Peter Bartlett was a significant figure, not only on the Capricorn Coast, but across the region.  For thirty years, he worked at St Brendan's and had a positive impact on so many students, especially the Indigenous students.  The St Brendan's community are to be commended for holding such an inclusive funeral service for so many while keeping the Covid restrictions.  Live streamed across a number of places in the school, to the local football oval, and joined in prayer by parishioners at Sacred Heart Parish, it was a wonderful tribute to such a great man.  

From the Eulogy given by Cara Bartlett, Peter's wife

He was forever grateful to Gerard Keating and Dan McMahon for giving him the chance.  Pete went on to work for St Brendan’s until the day of his diagnosis in August 2019.  I know for a fact that next to his family and friends, St Brendan’s College was the greatest love of his life.  He held a number of positions within the school in his nearly 30 years including, Head of PE x 2, House Dean, Deputy Head of Residence, Head of Residence, Head of Boarding but his most loved roll and his last was Head of Indigenous Education.  Whilst I do not feel that I am the best person to speak about this I know he had a huge impact on many if not most of the boys that he taught, especially the indigenous boys.  He clearly demonstrated that despite the struggles of being an indigenous young man in Australian society with hard work, commitment, pride in your culture and a generosity of time and spirit, they could achieve anything.  Wunyungar Djadja (Alwyn) was a perfect example of the impact that Pete had on these young men and we as a family will be forever grateful to Alwyn.  We have received so many amazing messages about Pete’s impact on his students but I would also love to hear some of the Old Boys get up and speak at the wake about what Pete meant to them.

For each of you who knew him, many much better than I, we have glimpsed a man of faith, a man who loved his family, Cara, Emily and Caleb and cared deeply for those around him, he especially loved and cared for his boys from this place of St Brendan’s. He led and loved each of you with a spirit held deeply within him as a proud indigenous man of this land and its culture.

As our first reading proclaims if we die with Christ, we shall surely live with him…death no longer has power over him. Death no longer has power over Peter and we pray that he now enjoys the eternal love of his God who he made present in this world in so many ways.

In our Gospel we hear the teachings of Jesus and they are words and a way of life Peter tried to live out and make real. These teachings of Christ call each of us forward into each and every day and called Peter into his life and now eternal life with God.

He wasn’t perfect, but he was perfectly Peter.

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, may perpetual light shine upon him and may he rest in peace. Amen.