Prior to amalgamation many now famous people graduated from the colleges including rugby league legend Petero Civoniceva, Michael Lavarch AO and Walkley Award winning journalist Tracey Spicer.

But it didn’t stop there, thousands have graduated from the college in the past 25 years – many going on to do amazing things.

Today we present some of the most outstanding graduates.

Michael Crocker

A Redcliffe Dolphins junior Michael Crocker has always had a passion for rugby league. He graduated from Southern Cross Catholic College in 1997. Crocker made 204 NRL appearances during stints with the Sydney Roosters, Melbourne Storm and South Sydney Rabbitohs. He played in five grand finals, including three consecutive grand final appearances between 2002 and 2004. He won two. Crocker also earned a call up to the Queensland State of Origin side 13 times and Australia seven. After retiring from the game he turned to mentoring and coaching and was appointed the People and Culture Manager of the Australian Kangaroos in 2016.

Tarnee White

Australian Olympian Tarnee White graduated from Southern Cross in 1998. White was trained by well-known coach Ken Wood in Redcliffe. She made her international debut at the 1999 Pan Pacific Championships in Sydney where she came seventh in the 100m breaststroke.

She swum the breaststroke leg in the heats of the 4x100m relay at the Sydney Olympics before being replaced by Leisel Jones. White placed seventh in the 100m breaststroke event.

In 2001 she finished ninth in the 50m and 100m breaststroke event at the World Aquatics Championships in Japan.

The following year she won a bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

White competed in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, claiming another bronze.

She qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics with the second fastest time in the world and went on to finished sixth in the 100m women’s breaststroke final.

White and the 4x100m medley relay team won gold.

In 2009 she was awarded an Order of Australia for her contribution to sport.

RELATED STORY: GRACE LUTHERAN COLLEGE’S MOST OUTSTANDING ALUMNI

Dermot O’Donnell

After SCCC Dermot O’Donnell, who graduated in 1999, studied combined degrees in Law and Commerce. For more than a decade he has worked as a lawyer for the UK Government in London. His present role is that of Senior Solicitor within Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC). HMRC is the UK’s tax, payments, and customs authority, and its purpose is to collect the money that pays for the UK’s public services (in excess of $1 trillion Australian dollars) and help families and individuals with targeted financial support. Mr O’Donnell leads litigation involving some of the largest, international companies in the world in relation to complex domestic and international tax issues, across numerous taxes and which involve many billions of dollars. Further, he assists and advises on legal issues for the Chancellor to the Exchequer and Financial Secretary of the Treasury on legislative and litigation risk helping to strengthen and develop UK tax policy.

In the immediate future, Mr O’Donnell is excited to continue to litigate and advise on cases for HMRC to meet the legal challenges ahead implementing Brexit and working across several Whitehall Departments to return the economy to strength post COVID-19.

Rebecca Creedy

Rebecca Creedy was still at Southern Cross Catholic College when she won her first international swimming titles. Aged 15 she was part of the 1998 Australian Women’s 4x100m freestyle team (along with Susie O’Neill, Sarah Ryan and Lori Muntz) which won gold at the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games. She also medalled at the World Championships in 1998 and 1999. She graduated Southern Cross in 2001, Creedy later tried her hand at triathlon and ironmans – winning national tournaments in 2009 and 2012.

Kate McShea

Australian footballer Kate McShea also graduated from Southern Cross Catholic College in 2001. McShea played for the Queensland Roar (now Brisbane Roar) in the W-League – captaining the side to the first ever W-League premiership in 2009. She earned 73 caps for the Matildas between 1999-2009. The defender retired in 2009 and started work as an operator at a coal mine in Singleton.

Zac Boulton

Zac Boulton has been busy since graduating in 2005 – he is now an actor, director, playwright and teacher. Mr Boulton completed an Advanced Diploma of Acting at Southbank Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Applied Theatre at Griffith University. He has performed on stages around Brisbane including Laboite Roundhouse Theatre. He is best known for his works Never Alone (2020), The Devil May Care Trilogy (2018) and D-Evolution.

David Hala

David Hala is a Tonga international rugby league footballer who played 39 NRL games with the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans. Hala graduated from Southern Cross in 2006. The Redcliffe Dolphins junior went on to play for the club’s Intrust Super Cup side before being called up to the NRL. In 2017 he retired from the game, after being plagued by multiple injuries. He recently switched his focus to shot put, with the hopes of making the Australian athletics team.

Blake Cochrane OAM

Australian Paralympic swimmer Blake Cochrane graduated in 2008. Before COVID — 19 struck he was training hard for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games – his fourth Paralympic Games. With two gold and two silver from three Paralympic Games, two world titles, three minor World Championships medals, and four from the Commonwealth Games, Cochrane is one of the Australian Para-swimming team’s most decorated athletes. Outside of his swimming commitments Cochrane has also obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Exercise Physiology.

Dr Rachel Pepper

Dr Rachel graduated from Southern Cross Catholic College in 2010 and went on to complete a bachelor in applied science at QUT. She completed her PhD in 2018, and is currently working at QUT as a research fellow in the school of mechanical, medical and process engineering as part of a cooperative research centre in collaboration with industry.

Jayden Hadler

Jayden represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, competing in the preliminary heats of the men’s 100m butterfly and 200m individual medley. The backstroker won gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the 4 x 100m freestyle and silver in the 4 x 100m medley. Hadler followed his dad, and former swimming coach, Steve, into the family business running their learn-to-swim and swim coaching business at Southern Cross Catholic College.

Thomas Armstrong-Robley

2011 graduate Thomas Armstrong-Robley has performed on stages around the world. The performer always makes time to perform at local Christmas carol events, festivals and to bring his shows home to the Redcliffe Entertainment Centre. Mr Armstrong-Robley has had multiple television appearances on Channel 7, 9 and 10 – performing alongside Australian greats Silvie Paladino and Rhonda Burchmore. He is the youngest adult worldwide to perform the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera having appeared under the iconic mask at only 19 years of age. In recent years Thomas has toured throughout Australia and internationally with various concepts including World On A String: Live Tribute to Michael Bublé. In 2017. He has travelled to over 25 countries earning standing ovations for his solo concerts and cabarets including Live at Frankie’s: The Songs of Valli & Sinatra, Bublé, Broadway & Beyond and Beatles Unplugged.