Eagles' Wings Summer 2022

THE HEADMASTER

Message from the Headmaster

Boarders Ollie Cunningham and Tuviyah Tamwoy (watched closely by Flynn Schmidt and Dan O'Neill) enjoy a game of chess in the newly refurbished Gerald House common room.

FROM

Boarding has been at the core of school life since the founding days in the Brisbane suburb of Toowong.

Canon Morris’s early experiences as a school student, an undergraduate at Cambridge University, a schoolmaster, a priest and, ultimately, school founder, provided him with a keen sense of what boarding life could offer students and how it enabled the establishment of an authentic, traditional, great public school. John Cole’s The Making of Men records that the first boarder, Alexander Morrison, ‘walked in through the gates of Ardencraig’ hailing from Pittsworth. He was followed by another country boy, Douglas Logan, whose family owned a grazing property near Kilcoy.

As the School grew steadily through those fledging years from 1912, more boys would attend from regional and rural areas, and soon take on the character of a flourishing day and boarding school in the great public school tradition. I am sure the founder could scarcely imagine the state-of-the-art boarding community in which the students reside today. This edition of eagles' wings features a series of images from the recent Gerald House refurbishments which complement those completed in Goodwin House late in 2021. Modern, comfortable, private areas sit seamlessly alongside open, social and study areas enabling the formation of a wonderful sense of belonging and community. The identity of each house is also well represented in the décor, and images of past scholars remind today’s boarders of the history they inherit.

The commitment to an excellent boarding programme means that students from near and far can experience a myriad of opportunities and the high-quality education for which the School is renowned. The following pages capture a sense of those opportunities from academic, through to music and sporting representation. Students have recorded achievements at a state and national level and, notably, our senior and primary chess teams both won the Australian Schools Teams Chess Championship in their divisions. This is the first time such an achievement has been recorded in the history of this national tournament. Such achievements are so often the result of students, staff, coaches and parents working closely in a strong partnership.

We commend the breadth of student achievements in a range of pursuits from rugby to chess and music to service. We also especially acknowledge two Old Boys Ed Ross (2010) and Sam Hughes (2019) who were recognised in this year’s Queensland nominations for Australian of the Year.

I commend this edition of Eagles Wings to you.

Dr Alan Campbell Headmaster

@ChurchieHM

Congratulations and well done

Churchie’s annual Speech Night and Awards Assembly events were held on Friday 14 October and duly acknowledged hundreds of students for their outstanding achievements in 2022 across the four tenets of the School.

At Speech Night, the Headmaster announced the top awards for the Year 12 students who achieved most highly. Congratulations to:

• John Lu, The Tyrwhitt Memorial Cup –Dux of the School in QCE

• Matthew Bond, The Neville Harpham Memorial Prize – Dux of the School in IB

• Chun Tsung Lee, The C E Elliott Rhodes Scholarship Award for Proxime Accessit to the Dux in QCE

• Calum Thornton, The E D Lee Memorial Prize for Proxime Accessit to the Dux in IB

• Dashiell Young, The John Crampton Andrews Memorial Award

• Manny Samios, The Spirit of Churchie Award

• Sebastian Aird, The Barry Kelly AM Making of Men Award

Nansen Housemaster Mitch Rosenlund was presented with The Harrop Family Churchie Teaching Fellowship 2022 by Cindy Harrop representing the Harrop family. Mitch intends to undertake research into wellness programmes for students at leading international schools.

These accomplishments are the result of ongoing effort and hard work, intellectual restlessness, excellent organisation and commitment, and genuine interest and curiosity. Across Speech Night and Awards Assembly, students are acknowledged for achievements, effort and improvement across academics, cocurricular, service and spiritual dimensions of the School.

Henry Lake with Headmaster Dr Alan Campbell

Year 12 war cry after Awards Assembly led by School Captain Zain Harduwar

Captain of Gerald House Rupert Barrett with The Interhouse Cup

George Samios and Ned Schmidt

John Lu, Matthew Bond, Manny Samios, Dashiell Young and Sebastian Aird

Finn Pollack, Thomas Kennedy, Owen Kernick and Caspar West

Deputy Head of Prep School Curriculum

Churchie welcomed Deputy Head of Preparatory School Curriculum Larissa Guy at the start of 2022. Larissa has a broad range of educational experience from a variety of teaching and leadership roles, most recently as Deputy Head of Primary at Moreton Bay Boys’ College.

Each week, Larissa meets with the Prep School teaching teams to support planning and collaboration. She says her favourite days are the ones where she works with the teachers and students, visiting classrooms and seeing what the boys are working on and learning.

‘I have really enjoyed getting to know the boys and staff,’ Larissa said. ‘I love their smiles and beautiful manners, conversations with them when I am on duty and watching them grow over the year.’

Larissa was instrumental in leading the Prep School through the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) evaluation this year, which involved staff assessing how well they were meeting the PYP standards and practices.

