St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace
Servire Deo Sapere (Latin: 'To serve God is to be wise')
Established	July 5, 1875
School type	Private Boys
Principal/ Headmaster	Mr Peter Chapman
Location	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Campus	Spring Hill, Brisbane
Enrollment	1241
School colours	Red and Black
Homepage	http://www.terrace.qld.edu.au

St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace was founded on July 5, 1875 in Brisbane, Australia. It is a Catholic boys' school and is commonly referred to simply as 'Terrace' because of its location. It is located in Gregory Terrace in Spring Hill. Brisbane Grammar School and Brisbane Girls Grammar School are also located on Gregory Tce. St Joseph's College follows the Edmund Rice tradition.

[edit] Academia

Terrace has produced a number of Rhodes Scholars over the past few years, most recently, Simon Quinn (2005) and Ben Juratowich (2003) and consistently has a high number of students receiving an Overall Position (OP) of 1. There were 22 OP 1 students at the college in 2006 and 13 OP 1 students at the college in 2005. This accounts for approximately 12% of the senior cohort, placing the school well above the state OP 1 average of 4%. The college has a proud record of strong academic results.

[edit] Extracurricular Activities

Terrace has won ten GPS rugby titles - the last of these was the undefeated side of 2004 - as well as two cricket last title in 2004, . It has also won numerous swimming and rowing titles, however. It has also proven quite successful at Volleyball and Basketball, winning a few titles.

Terrace has strong tradition in debating, with its Senior A team reaching ten QDU Grand Finals in a row from 1994-2003, winning eight of them; winning many GPS titles - the Senior A team won the 2006 GPS and QDU titles, going through undefeated.

Terrace has several well performing orchestras, and also participates in extracurricular academic programs including Queensland University of Technology's Q-Start program, the Siemens Science Experience, and the Tournament of the Minds.

Gregory Terrace in recent years have experienced immense success in Cross country. From 2001 to 2004 Terrace won four straight GPS titles. Terrace after a results recount controversially fell short of a fifth straight title by one point or one place in an age group. Terrace once again met the same fate in 2006. Most recently, in 2007, Terrace won the GPS interschool swimming championships held at Chandler swimming complex.

[edit] Tradition

Terrace versus Nudgee rugby game fetches crowds of 10-30. It is generally regarded as the most contested rivalry in GPS. Nudgee was borne from Terrace itself, and this rivalry celebrates the playing of the boarders of Terrace in the days of old. As the story goes, a famous rugby match was played between the two schools to decide who would don the blue and white. Terrace was defeated in the match and settled for the now famous red and black. A fierce rivalry was born.

There is also strong rivalry between Terrace and Brisbane Grammar in Debating. In the past few years the GPS contest (at (1) team level) has been dominated by these two schools. The Grammar-Terrace Senior A debate usually draws a crowd of between 500 and 1000 spectators, which is extraordinary; other Senior A debates draw only 30. Both schools usually have a strong showing in the QDU State Team selections as well. In 2007, one Grammar student and one from Terrace were selected in the 4-man team, and the two reserves were from Grammar and Terrace respectively. This shows the huge power struggle and tightness between the teams and their debating abilities. The Grammar boy was named captain. Grammar one up. :) The 2007 Terrace senior A remains undefeated while the Grammar senior A has lost to Terrace, Churchie and TSS so far. Terrace 3 up :)

The boys at Terrace show large enthusiasm and pride towards their school. This is seen through sporting events and cultural activities.

[edit] Famous Alumni

[edit] Rhodes Scholars

• James C. Mahoney (1929)
• Henry Finucan (1937)
• Stephen Endicott (1942)
• Colin Apelt (1954)
• Cedric Hampson (1955)
• James J. Mahoney (1963)
• John Corbett (1965)
• Stephen Endicott (1969)
• Patrick Carroll (1974)
• Michael Wilson (1976)
• Peter Donnelly (1980)
• Bryan Horrigan (1986)
• John Devereaux (1988)
• Liam Kelly (1989)
• Andrew Rosengren (1991)
• Robert Dann (1997)
• Ben White (1998)
• Ben Juratowich (2003)
• Simon Quinn (2005)

