King's Old Collegians' Association
Officially founded in 1923 the King’s Old Collegians’ Association (KOCA) is the oldest of its kind affiliated with The University of Queensland colleges. It is believed that an unofficial KOCA started as early as 1915 on the famous battlefields in Gallipoli in World War 1.
KOCA’s objectives are to
- Foster communication between past Collegians
- Provide a medium through which members can provide input into and support for King’s College
- Preserve the history and traditions of King’s College and pass these on to present Collegians
- Do all such things as are necessary or incidental to the achievement of the above objects.
CONTACT US
All correspondence should be
addressed to:
The Secretary
KOCA Inc
Upland Rd
St Lucia QLD 4067
KOCA Executive contacts
President
Mr Blake Miller (2003-2007)
Email: blakegmiller@outlook.com.au
Management Committee Members
President: Mr Blake Miller (2003-2007)
Vice President: Mr Fraser McVeigh (2017-2020)
Treasurer: Mr Matthew Morgan (2004 – 2007)
Secretary: Jack Woods (2017 – 2019)
Committee Members:
- Mr Andrew Lynch (2016)
- Olivia Ridley (2020 – 2021)
- Laing Goostrey (2017 – 2019)
- Tim Brown (1993 – 1994)
King’s College Council Representatives
- Brad De Luca (2002 – 2004)
- Harrison Wildman (2005 – 2006)
Patron of KOCA
- Roger Dooley (1967 – 1970)
Key Events
- Welcome to KOCA drinks – Friday the 28th of February
- Broomhead-Ferros Business Society – Tuesday the 1st of April
- Goondiwindi Race Day – Saturday the 5th of April
- ANZAC Day – Friday the 25th of April
- Cooper-Foote Law Society – Tuesday the 13th of May
- KOCA AGM & Reunion – Saturday the 19th of July
- Watson-Mile Engineering Society – Tuesday the 26th of August
- Whyte Pegg Society Event – Tuesday the 26th of September
- KOCA Golf Day – Friday the 31st of October
For more details of the events above, make sure to join King’s Connect and the KOCA Facebook group
History
The following excerpt from the Annals of King’s College captures the early history of the Association: “King’s College has one proud tradition that time can never tarnish. The College was open for students in 1913. In March 1914, the second entry of freshers came in, bringing the total number up to 30. Five months later the Great War broke out and men were called to arms. The response from King’s men is now so famous that it seems unnecessary to record it in print. However, for the benefit of oncoming men let it be written. King’s answered as one man, and the College was almost emptied (as the first Master put it, “to the honour of King’s for all time”). Thus were our first Old Collegians created. It is said that four of them met on Gallipoli Peninsula, and first formed an unofficial KOCA. The War finished, some of the men returned to King’s and brought with them a wonderful esspirit de corps that served as the best tonic possible to the young College. So the official KOCA came into being in 1923 with exactly the same ideals that the first unofficial body had – to keep evergreen the King’s spirit of comradeship amongst past men and to render the College love and service in all ways within the power of the Association.”
The first President of the Association, James Robinson was also the first President of the King’s College Student Club when the College opened at Kangaroo Point in 1913. Robinson may well have been one of those four who formed the unofficial KOCA for he served with distinction with the 26th Battalion AIF at Gallipoli as Lieutenant rising to Lieutenant Colonel.