Brisbane Boys' College

Brisbane Boys' College (BBC) is an independent, Presbyterian and Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Toowong, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.[4]

Brisbane Boys' College
Location
Toowong
,
Queensland

Australia
Coordinates27°29′17″S 152°59′9″E
Information
TypeIndependent, single-sex, day and boarding
MottoLatin: Sit Sine Labe Decus
(Let Honour Stainless Be)
DenominationPresbyterian and Uniting Church
Established1902[1]
HeadmasterAndré Casson[2]
Employees~121[3]
Enrolment~1,550 (P–12)[3]
Colour(s)Green, white and black
     
Websitewww.bbc.qld.edu.au

Established in 1902, the prestigious college has a non-selective enrolment policy and caters for approximately 1,500 students from Prep to 12,[3] including 150 boarders from Years 7 to 12.[5]

Brisbane Boys' College is a school of the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association (PMSA),[1] and is affiliated with the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA),[5] the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), [6] and the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA).[7] The school is also a founding member of the Great Public Schools' Association Inc (GPS).[3]

Some of the Brisbane Boys' College Buildings are listed on the Queensland Heritage Register and are beloved by its students and the surrounding communities.[8]

History
A Taringa-Toowong property map from 1929. The land for the then-proposed Brisbane Boys' College is at the mid-right (bordered by Miskin/Union streets).
Main Building

Brisbane Boys' College was established in 1902 by Arthur Rudd.[9] Rudd arrived in Brisbane in 1901 by boat from Melbourne and started a school in Clayfield. The school officially started in March 1902 with just four students.[10]

In 1912, the school moved to a new location on the corner of Bayview Terrace, near the tram terminus, needing more room. Even with the new land, due to space constraints sporting activities were out of the question, so for many years the boys walked to the nearby Kalinga Park.[11] In 1908, there were 80 students and a cadet corps was formed with the impending 1914–1918 war. The school suffered the losses of eight Clayfield Collegians during the war.[12] In 1931, the school was moved, again due to a lack of room for new facilities, to its current site in Toowong with support from its owners, the daughters of the late Premier of Queensland, Sir Robert Philp.[8][13] The Clayfield campus became a primary school department of Somerville House, which later developed into the independent Clayfield College.[10]

Today BBC is owned by the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association, which was formed in 1918, and owns other private schools in Queensland.[1]

Headmasters
OrdinalOfficeholderTerm startTerm endTime in officeNotes
1 Arthur W. Rudd OBE 1902 1930 27–28 years [14]
2 Patrick M .Hamilton OBE 1931 1946 14–15 years
3 Dr Thomas Ross McKenzie OBE 1947 1955 7–8 years
4 Alfred J. Birtles 1956 1973 16–17 years
5 Graham E. Thomson AM 1974 1989 14–15 years
6 Mr George Milton Cujes 1990 1995 4–5 years
(5) Graham E. Thomson AM 1996 1996 0 years
7 Michael G. Norris 1997 2001 3–4 years
8 Graeme E. McDonald 2002 2017 14–15 years [15]
9 Paul Brown 2018 2021 2–3 years [14]
10 André Casson 2022 incumbent 0–1 years [2]

Campus

BBC's campus is located in the Brisbane suburb of Toowong on land bordered by Moggill Road, Kensington Terrace and Miskin Street, with the main entrance from Kensington Terrace.[16][17]

The main building dates from the early 1930s, when the school moved to the site, and is characterised by its arches and clock tower in the Mission Revival architecture style.[9] The Rudd and Hamilton wings, built in 1963, form a T-shape extending away from the main building, and the modern glass fronted Resource Centre, built in 1996, fills the quadrant. Other buildings on the site include McKenzie wing (built in 1983), Barbara Helen Thomson Sports Complex (opened in 1987), and the Birtles wing (built in 1973). The main Junior School precinct was completed in early 2008, and a separate building catering exclusively to Prep students was completed in mid 2007. The Junior School precinct was designed in light of the introduction of Years Prep to Grade 3 in 2007.[18] The old college hall (built in 1979) was demolished in late September 2009 and a new college hall was constructed and opened in early June 2011. The present college hall includes an air conditioned auditorium capable of seating 695 people, the Phil Bisset Gallery, and facilities for the music department.[19] In 2014, a new state of the art Middle School precinct was completed, which is situated next to the Junior School buildings.[20]

