GN winter 2017

Winter 2017

In This Issue:

›› Young Old Boys ›› Campus Developments ›› Impact

BGS ALUMNI & COMMUNITY

8 Our Purpose Brisbane Grammar School educates boys within a strong learning culture that is innovative yet respectful of its traditions, by nurturing their intellectual, physical and emotional wellbeing to become thoughtful and confident men of character who contribute to their communities.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

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Our Ambition Brisbane Grammar School aspires to be the best school for boys in Australia, and an international leader in teaching and learning. The School is committed to offering premium educational and leadership opportunities for boys of all backgrounds, to strengthen its global connections, and to build a vibrant school community among students, parents, staff, Old Boys and the broader society.

CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT

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Our Values •

Endeavour

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Learning

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Respect

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Leadership

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Community

Our Motto nil sine labore – nothing without work The School is committed to a liberal education philosophy. Our major goals for each boy are: •

To develop attitudes, skills, and a base of knowledge as a foundation for critical intelligence, imaginative and creative powers, effective communication and the capacity and enthusiasm for independent, life-long learning.

•

To develop and extend personal character and talents.

•

To develop a strong sense of service, community, leadership and loyalty to others.

HIS FUTURE

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ART SHOW

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Registered by Australia Post Publication No. QBN 4259

IMPACT

CONTENTS

21 YOUNG OLD BOYS gn (grammar news) is produced by Advancement and Community Relations Brisbane Grammar School Gregory Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000 Telephone: Email: Website:

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Editorial Team Heather Watson Philippa Cable Chris Walker Julia Goodwin

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Contributors Mark Adi Chris Austin Tim Cederman-Haysom Miles Cederman-Haysom Mareva Christopher Michael Fancutt Adam Franklin

Eugene Fu Ian Grice Vivien Harris Nathan Huehne Jeremy Hunt Peter Ingram Matthew Love

Tom McCarthy-James Anthony Micallef Dale Nicholas Martin Nothling Helen Penrose Gus Peters Chris Price

Rohan Rahman James Riseley Tim Sharpless Matt Smith Charles Tennyson Jonathon Woods

Thank you to our community for sending in the photos that are featured within this publication.

Cover image: The BGS Old Boys’ Association tie, introduced in 1957, features the light-dark-blue sporting colours of Cambridge and Oxford universities, along with the School’s academic colours of red and gold from Cambridge’s coat of arms and in the crest of the university’s Peterhouse College. The 1957 School Magazine reveals the approval of an official OBA tie, with the design adapted numerous times since then.

Early photos show BGS students wore a variety of neck ties and bow ties. Pike Brothers in Queen Street sold BGS ties during the 1930s. By 1940, most boys wore the school tie, but it remained optional. From 1948 the school tie was compulsory for formal occasions such as Speech Day, to be worn with a long sleeved white shirt and grey suit. On a normal school day, boys wore opennecked short-sleeved blue shirts. In 1955 new school uniform rules stipulated the wearing of the school tie every day with blue shirts. A two-year changeover

period was allowed before the tie became compulsory in 1957.

School Vice Captain Will Ramsay (Year 12) and Will Hillcoat (Year 5) are pictured on the cover with a graphic of the current OBA tie.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Below are excerpts from letters to the editor following the summer 2016 edition of grammar news.

If you have a story you would like to share please send your letters to us or email grammarnews@brisbanegrammar.com.

Dear Editors

Hi Anthony

I am very pleased to receive issues of grammar news. What a fine publication it is, in both written content and photographs. A very good portrait of the School and its wide community.

I just wanted to let you know how pleased I was to read the article on boarding at the School. Great to see the focus on this.

I myself have such happy memories of my time on the staff there, short though it was. My first term was just sixty years ago, starting in February 1957.

In class I taught English and History. I founded the Athene Club, coached debating and cricket, finished my time at the School as Master-in-Charge of rowing and spent four terms in the boarding house. Life was full indeed and I made quite a number of good friends on the staff and among the boys - Old Boys now in their seventies!

I was really amazed to learn about Costins Cottages being the first House.

William John Costin was my great great grandfather, hence Joey’s great great great grandfather! I had no idea of this connection. I was well aware about his son CW Costin and grandson JW Costin (killed at Gallipoli) both being BGS Old Boys.

My happy memories going back six decades add genuine sincerity to my very good wishes to you and to a splendid school.

Amazing Joey being at the boarding house six generations later!

Jonathan Persse

Nick Dignam

From the Editor

From the Editor

It is so heart warming to receive letters such as yours Jonathan. We enjoyed reading of your happy memories as a BGS staff member and to know that six decades later the affinity with the School is still strong. It is teachers, such as you, that makes Brisbane Grammar School a preferred place of education and community.

Thank you for the letter that you sent to Anthony about the feature story in the summer 2016 edition of grammar news. It is excellent to hear about your family connection with William John Costin and the legacy that your family has with boarding at BGS. We hope that Joey is looking forward to his adventures in Harlin House.

From the Editor One of our favourite things as an editorial team is hearing from our community members. It is always a highlight to receive feedback from you about what you enjoyed most about grammar news or an update on your achievements since graduating from the School.

We are busy preparing many exciting stories for the coming celebrations of the School’s 150th birthday next year, and would love to hear your historic tales. We encourage you to let us know what you enjoyed reading in this edition, share stories of your BGS journey or simply send us an email to make sure your contact details are up to date so we can stay connected with you.

Tell us what you think of this edition of grammar news via email grammarnews@brisbanegrammar.com.

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HEADMASTER’S MESSAGE

// THE BGS YOUNG OLD BOYS JOURNEY Anthony Micallef | Headmaster

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rom Brisbane Grammar School’s first cohort of graduates almost 150 years ago to our graduates over the past decade, BGS Old Boys have quickly moved to translate their achievements in school classrooms to success outside the school gates as young adults. This edition of grammar news focuses on our young BGS alumni, Old Boys who are achieving a great deal in various fields in Australia and abroad.

formidable tech careers abroad (page 25); an Old Boy embarking on a career with the Australian Defence Force Academy (page 24); an Old Boy selected as the BGS Art Show 2017 feature artist (page 34); and three Old Boys being awarded prestigious scholarships to universities in Asia as part of our Destinations section (page 19).

Two other key stories in this edition of grammar news focus on the opening of the School’s new state-of-theart tennis centre and the acquisition of a 200 acre block of land on the edge of Lake Moogerah (pages 12 and 13), which will further enhance the BGS Outdoor Education Program.

Preparing students for life after school is an important part of the BGS journey, as shown in the story on page 22 on future pathway planning. This story follows a feature showcasing the history of BGS graduates’ university destinations on page 20.

The aspirational nature of our young alumni was evident in the School’s early years. With no local university until UQ opened its doors in 1911, many of our graduates looked further afield for their higher education. In this story we highlight BGS Old Boy Ronald Miller Rice, who graduated in 1908, to become a distinguished linguist in the British Foreign Office.

I found it quite incredible that Rice studied Arabic, Persian, Russian and Turkish at Cambridge, after gaining his place by passing exams in French, Italian, German, Latin and Greek.

Also, we take a close look at more recent graduate outcomes; hear from students who participated in an international leadership summit in America; examine the culture of philanthropy at the School; and hear from the BGS Old Boys’ Association. In the Generations section we profile the Nothlings, a name that stretches back to the great BGS sporting legend Otto Nothling.

I encourage you to send through feedback in the form of letters to the editor and stay connected through the School’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Other young alumni stories featured in this edition include: a story on identical twin Old Boys with /5

ON CAMPUS

Combating bullying BGS recognised National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence, with 8D creating a ‘bully-free zone’ in the Middle School amphitheatre. The Year 8 Learn2Lead initiative encouraged students to write a note about how they can help stop bullying and violence, and in return they received a piece of orange food. Classrooms were decorated in orange to raise awareness for the event.

Pushing for gender equality All female Middle School staff members were given flowers by students during a special International Women’s Day presentation. The flowers represented the boys’ appreciation and gratitude for their teachers’ hard work and dedication at BGS. The initiative saw 8F focusing on celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women through International Women's Day. The 8F Class Captains led activities focusing on the 2017 hashtag: Be Bold for Change. During the presentation Year 8 students Brian Wakista and Charlie Hume delivered fantastic speeches they co-wrote, highlighting how far women have come in their push for equality and what BGS students can do in their own lives to help overcome the gender inequality that continues today.

