Before his speech went viral, this boys’ school headmaster ran it past his daughter

September 27, 2026 — 5:00am

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As Sydney was hit last month by a wave of sexual assault allegations against some young men from private schools, the headmaster of the all-boys St Joseph’s College at Hunters Hill, Michael Blake, made a speech to his own students which has since gone viral. This is his first interview since that address.

Fitz: Headmaster Blake, thank you for your time.

MB: Not a problem. You can call me “Mick”, Peter. I don’t need to go by the title “Headmaster”.

Fitz: Thanks. Call it an atavistic reaction if you like, but after six years in an all-boys school myself, I feel more comfortable in calling you, “Yes-Headmaster-Suh!”

MB: [Laughs.] As you like.

Fitz: OK, so you’ll be pleased to hear that your speech of four weeks ago reminds me a little of a particular feature of the Gettysburg Address. Not in content, but for the fact that while Abraham Lincoln’s speech was well received when he delivered it, it was only when it was printed by the New York Times and other papers that it really took off. Are you aware that your speech has grown in stature over the last four weeks as it has circulated online in Sydney and more widely?

MP: You’re very kind. Yeah, it has come to my attention.

Fitz: We’ll get to the content. But in the context of Sydney being submerged in a wave of devastating allegations of appalling behaviour by young men towards women, you felt compelled to speak out?

MB: Yes. When we have a school assembly at Joey’s, it’s an opportunity to get in front of the boys and very deliberately talk about things that are happening around the school, happening in the community and most importantly, happening in society. And sadly, after what had happened across Sydney in the week prior, I thought it was something that needed to be brought to their attention as men.

Fitz: Right. So when you sat down to write the speech, what did you specifically want to say to the boys?

This moment crystallises a very uncomfortable truth about sexual violence

Natassia ChrysanthosFederal political correspondent

Federal political correspondent

MB: Whenever we talk to boys at an assembly, it’s important that we’re really clear in our messaging about what good men look like. What does strong masculinity look like? The challenge is there’s so much noise around them, from social media, the ’net, film and literature, that we need to present really good, clear messages. I try not to talk along the lines of “don’t do this or don’t do that”. I always try and give examples of what good masculinity looks like.

Fitz: OK, cue the headmaster, to the packed assembly hall, on this cool Thursday morning.

“Boys,” you said, “it has been a difficult week to be a man. As you would be aware over the past week, there have been multiple reports in the media regarding young men and allegations of sexual assault and ill-treatment of women... It is a time when we, as men, feel a sense that we are all being judged, being........

© Brisbane Times