Pursuit of excellence

Vivien Harris - Archivist

The men and women serving on the Brisbane Grammar School Board of Trustees are charged with steering BGS into the future. They are responsible for driving educational excellence while reflecting the School’s legacy as a Queensland institution.

2020 proved to be a milestone year for the Board, with three long-serving Trustees retiring and three new members. The BGS community recognised the contribution of retiring Trustees Dr John Fenwick AM, Mr Chris Morton and Mrs Sue Palmer at a retirement dinner in the Great Hall in October. All three lent a wealth of expertise to the Board over many years.

Left to Right: Mr Chris Morton, BGS Chairman Mr John Humphrey, Dr John Fenwick AM and Mrs Sue Palmer

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Deputy Headmaster – Teaching and Learning Steve Uscinski spoke in tribute of John Fenwick ’61, farewelling him as a “Grammar Great”. Elected in 1999 and the Board’s Deputy Chairman from 2003 to 2019, Fenwick contributed “expansive intellect and incisive analysis” to his role on the Board, Mr Uscinski said.

An accomplished mathematician, rugby player and swimmer while at BGS, he studied engineering at UQ like his father, Old Boy Osborn Thomas Fenwick ’24. Both were awarded a University Medal. In 1967, he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford where he completed a Doctor of Philosophy in structural engineering in 1971. In 2006, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Engineering from UQ and was instrumental in establishing a Main Roads Chair in Engineering.

Fenwick has provided engineering expertise on the construction of three major buildings at BGS – the Middle School, Indoor Sports Centre and The Lilley Centre. He was also chairman of the Board’s House and Grounds Committee from 2003.

Old Boy Chris Morton, School Captain in 1973, joined the Board as an elected Trustee in 2003. As Chairman of the Board’s Advancement and Community Relations Committee, he shone the spotlight on the valuable role of volunteers through the creation of the Betty Howell Awards in 2011. At the dinner, Deputy Headmaster – Staff Ed Roper spoke of Morton’s vision of creating a “community hub providing connection and opportunities for members to build relationships with others.”

Morton was also a member of the Sesquicentenary History Committee, which provided advice in the production of the School’s 150-year history book.

He earned his stripes in law and commerce at UQ and then at the University of Cambridge where he studied for a Master of Law degree from 1982-83. These qualifications, coupled with his impressive track record working in the legal, financial and property sectors were pertinent to his membership of the House and Grounds Committee.

Like Fenwick, Morton has been a significant philanthropic supporter of BGS. Both continue as ex-officio members of the STEAM Project Control Group, overseeing the School’s most ambitious building project to date, the STEAM Precinct.

Sue Palmer joined the Board in 2011, following her son Andrew graduating from BGS in 2005. As a member of the Finance Committee, she was committed to maintaining the School’s sustainable financial position and its ongoing development.

Palmer also attended UQ where she studied commerce, going on to become a chartered accountant. Her career has spanned more than 30 years in diverse senior financial and commercial positions, sitting on many company boards across industry, construction, mining and infrastructure and education.

BGS Chief Financial Officer Mark Corgat spoke in tribute of Palmer’s dedication to BGS over nine years, “attending over 200 Board and Finance Committee meetings – a marathon effort”. Her legacy includes the financially secure position in which she leaves the School.

Brisbane Grammar School is known for its pursuit of excellence. The same can be said for the three departing Trustees, each of whom leaves an impressive record for others to follow.

New Board members welcomed

This year's new Trustees, Old Boy Stephen Bizzell ’84, Claire Blake and Dr Angela Ryan, have strong BGS connections with family members wearing the light dark blue uniform.

Bizzell has one son currently at BGS and his father, brother and eldest son are BGS Old Boys. Blake also has a son at BGS. Ryan’s husband is the current president of the Old Boys’ Association; two of their sons are at the School and a third graduated last year.

All three Trustees join the Board of Trustees with impressive credentials. Bizzell and Blake have considerable experience in accounting and corporate finance, and Ryan works as a medical practitioner and volunteered on several committees.

Bizzell, a chartered accountant, is executive chairman of a corporate advisory and funds management business, Bizzell Capital Partners. He has served as a director or chairman of 15 stock exchange-listed public companies and is a former director of Queensland Treasury Corporation.

Blake is also a chartered accountant with over 25 years of experience in financial services. She is the Chief Financial Officer of QIC Limited and is director of numerous QIC subsidiary companies. At BGS, she has been Treasurer of the P&F Music Support Group since 2019.

Ryan has worked as a GP for almost 25 years, including six years as a medical officer with Queensland Health in rural medicine and hospital-based speciality training. She has served on the AMA Queensland Branch Council and was an interviewer for entry to UQ Medical School for 12 years.