Students combine to Close the Gap National Close the Gap Day was recognised at BGS with a powerful speech at assembly by Year 9 student, and proud Kungarakan man, Stephen Baronio. Stephen spoke to his fellow students about what the term ‘closing the gap’ meant to him and what everyone could do to suppor this initiative for​Indigenous people.

He explained that the Indigenous life expectancy was estimated to be over a decade less than that of the non-Indigenous population.​This was followed by the School’s Indigenous boarders performing traditional dances.

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International rugby team visit The Panasonic Wild Knights rugby team from Japan, including former Wallabies player Berrick Barnes and former Australian coach Robbie Deans, visited BGS providing an incredible opportunity for school rugby players and Japanese language students. A Q&A session saw students ask questions in English and Japanese, before the players signed autographs and posed for photos with the boys. The Wild Knights are Japan’s premier rugby club and were in Brisbane for the Global Tens competition.

From Broken to Bionic The newly created SPARK (Students Promoting Awareness in Research Knowledge) Society hosted a presentation by Professor John Fraser, titled From Broken to Bionic. The fascinating presentation focused on the development and use of the bionic heart in heart transplants. Professor Fraser is the co-founder of BiVACOR, an artificial heart company, director of the ICU at St Andrew’s and Prince Charles’ Hospitals, and the Medical Director of the Innovative Cardiovascular Engineering Laboratory. His talk proved very interesting and relevant to those wishing to pursue careers in medicine, engineering, technology and various other fields.

Embracing Youthpreneurship A group of Years 9 and 10 BGS boys have taken their first steps towards achieving their business dreams by joining the Student Entrepreneur Program with Brisbane Girls Grammar School. The 10-week initiative launched in March was aimed at igniting students’ passion for embracing technological disruptions and equipping them with 21st century skills to create a business from scratch. The program was facilitated

by River City Labs, including co-founders Steve Baxter, Peta Ellis and Ken Macken, all experienced entrepreneurs. It culminated with a “demo day” where students pitched their ideas to potential backers.

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SPORTS ROUNDUP C R I C K E T | A total of 11 teams finished the season as competition leaders, with a further six teams finishing in the placings. Well done to Hamish Martin and Callum Tolhurst for the manner in which they led the First XI throughout the season.

At the end of every season junior and senior cricketer of the year awards are presented to the players who exhibit great sportsmanship and application, as well as achieving high levels of success on the field. Congratulations to Brad Mackintosh (6A) who took home the junior player of the year and Hugh Weibgen (7A) the senior player of the year.

R O W I N G | The Year 9 quads set a high standard for the shed to follow, achieving the best performing Year 9 cohort at the Junior Head of the River regatta. The Year 8 teams performed equally well, achieving the best performing Year 8 cohort at the TSS regatta. The BGS senior rowers competed at the GPS Head of the River regatta, with the First Eight placing fifth in the open category. The overall point score saw BGS place sixth in the Old Boys Cup. In the week following the Head of the River, Logan Ullrich, Miller Rowe and Gleb Kuznetsov were selected in the Queensland pathway eight set to represent the state at the national selection regatta. A group of four students also attended the Australian National Rowing championship in Sydney.

S A I L I N G | After another successful season, BGS sailors again earned the right to represent Queensland in the Australian Schools Team Racing championship. BGS sailors last visited the Swan River to contest the 2005 nationals, after the fifth of our 10 wins in the 28 year history of the state championship. During the 2017 season, our flagship team dominated the local team racing competition and placed second in the GPS fleet racing championship event. Across the BGS program, more than 50 sailors participated in everything from high-level racing to learning the basics of dinghy sailing. As an indication of the ongoing vitality of the program, the training squad offered the exciting opportunity in 2017 to learn basic sailboarding, for the first time in the history of BGS sailing.

S W I M M I N G | The BGS swim team ended a 40-year drought to take first place in the 94th annual GPS swimming championship at Chandler. There were many outstanding individual performances, with wins from nine different BGS swimmers. A number of personal best times ensured BGS was in the lead ahead of the relay events, with BGS teams combining to extend their lead with six out of 10 teams placing in the top three. The result saw BGS claim the championship ahead of The Southport School and Toowoomba Grammar School. Well done to Captains Charles Ormrod and Joe Jackson and the entire senior squad for their leadership of the BGS GPS swim team in 2017.

V O L L E Y B A L L | The volleyball community completed a challenging GPS season in 2017. The First VI placed equal second behind Anglican Church Grammar School. BGS tied with Gregory Terrace and Brisbane Boys College, emphasising the level of skill the GPS competition now boasts. A total of 16 of the School’s 24 volleyball teams placed in the top three on the ladder of their respective age groups. Six teams claimed first place, with the Year 7 teams very successful in their first year of volleyball.

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THE MUSIC ARTS AT BGS

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// A CULTURE OF MUSIC AT BGS

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usic plays a significant role in the lives of many Brisbane Grammar School students.

Almost 50% of students participate in Music at the School, making it the largest extracurricular activity available.

together BGS’ finest ensembles and wowed the audience at St Peters Lutheran College. Close your eyes and was like listening to seasoned musical professionals. The level of performances continues to advance, as BGS boys showcased the results of hours of meticulous practice both alone and as members of the various ensembles.

Whether it is singing or playing an instrument, there is a regular chorus of music emanating from the Music Building almost every day. With a program that caters to every level of experience, age and interest level, all BGS boys can be involved in Music.

Performances by the Clarinet Ensemble, Vocal Groups, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Symphony Orchestra, Senior Percussion Ensemble and Chamber Strings confirmed the BGS music program’s long-established standing.

Middle School students are immediately exposed to Music through the Year 5 Immersion Program, where the boys each choose an instrument to learn, ahead of a concert at the end of the program.

There were also a number of students who stepped up to execute solo pieces during the evening. While other performances saw hundreds of students combining on stage to blow the audience away. Year after year Grammar in Concert is an occasion not to miss and the 2017 event raised the bar once again.

From there, many boys continue to involve themselves in Music as they progress through their BGS journey.

The performance calendar is always packed each year and 2017 is no exception.

Grammar in Concert, the School’s flagship musical event, was held late in May. The performance brought

MUSIC CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS GPS music days | BGS is one of the main contributors at this event each year, which features musicians from all GPS schools. The Music Showcase for boys in Years 8 to 12 was held in May with the final concert held at QPAC.

Music camp | Also in May almost 100 novice players and singers enjoyed the opportunity to escape for a couple of days to develop their skills under the guidance of music staff and seniors.

Festivals | In July the School’s premiere vocal ensemble, the Grammarphones, will attend the Pemulwuy National Male Voices Festival in Brisbane. This is a national event, inviting only the best male choirs around Australia. In August BGS hosts four string festivals, with hundreds of string players from south-east Queensland joining string players from the School.

Australian Combined Schools Music Festival | This biennial event brings together the finest instrumentalists and singers from aligned Grammar schools around Australia for four days of rehearsals, culminating in a spectacular concert. This year 34 BGS boys have been selected to travel to Canberra to be hosted by Canberra Grammar School. The final concert will be held in the beautiful surrounds of the Great Hall at Parliament House.

Special events | There are a number of external musical opportunities for BGS ensembles. The Anzac March in Brisbane city, for example, included the School’s Symphonic Band. This year three BGS students sang in the Anzac Day Commemoration Choir at the Dawn Service held at the Australian National Memorial in France. Other offerings include the Composer-inResidence Program, where student composers spend a week on retreat with a composer working on their own music. In July BGS will host the Young Voices of Colorado for a series of workshops and a concert.

European Concert Tour | Every four years BGS offers an international touring experience for its musicians.

In 2010 the School toured Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic; while in 2014 it was Italy and Greece.

In 2018, BGS boys are planning to present concerts in Paris and London, ahead of competing at the International Wales Eisteddfod in Llangollen. / 11

CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT

// ​NEW LAND TO BENEFIT OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAM

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o support the expanding Outdoor Education Program at Brisbane Grammar School and secure the quality of the program into the future, the School purchased a 200 acre block of land in the mountainous country on the edge of Lake Moogerah. The property is in a perfect position to link into the School’s established program, providing access to Mt Greville, Mt Alford and Mt Moon in the Moogerah Peaks National Park.

corner of the property. There is a strong history of rock climbing on the crag, with first known ascents circa 1960.

This property will allow the senior Outdoor Education Program to focus on the values of inquiry and virtues of the ‘effective thinking culture’ through the development of activities in this untouched landscape. The boys will be able to undertake student-led navigation and explore the site without the concerns of livestock or private property.

