Although I commenced in Year 7 in 1994, my first memories of Dominic College are actually from a few years before that.
In the late 80s I recall attending a welcome BBQ with my family when my brother Nathan (Class of 1993) was about to start Year 7. I remember we went on a tour through the campus, met some of the boarders, and had a great afternoon. I remember thinking at the time that Dominic had a great atmosphere and had a real sense of history. More than 20 years on, I know my first impressions were right.
As I did not attend Dominic for primary school, my move to Dominic for high school was a big change. I basically left all of my primary school friends and had to start again. This was daunting but was made easier by my many teachers, including my first home room teacher Mr Chambers, and it didn’t take long for me to make many new friends. I also remember the then Principal, Father Bernie Graham, and Mr Woolford making Dominic a fun place to go to school.
I recall many great rowing trips to Lake Barrington with our coach Mr Reinbach, and although we were barely competitive in heavy wooden boats, we all had fun. I also remember the Friday nights spent at the Clarence Pool playing in the school Water Polo teams. Our team won the premiership in 1995 defeating Hutchins 11-4 – a great result in a very strong competition. Playing for DOSA now, I still like beating Hutchins!
I didn’t really know what I wanted to do after I finished Year 12 at GYC. I enjoyed economics and accounting and thought I might go down that path. I enrolled at the University of Tasmania in a Commerce Degree, but also enrolled in the Introduction to Law subject. After a reasonably successful first year, I was ultimately accepted into the Faculty of Law and converted to a combined Commerce (with an Accounting Major) and Law degree.
I realised that I had a particular interest in the Law, and after graduating from UTAS in 2004 I decided to enrol in the Legal Practice Course. I was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor to the Supreme Court of Tasmania in August 2005.
Immediately after admission I secured a job as a graduate Lawyer at Murdoch Clarke in Hobart. Murdoch Clarke was established in 1894 and is one of Tasmania’s most respected law firms.
During my first few years of legal practise I gained experience in commercial law, particularly involving property matters, securities law, wills and estates, leases and acquisitions. After about four years of practising primarily in the commercial department, an opportunity arose to gain experience in the litigation department, in the areas of Planning, Local Government and Environment Law and Industrial Relations.
Although managing a broad practice has its difficulties, I have been lucky enough to gain extensive experience in various areas, and regularly appear for clients in various courts, commissions and tribunals. I was asked to join the partnership and became a Partner at Murdoch Clarke 1 July 2014.
My family continues to have a strong link to Dominic, with my brother Cameron (Class of 1999) now teaching there, and my sister Aleesha (Class of 2001) is about to start her children at Dominic. In fact, all of my nieces and nephews have or will soon attend Dominic.
It was also my links to the College which encouraged me to join the Dominic Old Scholars Association Football Club in 2002. Fortunately, this has allowed me to remain connected with many old scholars, many of whom are now my closest friends. I have been fortunate to play over 200 games for the mighty Roosters, and have played in three Reserves premierships. Although my body is telling me it’s probably time to hang up the boots, I hope to continue on for a few more seasons yet.
I am confident the many values I learned at Dominic, have held me in good stead and have assisted me in achieving my goals in life.
This is an abridged version of an article written by Luke Golding. The article originally appeared in Dominic College’s Veritas Magazine, and is reproduced with permission.