COLLEGIAN The MAGAZINE of Brisbane Boys’ College
SUCCESS HAS MANY FACES
Finding and fulfilling purpose
August 2017
COLLEGIAN I S S U E 1 AU G U ST 2017 UPFRONT
6
Headlines
A few words from the Headmaster Graeme McDonald
14 22 Confidence and capability
The College welcomes its 2016 Scholars back to the College to acknowledge their exceptional efforts
BBC NEWS
8
Do what you love Career planning at BBC comes into focus
13
Market insight
BBC Senior, Kenneth Wyllie, gains invaluable work experience
Published by Brisbane Boys’ College CRICOS Code 00491J Kensington Terrace, Toowong, Queensland 4066 T 07 3309 3571 F 07 3371 2679 W www.bbc.qld.edu.au A SCHOOL OF THE PRESBYTERIAN AND METHODIST SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION
Editor and Art Director Adele Graves Graphic Design Tracey Maree Contributors Natalie Claut, Kelly Edwards, Chris Hartley, Helen Jackson Photography Michael Marston
16
Accelerated learning
How our boys are starting university at school
19 100 days
Year 1 students celebrate their first 100 days of the school year with a number of special activities
Student voices echo in research
BBC students play a key role in a University of Queensland study
23
We all make mistakes
Why failure is so important when it comes to life, learning and innovation
BBC ARTS
28 Life in lyrics
A group of emerging singer songwriters take to the stage
31
Recap: USA tour The 2016 music tour caught on camera
33
Digital tributes
Boys take on the world of social media as they prepare for their next theatre performance
32 36
The Crucible The Crucible
This year's theatre students explore questions of ethics and survival This year's theatre students explore questions of ethics and survival COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
REGULAR ITEMS
45 73 Insight
The experts offer advice to navigate through the journey of parenthood
68
Flashback
As Tennis secures its fifth consecutive premiership win, we travel back in time to take a look at the school's first tennis courts
Snapshots
Scenes from the Night Under the Stars and other events in the College calendar
BBC SPORT
36 Five times running
Our First IV claim their place in BBC history
38 Going the distance
Two podium finishes for cross country runners
40
Commonwealth medal win
Volleyballer Mark Nicolaidis returns home with bronze
CONNECT
53 60 Darren Middleton
The singer songwriter and ARIA award winner pays a special visit to the College
Life in politics
OCA President, Chris Hartley, sits down with Thailand's Honorary Consul for Queensland to find out more about life in politics
57 62
Kicking goals
Meet those behind the family owned and run business, Packer Leather
Spotlight OCA events
Snapshots from recent OCA events
From the Editor ADELE GRAVES
When reading through each edition of the magazine, at times it can be almost impossible to identify a single theme and perhaps that’s because this place is so diverse. There’s no one way to define it, nor a moment or event capable of fully encapsulating who BBC is and what its community stands for. Yet in our August edition, a clear theme appears to have emerged and that’s one of purpose. In some ways this makes complete sense for without doubt, purpose is both a universal and distinctly individual experience. Universal is our endeavour to find it and individual the pathways we choose. If one thing is clear however, and as many who feature in this edition will say, whether you’re five, 10 or 50, determining what matters most to you, what you want to do - not be - each and every day, and channelling your strengths is key to success and better still, happiness.
It’s a sentiment that continues to echo in events and activities across the school; and one you can find in each of the stories that follow - all of which attest to our boys working to both find and fulfil their purpose simultaneously. On a personal note, and in light of this being my last edition of Collegian as I look to pursue a new direction outside of these walls, I would like to thank the community for their willingness to share their stories – I’ve learnt so much from you all and we always enjoy filling the magazine’s pages with your insights, good humour and new discoveries.
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
6 | BBC NEWS
HEADLINES Graeme McDonald, Headmaster
A stellar year If you want to become successful at something in life it is generally accepted that your chances improve if you start early and then show real dedication. So it is with learning, but the question is often raised “Are there some activities that enhance the learning process more than others?” There is now a good body of research that has found that children who study music before the age of seven develop larger vocabularies, a better sense of grammar and higher verbal IQs. Children who learn music from a young age also appear to find it easier to learn languages, including foreign languages. At BBC I think we will certainly start to see the benefits of our Music Every Day program in the years to come. The Queensland Brain Institute is at the forefront of research into how we learn and it recently launched an online open-access journal entitled Science of Learning. It would appear that music’s influence can be even more profound than we had ever thought because it has now been found that "bilingualism contributes generally to the maintenance of a healthy brain... and one review has found that lifelong bilingualism is associated with an average delay in the onset of dementia by four years.” When looking at learning, however, the importance of great teachers can never be underestimated. The influence of a teacher is profound and almost all of us can name one teacher who stood out from all the rest. What was it about this person that appealed to us? For some of
us this person was a bit quirky, for others he or she was a person of great intellect or a person with a great sense of humour. Whatever the exceptional personal qualities that person had, he or she inspired us and encouraged us to do better than we had ever done before. At the heart of that teacher’s success in inspiring us to achieve incredible learning milestones were two things. Firstly, that person had incredible expertise in their subject area, and secondly he or she never compromised and always set high expectations for us. This person made learning fun because this teacher loved what he or she did. The legacy that person left for us is unforgettable and almost indescribable. Put simply, he or she changed our life because that person made learning fun. Sadly, in a world which is often quick to criticise we often do not give enough time to reflect on the blessings we have. I give thanks for the many men and women who inspired me to enter this noble profession and I will forever be grateful to them. I also give thanks to my colleagues who each and every day inspire, encourage and support all our boys to achieve personal excellence and develop a real love of learning. This is a gift for life. The work of my colleagues changes lives and their dedication deserves the highest possible praise.
BBC NEWS | 7
BBC NEWS 8 Do what you love
BBC Seniors learn the most valuable of lessons at the Careers Conference
19 100 days
Year 1 students mark 100 days of school with a number of celebratory activities
22 We all make mistakes
The role failure has to play in learning, growth and ongoing innovation
14
Confidence and capability to change the world BBC's 2016 Scholars honoured at a special assembly COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
8 | BBC NEWS
CAREER PLANNING IN FOCUS
DOWHAT YOULOVE The rest will follow.
Preparing boys for the world in which they’ll live remains central to BBC’s approach. The annual Careers Conference is just one of many ways in which the College helps boys to build understanding of the world around them.
BBC NEWS | 9
“
Continual knowledge acquisition—in particular increasing one’s digital literacy—and creative application are set to become, if not already, the real game changers.
A simple yet profound message emerged from BBC’s Careers Conference this year - find your purpose, do what you love and ready yourself for the future unknown. Conversation surrounding the ‘future of work’ continues to be the subject of extensive reports, challenging governments, policy makers, business, innovators, universities and even schools to reimagine the way they see the future; to unearth solutions for problems that don’t yet exist. Why? Well if the Economic Committee for Australia’s report manifests as they predict, by 2025 up to 40 percent of today’s jobs will be redundant. Whether these statistics serve as notice for alarm is dependent on who you ask. As Professor Jeffery Brand from the Faculty of Society and Design at Bond University explained in his keynote address - the single most influential factor in predicting the landscape of the future is not as one would
expect. While many believe it to be technology, Jeff advocates it’s "humans, us, you". While challenges undoubtedly lie ahead, according to Jeff so too does unprecedented opportunity if you’re willing to stay agile, foster flexibility of mind and to wholeheartedly embrace learning as a way of life. Continual knowledge acquisition—in particular increasing one’s digital literacy—and creative application are set to become, if not already, the real game changers. The ability to act with intent and move forward with purpose is the accompanying mindset required to succeed at success. And while computers and artificial intelligence may appear set to rule, Jeff reminds us to "look at the humanity of such things" to discover where opportunities lie. His sentiments were mirrored by BBC Old Boy and Director and Founder of Performance Strategies, Rupert Bryce, who delivered the opening address on the day.
