Padua College, Brisbane

Padua College, Kedron
Latin: Deus Meus Et Omnia
My God My All
Location
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Information
School type Independent
Established 1956
Principal Robert Out
Vice principal Phillip Dobson
Enrolment 1124
Campus Kedron
Colour(s) Brown & Gold
Affiliations Associated Independent Colleges
Website www.padua.qld.edu.au

Padua College is a Roman Catholic boys' school in Brisbane, Australia. The college derives its name from franciscan friar Saint Anthony of Padua (1195–1231), appointed by St. Francis as the first Professor of Theology for the friars. Padua is the university city of Northern Italy where St Anthony died. Students of the college are known in the community as Paduans. The college, located in the northern suburb of Kedron, draws students from the central, north and west areas of Brisbane.

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History of the college

Padua began in 1956 when the Franciscan Sisters, who cared for the parish primary school of St Anthony, were no longer able to cater for the large number of boys in their school. At the request of Sister Mary Bernadette O’Callaghan OSF, the Friars, who had taken charge of the Kedron parish since 1929, agreed to begin a separate school for boys.

Fr. Damian Nolan OFM, was appointed nominal Rector of the new school, which began with two lay teachers, Mrs Eileen Cameron and Mr John Fox, and 89 boys in Years 4, 5 and 6. The Friars began teaching in the school in 1957 with the arrival of Fr Alban Mitchell OFM, Fr Angelo O’Hagan OFM, and a little later Fr Odoric (Hugh) Fathers OFM.

Since that time, Padua has developed with many extensions and facilities. At present there are over 1200 students enrolled at the College.

In November 2006, former Rector and now current Chaplain Fr. John Boyd-Boland released his book "On A Cragged Hill - A Fifty Year Story" reliving the events and history of Padua College since its beginnings in 1956. `

Sport

The College is a member of the Associated Independent Colleges (AIC) and Combined Independent Colleges (CIC) whose sporting competitions usually take place on Saturdays.

Padua College has won the confraternity shield numerous times with their last title in 2005. Padua rugby league alumni include Paul Vautin, Shane Perry, David Stagg, David Shillington, David Bouveng and Dane Carlaw.

Co-curricular activities

All boys attending the College are required to represent Padua in co-curricular activities. The College offers students the opportunity to participate in debating and public speaking events, chess competitions and music and drama programs. In addition, the College also enters teams into the Associated Independent Colleges competition for the following sports: Swimming, Water Polo, Cricket, Volleyball, Rugby, AFL, Football (soccer), Tennis, Basketball, Golf, Athletics. Chess and Cross Country.

All boys are encouraged to compete in the College's annual Inter-House Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics Carnivals. Padua College has its playing fields on a 73,000m2 site at Elliot Road Banyo for cricket, rugby and soccer. Padua has an ongoing rivalry with their northside counterparts in the AIC St Patrick's College, Shorncliffe due to both being of almost equal sporting talent and of their close vicinity to each other. The Northside Challenge is a sporting challenge between the two schools for Rugby and Soccer. In the First XV rugby Padua are the current holders after defeating SPC in round 6 of the AIC competition, and in process become AIC First XV premiers. In Soccer SPC are the holders after defeating the Padua First XI convincingly in the same round.

Padua has a well-equipped Music Department which includes a recording studio and sound-proof drum room. Tuition is available in all orchestral instruments. The orchestras at the college are generally of a high quality and a wide variety of instruments are available for student hire. Students are frequently encouraged to take up viola as the high prevalence of students who quit provides a large amount of instruments for hire. Students are encouraged to become members of the Concert Bands, Big Band, String Orchestras and Symphony Orchestra. All Year 8 students study piano and guitar as part of the ordinary school curriculum. Music is taught as a Board Subject in Years 9 through to 12. Every alternate year the boys and girls from Mt Alvernia and Padua College produce a stage musical. Recent productions have included Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Les Misérables, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Oliver!. The latest collaborative production between the two schools is High School Musical: The Musical!, released in May 2010.

Campus

The college is situated at Kedron on two campuses. The primary department, catering for boys from Years 5 to 7, on the eastern side of Turner Rd and the Year 8 to 12 boys on the western side. Two other Franciscan schools, St. Anthony's and Mt. Alvernia are also in the precinct. Padua College boasts excellent facilities for the students to use. The college has recently refurbished all classrooms, installed more computers and constructed two new buildings; a sports complex and a multi purpose centre containing a library, seminar rooms and computer labs (renovations completed early 2006). Other facilities the school features include:

Padua College has an outdoor education centre called "Amaroo" at Pomona on the Sunshine Coast. Most year levels visit the camp every year. Amaroo is located on 68.8 hectares of lush rainforest and boasts luxurious facilities including a high and low ropes course and rock climbing walls. The outdoor education centre is located closely to Lake Cootharaba and canoeing is involved regularly.

In addition to in-school facilities and the Outdoor Education Centre, the school owns 73,000m2 of playing fields on Elliot Rd, Banyo, which is used for rugby, soccer and athletics carnivals.

Winners of the house competition since 1996 Introduction

House Year House Year House Year House Year
  Grigg 1996   Grigg 2001   Grigg 2006   Mitchell 2011
  Grigg 1997   Grigg 2002   Beirne 2007
  Grigg 1998   Grigg 2003   Odoric 2008
  Grigg 1999   Beirne 2004   Odoric 2009
  Mitchell 2000   Grigg 2005   Odoric 2010

Notable alumni

See also

External links