Brisbane Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Brisbane Grammar School is an independent
, non-denominational, day
and boarding school
for boys, located in Spring Hill
, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the oldest secondary
boys school in Brisbane.
Established in 1868 under the Grammar Schools Act
which was passed by the Queensland Government in 1860, the school
has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1424 students from Years 6 to 12, including 135 boarders.
Brisbane Grammar is affiliated with the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ), and is a founding member of the Great Public Schools' Association Inc (GPS).
Brisbane Grammar School was originally founded in 1868 under the Grammar Schools Act
, which had been passed by the Queensland Government in 1860. It was the second school established under this act in Queensland, with the first being Ipswich Grammar School
.
The original school, designed by Benjamin Backhouse, was on the site of Roma Street in Brisbane City.
HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (1844–1900), second son of Queen Victoria, laid the foundation stone at the site on 21 February 1868. In 1881, the school was moved a few hundred metres away to its current site on Gregory Terrace in Spring Hill to make way for the Roma Street Railway Station
, which still stands today.
Following the opening of the boarding house in 1886, science laboratories were constructed in 1912. A new library
and assembly hall were constructed in 1969 as a celebration of the school's centenary.
During the mid 1990s, the school commenced work on the off-campus Northgate ovals, which now consist of six fields that are used for cricket
, rugby union
and soccer fixtures. The M A Howell Indoor Sports Centre, named after prominent Headmaster Dr Maxwell Howell, was completed in 2000, and the old gym
nasium was later renovated to become the new Centre for Art.
In 2002, the school underwent a major redevelopment with the construction of a new Middle School
, which had its first intake of grade 6 and 7 students in 2003. This Middle School consists of a large block of multi-purpose classrooms, functioning as a complete school in itself, with its own teachers and independent timetables. Grade 6 and 7 students spend most of their time in the Middle School, although they do use the facilities of the "Upper School" for such activities as physical education
and assemblies.
In addition, the school focuses on a specific academic scope of learning aimed at educating life-skills required in the future. As of late, it has introduced updated technology to assist the students learning from school as well as home. The school also has six computer rooms equipped with 30 computers each. In addition to this currently all grade 8, 9 and 10 students each have a Toshiba Tablet PC with a majority of the school's curriculum installed. For the Middle School, Brisbane Grammar School offers the mainstream subjects, as well as laptop facilities.
, claiming 49 OP1s. The combined percentage, of OP 1-2 was 30.45% of the school, population which far execeeded the state's average of 5.2%. 68.31% of the students received between and OP1 and an OP7 (the state percentage being 25.4%). 91.8% of the cohort received an OP between 1 and 13. The median OP score was OP5.http://www.bgs.qld.edu.au/news/newsletter/2007_news2.pdf
With respect to the school's 2008 results, more than one in four students (26.4%) of the cohort achieved an OP 1 or 2. The OP 1-7 result of 63.2% (State 27.4%) was well above
the historical average and fourth best result ever and the OP 1-13 result was at 90.1% (State 60.9%) and was the third best result in the school's history.http://www.brisbanegrammar.com/images/stories/news/academicresults2008.pdf
In March 2007, the school secured the O'Connor Cup by winning the 1st VIII race at the annual Brisbane GPS Head of the River
. Furthermore, the 2007 Senior A Debating Team became the champions of the QDU state competition, with a team member making the Australian side.
In 2008, the Senior A team won the GPS premiership undefeated and 2 team members achieved selection in the QLD team.
Following the 2008 victory in debating, the 2009 BGS Senior A Team was even more successful, winning both the QDU and GPS premierships convincinly beating all opponents. Members of the team Daniel Gibbons, Andrew Justo and Marc Harris were all selected for the State Team, and the BGS Year 12 group of 2009 was, up to that time, the most successful debating cohort in the school's history.
However, in 2010, the BGS Senior A Team, composed of Alistair Roe, Alex Ngoo, Henry Meehan and Ben Nearhos, were undefeated in both GPS and QDU competitions to take out premierships in both. 3 members of the team, Alistair Roe, Alex Ngoo and Henry Meehan, were selected for the QLD State team, and proceeded to win the National Competition, completing the trifecta of debating championships.. In 2011, BGS won both the QDU and GPS Senior A season undefeated beating All Hallows School in the QDU final to become State Champions.