“What I’ve discovered about purpose is that it makes your life happy, it makes your work easier and you’re more productive. This isn’t just based on research and evidence but practice,” said Rupert. “Once you know what your purpose is your career decisions become easier and easier,” he said. “I hope today provides you with the spark, the curiosity and the capability to go out and design your purpose—to have a meaningful and successful career, however you choose to define it.” So while this emerging economy will bring with it a unique set of challenges for our seniors, and indeed all students at some stage, there’s much to look forward to. With research and evidence pointing to purpose, those who opt to do what they love are likely to live more fulfilling lives; and as cause and effect would have it longer, heathier and happier ones at that.
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
10 | BBC NEWS
If you have any hesitation in sharing what your purpose might be, then it’s not really your purpose. – Rupert
Soundbites. The collective wisdom of Jeff and Rupert
I believe organisations need to do better. Organisations are overmanaged and under-led. We need to work with our people to surface their potential in organisations and make workplaces more human places to be. That’s what I believe in. That’s part of my purpose. - Rupert
BBC NEWS | 11
RECOMMENDED READS Jeff ’s take on 'Ego is the Enemy' – this book, by Ryan Holiday, speaks to the importance of ensuring the ego is regularly 'checked'. You need enough of it to survive but it should never make other people, operating in your economy, miserable. In other words it gives weight to the simplicity and reward that comes from being a good citizen; making sure that your ego talks to you, but does not control you.
Jeff ’s take on 'Essentialism' – Essentialism highlights the role purpose plays in driving individual success. In the context of employment, hiding from your company, hiding from yourself is no longer an option.You must be true to who you are. When viewed alongside Ego is the Enemy, the message is clear – you need to check your ego and you need to be ‘essential’.
Technological change is coming. You must be digitally literate and constantly renewing your skill set. To do that you need to engage with the knowledge economy—that is to work in the economy of now and in the economy of the future. - Jeff
The most important characteristics that you can develop is resilience, creativity and the ability to be independent thinkers— these are the things you will need; what you have to have. - Jeff
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
12 | BBC NEWS
MORE ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS A proud BBC Old Boy (87), Rupert is the Director and Founder of Performance Strategies – a successful leadership consulting firm that has been established for 12 years. As a career executive coach, Rupert has more than 20 years experience in developing leaders in organisations. He currently works with CEOs and Senior Executives of publicly listed companies and during his time as a leadership coach has worked with half of the ASX top 50. His formal qualifications include a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (University of Utah) and a Masters in Organisational Psychology (University of Queensland). He is also a registered psychologist and a member of the Australian Psychological Society. Rupert provides development programs for organisations that include mentoring programs, executive coaching and facilitating workshops on topics that help individuals, teams and organisations improve productivity, performance and organisational culture. Prior to running his own business, Rupert worked in HR, recruitment and training. He is also the Chairman of Human Ventures – a creative and cultural development social enterprise, focused on helping marginalised communities.
RU P E RT B RYC E
Professor Jeff Brand is the Associate Dean – Engagement and International for the Faculty of Society and Design at Bond University. He is an internationally recognised and nationally awarded career academic in the discipline of communication and media with expertise in quantitative research methodology, an intellectual interest in policy for the digital economy, and leadership experience in tertiary operations and governance. Professor Brand is the lead author of the Interactive Australia and Interactive New Zealand series of national computer games audience studies supported by the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association, author (with Prof. Mark Pearson) of Sources of News and Current Affairs published by the Australian Broadcasting Authority and co-author with inter-institutional colleagues in SBS research Living Diversity and Connecting Diversity.
P RO F E S S O R J E F F B R A N D
I K I GA I F R A M E WO R K Rupert provided boys with four key questions to help them discover their purpose, based on the Japanese framework, Ikigai, which simply means ‘reason for being’.
IO SS FE
3.
What can you be paid for? Identify your market and the demand. What are the new and emerging markets you’d like to participate in?
4.
What’s going to make a difference? This is a sustainable motivator that will compel you to do great work. What does the world need? Where can you put a dent in the universe?
O V O
N
AT IT
PR O
What are you good at? Things that come easily to you – your gifts. Consider the width and the breadth of these gifts. Where do you excel?
SI
N
YOU'RE GREAT
THE WORLD NEEDS IT CA TI
YOU'RE PAID FOR IT YOUR PURPOSE
2.
IS
IO
M
PA SS
What do you love doing? Not just in your work or study but in life. What are your hobbies and interests? What excites and energises you?
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YOU LOVE IT
1.
O
N
BBC NEWS | 13
MARKET INSIGHT For several months, Year 12 student Kenneth Wyllie, has spent his weekends enthusiastically doing the rounds – the property rounds that is, with real estate agent and auctioneer, Haesley Cush of Living Here, New Farm/Ray White, New Farm. With a keen interest in property and this line of work, Kenneth approached Haesley simply with the view to ‘watch and learn’. According to Haesley, Kenneth’s dedicated interest in real estate mirrors the changing face of the industry over the last 10 years. “When I started in real estate in 1996, as a pimplefaced high school graduate, I was the youngest agent by a considerable margin. If there was anyone who was in the industry at that time under 30 they were likely another real estate agent’s kin,” said Haesley. “The vast majority of agents at that time had joined the real estate ranks after careers in other industries. Real estate was the second calling career. But today real estate has become a genuine first choice career,” he said. “As we were driving between auctions last week Kenneth asked me what makes the best agent. I replied ‘No one type of person, anyone can make it. Real estate is an equal opportunity employer. It is a genuine effortequals-reward business. But it does take a unique blend of skills, a lot of hard work and some patience because it won’t happen overnight’.” For Kenneth, the experience has been invaluable. “I spent some time working with another commercial property company but am really enjoying the residential side of real estate and would like to pursue a career in this area specifically,” said Kenneth. “It has been amazing to watch Haesley at work, he is able to quickly establish rapport with so many different people,” he said. “I’ve been able to see firsthand all sides of the business, from property management right through to office administration, but I’ve particularly enjoyed assisting Haesley with running the open homes. “The experience has taught me that hard work and dedication is everything, and I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity to have learned from the best. It's pretty cool at my age to be able to spend my Saturdays in this way.”
DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN MASTERCLASS Earlier this year, 10 BBC seniors attended an exclusive Brisbane Development and Design masterclass, held at the new Banc Riverfront Apartments display in Toowong. The masterclass was an opportunity for students interested in development, architecture, design and town planning to gain insight into how the projects that shape our city skyline are brought to life. The students were addressed by Peter Priest of Trenert Partners, which provides development management services for Banc Apartments - a 33 level riverfront tower about to commence construction on Coronation Drive. The students also heard about the challenges and opportunities associated with inner city development from developer John Li, and were given a tour of Banc's display suite. Students were given advice on how to start a career in the development industry and what to expect in various roles. The masterclass provided boys with another invaluable real world learning opportunity. It was a great experience for them to hear firsthand from those who are helping to build our city and to gain a deeper understanding of the process that takes place from the concept and finance stage through to completion.
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
14 | BBC NEWS
CONFIDENCE AND CAPABILITY TO CHANGE THE WORLD In January, scholars - those who achieved an OP1 or 2 returned to the College for a special assembly.