‘We spent quite a few meetings reflecting, analysing and celebrating our journey,’ she said. ‘It was my job to showcase the incredible work our staff have done over the past five years.’

In 2023, Larissa looks forward to spending more time in classrooms and supporting boys on their learning journeys, working with teachers in the curriculum space and getting to know more parents and providing opportunities for them to learn more about the PYP.

Educational Psychologist

Educational Psychologist Lisa Andersen joined Churchie at the beginning of 2022 to support the psychological health and wellbeing of our students. Lisa provides psychological counselling, therapy, support and programmes for individual students and groups for a range of mental health, emotional and family issues.

Lisa has a wealth of experience in educational psychology and as an English and Humanities teacher, most recently Psychologist at Redlands Psychology and Junior English and Humanities teacher at Brisbane State High School.

Lisa has enjoyed the strong sense of community and culture of wellbeing at Churchie, particularly the student-led initiatives that promote mental health. She is well supported by engaged and committed teachers and housemasters who have our boys’ best interests at the forefront.

Students are always welcome to speak to Lisa either via appointments or drop-in visits to her office in The Centenary Library. Housemasters also refer students. Lisa also invites parents to contact her regarding their sons’ mental health, and she assists across a range of topics such as anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, bullying, grief and loss, trauma, family breakdown, relationship issues, learning difficulties, behavioural concerns and trauma.

Lisa said her number one tip for improving the wellbeing and mental health of school-aged boys is, ‘creating a school community where wellbeing is part of the school culture and boys are educated about mental health and, most importantly, are confident to talk about it and access the support available to them.’

Chess champions

The 2022 Premier Chess Team of Jayden Ooi, Nicholas Bond, Dashiell Young, Sravan Renjith and Ryan Liaw won their third consecutive GPS Premiership in 2022—an achievement secured before the final round of play.

Since its instigation in 1995, the GPS Chess trophy has been competed for 27 times, with Churchie having won it a total of 14 times, including six in the last 10 years.

Churchie also won both the primary and secondary divisions of the Queensland InterSchool Chess Championships in October, enabling both teams to represent Churchie and Queensland at the Australian Schools Teams Chess Championships in Cairns in early December. This is the sixth consecutive win for our seniors and the second win in three years for the primary team.

Finally, to top off a fantastic season, both our primary and secondary teams won the Australian Schools Teams Chess Championships in their respective divisions –a feat that has never before been achieved by any school in any state since the instigation of the competition in 1998.

Our Premier team won for the second year in a row, enjoying a face-to-face victory after an online win in 2021.

Given the significant growth and improvement of chess in Queensland schools, winning consecutive championships at GPS and national levels is truly impressive. We congratulate the players and staff who support the boys.

Director of Chess Max Condon is incredibly proud of our Churchie Chess players.

‘I extend my thanks and praise to our players who have trained relentlessly, turned up every week and have sometimes found themselves competing in a higher-level team (due to player illness) and playing with tenacity,’ he said.

Congratulations to all players, their families and their coaches on the focus, determination and effort they put into chess, resulting in these remarkable accomplishments.

Churchie Chess has continued its success across multiple competition levels to take out GPS, state and national championships.

Australian Schools Teams Chess primary and secondary champions in Cairns.

Celebrating learning

Year 6 students culminated their journey through the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme at the PYP Exhibition (PYPx) in December.

Students were tasked with creating a display and developing a presentation that demonstrated their knowledge and conceptual understanding from their ‘How we express ourselves’ unit of inquiry. Boys explored topics such as photography, architecture, music, film and TV, written storytelling, drawing and fashion, and investigated the connection these have to their personal wellbeing.

Parents, members of the school community, Reception to Year 4 classes and the Year 6 boys of Moreton Bay Boys’ College visited the students' displays and asked insightful questions about their learning. The ability of the boys to confidently converse with teachers, adults and peers about the work and research they undertook was fantastic. The effective way boys demonstrated their knowledge through well-supported research was a testament to the work they completed throughout the term.

The exhibition celebrated and recognised the wonderful work of our Year 6 students and teachers. Students spent many weeks researching, planning, learning and preparing for the exhibition. Throughout the journey, they demonstrated the skills of a learner, including research, thinking, social, communication and self-management skills. They also displayed many attributes of the IB learner profile, striving to be thinkers, knowledgeable, inquirers, communicators and risk-takers.

We look forward to seeing our students further develop and refine their learning skills as they move into Year 7 in the Senior School.

Rugby premiers

This premiership is the first for Churchie since 2015 and our third rugby premiership in the past 10 years.

The First XV, coached by Ryan Schultz, played exciting and positive rugby all year, with a highlight being a home-game victory over Nudgee College in the third round.

The team was one of 31 Churchie fielded in this year’s GPS competition and showed their resilience and ability to adapt after a challenging start to the year.