In 2010, BGS tied with St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace to win its 8th consecutive GPS Volleyball Premiership. Terrace beat BGS, in a fullhouse at Terrace only to lose to TGS in the second last round handing BGS a tied premiership. In 2011, Brisbane Grammar completed the season undefeated, beating Gregory Terrace in straight sets at a packed M.A. Howell Indoor Sport centre. The First VI is currently coached by Young Old Boy Rhys Cox, Vice Captain of Volleyball 2005.
on 3 March 2000. The centre, which is situated on the main campus, is home to a multi-purpose double basketball
court sports hall (which can also accommodate 3 volleyball courts, 6 badmington courts, 12 fencing pistes
as well as indoor soccer), an aquatic centre with a 10-lane, 25m heated swimming pool, a gymnasium featuring a deep foam pit, parallel bars and rings and a spectator area with seating for 150 people during sporting events, as well as a weights room and theory rooms and amenities. This sports centre has hosted local and international sporting teams, such as the Queensland Reds
, Australian Wallabies, Brisbane Broncos
, New Zealand All Blacks, Australian cricket team
, United States Swimming squad and the English Rugby team
.
, rugby union
, soccer and Australian Rules Football
fixtures. The fields are also used during the school week, especially for winter activities training sessions. Canteen facilities are provided on game days. Adjacent to the main oval is a small stadium which caters for seating for one half of the field, which also contains a dining area. The playing fields were used by the Australian Cricket Team
prior to the 2006/2007 Ashes campaign, where they trained with the school's First XI.
Centenary Hall accommodates the entire 1400 student body for weekly assemblies. The hall is also used for other events such as breakfasts, music concerts, debates, theatrical productions and year-level tests. The gallery above the hall can accommodate 2 year groups for lectures.
The Great Hall is one of the school's most historic buildings. The walls have various honour-boards commemorating academic, sporting and cultural achievements, as well as honouring the names of those who have served in wars. The stage is overlooked by a 10 by 3 metre stain-glass window, with Queen Victoria and her knights of the realm as a central feature. The hall provides venue for Form Year Assemblies, Public speaking, debating and vocal performances. It is also used for dinner parties (such as the Old-Boys Association's reunions or the 'Mothers of Past Student'’ gatherings) and weddings for old-boys.
The Forum can seat around 150 - 200 people and is used for collaborative learning exercises, usually housing all students in a subject or 3-4 classes.
The Music Auditorium is a venue used to highlight the school's large music program. During the year a varied program of choral, concert and stage band and orchestral concerts take place.
The Drama Theatre can seat approximately 300 and provides excellent acoustics for Theatrical productions. The school holds a Junior School Play and a Senior School Play once a year and a musical every 2 years.
, was opened in 1976 and is named the Moogerah Outdoor Education Centre (colloquially referred to as Moogerah). The school sends each form class from grades 8, 9 and 10 out to the campus to strengthen intra-class relationships and morale, as well as develop team-working and leadership skills. Class, "Form Seniors" also attend the camp to build the relationship between the senior, and younger students. The five day programme includes such activities as rock-climbing, bushwalking, orienteering, canoeing, and a camp-out in the bush at the foot of a mountain.
The centre is also used for various other school activities: Writer’s camps, Musical composition camps, scientist-in-residence camps, sport training, ISCF Christian camps, Astronomy & sky viewings and fieldwork in senior courses. The rowers utilise the camp’s boatshed on the lake’s edge for training.
), and houses several classrooms equipped with learning technologies, a library, a lecture theatre (called 'The Forum') and a seniors' study room. This centre is very beneficial to students' learning in the 21st century. The centre has finished completion; it was officially opened on the 26th of February 2010 by the Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh.
, Headmaster 1876–1909, introduced the sporting colours of Oxford and Cambridge Blue which are now seen as the main representative colours of the school. They still hold a particularly special relationship with sporting activities, represented by various school chants and war cries that mention the Light Dark Blue.
Some 70 former students sued the school, alleging Lynch sexually abused them during counselling sessions. Rejecting out-of-court settlements, some of the victims claimed compensation in the Supreme Court of Queensland. Two former students had allegedly lodged complaints about Lynch's conduct with then headmaster of the school, Maxwell Howell, in the early 1980s and the issue was quietly investigated, however Grammar was unaware the details had to be passed on to its insurer. For failing to notify its insurer of the complaints made of Lynch, the school thus became liable for A$1.17 million in legal fees and compensation.
