St Pius X High School Adamstown

St Pius X High School, Adamstown is a co-educational Catholic school serving students in Years 7 to 10, in the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. The School was established in 1959 when it became Newcastle's second Catholic boys’ high school, created to receive the overflow from the huge Marist Brothers Hamilton (now St Francis Xavier College in Hamilton, Newcastle). In 1961 St Pius X moved from cramped quarters at Tighes Hill to the present site at Adamstown.

The School in the recent past has been involved in allegations involving child sexual abuse, especially in relation to two particular offenders. Former principal, Father Tom Brennan (74 at the time) became the first Australian Catholic priest to be charged with concealing the alleged sex crimes of another priest. Father Brennan was also charged with assaulting two boys by caning them when they complained of being allegedly sexually assaulted by teacher John Sidney Denham. Mr. Denham was a Catholic priest and teacher who taught/served at the School between 1975 to 1980. It is alleged that during this period, John Denham sexually abused around 58 children at the school from the age of five. In 2015, Denham was sentenced to a minimum of 19 years and five months’ jail for his crimes against boys. In 2018, it was further revealed that Father Brennan had himself sexually abused children.

Moody Law has represented clients in the past who were victims of child sexual abuse at St Pius X High School.

We invite former students of St Pius X, teachers and parents to contact us to tell us confidentially what information they may have, and we will explain what options are available to help with these cases.

Call us or complete the confidential enquiry form below.