Director of Rugby Andrew Moloney noted, ‘Following significant damage to our fields and equipment in the February floods and further wet weather disrupting Term 2 preparation, our teams were excited to play the full nine-round GPS rugby competition for the first time in three years.’

Churchie Rugby continues to grow stronger each year. In 2022 rugby was introduced to the School’s Health and Physical Education programme, providing every rugby player in Years 7, 8 and 9 extra opportunities to develop their skills.

Andrew said, ‘These sessions took place during Term 2, which is an ideal time for our preseason preparation, and included passing, wrestling skills and modified games—all under the watchful eyes of our expert HPE staff and First XV Coach Ryan Schultz.’

Ryan believes the strength of our rugby programme comes from the boys’ performance on the field as well as their conduct off-field and in the classroom.

‘We place a strong emphasis on our players’ academic studies, as there is a correlation between succeeding in the classroom and performing on the field,’ Ryan said.

‘Our firsts and seconds are excellent role models to the younger boys, helping at preseason camps and training and demonstrating good sportsmanship to their younger peers.’

Churchie’s First and Second XV train together, with the alignment of their on-field training, skill development and post-game analysis leading to constant improvement each year. An important component of their training is developing a performance mindset, including education around performing under pressure using visualisation and breathing techniques.

After a successful year in rugby, we thank all players, coaches and support staff for their contribution to the programme, and we look forward to seeing what developments unfold in 2023 as Churchie Rugby continues to strengthen.

Churchie’s First XV Rugby team capped a stellar season in Term 3 with a three-way shared premiership with Nudgee College and The Southport School.

Several current and past Churchie students were selected this year to represent Queensland and Australia, including four boarding students.

Old Boy Nick Bloomfield (2021) and Year 12 students Ben Daniels, Charlie Brosnan and Dre Pakeho were selected for the Australian Schools and U18 team to play against the Australian Barbarians U19 team in October.

These selections were made following Queensland Reds matches that were played on Sunday 25 September at the Australian Institute of Sport. Nick, Ben, Charlie and Dre were all part of the Queensland Reds U18 team, coached by Churchie's First XV Head Coach Ryan Schultz, with a victory against NSW U18 Waratahs 28 to 26.

Year 12 students Alexander Kerr, Connor Simpson and Archie Wilson also played for the Queensland White U18 team against the Melbourne U18 Rebels, winning 42-5. Year 11 students Emil Willie-Jawai, Joseph Stoddart, Harry Solofa and Cameron Philip represented Queensland in the Reds U16 team. Old Boys Max Craig (2021), Nick Bloomfield (2021), George Stoddart (2020) and Sam Farrar (2020) played for the Queensland Reds U19s in the U19 National Championships, with Max also selected for the Wallabies Under 20 team that played against Argentina in July. Finally, Deavin Tauakipulu (Year 10), Dugald Keogh (Year 10), Nick Eccleston (Year 9) and Max Blanch (Year 10) played for the Queensland Reds U15 team against the NSW Waratahs. This significant representation of Churchie students in state and national rugby pathways is a credit to the School’s strong rugby programme and quality coaches.

Rugby representatives

House transformation

Gerald boarders now enjoy greater privacy with full-size individual rooms for every boy, with larger rooms and king single beds for the senior students.

Opportunities for socialising, group meetings and shared study have also been increased with a variety of breakout areas throughout the building, with the main common area featuring a pool table, table tennis, chess sets, a piano and a kitchen.

The bathroom areas are modern and built with privacy in mind, and the décor is welcoming and light-filled with hints of Gerald’s green and gold colours to remind the boys of the special bond and heritage they share.

With Goodwin and Gerald refurbishments complete, this heralds a milestone of significant capital improvements for the boarding precinct, which also includes the state-of-the-art health centre and the refurbished School House dining room.

To celebrate our fantastic new boarding spaces, a new virtual tour is available at churchie.youtour.com.au, which features the voiceover talents of Year 10 boarder Marcus Pearce.

Churchie Boarding’s Gerald House has undergone a stunning refurbishment. Following a similar transformation for Goodwin House in 2021, Churchie’s boarders now enjoy the very best accommodation that has set new standards of quality in modern boarding accommodation.

Zei Balas

Twenty-one Indigenous rugby players from remote communities across Queensland travelled from far and wide to compete in the Queensland Murri Carnival as team Zei Balas (bonded like brothers). For many, it was the first time outside of their communities.

Their destination was Brisbane, to stay at Churchie Boarding and compete at the rugby carnival in Redcliffe. The team was captained by Churchie boarders Emil Willie-Jawai (C) and Kye Boland (VC), who we are very grateful for presenting the idea to the School.