There are three ovals included within the BBC grounds: the John Noblet Oval, the Parents & Friends Association Oval, and Miskin Oval. BBC also makes use of the Oakman Park ovals, Toowong College (QASMT), University of Queensland and St Lucia, Queensland playing fields. The school plans to build new sporting facilities in a location detached from the main school, possibly in Corinda, though this has sparked local residents' concerns about traffic problems and noise pollution.[21]

In 2022 it was reported that Brisbane Boys' College, in partnership with the Presbyterian Methodist Schools Association, settled on the purchase of the neighbouring 1.23-hectare (3.0-acre) Goldicott, outlaying A$17 million.[22][23]

Uniform
Uniforms

The college uniform varies throughout the grades, these being between Years Prep–3, 4–6, 7–11 and 12. One defining factor of the uniform is the boater, a straw hat worn to and from the school and in public that has been a college tradition since its conception. In Years 4–6, the uniform consists of a green shirt, a green and black tie, grey shorts and plain grey socks.[24]

In Years 7–11, the only difference is that trousers are worn, and in Year 12 a white shirt is worn.[25]

Green, white and black striped blazers are worn in terms 2 and 3.[24] Blazers display "Colours" which are awards that warrant embroidery on the pockets of the blazer. Lines, Half-Colours and Full-Colours are displayed on the bottom, top right-hand and top left-hand and pocket respectively, and each display a line of text detailing the category of achievement and the year the award was given. Half-Colours and Full-Colours exhibit altered forms of the BBC emblem, while school captains have a gold full colour emblem.

Students in leadership positions, such as house captains and prefects, are given a badge with their name and position within the school. Prefects wear a tie and boater-band, of which both feature green, black and gold stripes.

Stripes were introduced to the schools blazer in 1937, with previously blazers being a plain dark green. Boaters were also briefly replaced with felt hats during the late 1930's and WWII, due to a shortage in materials. However the boaters were rapidly reintroduced following the war, after the school overwhelmingly voted to retain them.

House system

The school is divided into a house system with ten houses.

The house system was introduced in 1931 by the headmaster at the time Mr Hamilton. The school was divided into 3 Houses - School House (Boarders), Wesley House (Day Boys A-L) and Knox House (Day Boys M-Z).

Due to increasing numbers of boarders School House was sub-divided into Rudd and Campbell House in 1950. However due to boarding numbers once again declining, the two houses were briefly managed together, before the decision was made to continue with only Rudd House for boarders, with Campbell placed in hibernation until 1976, when it was reactivated as a day house. Five new day houses were introduced in 1980, (Flynn, Hamilton, McKenzie and Wheller). Birtles was house was introduced in 1998, and Cole House was introduced in 2020 after the retirement of long time chaplain Reverend Cole the previous year.

House name Named after Colours Introduced
Birtles Former Headmaster [26] Azure blue, white, gold[26] 1998
Campbell Secretary of PMSA in the 1940s[27] Yellow, black, white[27] 1950
Cole Former Chaplain Rev'd Graham Cole Purple, white 2020
Flynn John Flynn, founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service[28] Blue, red[28] 1980
Hamilton Former Headmaster[29] Royal blue, black, white[29] 1980
Knox John Knox, leading Reformer of the Church of Scotland; major influence on Presbyterian churches worldwide[30] Red, white, black[30] 1931
McKenzie Former Headmaster[31] Orange, black[31] 1980
Rudd Founding Headmaster[32] Gold, black, green[32] 1950
Wesley John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Church[33] Light blue, dark blue, white[33] 1931
Wheller Long-serving Minister of Albert St Church[34] Maroon, black, white[34] 1980

Co-curriculum

Music

The music department hosts string, orchestral and vocal ensembles, as well as concert and stage bands throughout the levels of the school.[35] Brisbane Boys' College maintains the tradition of conducting a pipe band,[36] which plays at public events such as the annual ANZAC Day March in Brisbane and the 2018 Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Edinburgh and in the special 2019 Sydney Tattoo.[37]

Sport

The college offers rugby, football, rowing, gymnastics, cricket, basketball, volleyball, chess, tennis, cross-country, Australian rules football, athletics, swimming, waterpolo, golf and sailing.

