As the Aquinas community comes together to support the Parent & Friends ‘Buy a Key’ fundraising campaign for a new grand piano, each contribution tells a story. For the Raszyk family, their purchased keys honour the memory of a remarkable woman whose love of music shaped generations. Jim (Class of 1977), Karl (1978), Greg (1980) and current parents Kirsten and Lachlan Ayers made their contributions in memory of their beloved mother and grandmother, Moireen Raszyk – a gifted musician, dedicated teacher and community pioneer whose influence extended far beyond her own family.

The Esperance clan attribute their enduring connection with Aquinas to Moireen’s prodigious talent, commitment and vision. Through her passion for piano, she built a thriving music school that enhanced the cultural life of her community while creating opportunities for all five of her children to attend boarding school in Perth. It is a legacy that continues to resonate across generations in Esperance and beyond.

Originally from Victoria, Moireen’s exceptional musical ability was recognised from an early age. Awarded a full scholarship to the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, she studied both piano and violin, laying the foundation for a lifelong commitment to music.

In 1949, she met Joe Raszyk, was a Second World War refugee, a “Displaced Person” from the then Czechoslovakia. They married and began raising their family in Swan Hill, Victoria.

When Joe heard of farming land available at Scaddan in Western Australia, the young family took a leap of faith. Loading everything they owned onto an old army truck – including Moireen’s beloved piano – they made the journey across the Nullarbor with their three sons. When arriving in the remote farming district, family legend has it that Moireen remarked in disbelief that she had come to a place where “no-one had ever even heard of Mozart!”

After some difficult farming years, Moireen convinced the family to relocate to Esperance. There, in a small room at the end of their home, she established the Esperance School of Music, and what began as a modest teaching studio grew into a remarkable legacy. Over the following decades, Moireen taught generations of young musicians, founded the Esperance Music Festival, introduced AMEB examinations to the region and became a pioneering force for classical music throughout the district.

While the family farms in the region would eventually become financially successful following technological advances in agriculture during the 1990s, Joe Raszyk was always quick to acknowledge the true foundation of the family’s prosperity. It was through Moireen’s musical enterprises that Jim, Karl and Greg were able to attend Aquinas, while their sisters, Louisa and Bernadette, boarded at Iona Presentation College.

At Aquinas, all three boys flourished. Following in their mother’s musical footsteps, Karl played the piano, while Jim’s instrument of choice was the trumpet, like his father. All the boys enjoyed sport, with Greg distinguishing himself in rowing. Three years after graduating from Aquinas, the youngest Raszyk represented Australia at the 1983 World Rowing Championships in Germany where he won silver in the Men’s Lightweight XVIII.

In her later years, Moireen lived with Alzheimer’s disease. Yet even as the illness gradually took away her ability to speak, it could not silence her gift for music. Residents, staff and visitors at her aged care facility were often treated to performances at the piano, where she continued to communicate through the language she had loved all her life.

Moireen passed away peacefully in 2023 at the age of 86.

The Raszyk family’s support of the grand piano that will grace the McMillan Recital Hall is a beautiful reflection of their matriarch’s enduring influence. Some legacies are measured in achievements; Moireen Raszyk’s is measured in the countless lives touched by the music she shared. Fittingly, her love of music will continue to strike a chord for many years to come.