Bringing the team together was a significant undertaking, with sponsorship from Churchie, Sunstate, Volvo, Bamaga Enterprise and EPE and administrative, coaching and management support from four Churchie staff: Kelly Jackson, Craig Howe, John Krasniewicz and Peter Coyne. Bringing the boys together for the event involved travel from all different locations, which was a logistical challenge. However, the result was well worth the effort. Despite being the first time playing (and training) together, the boys developed their team bonds quickly and competed well, making new friendships and long-lasting memories. Zei Balas won two of the four games played and showed great promise given the very short time they had to prepare as a team.

We thank the sponsors, the team management and parent supporters for making this amazing experience happen for the boys. A special mention goes to Year 11 students Cameron Philip and Toby Wilson who stayed with the group and assisted throughout the competition. Also, a huge congratulations to the boys who truly lived up to the Zei Balas name and represented themselves and their communities with pride, both on and off the field. It was the sharing of cultures and building friendships, bringing people together and being supported by the Churchie community that made the event so successful.

Murri Carnival 2022 results

Game 1

Zei Balas 10 vs Cherbourg Hornets 22

Game 2

Zei Balas 12 vs Country Brothers 8

Game 3

Zei Balas 28 vs Kulay Koedal 14

Game 4

Zei Balas 20 vs Bayside Brothers 30

Kye Bowland (vice-captain) and Emil Willie-Jawai (captain)

Tips for new Year 7s

Supporting new Year 7 students as they start their journey in Churchie’s Senior School is really important. To help new boys find their feet, seven of our Year 7s from 2022 have shared their thoughts and tips for the best start possible for every Churchie boy.

Astyn Davidson: Make lots of new friends through cocurricular

My favourite activities were football and cross country. I enjoyed the sports but also it gave me lots of new friends, which was a real help starting at Churchie. The camps I particularly enjoyed because I met so many new people both in Year 7 and other grades.

Hudson Lewis: Expect to be a little overwhelmed at first, but know you’ll figure it out

You will most likely feel excited and happy, but also a bit nervous on your first day. Don’t worry as that goes away after about two days. It may seem like a lot at the beginning, but after a few days, you will get used to the routine.

Charles Chen: Embrace the

new routines and don’t be afraid

to ask for help

The Senior School timetable is very different from your primary school, but it does have benefits. We move from class to class, allowing us to take a small break in between the hard work and have a quick chat with friends. Each class has a different group of students, allowing you to meet new friends and work with lots of different people. You may find the work more difficult at first, but the teachers are really helpful and they care for your education and want what’s best for you. There will always be someone to help you out, whether it's a teacher or a student. I can confirm that there is nothing you need to be worried about at all, and everything will work out just fine.

Tom Norton:

Create effective study strategies from the beginning

I embrace the array of Learner’s Toolkit study strategies developed by the School, such as the quick reviews, brain dumps and Cornell Notes. I also use different techniques depending on the subject I’m studying. For example, with science I combine the learning goals and the PowerPoints provided in lessons. With language, I find flashcards a very useful tool for learning vocabulary. For maths, there are many tools on Schoolbox (myChurchie), such as Jacplus, Khan Academy and revision worksheets. My best advice is to familiarise yourself with the vast array of resources available to you on Schoolbox and regularly use these fabulous tools that are available for you.

Flynn Moloney: Use your diary to plan everything you do

Your school diary is by far the best way to easily stay organised with homework, assignments and cocurricular activities. The week-by-week planner enables you to put down any activities, lessons or appointments that you have coming up. By doing this from the beginning, you stay on top of your work and are less likely to leave things until the last minute.

Ned Robbins: Make the most of this amazing community

Churchie is an amazing community with opportunities everywhere, and my advice is to take advantage of this offer as soon as you can. From being able to participate in many different GPS sports to having the ability to learn an instrument and play in bands at school, as well as the extra study sessions that teachers put on for us to help improve our academics and the ability to participate in many different service activities, the opportunities available to us are the best part of being a member of the Churchie community.

Darby Prabhu: Organise your locker to save time and reduce stress

Your locker is an amazing resource that, when used properly, can keep you organised and reduce stress by making it easier to get to class on time. Keep all folders and school resources on the top level using the wooden board as a ledge. Ideally, you should colour code each of your folders to match the colour of each subject on your timetable with coloured tags. Use the space below the shelf to store your sports bag for easy access. Finally, stick a copy of your timetable on the door of your locker so you can see it without needing to look at your laptop bag. It is also your spare copy if your main one is lost. All the time you save with these tips will reduce stress by ensuring you easily find what you need and are ready to learn each day.

Celebrating women’s ordination

To celebrate and acknowledge the 30th anniversary of the ordination of women in the Anglican Church of Australia, special guest Reverend Jocelyn Pitt visited Prep School chapel services on Wednesday 2 November 2022.

Reverend Jocelyn Pitt has a special connection to Churchie. She commenced in the Prep School at Churchie in 1976 as a teacher, before becoming the first ordained woman to be a Chaplain at Churchie from 1993 to 2003.