Lynch was charged in January 1997 over the abuses perpetrated at both St Paul's School
(where he was subsequently employed) and Brisbane Grammar. Lynch committed suicide on 23 January 1997, the day after being charged.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, non-denominational, day
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
and boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for boys, located in Spring Hill
Spring Hill, Queensland
Spring Hill is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia located 2 km north of the central business district. Parts of Spring Hill can be considered to be extensions of the Brisbane CBD.-Schools:Spring Hill is serviced by a number of schools...
, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is the oldest secondary
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
boys school in Brisbane.
Established in 1868 under the Grammar Schools Act
Grammar Schools Act
The Grammar Schools Act 1860 was passed by Queensland's first parliament in 1860 and allowed for the establishment of a grammar school in any town where £1000 could be raised locally. Between the years 1863 and 1892, ten grammar schools were opened under the auspices of the Act...
which was passed by the Queensland Government in 1860, the school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1424 students from Years 6 to 12, including 135 boarders.
Brisbane Grammar is affiliated with the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ), and is a founding member of the Great Public Schools' Association Inc (GPS).
History
Grammar Schools Act
The Grammar Schools Act 1860 was passed by Queensland's first parliament in 1860 and allowed for the establishment of a grammar school in any town where £1000 could be raised locally. Between the years 1863 and 1892, ten grammar schools were opened under the auspices of the Act...
, which had been passed by the Queensland Government in 1860. It was the second school established under this act in Queensland, with the first being Ipswich Grammar School
Ipswich Grammar School
Ipswich Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for boys, located in Ipswich, a city situated on the Bremer River in South East Queensland, Australia...
.
The original school, designed by Benjamin Backhouse, was on the site of Roma Street in Brisbane City.
HRH Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh (1844–1900), second son of Queen Victoria, laid the foundation stone at the site on 21 February 1868. In 1881, the school was moved a few hundred metres away to its current site on Gregory Terrace in Spring Hill to make way for the Roma Street Railway Station
Roma Street railway station, Brisbane
Roma Street railway station is a major railway station in the Brisbane central business district, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It was Brisbane's first railway station, opening in 1876...
, which still stands today.
Following the opening of the boarding house in 1886, science laboratories were constructed in 1912. A new library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
and assembly hall were constructed in 1969 as a celebration of the school's centenary.
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
and soccer fixtures. The M A Howell Indoor Sports Centre, named after prominent Headmaster Dr Maxwell Howell, was completed in 2000, and the old gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium was later renovated to become the new Centre for Art.
In 2002, the school underwent a major redevelopment with the construction of a new Middle School
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
, which had its first intake of grade 6 and 7 students in 2003. This Middle School consists of a large block of multi-purpose classrooms, functioning as a complete school in itself, with its own teachers and independent timetables. Grade 6 and 7 students spend most of their time in the Middle School, although they do use the facilities of the "Upper School" for such activities as physical education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
and assemblies.
Headmasters
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1869 – 1876 | Thomas Harlin |
| 1876 – 1909 | Reginald Heber Roe Reginald Heber Roe Reginald Heber Roe was a headmaster of Brisbane Grammar School, Queensland, Australia and first vice-chancellor of the University of Queensland.-Early life:... |
| 1909 – 1927 | F S N Bousfield |
| 1928 – 1939 | S Stephenson |
| 1940 – 1947 | G Carson Cooling, Old Boy of Brisbane Grammar School |
| 1948 – 1952 | H R Pigott |
| 1953 – 1956 | A E McLucas |
| 1956 – 1963 | H R Newell, Old Boy of Brisbane Grammar School |
| 1964 – 1989 | Dr Maxwell Howell |
| 1990 – 2005 | Dr Peter Lennox |
| 2006 – Present | Brian Short, Old Boy of Brisbane Grammar School. |
Curriculum
Brisbane Grammar School offers education from years 6 through to 12. The academic programme is tailored to suit the needs of its students. In recent years, around 95% of graduating students have received a first-round offer to a tertiary institution. The school offers mainstream subjects including English, Mathematics (A, B and C), Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Earth Science), History (Modern and Ancient), Geography, Economics, Health and Physical Education, Music, Technology Studies, Art, Drama and Languages other than English (French, German, Japanese, Chinese, Latin).In addition, the school focuses on a specific academic scope of learning aimed at educating life-skills required in the future. As of late, it has introduced updated technology to assist the students learning from school as well as home. The school also has six computer rooms equipped with 30 computers each. In addition to this currently all grade 8, 9 and 10 students each have a Toshiba Tablet PC with a majority of the school's curriculum installed. For the Middle School, Brisbane Grammar School offers the mainstream subjects, as well as laptop facilities.