Outdoor education has been running at the School’s Pepperina Hill site, situated on Lake Moogerah, for 41 years. Over the past six years there has been a significant increase in the number of programs, students and staff utilising the Outdoor Education Centre. Outdoor education is a significant experience within the Student Wellbeing Development Plan. It is recognised as a key area to prepare students for the pressures of Senior School and assessment, while shaping the students values towards the forming of a Grammar Man and BGS graduate.

The first stage of development will be on repairs, maintenance and creating suitable campsites and walking trails. The second stage will involve constructing emergency shelters at the campsites and to prepare the rock climbing sites for student use.

Initially the property will be included in the Years 9 and 10 Outdoor Education Program for use as a remote wilderness campsite en-route to bushwalking destinations. Further development will evolve on the property with exciting prospects for additional outdoor pursuits and activities for the programs.

The acquisition of this unique and exceptional piece of land will provide the Outdoor Education Program with campsites, rock climbing and remote wilderness bushwalking. There has been limited grazing on the property, leaving it in pristine condition. Campsites will be developed in contrasting settings, including open country, natural canopy and exposed ridges with wonderful views over the lake and west towards the Great Dividing Range.

The Moogerah Committee, a branch of the P&F, lend their time one weekend per year to assist with maintenance and projects at Pepperina Hill. In the coming years the committee will be seeking new members to contribute to this exciting venture assisting in the development of Pulpit Rock.

The site also contains a landmark known as Pulpit Rock, a volcanic plug positioned in the south-western

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// BGS TENNIS CENTRE OPENING

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ennis has an incredible history at BGS, with the annual school championship played every year since 1885 and Old Boys greats of the game including Roy Emerson. In May this year, more tennis history was made at the School with the official opening of the new BGS Tennis Centre.

The opening honour went to BGS Old Boy Geoff Masters ’67, a three-time grand slam doubles champion and renowned tennis commentator, who spoke fondly about his time playing tennis for the School. Masters played in BGS’ top tennis team in the GPS competition from age 14 in 1964, establishing himself as a star of the competition for four years.

BGS TENNIS FACTS • 42 GPS premiersships since 1918.

BGS Director of Tennis Michael Fancutt said Masters was a great success story and role model. “Geoff won multiple school championships, captained GPS premiership winning teams and went on to an outstanding professional career culminating in winning the Wimbledon doubles championship,” he said. “He is a fine example of taking what you learn as a student athlete at BGS and using it to be successful all the way to the top.”

• Gar Moon was the first Queenslander to represent Australia in a Davis Cup. • Jack Radcliffe, who was the School tennis champion in 1908, 1910 and 1911 and a Rhodes Scholar, won a Military Cross in WWI. The J N Radcliffe Memorial Trophy is presented each year to the GPS tennis premiers.

Fancutt described the new BGS Tennis Centre as one of the best school tennis facilities in Australia. “Having 10 courts with top-class lights and synpave surfacing is a huge boost to our program,” he said. “It is a tennis centre to be proud of.”

• Harold Wilson was the School’s champion player five times from 1915 to 1919.

• James Love, President of the Queensland Lawn Tennis Association for eight years, donated a racquet for the School championship, known as the Russell Love Memorial Racquet after his son was killed in WWI. To this day it is awarded to the champion player at Speech Day.

“BGS has a great tennis tradition; with more than 40 premierships we are the most successful school in GPS tennis. As a BGS boy through-and-through I am proud to coach at our new centre which exemplifies this great tradition and success.”

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STUDENT WELLBEING

// THE IMPORTANCE OF SLEEP TO STUDENTS

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n recent years the issue of sleep has become an important focus of student wellbeing at Brisbane Grammar School. With the assistance of the School’s former Director of Athletic Development Ms Sally Bailey, a whole school sleep study was conducted in August 2016.

has been the establishment of two sleep study teams – one made up of key staff and the other made up of students – at the start of 2017. Both teams have been instrumental in progressing the issue at BGS. BGS has been fortunate to connect globally with academic leaders in this area. A comprehensive report outlining the School’s future educational strategies for educating students, staff and parents on student sleep has been written as a result of these connections, the BGS sleep study and further research.

Among a number of findings, the study revealed BGS students (particularly in Years 11 and 12), were getting inadequate sleep quality each night.

A number of key recommendations have developed as a result of the study. One of the implementations

39% OF STUDENTS REPORTED VERY POOR TO AVERAGE SLEEP 55% OF STUDENTS WERE ON ELECTRONIC DEVICES WITHIN AN HOUR OF GOING TO BED

51% OF STUDENTS REPORTED VERY POOR TO AVERAGE MORNING STATE OF REST

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STAGE 1 INITIAL PLANNING

// OPERATION SUGGESTION BOX GIVES STUDENTS A VOICE Matthew Love and Tom McCarthy-James Year 7 and 8

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n 2016 the Year 7 to 9 Student Representative Body (SRB) was brought to life by keen leaders passionate about giving Brisbane Grammar School students a voice. Growing to 35 members, the group has continued to thrive, with numerous projects being discussed and initiated.

STAGE 2 DEVELOPING WORDING

Our most ambitious project yet ‘Operation Suggestion Box’ began this year during term 1 and aimed to put the ‘Representative’ in Student Representative Body. We wanted to create a project that all of the BGS community would think was useful, not just SRB members. To do this we divided the large group into smaller working groups, focusing on advertising, research and design and construction, to build and market the suggestion box.

With brilliant work ethic from SRB members, we were able to work efficiently to complete this project. Design and Technology teachers Mr Andrew Kennedy and Ms Liane Barker-Martin also offered their assistance. This allowed us to make a polished product that certainly put the ‘R’ in SRB.

STAGE 3 SIGN WRITER

One of the most important aspects of the suggestion box was its design. With much discussion, we settled on creating a replica of the BGS Foundation Stone, which was gifted to the School for its 100th anniversary. This makes the design not only easily recognisable but eye-catching, encouraging more students to place their suggestions.

The SRB was really excited to release the suggestion box and we are glad that we could make something that gives the students a voice. The two suggestion boxes are located outside Middle School reception and inside The Lilley Centre.

All students from Years 5 to 12 are able to ‘post’ their suggestions about the School in the boxes.

The suggestions are limited only by students’ imaginations, with all ideas big or small evaluated by the SRB. Each week the suggestions will be emptied by the SRB, who will advocate on behalf of the students for the best ideas by liaising with David Carroll, Deputy Headmaster – Students and Jacqui Zervos, Head of Middle School.

STAGE 4 LAUNCH

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HIS FUTURE

// LEARNING TO LEAD

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ow in its second year of operation, the Learn2Lead Program provides opportunities for every Year 8 student to engage in action-based leadership projects.

As one of the School’s core values, we recognise leadership is an integral part of holistic development. The core principles underpinning Learn2Lead are: • Everyone can lead • First ‘lead self ’, then ‘lead others’ • Leadership is action not a position So far this year, three Year 8 classes have promoted special events in the Middle School community. The 8F class raised awareness for International Women’s Day by presenting every female staff member with a flower at the Middle School assembly. BGS has supported the National Day of Action Against Bullying since its inception in 2011 and the 8D class was instrumental in recognising this event. The 8C class adopted a creative approach for World Laughter Day by handing our ‘joke cards’ to everyone as they arrived at school.

The next Learn2Lead event is World Environment Day (8A) with events such as R U OK Day, International Day of Friendship, and World Kindness Day occurring later this year.

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// A DIFFERENT TYPE OF LEARNING – SIGNATURE PROGRAMS IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL Ian Grice | Head of Middle School Curriculum

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s I move between areas of the Middle School, I wonder, is this really “school”? In one room half the Year 8 cohort listen expectantly to personal survival tales from Mr Jon Hodges, full time BGS Outdoor Education teacher and part-time adventurer. In another, Year 5 students are being told the bad news of their recent crash landing on a deserted planet. In the amphitheatre, Year 6 students animatedly discuss how many “mollars” (the currency of the newly established Year 6 economy) they “inherited” that morning, as they wait their turn to negotiate a risky “minefield”. In Centenary Hall, 50 Year 7 students join the circus, while others hear the exciting news that they will be coding an app and cooking this week.

Twice each year, the weekly routine of six different classes per day is broken by the arrival of Signature Programs for Years 5 to 8. Students are immersed in experiences relevant to the real world around them which require a cross-disciplinary perspective. A hallmark of each of these programs is that a design thinking approach leads students through stages of immersion, synthesis, ideation and prototyping to produce solutions to the problem they are presented with. Students work in groups and are challenged to develop in their collaborative skills. While teachers conduct immersion experiences and guide students through different stages of their experience, it is the students themselves who drive their groups to find and present solutions.