Reflecting on her visit to the School, Reverend Jocelyn said, ‘I really enjoyed being back at the Prep School and, although there had been many changes in the twenty years since I left, so many happy memories flooded back. I have always thought that those of us who work with children are truly blessed.’

Dimitri Carnavas, one of Churchie’s Year 4 students who attended a chapel service, said, ‘Reverend Jocelyn told us a story that helped us to understand the Gospel reading about the Parable of the Sheep and Goats. She also told us about her years at Churchie Prep.’

Year 4 students David George and Michael Yu described Reverend Jocelyn as a trailblazer.

David said, ‘The word trailblazer can be used to describe someone that takes a risk and is one of the first people to do it so that others can follow them.’

Michael added, ‘The learner profiles that a trailblazer carries are risk taker, communicator and thinker.’

Churchie’s Senior Chaplain The Reverend Jessica Grant is thankful for the path that Reverend Jocelyn has paved for women in the Anglican Church.

‘It was a great privilege to welcome Reverend Jocelyn back to Churchie,’ Reverend Jessica said. ‘Her generation were pioneers of a more faithful and inclusive church, and I give thanks for their courage and conviction. I was only two years old when the Australian church first ordained women to the diaconate and eight years old when women were ordained to the priesthood, so I grew up with the blessing of their long-awaited sacramental leadership. I am very grateful for their tireless work in paving the way for those of us who have followed.’

Award-winning art

This year marked the 35th annual churchie emerging art prize and the fourth presentation of ‘the churchie’ at the Institute of Modern Art in Fortitude Valley. Once again, the exhibited artists offered insightful and refreshing perspectives on the contemporary moment through their artworks.

The 2022 exhibition was curated by Elena Dias-Jayasinha, a Brisbanebased emerging curator who arranged the works around the themes of sustainable practice, notions of place, systems of authority, and cultural preservation and identity. Elena noted, ‘While the finalists grapple with the complexities of contemporary life, a sense of hope permeates many of the works presented in this year's exhibition, and after a difficult few years, a bit of hope may be just what we need.’

The 12 finalists were drawn from across the country and their works explored a range of mediums from painting and installation to video and knitwear. Sydney-based independent curator Sebastian Goldspink was invited as judge.

Congratulations, to Emmaline Zanelli who was awarded the $15,000 major prize, provided by generous long-term supporters BSPN Architecture, for her video work, Dynamic Drills (2020–2021).

The $5,000 Special Commendation Prize, donated by Fardoulys Constructions, was awarded to Emma Buswell, and two Sam Whiteley Memorial Highly Commended Prizes valued at $1,000 and supported by Madison Cleaning Services went to Kevin Diallo and Norton Fredericks. Norton Fredricks was also selected as the People’s Choice this year, receiving a $3,000 prize also sponsored by Madison Cleaning Services.

The churchie emerging art prize will return to the Institute of Modern Art for 2023, on exhibition from 28 July to 30 September with the prize announcement to be held on Friday 1 September 2023.

Rising star

Year 11 student Aditya Ghai has been recognised as one of 100 annual global winners of Rise, a programme that supports brilliant people for life as they work to serve others.

Winners commence the programme between ages 15 and 17 and have access to a lifetime of benefits including scholarships, mentorship, career development opportunities and funding as they work toward solving humanity’s most pressing problems.

Applicants are required to participate in the Rise Challenge, where they are asked to create an individual project that demonstrates their talents and benefits their communities, as well as peer review other applicants’ projects. This year more than 80,000 applicants participated in the challenge, which was narrowed down to a field of 500 finalists from which 100 winners were selected.

For his project, Aditya made a brain-controlled prosthetic that brings better functionality, increased personalisation, less dehumanisation and lower costs to upper body prosthetics. In the future, he would like to create medical aids for those in need, especially those in under-resourced communities.

Aditya is thrilled to have been selected as one of the 2022 winners of Rise.

‘This programme will support me to meet a variety of personal goals, including my aspiration to study at one of the top universities in the world,’ Aditya said. ‘It will also allow me to use my passion for technology innovation for the benefit of society.’

We look forward to seeing some exciting innovations from Aditya in the future.

Find out more about Rise and the 2022 global winners at www.risefortheworld.org.

Jazz Under the Stars

Jazz Under the Stars returned to Main Oval in August for a spectacular evening of musical entertainment. Despite some rain, the audience was unwavering in supporting the musicians on stage who gave their all after a long hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions and adverse weather in the two years prior.

Internationally acclaimed clarinet and saxophone soloist Andy Firth and The Voice Australia finalist Naomi Price performed with Queensland Youth Orchestra Big Band, ably supported by Churchie ensembles including Viking Vocalists 1, 2 and 3; Big Bands 1, 2, 3 and 4; and Prep Band.

