Discover the origin story of NBCS and the vision behind the O’Sullivan Science Centre

We live in a world that loves origin stories. These origin stories help us establish the motivation and identity of our heroes. It sets our heroes on their path; it shapes their destiny. Origin stories often explain what has caused or brought about a vital transformation. They explain how the ordinary became extraordinary through what our heroes have faced. The stories strike a chord within us because origin stories often explore deeply human themes of loss, of coping with adversity, of recognising a higher calling or of developing the ability to turn hardship into joy.

You may be familiar with one version of the origin story of Northern Beaches Christian School. But hidden within it is a deeper origin story, a more moving and wonderful origin story, of compassion and concern, of mercy and grace.

Here’s the origin story that you may have heard. At a weekly church Bible study that was part of Northern Beaches Christian Centre in Mona Vale, there was a topic of conversation that would crop up every few weeks after the study was done. The Bible study group met on a weeknight, and again and again, talk would turn to the same idea: we should start a Christian school. This is not a small idea or small undertaking. My job is to run a school, but the thought of starting one from scratch is faintly terrifying. But the conversation persisted to the point where the pastor, Paul O’Sullivan said something that he thought would shut the conversation down. He said words to the effect that there’s no point talking about it unless we have a teacher, a curriculum, and a school site. Within a month or so, a teacher joined the church congregation, someone found premises for rent in Vineyard Street in Mona Vale, and someone else came across the ACE curriculum from the US. Tick, tick, tick, the first three challenges were faced, the first three requirements were met, the conversation was back on, and in 1981, with 39 students, NBCS opened its doors.

But here’s the deeper origin story, the reason that the people in the Bible study group were so keen to start a Christian School on the Northern Beaches.

Picture this. It’s Sydney in the 1970s. The Vietnam War era. Change is about, and there is trouble on the streets of Sydney, trouble that spills out into the Northern Beaches. Paul O’Sullivan is working as a pharmacist.

There is a late-night pharmacy on Pittwater Road in Dee Why. As the evening passes, into the pharmacy come two young men, under the influence, armed with a shot gun and keen to rob the pharmacy. The robbery takes place, the robbers run out of the shop, followed by a brave but foolhardy pharmacist, Paul O’Sullivan. One of the robbers turns as Paul gives chase, a shot gun is fired, Paul is shot in the hand. In time, he recovers, but he, his family, and his congregation get to thinking. What can we do so that young people on the beaches have the chance to get an education that will stop them heading down a path of drugs and crime. A school, a Christian school, surely that’s got to help. We should do what we can, with what we have, where we are. And so they do.

I’m not sure that there are too many other schools in the world that have as their origin story their founder being shot in an armed robbery, which causes the founder to think what can I do to stop this sort of thing happening again? But now you know, behind the founding of NBCS sits a faithful Bible study group making a repeated statement, “we should start a Christian school”, and behind that sits an armed robbery that gave them the reason to start the school.

As we honour the O’Sullivan family, we are delighted to have Paul with us today, along with his children Jess, Matt and Lucy; their partners Andrew, Emma and Tommy; and his granddaughter Poppy. We are delighted to have other members of their extended family here too, including Paul’s sister Jenny Carblis, and her husband Peter Carblis, who also served as Principal of NBCS in its first decade.

It is with sadness today we acknowledge the passing of Tineke O’Sullivan. She was integral to the foundation of NBCS, as were many members of the family, immediate and extended, hence our desire to name the building in honour of the family. In Paul’s words, he was the enthusiasm in the endeavour, and Tineke the wisdom and discernment, the one behind the scenes making things happen. Without her, NBCS would not have been possible. Today, we acknowledge and honour you all.

Tim Watson
Principal