By the last day, some students have paddled constructed rafts across the School pool, others have made objects from recycled items and some have run successful businesses in the Middle School courtyard. While their learning fulfils certain syllabus requirements, some of the greatest gains are in thinking and collaborative skills required across all subjects and indeed in wider school and life contexts. These skills lie at the heart of what higher education institutions and employers are demanding in school graduates and these formative Middle School experiences help our students to develop them.

Indeed, this really is “school”. Increasingly, effective learning will involve experiences that don’t involve sitting at a single desk or look like a traditional classroom once did. The Signature Programs are just one example, albeit a particularly extended one, of such learning. At the end of each week students often ask “can we learn this way every week”? While the answer is no, it doesn’t stop the Middle School community from thoroughly enjoying each experience for as long as it lasts.

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DESTINATIONS

// INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Gus Peters, Rohan Rahman, Charles Tennyson and Jonathon Woods | Year 11 monuments the capital city has to offer. We visited famous sites including the Martin Luther King Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, the White House and the Washington Monument. Visiting museums, such as the Smithsonian and the Newseum, helped to broaden our perspectives on some of the events that shaped the development of the United States as a world leader.

The Global Leaders Program is an important part of a holistic education and teaches students they have a civic responsibility to their global community. Through participation in overseas young leader summits BGS boys become more effective global leaders and men of character who contribute to their communities.

Accompanied by Head of Year Mr Craig Timms, our delegation joined others from Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Lebanon and Chile, where we were based at Rock Ridge High School in Loudoun County. On the first day none of us knew what to expect and we were preparing for awkward first introductions. We participated in ‘icebreaker’ activities where all of the delegates introduced themselves and quickly forged new friendships. Over the course of our stay, we not only experienced daily life in an American high school but, importantly, the summit provided an opportunity to make international connections and friendships through conversation and understanding.

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he Loudoun International Youth Leadership Summit was held from 26 March to 4 April this year in Virginia, USA. The event brought 26 delegations from 23 countries together to share perspectives regarding current global concerns and let students consider their role as future leaders. The theme of the summit, Reconcile the Past, Shape the Future: Building Peace Within and Among Nations was realised through activities and panel discussions, where topics relating to access to education, environment and sustainability, migration and refugees, and racial and ethnic divisions were openly discussed.

Our hopes for the summit and our homestay experience exceeded expectations. Our host families greeted us with welcome signs and big smiles and from our first moments until the time we said goodbye, we were brought into the lives of our host families, sharing memories that will stay with us for years to come.

One of the summit’s aims was to expose delegates to the political and cultural history of Washington DC. Our field-trips revealed to us some of the amazing

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YOUNG OLD BOYS

The success of young BGS Old Boys is not by chance. From early in their BGS journeys, students learn to live the School’s values of endeavour, learning, respect, leadership and community. Since its opening BGS has fostered a passion for higher education. This desire for continued learning has contributed to an ever-growing number of success stories, with BGS graduates quickly achieving success as young Old Boys. Over the coming pages find out how seniors are readied for life after school, read about the history of our young Old Boys’ passion for learning, see what our most recent Old Boys are pursuing at university, and discover some of their success stories.

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// A HISTORY OF YOUNG OLD BOYS’ PASSION FOR LEARNING

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rior to the opening of The University of Queensland in 1911, Brisbane Grammar School graduates travelled beyond our state to pursue higher education. The range of destinations and number of scholars demonstrate the aspirations and success of BGS students in those early years.

Although BGS boys did not need to travel so far once The University of Queensland opened its doors, their higher education aspirations or success did not diminish. The first Queensland University scholarship exams were held in 1910 and finished in 1972. BGS students won a total 214 scholarships in that period.

To qualify for university entrance, boys had to pass the senior matriculation exam. In 1876 the School entered students in the Melbourne University exam, securing 11 passes. Then from 1877 to 1910 the School entered the Sydney University senior exam, securing a further 203 passes. Across this time BGS won 64 separate subject medals in the Sydney exam and on 11 occasions achieved first place in that exam. Stuart Stephenson, then BGS Deputy Headmaster, noted that “The School particularly, and the people of Queensland generally, owe a debt of deep gratitude to the University of Sydney for their liberal and unfailing encouragement of the aims of those interested in higher education in this state.”

In a significant shift from just a generation earlier, by the mid-1970s most BGS boys enrolled in a tertiary course after completing Year 12. Of the 1976 cohort, for example, 88% followed this path, and the majority (70%) enrolled in a degree course at The University of Queensland.

A strong link between BGS and UQ remains today, with the university awarding a number of Vice Chancellor Scholarships to 2016 graduates. BGS graduates continue to pursue higher education throughout Australia and all over the world, with Old Boys currently studying overseas at a number of prestigious institutions, including Oxford and Harvard.

For the very best students, the Queensland government awarded University Exhibitions. These provided £100 a year to study at any university in the Empire for three years. From 1878 to 1910 BGS students won 58 of these coveted scholarships.

Upon matriculation or earning a University Exhibition, BGS graduates made the most of their opportunities to pursue a degree. Richard Powell Francis, the first Old Boy to attend Oxford and a graduate of Balliol College, recorded the destinations of BGS students from 1877 – 1890. During that period Old Boys attended the following universities: Melbourne 26; Sydney 13; Edinburgh 11; London nine; Cambridge nine; and Oxford five.

Trinity College Cambridge, where recent Old Boy James Riseley ’13 is currently studying, was the favoured destination for seven BGS students in those early years.

Though the favoured courses were medicine and law, one Old Boy became a distinguished linguist in the British Foreign Office, working in the consular service for the Ottoman Dominions. Ronald Miller Rice (1908) studied Arabic, Persian, Russian and Turkish at Pembroke College Cambridge. To earn his place he had to pass exams in French, Italian, German, Latin and Greek.

In the young colony of Queensland, BGS was the starting point for some remarkable academic journeys.

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risbane Grammar School has always prided itself on the strong academic achievements of graduates, but equally important is the diversity of areas they enter in higher education. The graphs below demonstrate that diversity over the past six years.

Since 2010 the two main changes were a significant increase in management and commerce, and decrease in humanities and social sciences.

The data revealed almost twice as many BGS graduates entered management and commerce courses last year, compared to 2010, climbing from 18% to 33%. This sharp increase has seen the management and commerce area increase in popularity with graduates over health, engineering and law significantly. These three areas remained relatively steady over the six years, with law society and culture gaining two percentage points to 15%, health dropping two percentage points to 15%, and engineering dropping three percentage points to 10%. Natural and physical sciences remained the same, accounting for 10% of graduates.

EMERGING SHIFTS % 35 30 25 20

// FOUNDATION DAY SCHOLARSHIPS

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he Foundation Day assembly provides an opportunity to emphasise BGS’ historical commitment to scholarships and bursaries.

This year the School celebrated the achievements HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES of three outstanding graduates from the Class MANAGEMENT AND COMMERCE of 2016, along with recognising those in Year 7 who entered BGS on Trustees’ Scholarships or as recipients of bursaries.

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The three Foundation Day Scholarships also serve to remind students of pioneers of the School’s past: R.H. Roe, the longest serving headmaster; A.S. Roe, the first Rhodes Scholar; and A.J. Mason, the long-serving teacher from 1889 and 1940.

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SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS ENGINEERING

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R.H. Roe Scholarship Tom Ryan (top right) A.S. Roe Scholarship Jeremy Hunt (top left)

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A.J. Mason Scholarship Michael Fielding (top middle)

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Headmaster Anthony Micallef described the as splendid BGS all-rounders, outstanding academics, excellent and balanced LAW SOCIETY AND CULTURE extracurricular participants, influential leaders and wonderful servants of the community. All three have commenced undergraduate degrees at The University of Queensland. threeTECHNOLOGY recipients INFORMATION

2016

If you want to contribute to future scholarships and bursaries contact Advancement and Community Relations via giving@brisbanegrammar.com.

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// FUTURE PLANNING AT BGS Dale Nicholas | Director of Student Services

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eadying students for life after school is a major part of the BGS journey, with the Student Services department providing essential services, including personal, academic and career counselling. It is important students learn to manage their own lives and their own planning for the years after BGS.

An application to Oxford University, for example, involves multiple processes and a rigorous interview.