Recent results
In recent years, 95% of graduating students have received a first-round offer to a tertiary institution. In 2006, the school had its second best results since the introduction of the OP systemOverall Position
The Overall Position is a tertiary entrance rank used in the Australian state of Queensland for selection into universities. Like similar systems used throughout the rest of Australia, the OP shows how well a student has performed in their senior secondary studies compared to all other OP-eligible...
, claiming 49 OP1s. The combined percentage, of OP 1-2 was 30.45% of the school, population which far execeeded the state's average of 5.2%. 68.31% of the students received between and OP1 and an OP7 (the state percentage being 25.4%). 91.8% of the cohort received an OP between 1 and 13. The median OP score was OP5.http://www.bgs.qld.edu.au/news/newsletter/2007_news2.pdf
With respect to the school's 2008 results, more than one in four students (26.4%) of the cohort achieved an OP 1 or 2. The OP 1-7 result of 63.2% (State 27.4%) was well above
the historical average and fourth best result ever and the OP 1-13 result was at 90.1% (State 60.9%) and was the third best result in the school's history.http://www.brisbanegrammar.com/images/stories/news/academicresults2008.pdf
Cultural Activities
Students are able to participate in Orchestras (Symphony and Philharmonic), Concert Bands (1 to 4), Stage Bands (1 to 3), Choirs (many) and various individual ensembles (Percussion, Clarinet). Furthermore, each year the BGS Music Department performs a concert called Grammar Community in Concert at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. The school also has a thriving Drama program presenting a range of plays and musicals. In additions opportunities in debating and public speaking are offered, with the school participating in Queensland Debating Union and Greater Public Schools annual competitions. Additionally, Brisbane Grammar School has recently revamped its participation in enterprise education groups. With the newly reformed Economics and Enterprise Club, students are gaining exciting experiences through external competitions such as YAA, Ecoman and ABW.Sport
The school offers a range of mainstream sporting activities, including cross country, track and field, rugby, football, basketball, tennis, cricket, gymnastics, swimming, rowing, sailing, chess and volleyball within the GPS association of schools, as well as many others such as water polo, fencing, Australian Rules Football and Tae Kwon-do.GPS membership
Brisbane Grammar School is a member of the Great Public Schools Association of Queensland Inc. (GPS). The school's membership enables its students to participate in sporting competitions as well as engage in endeavours such as debating. Most competitions are played out on Saturdays at any of the schools' sporting facilities. The main campus comprises four playing fields in addition to eight tennis courts. Many fixtures, including cricket, rugby and soccer, are conducted at the Northgate campus. Sailing is run on Sundays at RQYS, Manly, and the GPS championship is held at the end of the season. The school also competes in some non-GPS sports, such as Fencing, Water Polo and Australian Rules. The school has had long standing success in water polo, winning the competition for 12 of the last 13 years.Recent achievements
In 2006, BGS's Senior A debating team achieved 2nd in the GPS competition after losing only one debate in the last round to GPS champions St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace. Also in 2006, the School won six GPS titles (GPS Cross Country, GPS Volleyball, First VI Volleyball, First XI Soccer, GPS Sailing, and GPS Chess), four more titles than any other GPS school.In March 2007, the school secured the O'Connor Cup by winning the 1st VIII race at the annual Brisbane GPS Head of the River
Head of the River (Queensland)
The Queensland Head of the River refers to two high school rowing regattas in Queensland Australia, one for boys and one for girls . The boys regatta is held in mid to late March while the girls regatta is held in late August early September...
. Furthermore, the 2007 Senior A Debating Team became the champions of the QDU state competition, with a team member making the Australian side.
In 2008, the Senior A team won the GPS premiership undefeated and 2 team members achieved selection in the QLD team.
Following the 2008 victory in debating, the 2009 BGS Senior A Team was even more successful, winning both the QDU and GPS premierships convincinly beating all opponents. Members of the team Daniel Gibbons, Andrew Justo and Marc Harris were all selected for the State Team, and the BGS Year 12 group of 2009 was, up to that time, the most successful debating cohort in the school's history.
However, in 2010, the BGS Senior A Team, composed of Alistair Roe, Alex Ngoo, Henry Meehan and Ben Nearhos, were undefeated in both GPS and QDU competitions to take out premierships in both. 3 members of the team, Alistair Roe, Alex Ngoo and Henry Meehan, were selected for the QLD State team, and proceeded to win the National Competition, completing the trifecta of debating championships.. In 2011, BGS won both the QDU and GPS Senior A season undefeated beating All Hallows School in the QDU final to become State Champions.