Message from the Chair of the Churchie Foundation

Marcus Blackmore is another generous Old Boy who is helping new boys whose families would not otherwise have been able to afford a Churchie education. Others have signed up in the last 12 months to assist a boy. This is a great thing, indeed.

In late November 2022, I attended the Boarders’ Valedictory Dinner in School House with their parents, family and staff. Every year it brings a tear to my eye.

Each boy makes a short speech and invariably thanks his boarding house staff and parents, stating the strength of the brotherhood that has been created with their mates in boarding. It is quite moving.

Our Year 7 boarders are the future of boarding. Their first year is crucial in establishing the bonds, routines and character to succeed at school and in life, something our extraordinary Year 7 centre and Year 7 programme fully supports. We need support for these noble causes, so if you know of a deserving boy or you would like to underwrite the education of one, please contact me or Director of Engagement Old Boys and Foundation David Miles.

This sort of initiative strikes at the core of two of our defining values, being of Christian intent and being inclusive. To these things we remain true.

Russell McCart (1979) Churchie Foundation Chairman and School Council Member

In recent years we have contributed significantly to The Centenary Library, refurbishing Goodwin and Gerald boarding houses, the new Viking Café building and the Prep Arts and Year 3 building. We seek to be one of the world’s great schools and must have the facilities to achieve that.

In addition to ensuring Churchie students have the best facilities possible, the Foundation contributes to scholarships and bursaries and, in some cases, is the conduit for benefactors to assist boys in this way. Over the years Cliff Ashdown assisted many boys through their Churchie boarding years. His family continues to do so.

This is a great Churchie strength … MATESHIP.

The School Council, led by new Chairman Russell Smith, has been vocal many times this year in reaffirming our commitment to being a boys’ boarding school, just as School Founder Canon Morris envisaged over 100 years ago. Much has gone on behind the scenes to strengthen our offering in this core part of the School over the last few years, and more will be done.

As part of that commitment, in October I pledged the Foundation to six new bursaries for boys entering boarding in Year 7. This is specifically directed to boys who would not otherwise afford to come here and are from rural and remote parts of Australia.

Nothing could be such a good deed as setting a young man on the best trajectory in life as a Churchie boarder.

So please consider if you can help. It will be greatly appreciated and will change a young boy’s life forever.

I wish you well and leave you with our theme ‘Onwards Churchie!’

The Foundation contributes to the School in a number of ways; the most obvious being the building programme.

Prep Arts and Year 3 Building

Viking Café

Churchie Boarders standing on the School House verandah

From the President of the Old Boys’ Association

On resources, the OBA is financially sound with a growing reserve to ensure that we can continue to deliver engagement in many forms. Building our human resources has included renewal of the membership of our committee and sub-committees over the last couple of years. This is evident with our new ‘Connect and Play with the Blue and Grey’ cocurricular initiative, as well as our focus on and support for our rural and regional communities particularly through our participation in the School’s boarding on the road initiative and engagement with the Boarders Support Group.

Highlights included our inaugural golf tournament in September and our first virtual chess tournament in October. Both activities resulted in participation from Old Boys, parents, friends, and even current chess students.

Andrew Fleming (1979) President

Over the past 12 months, we have driven engagement among our members in three important areas: system change through the COBweb, resources and activities.

With systems, the COBweb was introduced in early 2021 and replaced three legacy systems. A database, a publisher and a web engine, the COBweb continues to evolve. It is easily accessible online, or via smartphone app, and now has over 2,600 active users. Once registered, Old Boys can access news, photos, details of events and reunions, plus information about our various initiatives. Members can also search for and connect with mates, send secure messages, and even join a cohort group or a variety of interest groups.

For engagement activities, 2022 has been busy but rewarding. We continued our traditional activities such as hosting Vintage Vikings at the School’s Anzac Day Ceremony, the Vintage Vikings Lunch, the Long Lunch and Old Boys’ Day, as well as hosting numerous cohort and interstate reunions. Our 2021 initiative, Viking Wellness continues to build and can be found on the COBweb under the Wellbeing tab. This is an initiative of the ‘87 cohort who raised $8,000 to fund 1300BLUEGREY, a 24-hour mental wellness support line.

In August we held our second Long Lunch, launching our ‘Connect and Play with the Blue and Grey’ initiative, which promotes and recognises engagement among Old Boys in a range of activities. This includes competitions in tennis, basketball, golf, chess and volleyball, with cricket to be added early in 2023.

In 2023 our focus will be on energising Viking Careers, a very important initiative that incorporates mentoring and job search. I encourage those who are able to provide advice, or even a job opportunity, to a fellow Old Boy to reach out and get involved. A natural progression from this initiative will be reinvigorating the Churchie Business Network in 2024.

