St Laurence's College

St Laurence's College (known colloquially as Lauries) is an independent Catholic primary and secondary school for boys, located in South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 1915.[3] the school is a member of Edmund Rice Education Australia. As of 2021, the college had an enrolment of over 1913[4] students from Year 5 to Year 12. St Laurence's is affiliated with the Associated Independent Colleges sporting association.

St Laurence's College
Gair Field, St Laurence's College, 2010
Address
82 Stephens Road

South Brisbane
,
Queensland
,
4101

Australia
Information
TypeIndependent primary and secondary school
MottoLatin: Facere et Docere
(To do and to teach)
Religious affiliation(s)Catholicism
DenominationCongregation of Christian Brothers
Established11 July 1915 (1915-07-11)
FounderCongregation of Christian Brothers
TrustEdmund Rice Education Australia
PrincipalChris Leadbetter[1]
Years offered5-12
GenderBoys
Enrolment1913[2] (2021)
CampusUrban
Colour(s)Black and gold   
AffiliationAssociated Independent Colleges
Websitewww.slc.qld.edu.au

Some of the college's historic buildings are listed on the Brisbane Heritage Register.[5]

History

The college was officially opened and blessed on 11 July 1915 by the Archbishop of Brisbane James Duhig. The school has been operated by the Christian Brothers[6][3][7] since its inception. On the first day there were 270 students and a staff of five teachers. The monastery for the Brothers was built in 1917.[3]

Since 1961, the school has also operated sporting fields in the southern Brisbane suburb of Runcorn, which contains eight playing fields and a function centre.[3] In 1977 the school established an outdoor educational facility, Camp Laurence, at Lake Moogerah, to the west of Brisbane.[3]

In 1994 a College Board was established as an advisory group for the principal. In 1996 the first lay principal, Mr D Frederiksen, was appointed with the Christian Brothers retaining ownership and control of the College.[3] The last of the brothers left the monastery in 2009, and the building was converted in 2010 into the school's administration building.[3]

In 2010, as part of an agreement with the adjacent Mater Hospital Brisbane, the school's land was leased for 25 years to build a six-storey car park, which now houses the college's synthetic oval on top along with a 1500 seat auditorium.[3]

Sport

St Laurence's College is a member of the Associated Independent Colleges (AIC).

AIC premierships

St Laurence's College has won the following AIC premierships.[8]

  • Australian Football (4) - 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023
  • Basketball (2) - 2010, 2011
  • Cricket (2) - 2008, 2017
  • Cross Country (2) - 2003, 2004
  • Rugby Union (6) - 1991, 2001, 2008, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
  • Rugby League (1) - 2021
  • Soccer (4) - 2001, 2002, 2006, 2022
  • Tennis (1) - 2020
  • Volleyball (3) - 2012, 2014, 2020
  • Chess (7) - 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2021, 2023

Notable alumni

Alumni of St Laurence's College are known as "Old Boys" and may elect to join the school's alumni association, the St Laurence's College Old Boys Association. Notable alumni include:

Business

Entertainment, arts and the media

Politics, law and public service
  • Darryl Briskey[14] – former state Labor member for Cleveland
  • Condon Byrne[15] – former federal Labor Senator for Queensland
  • Paul Finn[13] – Judge of the Federal Court of Australia
  • Mike Horan[16] – former state National member for Toowoomba South and Leader of the Opposition
  • Dennis Ives[13] – former Public Service Commissioner 1990–1995
  • Len Keogh[17] – former federal Labor member for the Division of Bowman
  • John Mickel[18] – former state Labor member for Logan and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland
  • Jeffrey Spender[19] – Judge of the Federal Court of Australia and Queen's Counsel

Sports

Controversies

July 2008 attack on students

On 28 July 2008, a group of youths armed with a meat cleaver and a steel bar stormed St Laurence's School campus in South Brisbane and attacked two 15-year-old boys. One student was slashed across the face and had to undergo surgery. Another suffered deep cuts to his lower back.[34] Seven individuals, aged between thirteen and eighteen, were charged over the attacks.[35]

Sexual assault

The college has a history of sexual assaults.[36] At a candlelight mass in 2015 hosted by Ian McDonald, St Laurence's previous principal, he apologised for the sexual assaults, saying that they "must never happen again". In April 1984, former Christian Brother Brian Dennis Cairns was charged with sexual assault offences against twelve male pupils, aged from ten to twelve years, a number of which attended St Laurence's. Cairns was jailed in 1985 and again in 2014 after more victims came forward.[37]

