Tony Corr was officially welcomed as the fifth Newhaven College principal before a ceremony attended by 1100 students and guests last week.

The hour-long commissioning ceremony on Friday included readings by students, a performance from the school’s upcoming Wizard of Oz musical in April, and a blessing by college chaplain, Reverend Ian Turnnidge.

Board chair Greg Price – who will step down from the role in May and hand the reins to David Jobe – introduced Mr Corr.

“In 1980 the foundation year of Newhaven College there were 52 year seven and eight students,” said Mr Price, who has been chair for more than two decades.

“Did they ever dream that the school would grow to more than 950 students and in 40 or more years welcome its fifth principal?”

Mr Corr told a story of Christmas 1971 when his parents packed up their five children in the family Fairmont to holiday at the Cowes shire caravan park.

“That was my first memory of loving this area,” Mr Corr said, adding recollections of eating at the Tropicana restaurant and being “devastated” the day the ferry sank.

Mr Corr paid tribute to founding principal Frank Moore who was greeted with “water-logged ovals” on his first day in the job.

“My first day here 41 years later I drove in to 82 pristine acres and state-of-the art buildings and facilities,” he said.

“I’m in awe of the people who built this school. To inherit a school like this with no sweat, blood or tears does give me a tinge of guilt. But to whom much is given, much is expected.”

Mr Corr was previously deputy headmaster at Melbourne Grammar and Xavier College, taking over from head Gea Lovell, who was in the role for a decade.

Gea’s predecessor Michael Brewin, who was principal from 1998, attended Mr Corr’s commissioning ceremony.

David O’Regan started in 1990 taking over from founding principal Frank Moore.