In 2010, BGS tied with St Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace to win its 8th consecutive GPS Volleyball Premiership. Terrace beat BGS, in a fullhouse at Terrace only to lose to TGS in the second last round handing BGS a tied premiership. In 2011, Brisbane Grammar completed the season undefeated, beating Gregory Terrace in straight sets at a packed M.A. Howell Indoor Sport centre. The First VI is currently coached by Young Old Boy Rhys Cox, Vice Captain of Volleyball 2005.
Indoor sports centre
The M A Howell Indoor Sports Centre was officially opened by the then Governor of Queensland. Major General Peter ArnisonPeter Arnison
Major General Peter Maurice Arnison AC CVO, , was Governor of Queensland from July 1997 until July 2003. He graduated from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1962, and retired from the Australian Army in 1996...
on 3 March 2000. The centre, which is situated on the main campus, is home to a multi-purpose double basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
court sports hall (which can also accommodate 3 volleyball courts, 6 badmington courts, 12 fencing pistes
Piste (fencing)
In modern fencing, the piste or strip is the playing area. Regulations require the piste to be 14 metres long and between 1.5 and 2 metres wide. The last two metres on each end are hash-marked to warn a fencer before he/she backs off the end of the strip, after which is a 1.5 to 2 metre runoff...
as well as indoor soccer), an aquatic centre with a 10-lane, 25m heated swimming pool, a gymnasium featuring a deep foam pit, parallel bars and rings and a spectator area with seating for 150 people during sporting events, as well as a weights room and theory rooms and amenities. This sports centre has hosted local and international sporting teams, such as the Queensland Reds
Queensland Reds
The Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
, Australian Wallabies, Brisbane Broncos
Brisbane Broncos
The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the city of Brisbane, the capital of the state of Queensland. Founded in 1988, the Broncos play in Australasia's elite competition, the National Rugby League premiership. They have won six premierships and two...
, New Zealand All Blacks, Australian cricket team
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
, United States Swimming squad and the English Rugby team
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
.
Northgate playing fields
Work commenced on the Northgate Playing Fields in the mid 1990s, which now have six ovals, accommodating cricketCricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, soccer and Australian Rules Football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
fixtures. The fields are also used during the school week, especially for winter activities training sessions. Canteen facilities are provided on game days. Adjacent to the main oval is a small stadium which caters for seating for one half of the field, which also contains a dining area. The playing fields were used by the Australian Cricket Team
Australian cricket team
The Australian cricket team is the national cricket team of Australia. It is the joint oldest team in Test cricket, having played in the first Test match in 1877...
prior to the 2006/2007 Ashes campaign, where they trained with the school's First XI.
Normanby playing fields
Normanby, adjacent to the school grounds, habours tennis courts and minor track and field facilities. Students visit this facility for PE lessons as well as sports training sessions. It is separated from the main campus by a public footbridge. These ovals are being threatened by the Legacy Way Tunnel that will take away the oval, leaving only tennis courts.Auditoriums and theatres
The school has 4 major auditoriums and a theatre: The Centenary Hall, The Great Hall, The Forum, The Music Auditorium and The TheatreCentenary Hall accommodates the entire 1400 student body for weekly assemblies. The hall is also used for other events such as breakfasts, music concerts, debates, theatrical productions and year-level tests. The gallery above the hall can accommodate 2 year groups for lectures.
The Great Hall is one of the school's most historic buildings. The walls have various honour-boards commemorating academic, sporting and cultural achievements, as well as honouring the names of those who have served in wars. The stage is overlooked by a 10 by 3 metre stain-glass window, with Queen Victoria and her knights of the realm as a central feature. The hall provides venue for Form Year Assemblies, Public speaking, debating and vocal performances. It is also used for dinner parties (such as the Old-Boys Association's reunions or the 'Mothers of Past Student'’ gatherings) and weddings for old-boys.
The Forum can seat around 150 - 200 people and is used for collaborative learning exercises, usually housing all students in a subject or 3-4 classes.
The Music Auditorium is a venue used to highlight the school's large music program. During the year a varied program of choral, concert and stage band and orchestral concerts take place.
The Drama Theatre can seat approximately 300 and provides excellent acoustics for Theatrical productions. The school holds a Junior School Play and a Senior School Play once a year and a musical every 2 years.