[edit] Cultural/Political

• Michael Caton - Australian actor. Played a lead role in the popular Australian movie, The Castle
• Bernard Fanning - lead singer of Powderfinger
• Bobby Flynn - Finalist of 2006 Australian Idol
• Andrew G - Host on Australian Idol
• Josh Lawson - Actor and Comedian
• Ben Lawson - Actor on Neighbours

[edit] Sporting

• Michael Lynagh - rugby union player (Wallabies)
• Chris "Buddha" Handy - rugby union player (Wallabies) and commentator.
• David Croft - rugby union player (Queensland Reds)
• Mark Chisholm - rugby union player (ACT Brumbies)
• Digby Ioane - rugby union player (Western Force)
• Nick Stiles - rugby union player (Queensland Reds) & (Wallabies)
• Michael Toon - Rowing - Australian Mens Eight Coxswain - 2004 Olympics
• Rudi Vedelago - rugby union player (Western Force)
• Tom Williams - AFL (Western Bulldogs)
• Marcus Allan - AFL (Brisbane Lions)

[edit] History

On July 5, 1875 three Christian Brothers, led by Brother Nicolas Stitt opened their first school in Queensland, in Pugin's Chapel, the old St Stephen's Cathedral, with 26 boys enrolled. Within two months, on September 19, the foundation stone for a permanent residence and school had been laid on land on the crest of a hill and opposite a large park in Spring Hill. The land had been presented to the Brothers by an old boy of the Christian Brothers in Ireland, Dan McSweeney, a painter. While Br Joseph Barrett, Terrace's founder, and Br Paul Nunan continued teaching their classes, Br Brendan Nugent went to North Queensland "four days by steamer" away on a fund-raising tour.

The Brothers took up residence in the new building on Gregory Terrace in early 1876 and school facilities were provided in a large room - and for several years two schools functioned at Terrace and St Stephen's. On the 16th of September 1978 a memorial was held for Brother Nicolas Stitt, in Pugin's Chapel. The school was in mourning as it had lost it's most treasured Brother. Brother Stitt now lays to rest in Waterford Ireland, his birth place. In 1879 a single-storey stone building was completed facing Rogers Street, and the school at St Stephen's was closed. The west wing of the Residence was completed in 1887 to provide accommodation for boarders, and the school building was extended the following year by the addition of a second floor, thus completing what is known today as College Hall. The photos of all students since 1924 are displayed on its walls. By 1891 there was insufficient room for the numbers to board and the boarding school was transferred to a country property along Sandgate Road to begin St Joseph's College, Nudgee (Nudgee College).

Terrace undertook further expansion in 1918-19 when the Science Hall was built and opened. A third storey was added 20 years later. A three-storey teaching block which linked this building with the Residence was built in 1954.

Thus the land that Dan McSweeney had given the Christian Brothers almost 80 years earlier had been effectively built out. By the early 1960s, with increasing numbers of students and with changing trends in education it became imperative that Terrace expand further. Under Br J S Campbell's guiding influence, Terrace began to absorb residential land in Billet Street opposite the existing school. The first block was bought in 1961 and the foundation stone for a new Senior school was blessed by the College's most distinguished Old Boy the Archbishop of Brisbane, Sir James Duhig, in 1963. The new school including a chapel and library was opened in 1964. Gradually, the school development spread down Billet and Victoria Streets, with the Reidy Block completed in l971, the Centenary Building in 1975, the Manual Arts building constructed in two stages in 1981 and 1984, the completion of Centenary Hall and the construction of the Swimming Pool (now known as the Campbell Centre) in 1987 and the Religious Centre and Chapel, Mt Sion, in 1989. Billet Street itself was merged into the school grounds, linking the new and old portions of the College. In 1990 Brother cunningham opened an in school business in which the boarders at the school were allowed to work on weekend. The company 'Cunningham Muffins' operated outside of the school, via a small stand opposite central station.

Terrace also spread beyond its Spring Hill campus. In 1958, the Rowing shed was built on riverfront land at New Farm which had been donated by Archbishop Duhig. In 1961, the Brothers purchased farmland at Tennyson and began to develop its magnificent playing fields. In the 1970s, Terrace established an Outdoor Education Centre on the banks of Lake Maroon, near Boonah. A tunnel was constructed under Gregory Terrace to provide students with safe access to Victoria Park and the training fields and Tennis courts.

