Not listed in A Prayer-Calendar of Deceased Priests & Deacons in Australia 1788-2009, compiled by W.T. Southerwood, Sixth Edition, 2009.

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Fr David Strong SJ, The Australian dictionary of Jesuit biography 1848-2015, Second Edition, 2017:
Dennett, Charles

Teacher and mathematician; born Shipley, Yorkshire, UK, 4 July 1915; died Adelaide, 19 October 1993, aged 78.

Charles Dennett, brother of Frank, was only four when he migrated to Australia with his parents, two brothers and two sisters. He was educated at parish schools in Footscray and Ascot Vale, but completed his secondary education at St Patrick's College, East Melbourne, and was considered a very good scholar. He was but fifteen and a half when he joined the Society, 12 February 1931. Studies followed, and he gained a BA degree in pure and applied mathematics, with a sub-major in Latin, and minors in Greek and British history from the University of Melbourne.

Between 1939-41 Dennett was teaching at St Patrick's College, prefecting, caring for the Tuck Shop and editing The Patrician, the college magazine. Following theological studies and ordination in 1945, he was sent to St Louis School, Perth, as prefect of studies, and then returned to St Patrick's College as rector in 1949. However, this term of office was shortened after Dennett was involved in a car accident that permanently affected him. From 1951-53 he taught in Perth, and, in 1954, arrived at the new school, St Ignatius' College, Norwood, South Australia.

From 1955 he was associated with St Ignatius' College, moving to Athelstone when that school opened in 1967.

During these early years at Norwood, Dennett worked hard. He taught mathematics and religion, and for a time taught eight classes a day. Added to this were co-curricular activities and public Masses in the parish, especially on Sundays. There were only the occasional trips to the beach or walks in the hills, which he always enjoyed.

Those who knew Dennett well were amazed with his fascination for the preservation of tradition. He was meticulous with the keeping of records of the college. Each year the college magazine recorded marriages and births of children of former scholars, as well as the death of their parents. He kept a record of every student who entered the school, and at the time of his death, there were 4861 entries in his ledger. Each student had a card on which essential details about his life were recorded. He had performed the same task at St Louis.

Each year Dennett set himself the task of studying the telephone directory for any change of address or change of telephone number of students and ex-students. Further, each day it was his habit to collect the newspaper first and to check the personal notices systematically for information about former students. He retired from teaching at the end of 1988 after the heart attack, and, in 1990, started writing his memoirs.

Dennett was a most precise teacher, and even scrupulous in his presentation of material. Only the best was acceptable. He was also theologically conservative and was fearful of modern ideas in theology and education. He found change most difficult. However, he generally kept these ideas to himself unless provoked by some indiscreet person who challenged him. Yet this conservatism was in contrast to much freedom in other areas of life. He was one of the first to adopt less formal garb and his wearing shorts was frequently the occasion of much amusement because of the brevity of them. He loved the Society and delighted in anecdotal stories about fellow Jesuits.

Shy and somewhat reclusive, Dennett delighted in music. He had been an excellent pianist, and in the early days was the accompanist for the school choir and for the operettas. In evenings and at weekends he would listen to his favourite classical pieces or play cards, usually 'patience'.

Dennett was essentially an intellectual, but he found work in the college grounds beneficial to his health. He attacked cape weed, 'Salvation Jane' and Scotch thistle with the usual precision and dedication he brought to whatever task he undertook.

His life was one of order, self-discipline, dedication, commitment and fidelity. He showed great care of his health, and always travelled business class in planes without a seat belt because of his fears resulting from his earlier car accident. He was very traditional, always saying a private Mass at the same time every morning in a dark recess off the community library reserved for stacks. He had no pastoral work for many years, not even hearing confessions of the boys. Devotion to duty, precision and exactness with figures, a desire for excellence and a desire to serve were among his more observable good qualities.

(Reproduced by permission of Fr David Strong SJ.)