The process also involves other staff in the School, requiring a combination of Studies Directorate and Student Services for the administration of the Cambridge Assessment Tests for Oxford. While we’ve had great success in recent years, with BGS students accepted to Oxford and other major overseas institutions, the cost of overseas study remains an issue for students, especially those offered major scholarships in Australia.

Parents can help by showing interest and discussing issues, but the research, planning and decision making needs to be owned by the student. At BGS we encourage students to develop their independent information gathering skills in order to make the ideal transition from secondary school to the tertiary sector.

Student Services support this independent management with resources and information sessions ranging from a general careers evening, to more specific events focusing on scholarships or medicine. Students also receive information from experts visiting BGS from the various higher education institutions and organisations themselves.

While we continue to maintain a library of print resources from higher education providers, we recognise the digital literacy of our students and are committed to the responsible use of social media for information dissemination. Key tertiary advice and information on post-school and other options occur via multiple channels, including the newsletter, MyGrammar, email and social media.

Year 12 students actively take up the opportunity to engage in individual tertiary planning with members of the Student Services department. Along with me, the department includes student counsellors Mark Tyszkiewicz and Anne Crossan, along with Alex Short who was a locum during term 2 this year.

Student Services operates closed Facebook groups to facilitate information sharing and discussion with students on student issues, tertiary entrance, scholarships and higher education. The groups are available only to Years 11 and 12 students. Recognising the interest from parents and the broader community, we also operate open pages and feeds providing higher education information. Under the banner of Beyond Grammar, these are available for all parents and the community to access on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We have seen an increased interest from students in study interstate and overseas in recent years. The process associated with entry to major UK and American universities raises important questions for staff in Student Services. Unlike local entry, these applications are highly individual, challenging and intended to ensure students can cope with the content of their degrees.

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// 2016 ACADEMIC RESULTS

SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS The results achieved by the graduating Class of 2016 saw the year group offered scholarships totalling a combined $1.36 million.

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he academic results of the School’s 2016 graduates are representative of the consistently excellent outcomes achieved by BGS students.

This included four Vice Chancellor scholarship offers from The University of Queensland, along with scholarship offers from Australian National University, Monash University, Queensland University of Technology, the University of Melbourne, and the University of Sydney.

A total of 49 students of the cohort (19%) achieved an OP1 or Tertiary Entrance Rank of 99. OP1 and OP2 students combined to make up 31% or 80 students, the second highest on historical record.

OVERSEAS OFFERS

The consistency of the cohort was evidenced by 56% achieving an OP5 or better. Their combined efforts led to a median score of OP5, just outside the historic high of 2014. The highest possible national ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) of 99.95 was achieved by four BGS students.

King’s College London, London School of Economics, University College London, the University of Edinburgh, University of Exeter, the University of Oxford, and the University of Warwick.

// ​​​​​​​A HOME AT OXFORD FOR BGS STUDENTS

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or the second successive year a graduating BGS student has been accepted to Oxford University.

Xavier Redmond received an offer to study law at the famous university, after 2015 graduate Andy Wang began a philosophy, politics, and economics course there last year.

During a busy final year of schooling at BGS, Redmond juggled a number of extracurricular activities with his studies. He captained the championship-winning Queensland debating team, and travelled to Berlin to compete with the Australian team. As a member of the BGS mooting team he won a national championship, and represented the School in the national Youth Model United Nations grand finals. He also spoke at a TEDx event organised by BGS.

Acceptance into Oxford University is extremely competitive, involving multiple steps in the application process, including challenging and rigorous interviews at the individual college. Redmond was successful in gaining a place at Magdalen College.

Redmond said listening to BGS 2015 Speech Day address by the Honourable Justice Patrick Keane AC, also an alumnus of Magdalen College, confirmed his goal to attend Oxford University. “His discussion of the role of schools like BGS in developing the elements of responsible constitutional government in Magna Carta confirmed my interest in public and constitutional law,” Redmond said.

After receiving his offer to Oxford, Redmond paid tribute to his teachers. “BGS teachers offer their students the opportunity to flourish intellectually,” he said. “Mr Howes, Mr Timms, and Mr Price are proof that there is little substitute for teachers who are intensely passionate about the intellectual pursuit of their subjects. Their mentorship and support was invaluable, and in no uncertain terms allowed me to think seriously about a place like Oxford.”

Redmond also singled out Headmaster Anthony Micallef for his work in the classroom. “I can’t think of many schools at which the headmaster would not only take a senior English class, but give so much of himself to the task of teaching poetry as Mr Micallef did,” he said. “I was also excited to learn that one of Mr Micallef ’s favourite poets, Seamus Heaney, was a fellow at Magdalen in the early 1990s.”

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// STARTING A CAREER IN DEFENCE Mark Adi | Old Boy 2016 Mark Adi graduated from BGS in 2016 and was accepted to the Australian Defence Force Academy this year.

obstacle, there was always plenty of encouragement from teachers and mates to overcome it; whether it was academic, sporting or personal.

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t was an exciting journey for me to start Year 8 as an immigrant from Singapore when I joined Brisbane Grammar School in 2012. I actively participated in many sporting teams, such as rugby, cross country, track and field, swimming and basketball. It was a privilege to be Swimming Vice Captain for 2016. I will never forget the countless early mornings and the friendships I made during the six years. In my senior years, I enjoyed assisting at the Nursery Road Special School activities, raising funds for the World’s Greatest Shave for the Leukaemia Foundation, helping with Homework Club at The Exchange and supporting many community service events.

I was exposed to many information sessions from various tertiary institutions throughout high school, allowing me to consider many career paths as early as Year 10. One of my options was to apply for the Australian Defence Force Academy. Besides having a passion for the military, ADFA offers on-the-job training and tertiary education, as well as opportunities to continue my passions in sports and travel.

Holding several positions in the prefect body, sports community and other committees at BGS assisted me in the art of leadership, time management and other significant values. These values allowed me to perform well in respective assessments and interviews during the defence recruiting process, leading to an acceptance letter at the end of Year 12.

Graduating from BGS, my key takeaways were: surround yourself with a positive circle of influence, get involved as much as possible and create memorable moments. I still remember winning my first individual GPS swimming event in Year 9, then looking up to witness the roar of the light-dark-blue army in the stands. Without them, the experience would not have been the same. Similarly, whenever there was an

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I am thankful for BGS helping to mould me into the person I am today. I look forward to the future that defence presents to me.

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// NEW COLOMBO PLAN SCHOLARSHIP

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GS Old Boy Julian Loh ’14 has been awarded a prestigious New Colombo Plan Scholarship to undertake a one year exchange, studying renewable energy engineering at City University of Hong Kong.

supporting Australian undergraduates to study and undertake internships in the region.

The New Colombo Plan is intended to be transformational, deepening Australia's relationships in the region, both at the individual level and through expanding university, business and other links.

Loh, who is studying a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at QUT, was successful in gaining a scholarship place through the initiative, which aims to increase knowledge of the Indo-Pacific in Australia by

Loh plans to undertake internships in Nepal, Korea and Singapore.

// TWO BGS OLD BOYS TO BECOME PRESTIGIOUS YENCHING ACADEMY SCHOLARS

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wo BGS 2013 Old Boys, Eugene Fu and James Riseley have been offered places at the prestigious Yenching Academy, an elite postgraduate college at China’s Peking University.

Riseley, who has almost completed a Bachelor of Arts in in politics and international studies, also at Cambridge University, said BGS prepared him for life after school very well. “I owe my time at Cambridge to my many excellent teachers at BGS,” he said. “I do think that the School's philosophy to not just study but to try your hand at many different things, basically gets it right.”

The Yenching Academy was designed to cultivate leaders to advocate for global progress and cultural understanding. Fu and Riseley have been selected to commence a one-year Master’s degree in September.

The Yenching Scholarship is known colloquially as the Chinese Rhodes Scholarship.

Fu agreed his time at BGS prepared him well for life after school. “In hindsight, the BGS experience was about applying knowledge across different contexts, learning to think critically and play an active role in shaping the communities we live in.”

Fu, who has been completing an interdisciplinary degree combining elements of law, economics and the environment at Cambridge University, said the opportunity to study at the Yenching Academy was exciting. “I look forward to being immersed in an increasingly important civilisation-state, meeting people from around the world and furthering my academic passions at an institution that has produced some of China’s most influential minds,” he said.

The pair are old friends, having shared the same Maths B class at BGS and were both involved in music, volleyball, fencing and debating.