The event provided the community with an opportunity to acknowledge the exceptional achievement of these young men as they look to their next challenge, tertiary studies. The 2016 student cohort achieved outstanding results with 31.9 percent of OP eligible students securing an OP1 or 2, 55.4 percent achieving a score between 1 to 5 and 100 percent between 1 and 15. In 2016, BBC Seniors also achieved record results in the Queensland Core Skills Test with more than 50 percent of OP eligible students achieving an A grade, more than 75 percent achieving either an A or a B, and more than 90 percent recording either an A, B, or C. For Headmaster Graeme McDonald, the real success story belongs to all of the school’s 2016 seniors, who are now forging their individual journey beyond the school gates, having excelled in their pathway of choice. “At BBC we believe success has many faces and ensuring boys are able to get to where they want to go has always been our first measure of success,” said Mr McDonald. “Our QTAC entry statistics continue to speak to this with 97 percent of students receiving a tertiary offer for Semester 1 entry with the remaining students looking at Semester 2 starts,” he said. “These figures highlight the legitimacy of pathways and the importance of supporting all boys to reach their goals, by empowering them with choices as to how they can achieve them. “It’s exciting to see boys opting to pursue a variety of careers from agribusiness, medicine, engineering, psychological science, music, environmental management, property economics and more. For us, these are the real stories; the outcomes that result from an exceptional education and we look forward to hearing of our young men's ongoing achievements.”
BBC NEWS | 15
The 2016 student cohort achieved outstanding results with 31.9 percent of OP eligible students securing an OP1 or 2, 55.4 percent achieving a score between 1 to 5 and 100 percent between 1 and 15.
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
16 | BBC NEWS
Accelerated learning For more than 10 years, BBC has partnered with universities to provide Extension Chemistry students with a unique opportunity to accelerate their learning in an area of interest. According to BBC’s Head of Science, David Fischer, 14 Year 12 boys are involved this year. “Those in our extension course complete their studies within three semesters, as opposed to the usual four; this ‘spare’ semester enables them to enrol in a course of their choice in the disciplines of Science and Mathematics right through to Psychology,” said David. “When the program first started, the university course would be taught here at the school, with boys completing their examinations at the university,” he said. “Today, boys complete their studies on site at either the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) or University Queensland (UQ) which provides the added bonus of being able to familiarise themselves with the tertiary experience prior to finishing school. “Getting boys to engage in their learning is all about providing experiences that challenge and inspire; experiences that have the capability to energise curious minds and to get them thinking deeply. "Our extension program is a great example of how we can bring this educational philosophy to life. “Boys have excelled in their courses with many securing a grade of six or seven, which is a remarkable effort.”
+ WHAT BOYS ARE STUDYING Ben Carlyon
Energy in Engineering Systems (QUT)
Boris Chan
Clinical Psychology (UQ)
Nakul Doshi
Introduction into Engineering Mathematics (QUT)
Alistair English
Building Information Technology Systems (QUT)
Michael Griffiths
Calculus and Linear Algebra (UQ)
Liam Jackson
General Chemistry (QUT)
Patrick Jaffe
Introductory Micro Economics (UQ)
Thomas Jolly
Introductory Micro Economics (UQ)
Jordan Liu
Human Systematic Anatomy (QUT)
Gert Olivier
General Chemistry (QUT)
Sean Scott-Burrows
Clinical Psychology (UQ)
Samuel Tudor
Calculus and Linear Algebra (UQ)
Max Williams
Introductory Micro Economics (UQ)
James Yelland
Introduction to Software Engineering (UQ)
BBC NEWS | 17
Creativity in numbers Very rarely do you hear ‘easy, fun and rewarding’ used in one breath when it comes to talking about the field of mathematics. Yet spend some time with Year 6 student, Jaden Teow and you soon realise that this young man and bright mind has been quick to discover both its beauty and its application. Having participated in BBC’s Mathematics Acceleration program since Year 5, which sees him complete advanced Year 7 studies, Jaden is the first Junior School student to be awarded not only an Academic Line but a prestigious Pocket for his outstanding achievements in the subject. The accolade follows his ICAS Gold Medal last year and in 2015 for Mathematics, not to mention his first ICAS Gold Medal in Year 2 for his aptitude in English. Out of 17 test papers, Jaden has also achieved high distinctions (top one percent) for all, competing not only in Mathematics but also Science, Writing, English and Spelling. Jaden is also an accomplished Chess player—an activity he believes mirrors mathematics beautifully—having earned two championship titles at the Queensland Junior Chess Championships, in addition to being awarded BBC’s Junior School Chess Champion for two consecutive years. He’s also been named Junior Captain this year, a role which requires him to assist with organising fixtures and deliver an in-season report at assembly each week. Yet it’s not necessarily his achievements alone that truly stand out, although very impressive, but his mindset and a sense of wisdom that appears to extend well beyond his years. When asking Jaden how he might use mathematics in the future, while he admits
“there are many reasons to use maths in the modern world” and he’s sure these skills will come in handy when paving his career, he is also quick to point out “to be truthful, I’m glad I don’t quite know what the future will hold.” For Jaden, it’s simply the creative opportunities which mathematics provide that continues to fuel his interest in this area. “Maths keeps me thinking and it requires me to envisage a problem in order to solve it and to use creative reasoning to unearth clues; it’s lateral thinking,” said Jaden. Jaden also plays a mentoring role, assisting a group of Year 6 students with their learning in this area – an activity he enjoys immensely. “Doing the concepts is easy but sometimes explaining it is a little bit trickier,” he said. And given his interests, it comes as little surprise that Jaden also holds a passion for science and robotics. “I love science and completing the experiments – you don’t know what you’re going to find and the unknown excites me.” When asking about his greatest discovery, Jaden is quick to reflect on the practice itself as opposed to the content he’s learnt. “I’ve discovered that when making a formula it’s important to measure, you can’t do it randomly, so there’s a lot of preparation involved when learning about science.” That’s how Jaden appears to approach learning and life and is no doubt why he’s experienced great success so far. And in his spare time, Jaden likes to play tennis and spend time with his little brother who apparently is “really funny sometimes”.
+ ACCELERATED MATHEMATICS AT BBC BBC has been running its Mathematics Acceleration program since 2009, with more than 100 boys from Junior through to Senior School currently involved. Those with an aptitude for the subject are identified and invited to participate in the program that sees boys complete advanced mathematics one year, and in some instances two years, ahead of their cohort. This structure enables boys to complete their senior studies in Mathematics in Year 11, providing them the opportunity to participate in a university course of their choice during Year 12. Designed to extend and challenge enquiring young minds, the program is fully integrated into the timetable, with extension classes operating simultaneously with the standard mathematics strands. BBC is one of only a small handful of schools in Queensland to offer this type of program as part of its curriculum.
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
18 | BBC NEWS
LIFE LEARNING ABROAD While December 2018 may seem distant for some, vital work has already begun for students set to partake in a trip to Africa as part of the Antipodeans Expedition program. The opportunity is experiential learning at its best, as it challenges and inspires boys to take an active role in planning for the trip and associated fundraising initiatives required to support their community service initiative. Beyond the adventurous team trek and an amazing wildlife safari, boys will engage with the local community, assisting specifically in the delivery of a sustainable and hands-on project to better living conditions for those who call Tanzania home. According to BBC’s Expedition Coordinator Adam Wood the whole experience is ‘student-led’. “It drives boys to make decisions, take responsibility for their actions and in the process, develop teamwork, leadership, critical thinking and communication skills,” says Adam. “Guided by an expert support team, students gain a true appreciation of their host country, become ‘global citizens’ and of course, have the time of their lives,” he said. “The trip, which forms a unique part of the College’s service program, represents BBC’s seventh biennial overseas community project. “A number of fundraising initiatives have already been conducted and we look forward to continuing these efforts and raising awareness for the project among our existing and wider community. "Those interested in supporting the boys can contribute through donations or simply by attending one of our events."