Moogerah Outdoor Education Centre
Brisbane Grammar School’s off-campus centre at Pepperina Hill, near Lake MoogerahLake Moogerah
Lake Moogerah, formed by Moogerah Dam, is a water supply and irrigation dam on Reynolds Creek, a tributary of the Bremer River in Southeast Queensland's Fassifern Valley. The lake is used for recreation, fishing and camping...
, was opened in 1976 and is named the Moogerah Outdoor Education Centre (colloquially referred to as Moogerah). The school sends each form class from grades 8, 9 and 10 out to the campus to strengthen intra-class relationships and morale, as well as develop team-working and leadership skills. Class, "Form Seniors" also attend the camp to build the relationship between the senior, and younger students. The five day programme includes such activities as rock-climbing, bushwalking, orienteering, canoeing, and a camp-out in the bush at the foot of a mountain.
The centre is also used for various other school activities: Writer’s camps, Musical composition camps, scientist-in-residence camps, sport training, ISCF Christian camps, Astronomy & sky viewings and fieldwork in senior courses. The rowers utilise the camp’s boatshed on the lake’s edge for training.
The Lilley Centre
The most recent construction project of the school is a centre located on the College Road side of the main campus (named after Premier and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Sir Charles LilleyCharles Lilley
Sir Charles Lilley was a Premier and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland. He had a significant influence on the form and spirit of state education in colonial Queensland which lasted well into the twentieth century.Lilley was born at Newcastle on Tyne, England, the son of Thomas...
), and houses several classrooms equipped with learning technologies, a library, a lecture theatre (called 'The Forum') and a seniors' study room. This centre is very beneficial to students' learning in the 21st century. The centre has finished completion; it was officially opened on the 26th of February 2010 by the Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh.
School Uniform and Colours
The School has adopted two sets of colours. The first was introduced by Thomas Harlin, Headmaster 1869–1876. They are red and gold and are now associated with academia. Reginald Heber RoeReginald Heber Roe
Reginald Heber Roe was a headmaster of Brisbane Grammar School, Queensland, Australia and first vice-chancellor of the University of Queensland.-Early life:...
, Headmaster 1876–1909, introduced the sporting colours of Oxford and Cambridge Blue which are now seen as the main representative colours of the school. They still hold a particularly special relationship with sporting activities, represented by various school chants and war cries that mention the Light Dark Blue.
Paedophile compensation controversy
In 2003, the school was involved in controversy when it attempted to recover damages from its insurer following students' claims that they had been sexually abused by Kevin Lynch, school counsellor between the 1976 and 1988.Some 70 former students sued the school, alleging Lynch sexually abused them during counselling sessions. Rejecting out-of-court settlements, some of the victims claimed compensation in the Supreme Court of Queensland. Two former students had allegedly lodged complaints about Lynch's conduct with then headmaster of the school, Maxwell Howell, in the early 1980s and the issue was quietly investigated, however Grammar was unaware the details had to be passed on to its insurer. For failing to notify its insurer of the complaints made of Lynch, the school thus became liable for A$1.17 million in legal fees and compensation.
Lynch was charged in January 1997 over the abuses perpetrated at both St Paul's School
St Paul's School, Bald Hills
St Paul's is a co-educational private school conducted under the auspices of the Anglican diocese of Brisbane. In 2010, the school celebrated 50 years since its foundation. The school first opened on 31 January 1960. It is named after St Paul's School in London. St. Paul's School offers an academic...
(where he was subsequently employed) and Brisbane Grammar. Lynch committed suicide on 23 January 1997, the day after being charged.
Fumes Exposure Incident
On the 14 July 2010, 120 students were exposed to a chemical solvent being used in school construction works. Many of these students had been exposed for less than 20 minutes. 6 ambulance crews were dispatched to the school, where 35 students experienced sore eyes and throats as well as minor breathing difficulties. Of the students affected, 2 were hospitalised.Notable alumni
Politics, law, and public life
- Justice Ian CallinanIan CallinanIan David Francis Callinan, AC, QC is a former Justice of the High Court of Australia, the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy.-Education:...
, Justice of the High Court of Australia - Justice Sir Charles PowersCharles PowersSir Charles Powers KCMG , Australian politician and judge, was a Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1913 to 1929....
, Justice of the High Court of Australia, Former Leader of the Opposition in Queensland Parliament, Captain of the Queensland Cricket Team and Former Mayor of Maryborough. - Frederick W. PatersonFred PatersonFrederick Woolnough Paterson was an Australian politician, activist, unionist and lawyer. He was the only member of a Communist Party ever to be elected to a parliament anywhere in the Commonwealth of Australia....