Happily, this year we were pleased to reward two long- serving past committee members with our highest honour, Honorary Life Membership, to Mike ‘Beef’ McAfee (1974) and Tim Harland (1963). Mike is a past President and long-standing Honorary Treasurer with 27 years of service. Tim is a former Vice-President and Honorary Treasurer with 21 years of service.

We look forward to the challenges ahead in 2023 in building more engagement within the Old Boy community.

The objective for the Old Boys’ Association this year has been to create more engagement. While simple in concept, it is far more challenging to implement.

Achievements and Honours

Honours

Ed Ross (2010) was one of four Queensland nominations for Australian of the Year.

Sam Hughes (2019) was one of four Queensland nominations for Young Australian of the Year.

Career

Milton Dick (1989) has been appointed as the 32nd Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party and has represented the Queensland seat of Oxley in the House of Representatives since the 2016 federal election.

Academic

Ivan Zelich (2015) recently graduated from Cambridge University with a Masters degree in Mathematics. As the recipient of a Fulbright Future Scholarship, he has moved to New York to undertake a PhD in Mathematics at Columbia University, working in the area of arithmetic geometry.

Alex Jeremijenko (2016) has graduated from Yale with honours in Economics and Computer Science.

Moi Loban (2022) has been announced as Yalari Valedictorian for 2022.

Sport

Jacob Verstegen (2021) competed in the Australian Under 22s Indoor Cricket Team for the Indoor Cricket World Cup in Melbourne in October.

Tim Walsh (1996) was the coach of the Rugby World Cup-winning Australian Women’s Rugby 7s team.

Liam Prineas (2018) competed in the Australian Deaf Team for cricket's T20 Champions Trophy, which was held in the UAE in October.

Nick Bloomfield (2021), Charlie Brosnan (2022) and Ben Daniels (2022) were selected for the Australian Schools and U18 rugby squad in October.

Nick Malouf (2010) captained the Australian Men’s 7s Rugby team that won the 2022 Hong Kong 7s tournament in November. Australia’s last win in this tournament was 34 years ago in 1988.

Monty Ioane (2012) represented Italy in their first-ever test match win over the Wallabies in November.

Jaydn Su’A (2015) represented Samoa against Australia in the final of the 2022 Rugby League World Cup which was played at Old Trafford, Manchester in November.

Sam Hughes. Photo supplied by the Australian of the Year Awards.

Ed Ross. Photo supplied by the Australian of the Year Awards.

1957

1982

OBA Reunions and events

1972

cohort 60 year reunion

cohort 65 year reunion

cohort 50 year reunion

cohort 40 year reunion

2011 cohort 11 year reunion

OLD BOYS' ASSOCIATION

Invitational Golf Day

Jack Borger, Ben Havig and Jack Pilcher, 2012 cohort 10 year reunion

Anthony Galis, Nick Conias and Andrew Bartzis, 2002 cohort 20 year reunion

Marco Hayashi and Deepen Khagram, 1992 cohort 30 year reunion

Long Lunch guest speakers

Nathan Beil, Blake Wrigley and Lachie Inwood, 2017 cohort 5 year reunion

Ronald Walter Herbert (1945)

Ron attended Churchie from 1941 to 1945. He rowed in the Second IV, was a cadet sergeant and played the bugle. He was encouraged in his Christian faith by Canon Morris and Dr J A Thompson.

He studied science and teaching at The University of Queensland and, in the early 1950s, taught at schools in Serena, Oakey and Charters Towers. He then moved to Sydney, teaching at Kings College in Parramatta and then undertaking theological training at Moore College.

After three years at Holy Trinity Church Adelaide as an associate minister, Ron returned to Brisbane in 1960 and was assistant chaplain at Churchie. He met his wife Bronwyn Herbert and had four children: Katrina, Jeffrey (1975-1981), Timothy (1979-1984) and Anthony (1985-1989)

Ron was a caring, gentle and patient chaplain and teacher. He enjoyed taking students through confirmation as well as coaching rowing. He left Churchie in 1968 and spent 20 years at the School of Distance Education.

His final two years of work were as an Administrator with the Church Missionary Society.

Ron is remembered as someone who could always offer words of Christian encouragement and prayer.

John Webb (1957)

John Webb commenced at Churchie in 1954 where he excelled academically and was described by his peers as a quiet achiever with a great love of learning. He also played competitive badminton, tennis, golf and squash and enjoyed recording classical music and philately

In 1963 John graduated from medicine at The University of Queensland. He commenced his medical career at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and then pursued a speciality in the field of rheumatology

In 1971, he travelled with his young family to Glasgow, Scotland, to work at the Centre for Rheumatic Disease. John also lectured and completed his PhD in rheumatic diseases. He was recently acknowledged by colleagues as ‘a visionary well ahead of his time and an early pioneer in the specialist medical field of rheumatology in Australia’

In 1973, John returned to Australia and developed the first curriculum in rheumatology at Sydney University Medical School.