THE GOOD WORK
continues
Since 2015, boys in Years 10 to 12 have been provided with an opportunity to increase their business acumen, and at the same time their social conscience, through a series of workshops run by IMPACT Social Enterprise, via the University of Queensland. In small groups, boys work together to build their own social enterprise ideas that address a local community or school issue. It’s where ideas such as One Quarter, the social enterprise set up by Old Collegians Zach Hayward, Spencer Hayward and Druhv Goel, were formed. Some ideas generated from this year’s participants included a cost-effective solution for men’s group therapy, developing more effective ways to support adolescents experiencing family divorce, and using IT to provide social support for families who have a family member living with severe autism.
BBC NEWS | 19
a letter from the queen!
LO N G E V I T Y F O R S O M E , J U ST T H E B E G I N N I N G F O R OT H E R S . Given the likelihood of living to 100 has risen significantly in recent years, 100 days of school might not seem like that big a deal, unless of course those days represent your ‘first’ for the school year, you’re six years of age and in Year 1.
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
20 | BBC NEWS
In recognition of this milestone, members of our Year 1 class recently engaged in a number of celebratory and fun activities to officially mark the occasion. According to Year 1 teacher Lizzie Gresham, the boys have been recording the days on a special value chart since first arriving at school. To kick start celebrations, boys took to recording their thoughts on all things 100. Here’s what they had to say. A warning to all: their enthusiasm—and healthy ambition—for life and what lies ahead is both heart-warming and humorous.
I can…
I can eat 100 pieces of broccoli.
I can do 100 back flips in the pool.
ALEXANDER LEDINGHAM
I can eat 100 packets of seaweed in one minute.
MASON ANDREW
I can run 100 kilometres in a race competition. ATTI KATH
FINN CROSBIE
If I had $100... If I had $100, I would buy nine fidget spinners and a dog. LIAM AHCHU
If I had $100, I would buy a full box of Lego. It would be Lego City. FERRELL DONG
BBC NEWS | 21
When I’m 100 years old I will get 100 cats. They will snuggle up with me. CHASE CANTWELL
When I'm 100> When I’m 100 years old, I will be waiting for my letter from the Queen. It will say well done, Curtis! I will be happy to see the letter. CURTIS KWON
When I’m 100 years old, I will have a beard, glasses, and less hair. I will have a Chihuahua.
When I’m 100 years old, I will make a house and keep my children and grandchildren safe. I will be good to them. ALEX TWIGG
When I’m 100 years old I will sit on a chair and read a newspaper.
Ö
ETHAN HUANG
When I’m 100 years old I will eat chocolates all day long. I will ride my bike without training wheels. MILES EASTERBROOK
CHARLIE FINLAY
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
22 | BBC NEWS
Student voices echo in research When you look to those in leadership positions and delve further into their stories, you come to realise there is no one pathway to success, nor a sequential series of steps one must take to accomplish such things. Each person’s story appears to be different, deeply personal and wildly unique.
"This data offered us insights into the genesis of gender disparity in corporate leadership positions and enabled us to develop a language and framework for discussing the disparity in CEO roles."
Yet what commonalities exist? What habits do they foster? What mindsets do they share? And as they climb to great heights is it possible to clearly delineate similarities or indeed disparities between the journey for men and the journey for women? In October, BBC students will assist researchers at the University of Queensland’s Business School to discover more. Boys will be given the opportunity to answer a series of questions, and in some cases participate in 1-to-1 interviews, as part of a unique project designed to explore the causes of gender differences in self-confidence, leadership and STEM career aspirations. These three areas have been widely identified as limiting the ability of individuals to progress into senior roles, particularly in corporate Australia where STEM fields tend to predominate our industry make-up. According to Dr Terrance Fitzsimmons, one of two lead investigators, the study aims to understand the process of self-confidence and leadership formation, as well as how, when and why subject and career selection decisions are made. “The first component of our research saw us speak with and compare the life and career trajectories of 30 male and 30 female CEOs of large organisations,” said Dr Fitzsimmons. “This data offered us insights into the genesis of gender disparity in corporate leadership positions and enabled us to develop a language and framework for discussing the disparity in CEO roles,” he said.
“We found gendered patterns in the accumulation of career relevant experiences stretching back to birth into working lives that created significant and cumulative limitations upon the ability of women and men to access CEO roles and the types of CEO appointments available to them. “A commonality revealed between both men and women however, is that life doesn’t begin at 21, values aren’t shaped as a result of the work we do. “The foundations are laid in our formative years, during childhood and at school; and these values greatly shape our capacity for self-efficacy—the ability to believe in one’s self—a mindset critical to leadership. “These findings offered a natural progression for our research project and led us to where we find ourselves today – speaking with students to identify how self-confidence is nurtured and built and to determine patterns around decision making when it comes to career direction. “In doing so we hope to help schools further understand when and how to intervene to improve student outcomes in terms of the development of self-confidence, leadership and career choices,” he said. The optional survey will be open to students in Years 7 to 11 and further information will be provided to parents shortly. Brisbane Boys' College looks forward to participating in this important research project.
We all make misteaks. Yet enduring ones mistakes can leave you feeling just as the very words appear small and exposed - frantically looking for a 'page turner.'
24 | BBC FEATURE
FEATURE According to thought leader, researcher and critically acclaimed author, Brene Brown,
“ THERE IS NO INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY WITHOUT FAILURE. PERIOD.” It’s a lesson we endeavour to impart to our boys every day, as we help them to build the resilience and grit required to persist in the face of challenge. Why is it then—despite the healthy dialogue that has emerged in recent times about the benefits of failure— that the fear of failing continues to stand in the way of good, meaningful work for many?
It’s a question that BBC’s Head of Drama and Film and Television and Sustainability Officer, Dom Piacun, has continued to ‘rumble’ with as part of his Masters in Business Management research at QUT and one that he believes, if asked correctly, adds immense value to the teaching and learning process. With this in mind Dom set about starting a conversation amongst staff this term by posing a simple question, ‘What mistakes have you made in your teaching career that have led you to become a better teacher today?' The insights gleaned from the exercise are now being shared anonymously in short presentations at all staff briefings at the beginning of each week. “In my mind when we choose to own our mistakes and reflect upon them, we allow ourselves to see these points in time not as failures but as opportunities to develop wisdom, and when discussed with colleagues, shared wisdom,” said Dom. “In doing so a powerful shift occurs in the way we see ourselves and others,” he said. “It frees space for each one of us to try new things and to reflect on our practices and that’s what makes good teachers great,” he said. “There are so many brilliant teachers here at BBC. This simply provides a vehicle for learning while enabling us to continue to build on a culture of trust and support. There have already been some great professional conversations stemming from the shared wisdom.”
BBC FEATURE | 25
m o d s i w s k a e t s i m e m o S With that said, in this edition of Collegian we share with you, not mistakes, but the wisdom our teachers hold. It’s about owning what we do and sharing with the world how we’ve come to be who we are – a team of passionate professionals who will always be modelling what it means to truly learn and truly live.
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Not being adequately prepared or in the right headspace for a particular lesson. I have learned that no day or lesson is the same. But whether it is a good lesson or a bad lesson, the key to improving is continued reflection on the reasons WHY the lesson/ interaction went the way it did.
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Becoming complacent about what I expect to see in a student’s achievements and classroom performance instead of digging to really find what makes a boy tick. I learnt to never assume you know all there is to know about a student.
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I reprimanded a student who was displaying a poor attitude towards the work which I hastily decided was because of laziness. I have learnt that there are a number of legitimate reasons why a student isn’t engaging and rather than making an assumption, it is better to investigate through a positive discussion rather than a reactive one.
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Teaching the program rather than the class. It is so easy to get caught up in the content as we rush from one assessment item to the next and count down the weeks in each term. We can easily forget about the boy. We have such power to shape who they are by what we do and who we are. Taking time to connect with each of my students is at the heart of what I try to do as a teacher.
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Relationships are like see-saws. We all have to work towards 'peace' but to also prod progress. Otherwise our boys won’t take more steps to become independent young men; otherwise they won’t learn to soar like eagles.