For more information about the Yenching Academy visit yenchingacademy.org

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// AN UNCONVENTIONAL SUCCESS STORY

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n Friday 24 February Brisbane Grammar School celebrated Foundation Day, marking the 149th anniversary of the foundation of the School on 29 February 1868.

This year’s guest speaker – international social media speaker and marketing manager BGS Old Boy Adam Franklin ’97 – delivered a motivating speech urging students to undertake courageous work where risk is the price you pay for opportunity.

In examining BGS’ history, Headmaster Anthony Micallef explored the School’s commitment to the provision of a liberal education for its students from its inception to the current day. Mr Micallef explained how the School’s historical commitment to a broad liberal education continued to shape and give meaning to BGS; a legacy that defines the past and shapes the future of the School.

“My journey has been both unconventional and nonlinear,” Franklin said. “I embarked on an uncharted path and worked it out as I went. But today’s speech isn’t about whether to follow a traditional or nontraditional path, it is about finding your own path, whatever that is for you.”

Franklin suggested that hard work wasn’t always the key to success, but instead encouraged students to focus on challenging work, uncomfortable work and courageous work. “The freelance and entrepreneurial economy is exciting and these tremendous opportunities have only come about in the last decade,” he said. “You can follow your dream, trust your gut and work it out one obstacle at a time. You can correct course and reinvent yourself as you go, that is all part of the journey.”

Mr Micallef also highlighted a number of prominent BGS identities from the past, focusing on the fifth Headmaster and Old Boy George Carson-Cooling. He said the former Headmaster’s vision resonated with the modern day school purpose, and singled out one of his quotes: A boy feels proud of his school because of its traditions; and there is but one tradition that is imperishable – not its triumphs in sport, nor its achievements in scholarship, but its ability to give to the world men of character who will add their contribution to the welfare of humanity.

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Left to right: Miles’ wife Emilie with their daughter Genevieve, Tim's wife Trudy and their son Henry, Miles with his daughter Liza, Tim with his son James.

// OLD BOY TWINS SHOW TECH TALENTS

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im and Miles Cederman-Haysom, 1997 Old Boys and identical twins, are building formidable careers in the tech world. Until recently, the pair worked together at the world’s leading survey platform SurveyMonkey, based at the home of high-tech corporations and startups, Silicon Valley in San Francisco.

jobs. Miles recently moved from being a software engineer who helped build the SurveyMonkey platform, to now heading up engineering efforts in Portland. Tim has worked at a variety of tech companies, including SurveyMonkey and TripAdvisor. He recently started his own company, Paperflip, which is still in its early stages.

Tim said he was drawn to Silicon Valley because it was exciting to be a part of the rapid changes in both mobile and web development. “Almost every company today needs to be a software company in some form to do business more effectively and efficiently and the ones that leverage technology are by far the most successful,” he said. “I’m most excited by the continuing democratisation of technology. I look forward to seeing more startups coming out of Brisbane, hopefully from BGS Old Boys in particular, in the near future.”

Their success can be traced back to their time at BGS, where both said the School prepared them well for life after graduation. “Going to BGS had a huge impact on my life,” Miles said. “One thing that stands out to me now is how well I got along with and got support from the teachers – they were genuinely concerned with how students did and ensured they got all the help they needed. BGS completely changed how I approached learning and study and helped me develop routines and techniques that I still use today when learning something new.”

Miles said it was incredible following firsthand the start of many global companies and remembers catching his first Uber five years ago. “It’s exciting to be a part of and fascinating to see how anyone can make a difference,” he said. “There is a large startup community in Australia and many BGS Old Boys over here, with huge opportunities to be part of the revolution that is happening right now.”

Tim remembers his time at BGS as a transformative period in his life. “The support of the teachers really helped in that time, but most of all I felt BGS prepared me for life after school in both the academic rigor it instilled in me ahead of university and also the network I made there.”

While they have many similarities, including a strong competitive drive, they bring different skills to their

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Stuart Rees, BGS Old Boy ‘79

Supporting a year-group bursary provides a life-changing opportunity for a boy who would otherwise not be able to attend the School due to financial circumstances.

www.brisbanegrammar.com/ourcommunity/bgsgiving giving@brisbanegrammar.com | +61 7 3834 5386

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// GOLDEN YEARS OF THE OBA Helen Penrose | BGS Sesquicentenary Historian

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ld boys of Brisbane Grammar School gathered together in sporting teams long before a formal Old Boys’ Association was established. A football match, played in Queen’s Park in 1877 between the School team and a team of old boys, used AFL rules.

The Past Grammar School Football Club was formed in 1891. It played other Brisbane teams in the Queensland Rugby Union Association, won premierships in 1892 and 1898, and was runner up every year in between.

The School Jubilee, celebrated in 1920, and the War Memorial fundraising effort, proved a winning combination. The ceremony to unveil the gun in 1921 was a highlight. With over 1,000 members in 1922, the annual dinner was revived. In 1923 an OBA badge and a blazer with the badge monogrammed on its pocket were offered for sale. The War Memorial Library opened in 1924.

By the mid-1920s a range of OBA sporting clubs had formed, including tennis, athletics and swimming.

The athletics club met every Monday night during the season on the school turf which was lit by 300 candlepowered petrol lanterns. New clubs for other sports were enthusiastically established and patronised: football in 1929 and rowing in 1933. A Dramatic Club was also formed in 1933, and its first performance was of a new play written by George Carson-Cooling, then Second Master, later Headmaster.

Informal social gatherings of old boys from the 1880s preceded the official formation of Old Boys’ Association on 1 June 1898. Foundation Day celebrations quickly became the best attended and most enjoyed fixture. At first the OBA versus School cricket match was at its core. Between the 1900s and 1940 new events were added to the Foundation Day weekend celebrations: dinner, tennis, rowing, a debate, golf, and a relay swimming race at Spring Hill Baths.

Clubrooms opened in 1900 at the London Chartered Bank Building. They moved in 1901 to the Brisbane Permanent Building in Adelaide Street. Two billiards tables were purchased. A Literary and Debating Society was inaugurated in 1902. As well as debates, tournaments at the clubrooms were held for cards and billiards. The fire that destroyed the clubrooms in 1909 seemed to deal a huge blow to morale. In 1910 the dissolution of the OBA was proposed. Those who kept it alive included Second Master, later Headmaster, Stuart Stephenson and teacher Joseph Nowlan, both new to the School in 1910. Despite the boost to membership their involvement brought, most OBA activities were suspended from 1914 until the end of World War I.

Several regional OBA branches were founded during the late 1920s and into the 1930s. Sydney was the first branch to be established outside Brisbane, in 1924. It stopped and started every few years until it ceased during World War II. It was properly revived in 1961 when Headmaster Harry Newell was invited to attend a reunion in Sydney as the guest of honour. The Cairns branch was formed in 1927. The Melbourne branch was re-formed in 1963, after an earlier attempt in 1940. In the 1930s, seven new branches were formed in Townsville, Mareeba, Longreach, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg and Maryborough.

A three-week tour, organised by the Townsville branch to praise Joseph Nowlan’s services as OBA Secretary, saw him as the guest of honour at branch reunion dinners in 1939 at Maryborough, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Townsville and Cairns. Most branches became dormant from 1941 because of World War II, in which many Old Boys served.

After the war, and prompted by the outpouring of pride in Old Boys’ war service, the 1920s became the Association’s golden age. Social gatherings focused on the welcoming home of returned servicemen.

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OLD BOYS‘ ASSOCIATION

// OBA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Tim Sharpless ’2011 After graduating from BGS, Sharpless enrolled in a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Economics at The University of Queensland. While at university he studied abroad at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. In his final two years of university, he completed work experience at Grant Thornton, BDO and Deloitte, in corporate finance, accounting and economics. Sharpless graduated from UQ with dual degrees and was inducted into the Deans Honour Roll of 2016.

Chris Austin | President Old Boys’ Association

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everal successful networking activities have been hosted by the OBA, resulting in almost 200 younger Old Boys engaging with more experienced members. The younger members have benefited from the interaction and stories of life experiences, and the demand for attendance at these sessions is strong. This year there has been a finance industry networking event and a medicine evening. There will be an engineering event later in the year.

Jeremy Hunt ’2016

The OBA was well served by its committee over the past 12 months and I thank each member for their service.

The 2016 BGS School Captain, Jeremy Hunt graduated last year. During a busy senior year, he juggled leading his peers, with his studies, was captain of the GPS winning cross country team and was awarded the Noel Robertson Cup. This year he started university, studying a Bachelor of Science at The University of Queensland with provisional entry into Medicine.