In 1988 he returned to Brisbane to work in private practice before retiring in 2015. John passed away on 1 September 2022 aged 81 and is survived by his wife Ruth, daughter Rachel and son Jonathan.

Name Years at Churchie

Anthony Alan Apel (1958) 1955 – 1958

Jeffrey Douglas Butler (1977) 1973 – 1977

David Bruce Carlisle (1950) 1947 – 1950

Edward Colin Chapman (1960) 1956 – 1960

Michael George Comino (1982) 1977 – 1982

Donald Birnie Crook (1948) 1946 – 1949

Donald John Duthie (1946) 1938 – 1943

Raymond Gower Freeman (1942) 1939 – 1941

Bertram Stewart Frost (1956) 1948 – 1956

Norman Russell Fryer (1955) 1950 – 1953

Murray Vivian Geale (1980) 1979 – 1980

Julian Hudson Gordon Ridgway (1953) Raymond Gower ‘Bill’ Freeman (1942)

Julian Ridgway started his education at a single-teacher school in Ascot before boarding school with his brothers Denzil and Robert in Warwick and then Churchie. Julian’s grandfather played a key role in the foundation of the School, helping to source the land.

Julian left Churchie after Year 11 to attend the Gatton Agricultural College for one year, followed by a couple of years working for the Stock Exchange. However, a passion for the land saw him in his first real job as a Jackaroo at Quilpie and later working on sheep and cattle properties in New South Wales.

After 12 months in Brisbane recuperating from a serious horse accident, Julian returned to the Longreach region, where he met his wife Dell and settled on a cattle block called 'Lisnalee' south of Tambo.

In 1976, at Denzil’s encouragement, they sold Lisnalee and purchased 'Barnine' (later changing the name to 'Cowarrie') near Southbrook in the Toowoomba region. In 2002, retirement beckoned and they moved to Toowoomba. Caravan trips ensued, traversing Australia up and down every outback road they could find.

Julian passed away on 9 June 2022 aged 85 and is survived by son Nick (1980) and daughter Tina.

Bill Freeman attended Churchie from1939 to 1941, during which he competed in track and field and played in the First XV.

After Churchie, Bill enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force and served in 77 Squadron in Labuan and Morati in Borneo, flying Kittyhawks.

After the war, Bill returned to the family farm in the Tweed Valley and continued his family’s banana plantation and cattle operation until he died.

In addition to serving his country during the war and being a successful farmer, Bill was an outstanding humanitarian. Bill devoted 65 years of his life to Lions International and was a District Governor in 1985-86. In 1986, in recognition of service to his community, he was awarded a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. His son David says, ‘Bill was strong but gentle, with an unshakable moral compass of honesty, integrity, fairness, kindness, generosity.”

Bill died peacefully on 6 October 2022 and is survived by his wife Lesley, son David, daughters Debbie and Lisa, eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Name Years at Churchie Name Years at Churchie

Hewan Douglas Gibson (1946) 1943

Hugh Frederick Corbet Gore (1953) 1948 – 1953

David John Greenwood (1965) 1963 – 1965

Michael Robert Hefford (1974) 1969 – 1974

Eric Graham Henderson (1951) 1948 – 1949

Ronald Walter Herbert (1945) 1941 – 1945

Barry Thomas Jukes (1955) 1950 – 1955

John Charles Larkin (1956) 1952 – 1956

David Reginald Lydon (1957) 1955 – 1957

John Howard Greig Mackenzie-Smith (1954) 1948 – 1954

Brett Arthur Norris (1998) 1991 – 1995

Anthony Constantine Michael Paul (1950) 1941 – 1950

John Stephen Rees (1974) 1969 – 1974

William Kingston Remington (1954) 1951 – 1954

Hume Arthur John Rendle-Short (1973) 1966 – 1971

Julian Hudson Gordon Ridgway (1953) 1948 – 1952

Peter Francis Robinson (1965) 1961 – 1965

Kenneth Edwin Sandercoe (1938) 1935 – 1938

Richard John Smith (1970) 1963 – 1968

Ian Bennett Strother (1946) 1943 – 1946

John Webb (1957) 1954 – 1957

David Parry Wilkinson (1956) 1953 – 1956

A message from Churchie's platinum sponsor

As we near the end of 2022, Porsche Centre Brisbane would like to reflect on the exciting year we have had. Amongst the introduction of two new model variants to the Porsche collection, a highlight has been enjoying another year in partnership with Churchie.

In the past year, Porsche Centre Brisbane has had the privilege of collaborating on numerous events with Churchie. Both Churchie and Porsche hold similar values, namely, providing innovative and exciting experiences to our community and customers, respectively, whilst ensuring we are working towards a cleaner and more sustainable future for the generations that proceed us.

Porsche Centre Brisbane deeply values the longstanding association with Churchie, and we look forward to another exciting year ahead.

Marco Kim Dealer Principal, Porsche Centre Brisbane