They have a number of former representative players and coaches as directors and coaches at the college.

  • Rugby union director: Steve Philpotts – former Australian schoolboys rugby head coach
  • Cricket director: David Marriott – former Australian schoolboys cricket and rugby representative
  • Rugby union first XV head coach: Shane Drahm – former English international and Queensland Reds player

Cricket head coach: Hamish Gardiner – current batsman for the Scottish national cricket team

Recent sporting achievements

Brisbane Boys' College has achieved sporting success as a GPS school in the following activities:

  • Track and Field – 2016, 2017, 2018
  • Australian Football – 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009[38]
  • Basketball – 1987, 1995, 2005, 2011, 2017[39]
  • Cricket – 2003, 2020 [40]
  • Cross Country - 2018, 2019
  • Football – 1991, 1993, 2004, 2010, 2011[41]
  • Gymnastics – 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2007[42]
  • Rowing – 2002, 2003,[43][44] 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Volleyball – 1994, 1995, 1996, 2001, 2019[45]
  • Tennis – 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023[46]
  • Sailing – 2007, 2008, 2011[47]

Rowing club
BBC students rowing on the Brisbane River, 1935

The BBC Rowing Club is active throughout the year however the primary season is during terms 1 and 4, and is open to boys in Years 7–12. The boathouse is located on the Brisbane River, near the University of Queensland at St Lucia. The club has been successful since its first race in 1918, winning more Queensland Head of the River races than any other school.[48] The club's most recent wins were in 2002, 2003, 2021 and 2022.[49]

The club was founded in 1916, by school founder A W Rudd. The first shed was built on Breakfast Creek in 1918, with the club winning its first Head of the River the following year. The shed was moved to the banks of the Brisbane River near the Regatta Hotel in 1930, where it was destroyed by flood in 1974. A new shed was built near the University of Queensland at St Lucia in 1976.

The club is split between quad sculls and eights, with Years 8, 9 and 10 racing quads, with Year 11 and Opens racing eights. The 1st VIII has been successful at the Head of the River on 23 occasions, winning in 1919, 1934, 1937, 1938, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1966, 1968, 1972, 1974, 1990, 1992, 1993, 2002, 2021 and 2022.[49] The club's 1st VIII also won the Princess Elizabeth Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta in 1993, becoming the first Australian crew to do so.[48]

In recent times Brisbane Boys' College rowers have gone on to represent Queensland and Australia in Regattas worldwide. John Dickson (Alumni 2005),[50] Scott Laidler (Alumni 2007),[51] Harrison Westbrook (Alumni 2008)[52] and Cameron Stitt (Alumni 2008)[51] are just some of the examples of old boys who have performed at representative level.

