St. Brendan's College (sometimes shortened to SBC) is an independent Catholic secondary day and boarding school for boys, located in Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia. The school was founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 1940 and opened with a total of 59 students. The school describes itself as "Australia's Largest Country Boys Boarding School", and has educated several leading National Rugby League players.
| St. Brendan's College, Yeppoon | |
|---|---|
 | |
 St Brendan's College administration, 2022 | |
| Address | |
 | |
139 Adelaide Park Road , , 4703 Australia | |
| Coordinates | 23°07′09″S 150°43′38″E / 23.11917°S 150.72722°E |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent secondary day and boarding |
| Motto | Latin: Ne Dubita Dabitur (Do Not Doubt, It Will Be Given) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Roman Catholic |
| Denomination | Congregation of Christian Brothers |
| Patron saint(s) | Brendan, the Navigator |
| Established | 1939 |
| Founder | Christian Brothers |
| Oversight | Diocese of Rockhampton |
| Trust | Edmund Rice Education Australia |
| Principal | Robert Corboy |
| Grades | 7–12 |
| Gender | Boys |
| Houses |
|
| Colour(s) | Green and gold |
| Website | www |
History edit
Groundbreaking for the school started on 8 October 1939 and presided by Romuald Denis Hayes, Bishop of Rockhampton. The school officially opened in February 1940 with 42 boarders and 17 day students. The first headmaster of St Brendan's was Brother Basil Gettons.
The school's spiritual and academic policies are rooted in the traditions of Edmund Ignatius Rice and the school is a member of Edmund Rice Education Australia. The school is named after Saint Brendan the Navigator.
St Ursula's College, Yeppoon, a separate Catholic all-girls day and boarding school located further into the centre of Yeppoon, has shared a close relationship with St Brendan's. Both schools share a relationship with a Catholic primary school in Yeppoon, Sacred Heart.
The college song, Bordered by blue waters splendid, details the rural surrounds of the school near Mary's Mount, as well as confirming strength in faith-based learning.
In September 2022, the Christian Brothers Oceania Province announced it would withdraw from St Brendan's College at Yeppoon at the end of the 2023 academic year, ending 84 years of Christian Brothers affiliation. A farewell mass took place August 28, 2023.
House system edit
St. Brendan's College has four houses:[1]
| House | Name origin | |
|---|---|---|
| Colour | Name | |
| Duhig | Most Rev. Sir James Duhig KCMG, DD was the third Archbishop of Brisbane (1917–65) & the third Bishop of Rockhampton (1905–12) | |
| Gettons | Rev. Bro. J. Basil Gettons c.f.c. was the founding headmaster of St. Brendan's College (1940–45) | |
| Hayes | Right Rev. Romuald Hayes SSC, DD was the fifth Bishop of Rockhampton (1932–45) | |
| Tynan | Right Rev. Andrew Gerard Tynan DD was the sixth Bishop of Rockhampton (1946–60) | |
Headmasters edit
The Rector of St. Brendan's College has been a Christian Brother from the foundation of the college until the appointment of Simon Dash, the first lay principal, in 2003.