See also

References
  1. "Principal's Welcome". St Laurence's College. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  2. "St Laurence's College About us | Good Schools Guide". www.goodschools.com.au. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  3. "History". St Laurence's College. Archived from the original on 19 April 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  4. "St Laurence's College About us | Good Schools Guide". www.goodschools.com.au. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. "St Laurence's College". Brisbane Heritage Register. Brisbane City Council. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  6. Queensland Family History Society (2010), Queensland schools past and present (Version 1.01 ed.), Queensland Family History Society, ISBN 978-1-921171-26-0
  7. "ST. LAURENCE'S SCHOOL, SOUTH BRISBANE". The Catholic Advocate. Vol. IV, no. 201. Queensland, Australia. 15 April 1915. p. 16. Archived from the original on 27 August 2020. Retrieved 21 July 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "About Associated Independent Colleges". AIC. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
  9. Grant-Taylor, Tony (17 February 2012). "CITY BEAT: Aussie turns 20". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  10. Whiting, Frances (31 March 2012). "River city dreaming". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  11. "Kerry O'Brien laments state of Australian politics and rise of 'gladiatorial' interviewing". ABC News Australia. 3 February 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  12. O'Flaherty, Antonia (21 May 2021). "Delta Goodrem, Matt Copley inspire St Laurence's College students in surprise concert". ABC Radio Brisbane. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  13. "HALL OF FAME". St Laurence's College Old Boys' Association. Archived from the original on 22 February 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  14. "Briskey, Darryl James". Queensland Parliament. 27 June 2017. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  15. Walter, James. "BYRNE, CONDON BRYAN (1910–1993)". The Biographical Dictionary of the Australian Senate Online Edition. Archived from the original on 23 March 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  16. "Horan, Michael James, AM (Mike)". Queensland Parliament. 25 July 2017. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  17. Laming, Andrew (21 February 2008). "HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Main Committee CONDOLENCES Mr Leonard Joseph Keogh SPEECH". Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  18. "John Mickel". Queensland Speaks. Archived from the original on 8 March 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  19. "Valedictory Ceremony for The Hon Justice Spender". Hearsay. August 2010. Archived from the original on 8 April 2021. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  20. Anderson, Brad (2 August 2010). "Yachting Great passes away". Sail-World Canada. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  21. "Terence Neil "Tiny" Betts". Classic Wallabies. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  22. "Brendan Joseph Cannon". Classic Wallabies. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  23. Tucker, Jim (7 May 2019). "AIC Rugby: St Laurence's College 2019 season preview". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  24. "HONOUR BOARD". St Laurence's College OId Boys' Association. Archived from the original on 5 March 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  25. Rogers, Melinda (9 March 2016). "Australian swimming para-athlete wins first Griffith GC2018 scholarship". Griffith News. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  26. Lunn, Hugh (12 April 2022). "Ash Barty: Life after tennis". The Australian. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  27. Ng, Emilie (1 April 2021). "Rowan powers to Games gold in Glasgow". The Catholic Leader. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  28. Westlake, Michael (14 May 2018). "Rugby league, Aussie rules break into prestigious private schools' sports program from 2019". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  29. "Laurie Joseph Lawrence". Classic Wallabies. Archived from the original on 11 March 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  30. "Sharp rise in AFL popularity on show in schoolboy clash". AFL Queensland. 26 February 2021. Archived from the original on 30 March 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  31. Heslehurst, Brayden (9 November 2016). "Brisbane Lions rising star Archie Smith says tasting AFL football in 2016 has him wanting more". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  32. Tucker, Jim (29 April 2022). "Mean Machine hero's plan to write a new legacy for our golden age of sport". In Queensland. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  33. Lutton, Phil (16 March 2007). "The ones that got away". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  34. Ironside, Robyn; Wray, Michael; Lion, Patrick (29 July 2010). "Teens charged after schoolyard stabbing". Herald-Sun. Archived from the original on 19 September 2008. Retrieved 30 July 2008.
  35. "Seven arrests over St Laurence's stabbing". CathNews. 30 July 2008. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2008.
  36. Vonow, Brittany (20 February 2015). "Brisbane's St Laurence's College apologises for sex abuse of boys". The Courier-Mail. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  37. "Victims bring ex-Brother Brian Cairns to justice, again". Broken Rites Australia. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.

Further reading
  • McDonald, Ian. (2015). It is good for us to be here: the story of St Laurence’s College. St. Laurence’s College.
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