BGS OBA 2017 Committee President Vice President Treasurer Secretary Past President

Chris Austin ’79 Michael Forrest ’87 Jim MacPherson ’85 John Emery ’83 Stuart Rees ’79

Nathan Huehne ’2011

Committee Members: Geoff Clarke ’64, Cameron McLeod ’88, Julian Potten ’07, Cameron Feltham ’86, Tim Sharpless ’11, Nathan Huehne ’11 ​and Jeremy Hunt ’16.

Following his graduation from BGS, Nathan Huehne completed a Bachelor of Commerce at The University of Queensland. While at university he attended Kings College and was involved in their leadership program, nominated in the ICC soccer team and is currently part of the Old Collegians’ Association. Nathan is an Associate with MGD Wealth, where he assists in providing integrated financial advice to clients. He has spent time in Indonesia and the Philippines, enabling him to bring a global perspective and understanding to his work and continues to be a regular contributor to the GK Foundation.

This year we have welcomed three young Old Boys to the committee: Tim Sharpless, Jeremy Hunt and Nathan Huehne.

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// REUNIONS

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GS Old Boy reunions were held recently in Sydney and Melbourne. The School historian, Helen Penrose was the guest speaker at both events, sharing interesting Old Boy stories found while researching the BGS Sesquicentenary, a book which will be available for purchase next year.

Headmaster Anthony Micallef also spoke at the reunions, highlighting the vision for the School, including the upcoming 150th celebrations.​

// NETWORKING More than 60 BGS Old Boys attended the finance professional networking evening hosted at Blue Sky Alternative Investments at Eagle Street on 8 March.

A panel of Old Boys who all work in management positions at Blue Sky, including managing director Robert Shand ’98 who co-hosted the event, shared their personal career journeys and imparted valuable experience to an audience comprised of young BGS alumni.

Blue Sky is a fund manager specialising in alternative investment funds in private equity, real estate, hedge fund strategies and real assets. Shand, at just 35, took over the company midway through last year after working at Blue Sky since 2011.

The event was at full capacity, with many young alumni embarking on careers in finance taking the opportunity to ask questions of the more experienced Old Boys.

In June, BGS OBA Vice President Dr Michael Forrest ’87 and Dr David Fielding ’80 hosted a professional networking evening to provide career information for BGS Old Boys who are either in medical school or have started their resident or registrar training. They were joined by a number of Old Boys who have become leaders in their field including ophthalmology, radiology, dermatology, research, cardiology, cardiac imaging, maternal foetal medicine, respiratory medicine and plastic surgery, and who continue to make an impact in our community.

// SAVE THE DATES OBA ANNUAL REUNION DINNER Friday 21 July BGS OPEN DAY Saturday 12 August

// AUSTRALIA DAY HONOURS

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hree members of the BGS community received Australia Day awards earlier this year.

Professor Max Lu, father of a graduated BGS student, received an Officer of the Order of Australia for distinguished service to education, to national and international research in the fields of materials chemistry and nanotechnology, to engineering, and to AustraliaChina relations. / 31

Ian Klug, father of two graduated BGS students, received a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the business sector, to economic development in Queensland, to accountancy, and to the community.

BGS Old Boy Ian Meyers ’77 received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to dentistry, to professional associations, and to tertiary education.

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this ? u o y ‘Saxaphone Quintet’ 1982 School Magazine

BGS is having a birthday and we don’t want you to miss out on the fun.

Update your details and stay connected by joining us for the School’s 150 th birthday celebrations and reunions.

It’s time to dust off the memories, reminisce about the good old days and share the excitement.

Visit www.brisbanegrammar.com or email community@brisbanegrammar.com to update your details and let us know what you are up to.

Spread the word, we don’t want to miss anyone!

Share your BGS memories on Instagram. grammar news winter 2017

#BGSwhereareyou #BGS150 / 32

#1BGS

#1grammar

GENERATIONS

// THE NOTHLING LEGACY LIVES ON AT BGS

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he Nothling family name is synonymous with Brisbane Grammar School, stretching back three generations to Otto, remembered by many as the School’s greatest sportsman. To this day he remains one of only two Australian male rugby and cricket dual internationals. A true BGS all-rounder, Otto went on to become a doctor and served in the Australian Army Medical Corps in WWII.

Martin studied medicine upon graduation and became a doctor, working as a psychiatrist and going on to serve on the Federal Council of the Australian Medical Association.

Martin and his wife Anne had three boys – Old Boys Ben ’93, Simon ’95 and Alex ’00. While their sons were at BGS the pair gave much to the School, with Anne serving for a number of years as President of the BGS Art Show. Their three sons were strong sportsmen in their own right as well as using their intellect to great success after graduating.

Concerned about the ongoing fighting in Europe, the Nothlings left Germany for Australia in 1880, less than a decade after the Franco-Prussian War. Otto’s father Carl was trained as an architect in Berlin but his qualifications were not recognised in Australia. Initially making bricks at Beenleigh, Carl worked hard, before moving the family north to Witta near Maleny, where they built a slab hut to raise eight children, including Otto.

Making it three generations of Nothling doctors, Simon followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, working as an eye surgeon in Sydney. Alex is also based in Sydney, where he co-owns an accounting firm with fellow BGS Old Boys, while Ben is founder and director at Noosa-based holster, a footwear brand sold all over the world.

Carl became involved with local government and he recognised son Otto had a good intellect and arranged for him to spend a year living with the headmaster at Woombye State School to prepare for the scholarship examination to support his application for a Trustees’ Scholarship to attend BGS. This proved successful and Otto made the most of his opportunity, both academically and on the sporting field.

Otto Nothling Memorial Prize Martin Nothling established the Otto Nothling Memorial Prize in his father’s honour, aimed at encouraging BGS students to follow his example in achieving in both academic and extracurricular pursuits. The Function Room at the BGS Playing Fields at Northgate is also named in Otto’s honour.

Otto established lifelong friendships through his time at BGS, with the positive experience leading him to enrol son Martin ’61 at the School. As a parent, Otto frequently attended the School to keep an eye on the rugby and cricket teams, including as assistant coach of the First XI.

“Otto was a believer in the participation in sport linking with character development and intellectual development, which was a strong theme in his life. Sir Don Bradman, who was a lifelong great friend of my father’s, told me before he died that Otto was the most competitive person he had ever stepped onto a sporting field with. I think that this was part of his drive to excel a high standard in whatever he took on.” – Dr Martin Nothling

Just like his father before him, Martin believed it was a privilege to attend BGS, a school he knew to be rich with tradition and historical contributions to Queensland. He also established close school friendships, many that endure today. Like his father,

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BGS ART SHOW

// FEATURED ARTIST SCOTT BRETON

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GS Old Boy Scott Breton ’99, the 2017 BGS Art Show feature artist, is in a continuous flow of learning, observing, synthesising, experimenting and expressing. Having studied subjects as diverse as carpentry, genetics, art and teaching, it’s possible to see the richness of his mind in the complexity of his works.

as an integration: of multiple ideas, techniques and trained skills, into a coherent, potent experience for a contemporary audience’.

Breton will be entering a range of figurative works in the 2017 BGS Art Show; ‘Paintings, drawings and sculpture, some based on the movements found in various types of dance, yoga and other practises, and some referencing more conceptual content’.

At face value, Breton is a successful figurative fine artist who uses a range of traditional drawing, painting and sculpting media plus contemporary digital technologies to express his vision. Delve a little deeper and you will find a polymath exploring ‘themes that range from human relationships, to the spiritual impact of mathematics, to the psychology around the accelerating technological change’.

He has been exhibiting at the BGS Art Show since 2011 and has consistently received awards and held solo and joint shows since his 2003 debut at the Emmanuel College Art Show where he won Best Emerging Artist.

Breton has also been Artist in Residence at Sculptors Queensland and at BGS, where he held a series of workshops with students about ‘drawing the figure from the model’, and spoke to students about the role and importance of drawing.

Breton has a curious mind that observes a world that ‘is complex, diverse and uncertain… the potential expressive connections between multiple media and subjects fascinate me.’

The 35 year old Breton grew up in the lush green town of Crohamhurst, near Maleny, and then boarded at BGS through high school. He now lives primarily in Brisbane, where he teaches at Atelier Art Classes, a fine art school in Salisbury, and spends four to six months each year in Florence, where he co-founded The International Arts and Culture Group.

His life and art are a lesson in continuous learning and application. ‘Art school was not a straight line for me’, he explains. ‘I studied with David Paulson, did a term at Julian Ashton’s in the Rocks Sydney, various other workshops, philosophy and art history electives at university and lots of independent study from books.