Early on (and still when I’m feeling overwhelmed), my teaching model was shaped by the idea that the teacher needed to know all the answers which leads to a fear of being ‘caught out’ and a lack of honesty at times, when confronted by questions I didn’t know the answers to. I learnt that admitting “I don’t know” at times, can be powerful. It makes all of us learners and levels the playing field, ultimately developing a better relationship with students.
e v i l o t e l b i , s g s o n i p h m t i e m s It i t failing at so withou iously
t u a c o s e v i l u o y unless
e v a h ot n l el w s a ht ig m u o that y case, lived at all – in which
you fail by default.
– J.K. Rowling
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
26 | BBC NEWS
SHORT READS: Beyond the classroom We know how to stop our boys from looking out of the window. We take them outside. We know that boys thrive through activity, and at BBC we use this to drive learning. In this edition of Collegian, we take a look at learning occurring beyond the classroom walls.
LONE PINE RANGERS A diverse range of organisms is a sign of a healthy and thriving ecosystem, yet the ability to adjust and adapt remains critical, as Year 5 boys are learning as part of their environmental studies. To support their understanding and to assist with their research project, which requires them to investigate an animal from the Australian Savannah, boys recently visited Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Fig Tree Pocket. Drawing on their findings and in small groups, boys are now in the process of developing a ‘David Attenborough’ style documentary using Claymation. WATER WISE WARRIORS Year 2 boys recently joined the magical mystery tour of a wayward water droplet called Whizzy, at the Bunyaville Environmental Centre. Boys were given clues throughout the day to solve riddles about catchment care and water conservation. The activity is aimed at helping students to understand the journey water takes in our catchments and the steps we can take to conserve this valuable resource. To finish, the group completed an ‘earthwalk’ where they could identify evidence of real trails left by water in the regional park. TIME TRAVELLERS Year 7 SOSE students journeyed back in time to learn the story of the heroes of the Colosseum, the Gladiators, who fought to entertain and inspire the people of Ancient Rome, as they visited the Queensland Museum. Boys were able to learn the stories behind more than 100 original artefacts including gladiator helmets, armour and pieces of the Colosseum. BUILDING BLOCKS FOR LEARNING From astronauts plummeting through space, and knights fighting to save their princesses, right through to wizard adventures, Year 2 boys brought their imaginations to life with a visit to the Lego Education Centre. Boys discovered how robotics, mechanisms, storytelling and creative construction can play a role in the learning process, and were able to construct various 3D scenes from their very own fairytales.
KNOCK
Who's there you ask? A generous group of BBC boys keen to make a difference. Each year Middle and Senior School students take to the streets to help support The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal. In May this year, boys spoke with residents in Indooroopilly, Toowong and Taringa to share the Salvos story and to engender support for its vital work.
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BBC ARTS
28 Life in lyrics
Boys perform their original works in front of 18 ARIA award winner, Darren Middleton
31 Hello USA
Snapshots from the 2016 December Music Tour
33 Digital tributes
An exploration of where our identity starts and stops online
34 Raising aspirations
College Strings awarded first place at the inaugural ASPIRE International Youth Festival
32
The Crucible
A tale of deep fears, dark desires, brutality, revenge and love COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
28 | BBC ARTS
Life in lyrics It’s not every day that you get to perform an original piece in front of, let alone alongside, Australian music legend, 18 ARIA award winner and BBC Old Boy Darren Middleton (1988). Renowned for his time as lead guitarist and songwriter for Powderfinger and most recently for his work as a solo artist, Darren returned to the College in July to play ‘judge’ at BBC’s inaugural songwriting competition, aptly named in his honour. The initiative, driven by Dan Pratt and Don Le who head BBC’s Rock program, saw a number of boys perform an original work as either an individual artist or band. Each performance was distinct and their narratives told of the depth of emotion these boys are capable of feeling, the opinions they hold and the stories they already have to tell. From raw acoustics, to alternate rock, through to future bass, a range of genres was on display, yet it was band 7.00PM which took out the title on the night with its somewhat futuristic number.
“It’s wonderful to see so many young artists here tonight prepared to present new music and concepts to the world,” said Darren. “There is clearly a lot of creativity coming out of this school and I just can’t get enough of it,” he said. “Judging music is not always something I like to do because music is so personal and it comes down to individual taste, so this is one of the toughest gigs I’ve had in a long time. “But 7.00PM took me to an interesting place musically and I applaud them for their willingness to experiment and to bring this level of creativity to the stage.”
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Winning the Darren Middleton competition was an amazing surprise, it is an honour to be selected as the first winner by such a legendary songwriter. It was also great to see how much songwriting talent was up on stage for the finals,” said band member Mitch Patullo, 7.00PM. As results were tallied, Darren delivered a special set for the audience drawing on songs from his first and second solo LPs as well as a ‘work in progress’ piece, set to feature on his third album - due for release sometime next year. To top things off, Ben Hobart, Tom Jolly, Edward Austin and Lachlan Barnard, who are members of the band Sticks, took to the stage with Darren to deliver a Powderfinger favourite, Love Your Way, from their 2003 album Vulture Street.
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Playing in a band with Darren Middleton was an incredibly surreal experience. Having heard his songs on the radio and then to actually play them on stage with him was something that only exists in dreams. It was an amazing experience and I loved every minute of it,” said Ben. The following day, boys were given the opportunity to participate in a series of workshops with Darren where they could ask questions and learn from his extensive experience working and operating within the music industry.
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30 | BBC ARTS
CREATING A SPACE FOR SONGWRITING Dan Pratt first met Darren after a gig with his own band Drawn From Bees at the Valley Fiesta. The pair continued to keep in touch and last year The Darren Middleton Songwriting Competition was born. Beyond fostering each boy’s musicality, Dan believes BBC’s Rock program enables boys to strengthen their critical thinking, problem solving and reasoning skills. “When boys are listening to or learning to read music they’re decoding, drawing on parts of the brain that manage executive function and memory recall. When boys are creating music, almost every centre of the brain is engaged simultaneously – and that’s pretty amazing,” said Dan. “It’s the type of learning that you really can’t experience elsewhere. It provides boys with an opportunity to have fun, to create, all while refining their negotiation skills, and that’s because when it comes to songwriting, there’s no right or wrong answer.
“Conceptually every song will be different and each will be open to interpretation and personal taste, so in the case of our rock bands, they must work in unison if they are to deliver a piece capable of engaging, moving and inspiring an audience.” Reflecting back on his own time at school and the musical journey that has followed, Darren recognises the value in providing young people with these types of opportunities. “While there were songwriting competitions around, they certainly weren’t taking place in schools during the 80s,” he said. “I think these types of initiatives are so important. Even if nothing comes of their musical career it’s still a passion that should be encouraged. “If nothing else it will change the way they think about things and how they approach work and life.” For BBC Music teacher, Don Le, songwriting provides boys with an opportunity to tell their
DESIGNED TO PROVIDE BOYS WITH AN AVENUE TO EXPLORE THE ART OF SONGWRITING AND TO UNEARTH EMERGING TALENT THE COMPETITION CAME TO FRUITION FOLLOWING A CHANCE MEETING BETWEEN DAN AND DARREN.
stories in a unique and distinctly personal way. “There are many opportunities for students to perform traditional and renowned pieces. The Rock program enables boys to explore music at a contemporary level. Our role as educators is to help boys understand the creative process and to remove some of the barriers that often exist when it comes to creating something from nothing,” said Don. “It’s important for them to wrestle with their ideas in their own way first and foremost. It’s not about solving the problem for them, but providing them with a framework for exploration and creativity and that often starts by asking ‘what is the story that you want to tell?’ “The depth of the lyrical content on display at the competition final was truly amazing on so many levels and it has been great to see both individual artists and our bands progress. “We are thrilled with how the competition was received and we hope to make this an annual event.”
