St. Brendan's College, Yeppoon Explained

St. Brendan's College, Yeppoon
Motto:la|Ne Dubita Dabitur
Motto Translation:Do Not Doubt, It Will Be Given
Grades:7–12
Principal:Robert Corboy
Streetaddress:139 Adelaide Park Road
Postcode:4703
Country:Australia
Coordinates:-23.1192°N 150.7272°W
Colours:Green and gold

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.

History

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

St. Brendan's College has four houses:[1]

House Name origin
Colour Name
Duhig Most Rev. Sir James Duhig was the third Archbishop of Brisbane (1917–65) & the third Bishop of Rockhampton (1905–12)
Gettons Rev. Bro. J. Basil Gettons was the founding headmaster of St. Brendan's College (1940–45)
Hayes Right Rev. Romuald Hayes was the fifth Bishop of Rockhampton (1932–45)
Tynan Right Rev. Andrew Gerard Tynan was the sixth Bishop of Rockhampton (1946–60)

Headmasters

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
1940 1945 years
Bro. H. I. Jackson c.f.c. 1946 1951 years
Bro. J. B. Duffy c.f.c. 1952 1957 years
Bro. N. B. Gallagher c.f.c. 1958 1960 years
Bro. P. T. McSweeney c.f.c. 1961 1963 years
Bro. M. F. Ziesing c.f.c. 1964 1969 years
Bro. C. S. Wright c.f.c. 1970 1975 years
Bro. D. F. Murphy c.f.c. 1976 1981 years
Bro. R. J. White c.f.c. 1982 1988 years
Bro. N. C. Langan c.f.c. 1989 1991 years
Bro. D. J. McMahon c.f.c. 1992 1997 years
Bro. R. S. Grundy c.f.c. 1998 2002 years
Simon Dash 2003 2009 years
G. McManus 2010 2011 years Appointment concluded in Term 3, 2011
Nick Scully 2011 2017 years Appointment commenced in Term 4, 2011[2]
Robert Corboy 2018 incumbent years [3]

Student demographics and facilities

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

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

Politics, public service and the law
Entertainment, media and the arts
Sport

Notes and References

  1. Web site: School Houses . 2011-05-09 . St. Brendan's College . https://web.archive.org/web/20130729223816/http://mbbc.qld.edu.au/student-care/school-houses/# . 29 July 2013 . live.
  2. News: Well-known CQ school principal resigns. 9 October 2017. Rockhampton Morning Bulletin. 13 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180112220327/https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/well-known-cq-school-principal-resigns/3232537/#. 12 January 2018. live.
  3. News: Leading CQ boarding school announces new principal. 3 December 2017. Rockhampton Morning Bulletin. 13 January 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180113092951/https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/leading-cq-boarding-school-announces-new-principal/3281037/#. 13 January 2018. live.
  4. Web site: Tuite . Kerry . 2000 . St Brendan's College, Yeppoon . Submission for the Federal Government Inquiry into the Education of Boys . 2008-08-24 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080809100127/http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/edt/eofb/subs/sub96.pdf# . 9 August 2008 . live.
  5. Web site: Affiliated Clubs . 28 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130726172630/http://brothers.net.au/clubs . 26 July 2013 . dead.
  6. Web site: Fraternity - brothersrugby.com . 28 July 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130901041719/http://www.brothersrugby.com/fraternity.asp# . 1 September 2013 . live.
  7. Web site: Parliamentary Handbook . 2024-07-17 . handbook.aph.gov.au.
  8. Web site: Hon. Bryan Jared Kramer, MP. 29 June 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180629155344/http://www.parliament.gov.pg/index.php/tenth-parliament/bio/view/madang-district#. 29 June 2018. live.
  9. Encyclopedia: John Momis . Brij V. Lal . Kate Fortune . The Pacific Islands: an encyclopedia . University of Hawaii Press . 2000 . 978-0-824-82265-1 . 2010-06-17 .
  10. Web site: Major change at St Brendan’s after 80 years .
  11. Web site: Austlit . John Kasaipwalova AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . 2024-07-17 . www.austlit.edu.au . en.
  12. News: Molloy . Shannon . Shannon Molloy . 24 July 2022 . news.com.au.
  13. Web site: 2023-12-12 . Young St Brendan's players get taste of NRL life . 2024-07-17 . Manly Warringah Sea Eagles . en.
  14. Web site: Casey Conway bares all: being a gay Aboriginal man in professional sport . 2024-07-17 . NITV . en.
  15. News: McKay. Pam. 31 May 2017. Star duo keen to maintain St Brendan's proud tradition. The Morning Bulletin. 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.
  16. Web site: Proszenko . Adrian . 2015-10-03 . NRL Grand Final 2015: Something in the water as St Brendan's quartet of Matt Scott, Ben Hunt, Corey Oates and Jake Granville line up in decider . 2024-07-17 . The Sydney Morning Herald . en.
  17. Web site: Townsville Bulletin . 2024-07-17 . townsvillebulletin . en.
  18. News: Thompson . Michael . 6 August 2019 . The top 10 NRL talents from Kirwan High and St Brendan's . . 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)....
  19. Web site: 2019-03-19 . Travelling Mann's career comes full circle . 2024-07-17 . National Rugby League . en.
  20. Web site: 2019-07-17 . 'The sacrifice she made was big': Pearson's tribute to mum . 2024-07-17 . National Rugby League . en.
  21. Web site: June 20, 2013 . Former Rabbitohs Jamie Simpson signs on with CQ Capras .

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