STC OBA Melbourne Branch was the first Thomian OBA to be formed overseas. The founders were a group of old Thomians who migrated to Australia after their primary and secondary studies at S. Thomas’ College in Sri Lanka in the early 1960s and 1970s.
The main purpose, of the Thomian OBA, is to foster fellowship amongst Old Thomians in Australia and to raise funds that can be channelled to the Thomian fraternity of schools in Sri Lanka (Mount Lavinia, Kollupitiya, Bandarwela and Gurutalawa).
The OBA in Melbourne has a rich history of a packed calendar of events, each year. Highlights of the Thomian calendar include the Thomian Ball (primary fundraising black tie dinner dance), the Spring Carnival Dance (a small and more affordable dinner dance), the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, the Transfiguration Service and the Seniors’ Lunch.
The Thomian OBA in Melbourne is governed by an Executive Committee, elected annually at an Annual General Meeting of members who pay a nominal subscription.
The Thomian OBA was the first of the Sri Lankan schools’ alumni associations to introduce an annual dinner dance in Australia. That tradition has continued for over 42 years, raising tens of thousands of dollars for the Thomian fraternity of schools in Sri Lanka. Most of the funds direct to Sri Lanka have been channelled towards scholarships for students who couldn’t otherwise afford a Thomian education.
S. Thomas’ College is an institution rich in tradition, founded and governed by the Anglican Church with values that espouse hard work, humility and grit. The school has earned a reputation for turning boys into gentlemen, for over 165 years. The students have on offer a wide variety of extra-curricular activities to complement their studies and are encouraged to balance their academic and sports pursuits with forays into the humanities, liberal arts, technology and the environment. The school’s motto, Esto Perpetua, is a latin phrase that translates as ‘be thou forever.’ Accordingly, the Thomian OBA in Melbourne is dedicated to furthering the values and spirit of S. Thomas’ College.
