussie humour, always lurking just beneath the surface, ready to appear when least expected and catch one off guard.
Over the past ten decades, Br Noel, born in 1925, has witnessed history unfold - from the hardships and turmoil of the World Wars to the rapid technological advancements of the digital age. On 8 February, he will make history himself as he turns 100, becoming only the second Marist Brother, after Br Vincent Shekleton, in the Star of the Province to reach this milestone.
Br Noel joined the Marist Brothers in 1942, dedicating more than 80 years to the mission and serving across Australia and beyond.
Br Noel joined the Marist Brothers in 1942, dedicating more than 80 years to the mission and serving across Australia and beyond. His journey took him to the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, where he witnessed firsthand the ethnic tensions that threatened the lives of those in these beautiful yet troubled lands. As history marched on, ushering in new eras, Br Noel’s life, too, continued to evolve - from aspiring to be a mathematics teacher to finding his place in the sciences, from teaching in challenging environments to dedicating his later years to archival work.
Now, in his quiet retirement, he spends his days solving crosswords and enjoying conversations with his Brothers and the many visitors who drop by for a chat.
On the cusp of his 100th birthday, The Star Post sat down with Br Noel to reflect on his remarkable journey, his love for teaching, and his hopes for the future of the Marist mission.
Br Noel’s life, too, continued to evolve - from aspiring to be a mathematics teacher to finding his place in the sciences, from teaching in challenging environments to dedicating his later years to archival work.
The Kid from Perth
Br Noel was born in Fimiston, Western Australia, but his family soon relocated to Perth. “I was born on the Goldfields, but I didn’t stay there very long. In fact, I don’t even remember when we moved to Perth.”
His earliest recollection, he shares, is from 1929. “My father helped build our house in Wembley. I was there when it was built. That’s my first real memory from childhood.”
Family was at the heart of Br Noel’s upbringing, though it wasn’t without its share of sorrow. “We were 12 siblings,” he says. “The first child died as an infant - I don’t even know how old she was. And another passed away from appendicitis at just three years old.”
He was the fifth of the surviving siblings.
Growing up during one of the most economically challenging periods in Australian history, Br Noel attended the local parish school. “It was tough, of course. With the Great Depression, things were not easy, but like many, we managed, I suppose,” he says.
"With the Great Depression, things were not easy, but like many, we managed, I suppose."
Despite the hardships, he excelled academically, earning the prestigious Lord Abbott Scholarship, which allowed him to board at St Ildephonsus College in New Norcia, a monastic town about 82 miles northeast of Perth. Yet, with his characteristic humility, Br Noel downplays any notion of being particularly gifted. “Well, I passed the exams and things like that. But I don’t know that I’d say I studied hard,” he chuckles.
His elder brother had won the same Lord Abbott Scholarship a few years before him, attending New Norcia in 1935, while Br Noel followed in 1937.
Joining the Marist Brothers
When he was only a teenager, Br Noel knew he wanted to become a Brother. The seeds of his Marist vocation were nurtured during his five years as a boarder at St Ildephonsus College. It was there that he was first introduced to the Marist Brothers.
“The Brothers taught at New Norcia on behalf of the Benedictines,” he explains. “They ran the school, and they were the only dedicated men I grew up with. They looked after us, taught us. I thought theirs was an attractive way of life.”
"The Brothers were the only dedicated men I grew up with. They looked after us, taught us. I thought theirs was an attractive way of life."
By 1938, as the Brothers began their mission in the Solomon Islands, a senior Brother from Sydney visited the school to speak with the students about the vocation, asking if any of the boys were interested in joining the order. Br Noel was immediately intrigued. “I said yes, I was interested!” he recalls. But at just sixteen, he wasn’t yet ready to leave. Instead, he continued his secondary education until the end of 1941.
Australia had been drawn into World War II, and resources were scarce. Like all young men at eighteen, Br Noel was required to register for conscription, and when the time came, he did. “But I had already joined the Brothers,” he explains. “The government didn’t recruit those who had joined religious orders, so I wasn’t called up.”
In 1942, he entered the novitiate at Mittagong, New South Wales. “If you had already completed the Leaving Certificate, you had the option to repeat it,” he explains. “So, I spent a year doing that before officially becoming a Marist Brother in 1943.”
The start of his teaching period
From 1944, Br Noel’s life as an educator began, unfolding in a series of distinct chapters.
“After becoming a Brother, I taught at Parramatta for three and a half years. It was a good experience. Then, in 1948, the provinces were restructured. I joined the Melbourne Province at the start of that year, and my work began to take me all over Victoria,” recalls Br Noel.
Following his time in Parramatta, Br Noel taught at New Norcia (1948–51), Macedon (1952–54), Wangaratta (1955), East Brunswick (1956), Wangaratta again (1957–60), and Sale (1961–63). In 1964, he spent five months in Fribourg, Switzerland on a third age renewal course, from January to September.
"I joined the Melbourne Province at the start of that year, and my work began to take me all over Victoria."
In 1965, he became Principal in Sale, Victoria, a role he held until 1970 - a period he describes as “an interesting time.” With characteristic Marist humility, he reflects, “I wasn’t exactly a revolutionary or an innovator, but I kept things steady.”
During his tenure, many schools still operated as boarding institutions, catering to a significant number of boys from the countryside. However, as government initiatives led to the construction of more rural high schools and improvements in bus travel, the demand for boarding declined. “I could see that shift firsthand,” he notes. “It did lead to certain changes at the school - I just tried to keep things steady.”
"After my time in Sale, I wasn’t asked to be a principal again, so maybe that says something about me," he adds, laughing.
“After my time in Sale, I wasn’t asked to be a principal again, so maybe that says something about me,” he adds, laughing, his dry wit intact.
However, that wasn’t entirely true. After leaving Sale, he served as acting Principal in Bulleen from 1971 to 1972.
“After Bulleen, I spent three years in Macedon as the Master of Novices. I worked with the novices for two years before the novitiate closed. We then transformed the place into a retreat centre, and I helped establish it, overseeing it for another two years,” he adds.
"It was a long journey, but each place offered its own lessons and challenges. Wherever I went, I always tried to give my best."
“From there, I spent three years in Bunbury, Western Australia (1978–80), and then Bendigo (1981–82). It was a long journey, but each place offered its own lessons and challenges. Wherever I went, I always tried to give my best,” says Br Noel.
Read part 2.
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