THE LIFE OF AN AUSTRALIAN MUSIC LEGEND WHILE DARREN WAS VISITING THE COLLEGE WE TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHAT ABOUT ALL THINGS MUSIC AND LIFE, WHICH ARE ONE AND THE SAME WHEN TALKING TO THIS TALENTED AND DISTINCTIVE ARTIST. YOU CAN READ MORE IN CONNECT ON PAGE 53.
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RECAP
USA It may have taken place late last year, yet the memories and that feeling of exploring a new place will no doubt remain for years to come for the 42 students and six staff who took part in the USA Music Tour in December 2016. From visiting the Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Museum and Memorial and Lincoln Memorial through to hearing a rehearsal of the New York Philharmonic and spending a day at the Mid-West Music Conference in Chicago, there were no shortages of highlights. Our touring musicians also enjoyed four combined concerts with American schools as well as workshops with internationally renowned Music educators. In this edition of Collegian we share some tour ‘happy snaps’.
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
32 | BBC ARTS
the
CRUCIBLE by arthur miller
Headlines scream blame at us daily, fingers are pointed at fake news, politicians and outsiders. The gulf between ‘them and us’ has never seemed wider. But in times of uncertainty and pressure, fear, hatred and hysteria, what lies beneath the surface? In May, over four thrilling acts, students from Brisbane Boys’ College, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls' School and Ipswich Girls Grammar School delivered a tale of deep fears, dark desires, brutality, revenge and love in Arthur Miller’s masterpiece, The Crucible. This year the performance was held off site, with The Princess Theatre at Woolloongabba providing the perfect setting for a piece that examines who we are behind the thin veneer of civility. According to Director and Master in Charge of Theatre, Catherine Heffernan, choosing the play was a test in itself. “Deciding what would suit the students, the audience and the times is a challenge. However, sometimes the text, the times and the talent all coalesce,” said Catherine. “The Crucible is a play about balancing on the knife edge of integrity. Miller demands that we ask ourselves what we stand for; what truly makes a good person. In a moment of crisis, if we are tested, can any of us be sure that we would hold fast to what we know is right?
“These big questions were certainly explored and examined by an exceptional group of students and staff and it was a privilege to work with them in this year’s production.
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The students committed themselves with energy, enthusiasm and courage and in the face of challenges, these extraordinary people continued to rise again and again to exceed our expectations. “Unlike many of the characters they portrayed, they didn’t let fear shape them. They were brave in stepping out of their comfort zones and in exploring a complex play with sensitivity and understanding."”
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D I G I TA L T R I B U T E S BEFORE SOCIAL MEDIA AS WE KNOW IT TODAY EVEN EXISTED, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST ERIK ERICKSON SAID, “IN THE SOCIAL JUNGLE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE, THERE IS NO FEELING OF BEING ALIVE WITHOUT A SENSE OF IDENTITY.” His insight honours the complexity of human connection and the need to belong. Yet in today’s complex social landscape, where we find ourselves deep in the jungle and drawn to sharing our stories online, where does our sense of identity start and stop, and how far apart is the life we portray from the one we lead each and every day? With the mainstage production done for another year, and to provide boys with an avenue to explore this evolving space, the Theatre Club has turned its focus to a new initiative, Digital Tributes. Boys wanting to take part will be required to research a well-known person
with a strong social media presence and to deliver a tribute based solely on the information they find contained within these channels. Each participant chooses their perspective—be it one of a journalist, a fan, a family member or even perhaps an industry rival —and will work to craft their own monologue under the mentorship of Drama teachers Judilyn Bauer and Catherine Heffernan. Set to take place in October, the theatre promises to be short, sharp, raw and deeply insightful.
IN CLASS visual effects Film and Television students were able to learn from industry professionals, including specialist editors and make-up artists with Activate Entertainment, visiting the school recently. The team provided boys with valuable insights to assist them with their zombie film productions which the group is currently completing in class. They also ran a workshop on Transmedia film making that explores the concept of taking an idea and expanding its ‘universe’ through the use of other platforms such as mobile, tablet, e-books, websites and journals, to create a distinctive layer for each aspect of the story. Boys for example, in line with their project, created a website where a student survivor has blogged about his experience of the zombie attack. Students enjoyed the workshop from Velbella who taught boys how to correctly apply realistic zombie wounds and bite marks with wax and fake blood.
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
34 | BBC ARTS
Musical minds combine for Resurrection
RAISING ASPIRATIONS ASPIRE International Youth Music Festival represents a competition of a new level; attracting world renowned adjudicators from across the globe and some of the best young musicians internationally, including our very own BBC musicians. An invitational event open to secondary school concert bands, orchestras, choirs and jazz bands worldwide, the festival aims to raise the aspirations of young musicians. Held during the recent holidays, members from BBC’s College Strings took part in a series of workshops, masterclasses and performances at the inaugural event, with the ensemble awarded first place in the String Orchestra section. Following their success, boys were invited to perform and compete in the Grand Finale Gala Concert featuring the Royal Australian Navy Band and winners from the various competition categories.
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According to BBC’s Director of Performance Music, Theo Kotzas, the event enabled boys to perform to an international audience and to engage with their ‘global’ peers. “The boys were truly outstanding and their ability and willingness to grow as musicians continues to inspire me,” said Theo. “Boys were able to hear from industry leaders including John Curro, the Founder and Director of Music for Queensland Youth Orchestras (QYO), and contemporary classical musician Louise King. “To have their work critiqued and endorsed by the highly-regarded Peter Luff and Sarah-Grace Williams was both an honour and a great privilege.”
The boys were truly outstanding and their ability and willingness to grow as musicians continues to inspire me,”
To watch College Strings rehearse and perform their winning piece, Prelude, from the Concerto Grosso for String Orchestra and Piano by Ernest Bloch, visit our Vimeo channel https://vimeo.com/brisbaneboyscollege
BBC choristers were fortunate enough to join with the UQ Symphony Orchestra and the UQ Chorale in concert with triple Grammy award-winner, Tim Munro, in May as part of the UQ School of Music Vice-Chancellor’s Concert Series. Titled Resurrection, audiences experienced the scale and majesty of the well renowned piece Songbirdsongs by John Luther Adams, performed by flautists and percussionists in collaboration with Tim, with more than 400 performers on stage. According to BBC's Director of Choral and Vocal Brett Holland, the event provided boys with invaluable experience. “The opportunity to perform as part of a grand work is very special," said Brett. "To then perform to a full house alongside such professionals is truly something else," he said. "We are incredibly grateful for the opportunities our association with the University of Queensland continues to provide. "We have a significant number of old boys singing in the University Chorale for credit points towards their courses with some looking to graduate concurrently with a Diploma of Music Performance after three years with that ensemble. "It really is a great 'value add' for these students in that not only are they able to continue singing and performing after leaving BBC, they're able to gain a significant second qualification for their efforts.”
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BBC SPORTS 36 Five times running
BBC's First IV make College history securing the premiership for the fifth consecutive year
40 Commonwealth Youth Games win
Volleyball player Mark Nicolaidis claims bronze on the world stage
41 Country counterparts
A team of staff and students travel to Moree for the College's annual rugby clinic
42 To lead and mentor
Meet the coaches behind BBC's Rugby program
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Podium finish BBC's Junior and Senior cross country teams secure a podium finish COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
36 | BBC SPORT
FIVE TIMES RUNNING IT WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY AT THE GPS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP THIS YEAR AS A CROWD OF SUPPORTERS RALLIED TOGETHER IN THE HOPE OF WITNESSING HISTORY… AND THAT THEY DID.