, the only member of a Communist party ever to be elected to a parliament anywhere in Australia. - Ian MacfarlaneIan Macfarlane (politician)Ian Elgin Macfarlane , is an Australian politician. He was elected as a member of the Australian House of Representatives in October 1998, representing the Division of Groom, Queensland for the Liberal National Party...
, Federal Cabinet Minister - Michael WareMichael WareMichael Ware is an Australian journalist formerly with CNN and was for several years based in their Baghdad bureau. He joined CNN in May 2006, after five years with sister-publication Time Magazine...
, war correspondent and Time magazine journalist - Tom BurnsTom BurnsThomas Everett Burns was an American infielder and manager in Major League Baseball, primarily for the Chicago White Stockings/Colts. He also played for, and managed, the Pittsburgh Pirates for part of one season. Burns was the brother of National League umpire, John Burns...
, former ALPAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
National President and later Deputy Premier of QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean... - Sir Charles SpryCharles SpryBrigadier Sir Charles Chambers Fowell Spry, CBE, DSO was an Australian soldier, who from 1950 to 1970 was the second Director-General of Security, the head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation .-Early life:...
, Director-GeneralDirector-General of SecurityThe Director-General of Security is the executive officer of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation , the domestic security agency of Australia...
of ASIO - Major General John Pearn AO, Surgeon General of the Australian Defence ForceAustralian Defence ForceThe Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
and Professor at University of QueenslandUniversity of QueenslandThe University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
The arts
- Robin Dods, architect
- Robert ForsterRobert Forster (musician)Robert Forster is an Australian singer-songwriter, best known for his work with songwriting partner Grant McLennan, with whom he co-founded The Go-Betweens.Forster grew up in Brisbane, Australia attending Brisbane Grammar School...
, musician, singer-songwriter and founder of The Go-BetweensThe Go-BetweensThe Go-Betweens were an indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Australia in 1977 by singer-songwriters and guitarists, Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. They were later joined by Lindy Morrison on drums, Robert Vickers on bass guitar and Amanda Brown on violin, oboe, guitar, and backing vocals,... - David MaloufDavid MaloufDavid George Joseph Malouf is an acclaimed Australian writer. He was awarded the Neustadt International Prize for Literature in 2000, his 1993 novel Remembering Babylon won the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, he won the inaugural Australia-Asia Literary Award in 2008, and he was...
, internationally acclaimed author - Brad ShepherdBrad ShepherdBrad Shepherd is an Australian rock musician. Shepherd is a guitarist, singer-songwriter and harmonica player; he has performed with several bands, especially the Hoodoo Gurus...
, member of seminal Australian bands The Fun ThingsFun ThingsThe Fun Things were a high energy punk band that was formed during the heyday period of punk rock. Known for their admiration of Radio Birdman, they also have been documented as being "modeled on almost exclusively on the Radio Birdman / Stooges / Sex Pistols mould." The band released one highly...
, The HitmenThe HitmenHitmen are an Australian Hard rock band. The group went through a large number of lineup changes in its short late 1970s and early 1980s run, then regrouped under a new name, Hitmen DTK, between 1989 and 1992. They reformed in 2007 and continue to play....
and The Hoodoo Gurus - Ian HaugIan HaugIan David Haug is a lead guitarist and backing vocalist in the Australian rock band Powderfinger. Mainstays Haug and bass guitarist John Collins formed the band in Brisbane in 1989. During a hiatus in Powderfinger's career, Haug worked on a side project, The Predators, with Collins and original...
and John CollinsJohn Collins (Australian musician)John Andrew Collins is the mainstay bass guitarst for Australian rock band Powderfinger since 1989. He is one of the founding members of the band, along with guitarist Ian Haug, forming at their high school, Brisbane Grammar School as a three piece. Powderfinger has released seven studio albums, a...
of the band PowderfingerPowderfingerPowderfinger was an Australian rock band that formed in Brisbane in 1989. From 1992 until their breakup the band lineup consisted of vocalist Bernard Fanning, guitarists Darren Middleton and Ian Haug, bassist John Collins, and drummer Jon Coghill.... - Murray Shepherd, member of seminal Australian bands The Fun ThingsFun ThingsThe Fun Things were a high energy punk band that was formed during the heyday period of punk rock. Known for their admiration of Radio Birdman, they also have been documented as being "modeled on almost exclusively on the Radio Birdman / Stooges / Sex Pistols mould." The band released one highly...