Major building changes occurred in 1995, marking 120 years of Catholic Education in Brisbane, the GT120 Project. These included the Science/Music building; elevated walkways linking the Junior School to the 1964 wing; extensions to the Library; Drama Centre (old Junior School Library); Film and Television Room; conversion of Mt Sion to Main Administration offices (whilst retaining the Chapel/Prayer Centre); new offices for House Deans, Heads of Faculty; refurbishment of Staff Workroom to include interview room and Senior Teacher's office; also the shade area on Duhig Place, a project of the Parents and Friends. These recent developments have been made possible by the generosity of the Terrace Family in supporting the Gregory Terrace Foundation.

The strong academic tradition of Terrace continues today with the great majority of students aiming for some form of higher education. Since 1875, more than 195 past students have entered the priesthood or religious life, including the late Archbishop Sir James Duhig and Archbishop Francis Rush retired Archbishop of Brisbane, Bishop John Torpie retired Bishop of Cairns and Bishop Bill Morris Bishop of Toowoomba. Terrace is proud of its fifteen Rhodes Scholars.

[edit] School Crest

Crest of St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace

The current College Crest was designed in 1950. Until then, Terrace had used the Congregational Crest of the Christian Brothers, and this had been updated in l920. Red and Black are the school colours, which are incorporated into this crest. No symbolism was intended in the formation of the bar at the top: it merely completes the shield-design.

The Celtic Cross is an emblem of the Christian Brothers and the symbol of their Irish origins, and of the Cross of Christ. The book symbolizes learning and teaching, the quest for knowledge, wisdom and understanding. The book is open, indicating openness in the search for truth. The alpha and omega symbolises God ("I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end" - Rev.22.13). The star and rays are symbols, firstly, that teaching and learning are to be directed by God; the star, symbol of unfading hope and faith; the rays shining on the book directing the endeavours of those at St. Joseph's.

The star is akin to the Star of Bethlehem, a symbol of enlightenment and guidance, and to the Virgin Mary Star of the Sea. It was, however, a passage in the Book of Daniel which inspired both the inclusion of the star and the school motto:

They that are learned (i.e., in the law of God and in true wisdom which consists in knowing and loving God - hence Servire Deo Sapere (est) on the scroll below: To serve God is to be Wise 1), "Shall shine as the brightness of the firmament (..et qui in iustitiam erudiunt multos - quasi stellae in perpetuas aeternitates 2) and they who instruct many unto justice shall shine like stars for all eternity. (Dan 12.3) Thus the star symbolises also the reward of teaching directed by God.

It was early one morning in l950 between 2.00 and 3.00a.m. when Brs. F J Levander (Headmaster) and J S Campbell who had been working all night on the design of the new crest, finally and triumphantly came upon this concise statement of hopes and aspirations. The est (understood) in the motto, was omitted for balance.

[edit] School Song

Terrace to the Fore (sung to the tune of Men of Harlech)

Many years have now passed o'er us
So 'tis time to rise in chorus
For the men who went before us
Terrace to the fore.

Men of spirit bold, unjaded,
They the haunts of fame invaded;
So upon the heights they made it
Terrace evermore!

They were brave and game men;
We shall be the same men!
If we fight to do the right,
Ours shall be their fame, then!

Who shall dare to stain our glory?
Who shall mock our noble story?
Let our song forevermore be,
"Terrace to the Fore!"

Br. J. A. Kearney

• School Song Melody

[edit] Trivia

The colours of the school (blue and white) were disputed by St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace and St. Joseph's Nudgee College. One rumour was that in order to decide who got the colours, a rugby match was held between the two schools which Nudgee College won, thus "Terrace" receiving Black and Red. This is something which is traditionally taught between the two schools making this the biggest GPS game for both schools.

[edit] External links

• Terrace's Website
• Tuckshop Menu
• Article on Simon Quinn
• Article concerning Terrace and Nudgee Rugby Rivalry
• Speech by Governer of Queensland on Scholars Assembly
• Terrace's Strategic Future Plan: Toward GT135 and Beyond
• Terrace's Bullying Policy
• The Edmund Rice Charter
• 2006 National Excellence in Teaching Award Recipient: Conor Finn
• Article on Terrace's Citrix System
• Article on Terrace's thin-client management software solution