ACHIEVEMENTS
ROWING
Cathedral rowers took out top honours at the Head of the River, winning 22 medals on the day.
NETBALL
Five Cathedral teams have made the finals of the Townsville City Netball competition. Good luck!
AIEF GRADUATION
Four indigenous Year 12 students travelled to Sydney to celebrate their graduation from high school, sponsored by the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation.
DATE CLAIMER
2024 REUNION
Mark your diary now for next year’s Reunion Weekend – 26th-28th July 2024. Get in touch with your school friends and organise to meet up on the reunion weekend next year. You are always welcome at your old school!
REUNION 2023
We had a very successful reunion weekend at the end of July. The Class of 2003 had a good roll-up, and a few other groups from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s also took the opportunity to meet up over the weekend.
Curtis Rayment (Class of 2014) was the guest speaker at the school’s Foundation Day Service He really captured the audience with stories of his time at Cathedral, especially his boarding memories and the antics on the UK Rugby Tour. Curtis has almost finished his medical degree and plans to work in Rural and Remote Medicine.
The Sundowner was a lovely evening by the Lagoon with enjoyable entertainment and good food. The PSA and Parents & Friends’ Association took this opportunity to publicly farewell Ian and Diana Gamack and thank them for their service to the school and their support of the past students and parents over the past 15 years.
The School Tour and Lunch on Saturday were well attended. I always enjoy the stories that past students tell as they walk through the school and reminisce, especially when they get into the dormitories!
TOM
PORTER | PSA PRESIDENT | CLASS OF 2007SCHOOL NEWS SCHOOL PRINCIPAL 2024
We are pleased to announce that the Board has appointed the new Principal to commence in 2024. It will be Mr Luke Baills who has been Head of our Junior School for the past 10 years. Now the hunt is on for a new Head of Junior School for 2024.
NAIDOC WEEK
Indigenous students proudly shared their culture with the school community during NAIDOC week. They presented dance, crafts and food and performed at assemblies for Junior, Middle and Senior Schools.
SCIENCE WEEK
The annual Science Week provided another great opportunity for students across the school to discover something new, with guest speakers from CQU and JCU, hands-on science activities, a food stall and the famous ‘Quiz in the Quad’
NEW JUNIOR SCHOOL PLAYGROUND
Junior School students were pleased to return to school this term to see their old playground completely replaced with exciting new equipment for them to explore and play. It’s very popular with families after school too.
AWARD FOR JR
Popular sports master, John Rauch, was recognised on Foundation Day for his 40 years of service to the school, receiving the annual Toni Lanphier School Service Award Curtis was pleased to be able to present it to his old coach.
PAST STUDENT NEWS SUNDOWNERS ON THE ROAD
PSA President Tom has been travelling around Queensland and the Northern Territory for the past few months, mostly promoting boarding life as the Boarding Ambassador, but he has also managed to catch up with lots of past students along the way, such as the Bethels, Ryans and Curleys at Forsayth recently. His ‘Sundowners on the Road’ are a great way to connect with the wider school community –past, present and future. Follow the PSA Facebook page to see where he will be next!
SPORTING CHAMPION
Congratulations to Cara Koenen (Class of 2013), a member of the Australian Origin Diamonds team who defeated England 61-45 to win the 2023 World Netball Cup in Cape Town last month. Cara is top left in this photo.
FROM THE ARCHIVES- SCHOOL CHAPEL
The original School Chapel was built in 1929 – a long narrow building of fibrolite slabs with shutters in place of windows and an iron roof. It was a modest building but the interior was delightful with red hardwood floorboards, a wide low arch with a crucifix above it, and a blue-carpeted step leading up to the sanctuary. Parents, past students and friends of the school generously donated the silky oak altar and 150 chairs, plus all the other items needed for the religious life of the school.
The chapel was relocated to the new school site in Aitkenvale in 1959 and the exterior was updated with louvres and an added front porch. This building remained in use for a further 36 years, although it no longer held the whole school for weekly services. It could mostly fit the boarders, but day school chapel services had to be split to accommodate the growing numbers of students. In 1996 the chapel was removed to make way for new Science laboratories As the walls were asbestos, it had to be demolished. Since then, chapel services have been held in various locations, but mostly now are in the Rock Centre.
PSA President
Mr Tom Porter
Telephone (07) 4722 2000
thomas.porter@cathedral.qld.edu.au
cathedral.qld.edu.au/past-students-association
Facebook @theCathedralSchoolPastStudentsAssociation
154 Ross River Road, Mundingburra PO Box 944, Aitkenvale, Queensland 4812 Australia t