IMAGE TOP: ANDREW ROLPH, CHRIS ROLPH, DANE SWEENY, FINN MACNAMARA, BRYN NAHRUNG, HEADMASTER, LIAM FRANKLIN, JACOB HEGEDUS, RYAN HAYES, PAUL SETCH, CONNOR GRANT ABOVE: BRYN NAHRUNG AND DANE SWEENY CELEBRATE THEIR WIN ABOVE RIGHT: BBC TENNIS COURTS 1936
Following a series of intensive games, BBC’s First IV defeated Gregory Terrace to claim premiership victory with a five rubbers to one win for the fifth consecutive year - the achievement the first of its kind in the College’s 115 years.
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TENNIS COURTS 1936
+ TENNIS FLASHBACK The quality of our current professionally surfaced tennis courts has helped produce some remarkable results including an unbroken BBC GPS record: five consecutive wins from 2013 to 2017. Tennis was a popular sport in the early days at Clayfield, unhampered by the lack of courts. This was due to the generosity of several local residents, namely, Dr Halford and Mr JJ Trundle, who offered their grass courts for College use. In 1919 three courts were built in the College grounds. Before the formation of GPS (Great Public Schools Association of Queensland) in 1918, the Clayfield First IV of RB Steele (Captain), AV Bignell, H Ferguson and AR Cleghorn played in QLTA fixtures, against a variety of local teams. You can read more in Flashback on page 73.
Rowing and Gymnastics may have come close in the 50s and 90s respectively with four consecutive wins, but securing five has remained the challenge up until now. Boys, staff, parents, past players and old boys filled the surrounding hills, the stairs and the corridors as they eagerly watched on as the First IV, consisting of Dane Sweeny, Liam Franklin, Finn Macnamara, Ryan Hayes, Jacob Hegedus and Captain Bryn Nahrung, worked to secure the title of undefeated premiers. Their support did not go unnoticed, and in a message to the community, Bryn expressed the team's gratitude. “For six years since taking up tennis I have dreamt of making the BBC Firsts, and perhaps being Tennis Captain and winning a premiership,” said Bryn. “Yet never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the support and spirit tennis at BBC received on Friday night,” he said. “On behalf of Ryan, myself and the whole team we thank the entire school community from the bottom of our hearts, and to all our BBC brothers - you were simply amazing. “The feeling as we ran through the tunnel will stay with us for the rest of our lives. We had hoped for some support but that atmosphere was beyond our imagination and we were honoured to get the job done and get the result for you all. “As I looked up from the courts I saw the story of my BBC life: parents from sporting teams I have been in, Junior and Senior School teachers, old boys, previous Firsts players, coaches and of course the sea of Green, White and Black brothers, you were all there.”
Beyond the glory, for Bryn his tennis journey has been characterised by more than simply wins. “It’s been about the journey with my seniors, the unbreakable friendships that grew stronger and stronger each year. It’s been the unimaginable sense of community that BBC Tennis and all those involved has brought to me every day. “It’s been about countless different aspects which I could list for hours, but the one thing it has always been about the most, is the team, our team.” Bryn’s sentiments encapsulate what the BBC Tennis program is all about and reflect the philosophies and beliefs instilled by BBC’s Director of Tennis, Chris Rolph, and his team of dedicated coaches and educators. “This year’s First IV had all the characteristics of a good team; they respected each other and enjoyed each other’s company,” said Chris. “They shared a common direction and were well led by Captain Bryn Nahrung,” he said. “Their Coaches Andrew Rolph and Ben Mitchell did an outstanding job across a season that delivered many obstacles including those outside of our control with varied weather conditions playing their part. “Their efforts coupled with the expertise of our performance sport specialist, Connor Grant, helped the team to overcome challenges and to persevere when the going got tough. “Beyond the Firsts all 29 teams that represented BBC in 2017 finished in a top three position, which is an amazing achievement. “The 5A, 6A, 6C, 10D, 10C, 11A and Third IV teams also remained undefeated and our youngest players continue to improve which is very pleasing for the future of tennis at the College.”
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38 | BBC SPORT
GOING THE DISTANCE IN THE ULTIMATE TEST OF ENDURANCE, THIS YEAR’S CROSS COUNTRY TEAM SECURED STRONG RESULTS AT THE GPS CHAMPIONSHIPS AT LIMESTONE PARK WITH BOTH THE 10 TO 12 YEARS AND 13 TO OPEN TEAMS CLAIMING A PODIUM FINISH.
With 31 points BBC placed equal third in the Senior division, just five points behind second place, The Southport School, with BBC Juniors securing a competitive 24 points, narrowly missing out on first place to Nudgee College by just four points; an achievement that represents a third consecutive second place for the 10 to 12 Years team.
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According to BBC’s Director of Athletics (Cross Country/Track and Field) Russel Hansen, this year’s result was the culmination of many factors. “This was the first time in 23 years that our Senior team has secured a podium finish, the last was in 1993. The boys worked extremely hard throughout the season to increase their fitness levels to be specifically prepared to race the Limestone Park course,” said Russel. “This is in no small part thanks to Head Coach, Jayden Russ, who delivered an outstanding training program including the camp at Tallebudgera held over the Easter holiday break,” he said. “The points contributed to the aggregate total by the 13, 14 and 15 Years age groups was also a significant contributing factor to our overall success this year. “We also secured first and second positions across three age groups and this is a particularly rare achievement for any school team.
“In the 12 Years event Jamie Alexander and Matt Deighton finished first and second respectively, as did Flynn Pumpa and Jackson Medway in the 13 Years event and Patrick Thygesen and Will Stephen in the 15 Years age group. “Pat continues to show his strength as an athlete having now secured first position in his age group for three consecutive years. “Our seniors also showed great commitment and leadership throughout the season and the work ethic of Captain Ben Israel and others such as James Heading was fantastic. “They worked hard to generate a sense of team spirit with events such as the ‘board shorts relay’—an initiative of Matthew Barnes—held on the last Friday before the championship event. “Our parents of course, also provide a solid backbone for all that we do and the parent support group, led by Richard Bennett, played an incredibly active role in supporting the boys this season.”
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40 | BBC SPORT
COMMONWEALTH YOUTH GAMES MEDAL WIN Ten of Australia’s most promising young beach volleyballers, including BBC’s Captain of Volleyball and Year 12 student Mark Nicolaidis, have returned home after competing on the world stage in the Commonwealth Youth Games. Mark and volleyball partner, James Takken, joined with more than 1300 athletes from 70 Commonwealth countries in the Bahamas to take part in the event held between 19 and 23 July. Commencing on the Gold Cost for the official pre-games camp, Mark and James went on to play some exceptional volleyball, which saw them secure a well-deserved win against Ghana and return home with bronze in their hands. After going down to the strong English pairing the day prior in the semi-finals (coincidently featuring identical twins born on the same day as Mark), the boys bounced back to deliver the performance of a lifetime. The achievement follows a string of accolades for Mark including representing Australia in the recent World Tour, claiming gold in the Queensland Under 19 Junior Beach Championships, the Queensland Premier Men’s Beach Championship and just prior to his Commonwealth
win, a gold medal at the Under 19 National Beach Tournament. He was also recently named male captain of the Queensland National Beach Volleyball team, in addition to Captain of the Met West Under 19 squad. And as if that wasn’t quite enough, Mark is also part of the Queensland Elite Development Program run by the Queensland Academy of Sport, not to mention his position in the Queensland Under 19 Indoor Squad, where he’s joined by fellow Year 12 student Nikita Khromykh. At 198cm with a block jump reach of 324cm, Nikita also carries a string of impressive achievements in the volleyball arena, most notably his selection on the Australian Youth Team last year and again in 2017. The team is set to travel to Japan later this year for a development tour and to compete in the Under 18 Asian Championships.