, The Screaming TribesmenScreaming TribesmenThe Screaming Tribesmen was a band formed in Brisbane by Mick Medew, John Hartley & Murray Shepherd. After their I Don't Wanna Know EP and a string of successful singles, including "A Stand Alone" and their first hit, "Igloo" which was penned by Medew and Died Pretty frontman Ron Peno, the band...
and The Four Horsemen. - Ian Fraser, singer of seminal Brisbane band Dementia 13 and Australian punk band NunbaitNunbaitNunbait are a punk band from Australia.-History :Nunbait first formed in Sydney in 1989. Butcher and Guthrie had been in bands in Townsville; Guthrie later joined Fraser’s Brisbane proto-grunge 60s garage punk-inspired combo Dementia 13 ....
Sport
- Stephen MooreStephen MooreStephen Moore may refer to:* Stephen Moore , Irish politician*Stephen Moore * Stephen Moore , English actor* Stephen Campbell Moore , English actor...
, Wallaby since 2005 - Sir Charles PowersCharles PowersSir Charles Powers KCMG , Australian politician and judge, was a Justice of the High Court of Australia from 1913 to 1929....
, Queensland Cricket Captain - Otto NothlingOtto NothlingOtto Ernest Nothling was a rugby union player who represented Australia, as well as an Australian cricketer who played in one Test in 1928...
, one of only two Australian Cricket/Rugby Union dual internationals - Greg Martin, former Australian Wallaby and Queensland RedsQueensland RedsThe Queensland Reds represent Queensland in the sport of rugby union in the Southern Hemisphere Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996 they were a representative team selected on merit from the rugby union club competitions in Queensland...
rugby union player, sports commentator and radio jock on TripleM - Lee HoldsworthLee HoldsworthLee Holdsworth was born in Melbourne, Victoria on 2 February 1983. Holdsworth is currently an Australian V8 Supercar racing driver. Holdsworth drives the #33 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VE Commodore.-History:...
, V8 Supercar Driver. - Matt McKayMatt McKayMatthew Graham "Matt" McKay is an Australian football player who plays for Scottish Premier League side Rangers and the Australia national team....
, Former captain of the Brisbane Roar FC and current player for Rangers - Bob McCowanBob McCowanRobert Herman "Bob" McCowan was a pioneer Australian rugby union player, a state and national representative fullback who played in his country's first Test series of 1899, captaining the national side on one occasion....
, Wallaby captain 1899 - Frank NicholsonFrank Nicholson (rugby)Frank Villenueve Nicholson was an Australian Boer War veteran and rugby union player, a state and national representative who made two Test appearances in 1903-1904, captaining the side on one occasion....
, Wallaby captain 1904 - Richard Powell, Australian Schoolboy Rugby Player, Australian Olympic Rower
- Sam Conrad, Australian Eight Olympic Rower
Twenty-four Rhodes Scholars
| Year of Election | Name |
|---|---|
| 1904 | Arthur S. Roe Arthur Stanley Roe Dr Arthur Stanley Roe was a medical doctor from Queensland, Australia, and the first Rhodes Scholar from that state when he was awarded the scholarship in 1904 at Brisbane Grammar School... |
| 1905 | Norman Leslie |
| 1908 | Stanley Castlehow |
| 1909 | Leonard G Brown |
| 1911 | Harold K. Denham |
| 1914 | Allan W.L. Row |
| 1915 | John N. Radcliffe |
| 1918 | Frederick W. Paterson Fred Paterson Frederick Woolnough Paterson was an Australian politician, activist, unionist and lawyer. He was the only member of a Communist Party ever to be elected to a parliament anywhere in the Commonwealth of Australia.... |
| 1919 | Victor Grenning |
| 1922 | Tom Lawton |
| 1927 | F. Konrad S. Hirschfeld |
| 1928 | John H. Lavery |
| 1930 | Cecil E. Kerr |
| 1939 | James K. Newman |
| 1958 | Thomas Baxter |
| 1960 | Clive P. Hildebrand |
| 1967 | John M. Fenwick |
| 1978 | Peter J. Wetherall |
| 1981 | Donald Markwell Donald Markwell For the Montgomery, Alabama, talk radio personality, Don Markwell, see Don Markwell Professor Donald John 'Don' Markwell is an Australian social scientist and college president... |
| 1982 | David M. Rose |
| 1991 | Craig Arnott |
| 1992 | Daniel V. Botsman |
| 2006 | Nicholas I. Luke |
| 2007 | Ryan A. Goss |