Perhaps most importantly, I have dedicated a great deal of time to training myself through life drawing from the model.’

Florence is a logical match for Breton who is ‘deeply influenced by the Renaissance mindset of an artwork

To preview Scott Breton’s art visit www.scottbreton.com.au

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The BGS 48th Annual Art Show The Brisbane Grammar School Art Committee is proud to present the 48th Annual Art Show 2017.

Join us on the Gala Opening Night in Centenary Hall for an evening of fine art, wine, food, fantastic raffle prizes and BGS musicians.

Friday 11 August from 7.00pm (ticketed event) Saturday 12 August from 10.00am – 3.00pm

OPEN DAY Explore the BGS journey

We invite you to experience the life of a BGS student at our 2017 Open Day. Explore the outstanding opportunities available across academic development, sport, the arts, special interest clubs and community service.

Meet the people, see the facilities and explore the opportunities of a BGS journey.

Saturday 12 August from 12.00noon – 3.00pm

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IMPACT

// A CULTURE OF PHILANTHROPY: PAYING IT FORWARD AT BGS

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hilanthropy is helping to provide access to a Brisbane Grammar School education for outstanding young men from diverse backgrounds, regardless of financial circumstances. This year the Great Hall Society, founded on benevolence, is celebrating 20-years since its inception.

An event, held in June, recognised these loyal supporters of the School at the Great Hall, the venue adopted as a symbol for the Society. With a performance by the senior vocal sextet, the event provided a perfect opportunity to acknowledge the history of BGS and its Old Boys, celebrate BGS today and look to the future.

The society comprises a group of loyal BGS Old Boys and friends of the School who believe in the power of philanthropy. They play an integral role in supporting the School’s vision and nurturing future generations of boys by way of a bequest.

“My father and mother made great sacrifices all of their life to ensure their four children had a good education. It is a sobering memory that my father could not afford a motor car until after he retired. I greatly value my time at BGS and would like to help those not able to afford the opportunity. I would like to assist some competent lad to attend BGS, who would not be able to do so without financial support.”

The majority of members are motivated to support the needs-based bursary program, funding a talented young boy with the scholastic ability, but not the financial means, to attend BGS. Some Great Hall Society members would not have attended the School themselves, if it was not for bursarial support, and are effectively paying it forward.

Great Hall Society founding member

Membership to the Great Hall Society is open to anyone who remembers the School with a gift in their will.

If you have any questions about the Great Hall Society or would like to attend an event, please contact Jackie Hartley at Jackie.Hartley@brisbanegrammar.com.

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// NURTURING A 2020 VISION

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ext year represents 150 years since the founding of BGS in 1868, and we have a good reason to celebrate. Throughout our history, the School has become a leader in providing an outstanding education, as well as nurturing a diverse population of young men to become thoughtful and confident leaders in our global communities. BGS’ emergence as a leading institution has not come by chance. It has taken much wisdom, foresight, thoughtful planning and support from our community to become the school we are today.

established a goal to increase the School’s Endowment Fund from the current level of $6M to $20M by the end of 2020. Achieving this goal will provide sustainable income to expand fee-assisted access, providing more boys with a life changing opportunity to attend BGS. The School’s 150th celebrations present the BGS community with a unique opportunity to forge the future. The School has a history of which it can be very proud and this is a bold vision for the School to continue to benefit future generations of students.

Much of what BGS has achieved has been made possible through the generosity of members of our community who have invested in our boys and their school through volunteerism and philanthropy; including parents, Old Boys and friends of the School.

Donations from generations past have helped BGS develop many of its facilities which current boys enjoy, and provided life-changing bursaries for boys in financial need.

This fundraising campaign to increase the Endowment Fund to $20M by 2020 is one of the most ambitious in the School’s history. In June the P&F Auxiliary of 2017 announced a pledge of $500,000 over five years, which will fund a 50% bursary in perpetuity. In addition, BGS Chairman Howard Stack has initiated a year group bursary program as part of the campaign, with the 1962, 1963, 1969, 2000 and 2017 year groups so far pledging more than $360,000. We would like to extend our gratitude to the P&F Auxiliary, Old Boys, parents and students who have generously committed funds to the campaign. These donations help to grow and embed the culture of philanthropy within our community.

The Board of Trustees and the Headmaster have a vision to continue to provide opportunities for some of Queensland’s finest students, regardless of socioeconomic background. To support this vision they have

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// BGS GOLF DAY 2017

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GS Golf Day 2017, held at Indooroopilly Golf Club in May, proved a wonderful success. The fundraising efforts, achieved through sponsorship and donations, will provide financial support for a bursary for a boy who has the scholastic ability, but not the financial means to attend Brisbane Grammar School.

Audi again came on board as event partner, offering up the opportunity for participants to hit a hole in one and claim a car. The 18-hole round of golf was followed by dinner, which included speeches, a silent auction and raffle. We thank the many generous sponsors and donors, who made the event a success.

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// A FRENCH BOOK FROM THE FRONT LINE

REFLECTIONS

Vivien Harris | School Archivist

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hey say ‘all is fair in love and war’ so maybe this valiant soldier could be forgiven for purloining a small leather-bound book from a deserted house in northern France during the Great War.

moved along the Hindenburg Line to St Quentin Canal in another pivotal battle of the war.

Butler, a country boy from Kilcoy, attended BGS as a boarder between 1906 and 1909, where he played football and was described as ‘manly and public spirited’. He returned to the land as a station overseer and grazier, marrying Alice Vera Fraser from Saltern Creek, Barcaldine where he was jackarooing.

This Catholic lithurgical book, Paroissien Complet: A L’Usage des Fidèles du Diocèse D’Amiens, published in 1846, provided practising parishioners with detailed information in Latin and French about what they needed to know for religious observance throughout the year.

Butler enlisted on 4 December 1915 and was a private when he embarked with troops on the transport ship HMAT Clan McGillivray on 7 September 1915, subsequently serving with the 41st in France and Belgium. He was promoted to lieutenant on 20 June 1917.

What makes the book significant for the School is the folded handwritten note attached to the back page penned by Old Boy Lieutenant Colin Hope Butler, 41st Battalion, A.I.F in 1918. He wrote that the book was ‘souvenired’ from the library of a large house in VillersBretonneux, a few days after the ‘Hun was repulsed’ in that sector by the Australians. The 41st Battalion was occupying the lines in front of the town and had used the house to observe German troop movements.

We may never know why Butler ‘souvenired’ this little prayer book from a deserted house in France all those years ago. He may have thought that the book’s religious theme provided him with some comfort at a time when his odds of survival were extremely low fighting the foe on the bloodied battlefields of France.

It’s likely that Butler acquired the book, now held in the School Archives, just after the Germans were defeated in the first battle of Villers-Bretonneux, which is 19km east of Amiens. The 41st was rushed to France from Belgium to blunt the German drive towards the strategic railway junction of Amiens.

However, Butler could be considered one of the lucky ones, surviving the war. When he died in Brisbane on 7 April 1971 he was listed as a retired grazier from Quilpie.

It was at the start of this first great offensive by the Germans near Sailly-le-Sec from 30 March to 5 April that Butler, then a lieutenant and wounded three times in battle, was awarded the Military Cross. Shortly afterwards a bar was added to this decoration.

‘The bar has been awarded for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. This officer led a night patrol into the enemy’s lines with great dash, rushing a hostile post, killing nine and taking two prisoners. He had previously visited without finding the enemy, but he persevered in order to bring back identifications. He brought back his patrol without any casualties.’

‘It was due to his personal courage and the cheerfulness he displayed in the face of great danger that the men all around him, inflicted by rifle and Lewis Gun fire severe casualties on the enemy.’ The 41st then

Do you have a piece of BGS history?

Send us an email at communityrelations@brisbanegrammar.com / 39

Audi Centre Brisbane

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Audi Centre Brisbane will donate $500 to the Brisbane Grammar School Scholarship Endowment Fund when you purchase a new or demonstrator vehicle from Audi Centre Brisbane^

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586 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley QLD Phone: (07) 3251 8222 | sales@audicentrebrisbane.com.au | audicentrebrisbane.com.au ^This promotion is valid for new and demonstrator vehicles sold and delivered between June 1st – December 31st, 2017. Offer must be redeemed at time of purchase. Please present your current Brisbane Grammar School ID card, or have your details verified by Brisbane Grammar School office, to take advantage of this offer.