| Ordinal | Officeholder | Term start | term end | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bro. J. B. (Basil) Gettons c.f.c. | 1940 | 1945 | 4–5 years | |
| 2 | Bro. H. I. Jackson c.f.c. | 1946 | 1951 | 4–5 years | |
| 3 | Bro. J. B. Duffy c.f.c. | 1952 | 1957 | 4–5 years | |
| 4 | Bro. N. B. Gallagher c.f.c. | 1958 | 1960 | 1–2 years | |
| 5 | Bro. P. T. McSweeney c.f.c. | 1961 | 1963 | 1–2 years | |
| 6 | Bro. M. F. Ziesing c.f.c. | 1964 | 1969 | 4–5 years | |
| 7 | Bro. C. S. Wright c.f.c. | 1970 | 1975 | 4–5 years | |
| 8 | Bro. D. F. Murphy c.f.c. | 1976 | 1981 | 4–5 years | |
| 9 | Bro. R. J. White c.f.c. | 1982 | 1988 | 5–6 years | |
| 10 | Bro. N. C. Langan c.f.c. | 1989 | 1991 | 1–2 years | |
| 11 | Bro. D. J. McMahon c.f.c. | 1992 | 1997 | 4–5 years | |
| 12 | Bro. R. S. Grundy c.f.c. | 1998 | 2002 | 3–4 years | |
| 13 | Simon Dash | 2003 | 2009 | 5–6 years | |
| 14 | G. McManus | 2010 | 2011 | 0–1 years | Appointment concluded in Term 3, 2011 |
| 15 | Nick Scully | 2011 | 2017 | 5–6 years | Appointment commenced in Term 4, 2011[2] |
| 16 | Robert Corboy | 2018 | incumbent | 5–6 years | [3] |
Student demographics and facilities edit
The school accepts students of all faiths and backgrounds.
The school hosts the largest rodeo of the CRCA circuit. The rodeo is held annually over the Father's Day weekend (the first in September in Australia). The school also holds a cattle club and stud program. The school allows students to bring their own cattle to prepare for shows.[4]
Associations edit
As one of the 27 Christian Brothers Colleges founded throughout Queensland, St. Brendan's College Old Boys continue to provide Officials, Coaches and Players to this uniquely Queensland Association of Brothers Old Boys Clubs.
Notable alumni edit
- Politics, public service and the law
- Bryan Jared Kramer – Member of Parliament, Papua New Guinea, since 2017[7]
- John Momis – President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, 2010–present[8]
- Entertainment, media and the arts
- Gerry Connolly – comedian[citation needed]
- John Kasaipwalova – writer, activist
- Shannon Molloy – author and journalist[9]
- Sport
- Harry Grant – rugby league footballer[10]
- Ben Hunt – rugby league footballer[11]
- PJ Marsh – rugby league footballer[11]
- Corey Oates – rugby league footballer[11]
- Julian O'Neill – rugby league footballer[10]
- Matthew Scott – rugby league footballer[11]
- Dave Taylor – rugby league footballer[10]
References edit
- ^ "School Houses". St. Brendan's College. Archived from the original on 29 July 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2011.
- ^ "Well-known CQ school principal resigns". Rockhampton Morning Bulletin. 9 October 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ "Leading CQ boarding school announces new principal". Rockhampton Morning Bulletin. 3 December 2017. Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 13 January 2018.
- ^ Tuite, Kerry (2000). "St Brendan's College, Yeppoon" (PDF). Submission for the Federal Government Inquiry into the Education of Boys. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2008.
- ^ "Affiliated Clubs". Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Fraternity - brothersrugby.com". Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Hon. Bryan Jared Kramer, MP". Archived from the original on 29 June 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ Brij V. Lal; Kate Fortune, eds. (2000). "John Momis". The Pacific Islands: an encyclopedia. University of Hawaii Press. ISBN 978-0-824-82265-1. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ Molloy, Shannon. "Shannon Molloy". news.com.au. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
- ^ a b c McKay, Pam (31 May 2017). "Star duo keen to maintain St Brendan's proud tradition". The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
St Brendan's library is a testament to the college's "Queenslander" heritage with a half-St Brendan's, half-Maroons jersey taking pride of place alongside school photos of its rugby league super stars, including Oates, Matt Scott, Paul Bowman, Julian O'Neill, PJ Marsh, Ben Hunt, Jake Granville and Dave Taylor
- ^ a b c d Thompson, Michael (6 August 2019). "The top 10 NRL talents from Kirwan High and St Brendan's". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
...Kirwan State High School and St Brendan's College Yeppoon have produced a remarkable array of NRL talent... PJ Marsh (St Brendan's)... Corey Oates (St Brendan's)... Paul Bowman (St Brendan's)... Ben Hunt (St Brendan's)... Matt Scott (St Brendan's)...