Notable alumni
Main article: List of Brisbane Boys' College Old Boys

See also

References
  1. "Brisbane Boys' College". Schools. Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association. Archived from the original on 16 February 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
  2. "Introducing Mr Andre Casson, 10th Headmaster of BBC". Brisbane Boys College. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  3. "2006 School Report" (PDF). Reporting. Brisbane Boys' College. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
  4. Study QLD provider information for BBC Archived 12 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  5. "Brisbane Boys' College". Schools. Australian Boarding Schools Association. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
  6. "JSHAA Queensland Directory of Members". Queensland Branch. Junior School Heads Association of Australia. Archived from the original on 12 April 2008. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
  7. "AHISA Schools: Queensland". Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia. November 2007. Archived from the original on 2 November 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2007.
  8. "Brisbane Boys College (entry 600337)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
  9. "Brisbane Boys' College – Queensland Heritage Register". West Toowong Community. West Toowong Community Association Inc. Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  10. "BBC: A brief history of BBC". Brisbane Boys' College. Brisbane Boys' College. Archived from the original on 3 April 2002. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  11. "BBC". Our Toowong. Archived from the original on 29 August 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) OurToowong page for BBC
  12. "Brief History". Brisbane Boys College. Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. Retrieved 6 March 2022. BBC official brief history
  13. "STEADY PROGRESS". The Brisbane Courier. No. 22, 777. Queensland, Australia. 28 January 1931. p. 14. Retrieved 6 March 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "Our story". Brisbane Boys College. Archived from the original on 5 March 2018. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  15. "Appointment of Paul Brown as Headmaster of Brisbane Boys' College". The Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association. Archived from the original on 2 December 2017. Retrieved 2 December 2017.
  16. QAGTC map Archived 3 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  17. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CIC fields pamphlet
  18. BBC official campus map
  19. "College Hall". Sons of the College. Brisbane, Australia: Brisbane Boys' College. October 2009. p. 7.
  20. "Brisbane Boys College – News & Media Centre – 21st century learning". Brisbane Boy's College. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  21. "Brisbane Boys' College plans for expansion under fire - Council - News | South-West News". Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2009. Southwest News – Brisbane Boys' College plans for expansion under fire
  22. Allen, Lisa (15 April 2022). "Brisbane Boys' College collects $17m 1800s homestead". real.commercial.com.au. REA Group Limited. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  23. "Brisbane Boys' College Finalises Purchase Of The Iconic Goldicott House". Toowong News. May 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  24. Junior School Handbook. Brisbane, Australia: Brisbane Boys' College. p. 32. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 January 2006.
  25. BBC College Shop pricelist Archived 16 February 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  26. Portal 2002. Brisbane Boys' College. 2002. p. 31.
  27. Portal 2002. Brisbane Boys' College. 2002. p. 33.
  28. Portal 2002. Brisbane Boys' College. 2002. p. 34.
  29. Portal 2002. Brisbane Boys' College. 2002. p. 36.
  30. Portal 2002. Brisbane Boys' College. 2002. p. 38.
  31. Portal 2002. Brisbane Boys' College. 2002. p. 40.
  32. Portal 2002. Brisbane Boys' College. 2002. p. 42.
  33. Portal 2002. Brisbane Boys' College. 2002. p. 44.
  34. Portal 2002. Brisbane Boys' College. 2002. p. 46.
  35. "Music - Co-curricular Activities - Visitors and Applicants - Brisbane Boys' College". Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2009. BBC Music page
  36. "Brisbane band here to learn". Otago Daily Times. 26 June 2009. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  37. "Pipe Band - Co-curricular Activities - Visitors and Applicants - Brisbane Boys' College". Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. Retrieved 11 October 2009. BBC Pipe Band page
  38. "Australian Rules Football - Co-curricular Activities - Visitors and Applicants - Brisbane Boys' College". Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009. BBC Australian Rules Football
  39. "The Great Public Schools' Association of Qld Inc". SportingPulse. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
  40. Portal 2003. Brisbane Boys' College. 2003. p. 165.
  41. Portal 2004. Brisbane Boys' College. 2004. p. 208.
  42. "Gymnastics - Co-curricular Activities - Visitors and Applicants - Brisbane Boys' College". Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009. BBC Gymnastics
  43. Portal 2002. Brisbane Boys' College. 2002. p. 143.
  44. Portal 2003. Brisbane Boys' College. 2003. p. 189.
  45. "Volleyball - Co-curricular Activities - Visitors and Applicants - Brisbane Boys' College". Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009. BBC Volleyball
  46. "Tennis - Co-curricular Activities - Visitors and Applicants - Brisbane Boys' College". Archived from the original on 17 October 2009. Retrieved 25 November 2009. BBC Tennis
  47. thinking.com.au. "Brisbane Boys College wins team racing". Boatingoz.com.au. Archived from the original on 13 August 2008. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
  48. BBC Rowing History Archived 24 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  49. GPS Head of the River Rowing Championships
  50. AYOF07 profile for John Dickson
  51. "From the Headmaster Notice to users of the Brisbane". Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2009. College News – 19 June 2009 (page 3)
  52. Athlete profile: Harrison Westbrook Archived 24 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine
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