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COUNTRY COUNTERPARTS Local kids were able to enjoy a free rugby clinic on Saturday 18 June at the Moree Rugby Club, with a team of BBC staff and students heading south for their annual trip to the region. With a bus full of sports gear, boys travelled to Moree to help host a clinic for local children and compete in the Junior Rugby carnival in Coonabarabran. Now in its fourth year, the annual sports clinic continues to grow in popularity with more than 40 children, aged between five and 14 years, joining BBC students and staff at the Moree Rugby Club for this year’s event. Led by expert coaching staff including BBC’s Director of Rugby and former Australian Schoolboys Coach Steve Phillpotts, Middle School Housemaster Tim Harris and BBC's Under 12 rugby players, the initiative offers a unique experience for all involved. “The clinics are designed to engage boys and girls from the community in a fun and active environment that’s close to home,” explains Steve.
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Beyond this, it’s an opportunity for our boys to foster new friendships, to listen and learn from others, all while developing their own communication and leadership skills,” he said. While in the region, boys were able to lend a hand on the 'Myall Plains' property, managed by Charlie and Archie McGown’s uncle, Edward Tomlinson. “Boys eagerly collected branches from fallen trees to ensure clear ground for the impending cattle mustering. “It was great to see our boys get their hands dirty and use their on-field teamwork to help complete this off-field task.
“At the time, the property’s cotton harvest was being completed and following a freshly cooked damper and jam morning tea, the group was able to learn more about the harvesting process.” Boys then headed 2.5 hours west to take part in a local carnival, where they were able to experience firsthand country club competition. “Our boys produced a great style of rugby against a strong Narrabri Under 12 team which proved to be the stronger opponents on two occasions, before our boys were victors in the third and final match. “The trip back to Moree was a time to reflect on the spirit and sportsmanship so abundant in the country, where travel times such as those experienced by the boys - just for a game of rugby - is common place.”
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42 | BBC SPORT
TO LEAD AND MENTOR If school sport is to play an integral role in the development of young men, then the quality of coaching has to be of the highest order. BBC Rugby is fortunate to have, among its coaching group, some wonderful and recognisable names and faces. The team of First XV coaches is again led by Shane Drahm, a former Queensland Reds and Australian 7s representative. Shane continues to drive a culture of respect, commitment and enjoyment amongst BBC’s First XV. The First XV Forwards are coached by Van Humphries who has represented the Queensland Reds, NSW Waratahs and Australian Wallabies, having begun his career playing rugby in Moree. He is joined by Toutai Kefu, a Queensland and Wallabies legend having won Bledisloe Cups, Tri-Nations Tournaments and a Rugby World Cup, prior to turning his hand to coaching. He is actively involved with BBC’s First XV as a Skills Coach and the broader rugby program in coach development. Toutai is also the incumbent Head Coach of Tonga, who have recently qualified for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
Steve Nance is BBC’s Head of Athletic Performance and is directly involved in all aspects of the College’s Strength and Conditioning program, in addition to coaching the Second XV. Steve’s background in strength and conditioning includes significant roles with the Australian Wallabies and Brisbane Broncos, to name but a few. Lote Tuqiri, a BBC Parent, delivers a regular skills session for a number of age groups. His focus is on the ‘back three’. Lote is a dual international, having played for both the Australian Wallabies and Australian Kangaroos. He played State of Origin for Queensland and Super Rugby for the NSW Waratahs. Elwee Prinsloo joined the College this year as an Age Group Specialist Coach with the Under 13, 14, 15 and 16 Year groups. Elwee comes to BBC from the Western Force Super Rugby Team. In Perth, he was also coach of the West Australian Under 20s. These men work with a large group of other enthusiastic coaches who are driving a successful and enjoyable rugby experience for all BBC Rugby players.
KEEPING SCORE A new digital scoreboard has been installed in the south-west corner of Miskin Oval at BBC. Following support from various levels within the College and a wellsupported Rugby Support Group (RSG) fundraising function, the digital scoreboard was designed and partly funded by the group. The scoreboard can be utilised for rugby, cricket and soccer. The structure also provides a signed arrival point at the Miskin Street entrance. The project was designed by Jono Medhurst (Old Boy 1977), DM2 Architecture and the structure built by Bruce Clarke, Clarke Constructions (Old Boy 1981). The Scoreboard was supplied by Southern Cross scoreboards and signage created by Griffith Graphics. The BBC Co‐curricular Activities Department through Mark Dwyer assisted with the funding of the construction works. The BBC RSG would like to thank all involved in making this worthwhile project a reality.
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SPORTING short reads MASTER YOUR MOVE
With the GPS Chess season well under way, BBC boys have been working to master their moves, with guidance from Brodie McClymont, one of Australia’s fastest rising chess stars. Beyond his skill and understanding in the areas of performance psychology, Brodie is self taught and is the first person in Australia to be named an International Master without leaving the country. His ability has seen him achieve chess superiority and in one year win 77 games, draw seven and experience defeat for just seven of his 91 games played. Brodie regularly travels throughout Australia playing in chess tournaments and is currently the Queensland Chess Champion. He is ranked tenth in Australia and is the 2017 Australian Blitz Champion.
ROBOTICS SUPERTEAM WORLD CHAMPIONS
Competing against some of the world’s best robotic stars, BBC Team, LJ STAND was crowned World Champions for the Junior Lightweight Soccer Superteam Challenge in the Robocup held in Nagoya, Japan during July. Their robot scored 80 percent of the goals for their Superteam, including all seven goals in the final round of competition. Our boys also placed third in the Individual Robocup World Championship Challenge. This is the second time a BBC team has been crowned World Champions in the Superteam Challenge - an achievement that gives weight to the exceptional Robotics program run by BBC's Master in Charge, Colin Noy. To read the full story, visit BBC's website and click on 'News'.
A VISIT FROM THE GOVERNOR
During June the BBC community welcomed the Governor of Queensland, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC as a special guest at the last home game for GPS Football. Members of our First XI team were introduced and were able to speak with His Excellency prior to the coin toss.
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IN OTHER SPORTS, THE FOLLOWING BOYS WERE CHOSEN TO REPRESENT THEIR STATE:
REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS BOYS HAVE CONTINUED TO EXCEED WITHIN AND OUTSIDE OF THE GPS PROGRAM THIS YEAR HAVING BEEN SELECTED FOR A HOST OF REPRESENTATIVE POSITIONS. ACE MOVE Year 11 student Dane Sweeny was selected in the Davis Cup Camp Squad. Dane spent his court time hitting with the Aussie team and off court time learning from elite players and coaches. He was also lucky enough to be courtside when the Australian Davis Cup team qualified for the semi-finals following their win over USA in Brisbane. TRI NATIONS Trevor Hosea (Australian Schools), Tom Kibble (Australian Barbarians) and Cullen Ngamanu (Australian Barbarians) are set to represent their country in the Tri Nations Schoolboys tournament against Fiji and New Zealand in October. QUEENSLAND SCHOOLS Congratulations to First XV squad members Trevor Hosea (Queensland Schools 1), Tom Kibble (Q1), Cullen Ngamanu (Q1), Prynce Taugaele (Queensland Schools 2), Rhys Van Nek (Q2) and Carter Gordon (Q2) on their representative selections. LET IT SNOW The BBC Team of Max Baldwin, Thomas Hunt and William Hunt secured third place in the Queensland Team Boarder Cross (Division 1) at the Interschools Snowsports Championship held at Perisher during July. Sam Hunt was also awarded third place in the Queensland (Division 3) Boarder Cross. GOLFING PRO Year 10 student Sam Slater recently played four outstanding rounds to take out the Queensland Secondary Schools Golf Championships in Toowoomba on behalf of the Metropolitan West Golf Team. The golf superstar played over four days and won the event by three shots. This achievement will see Sam go on to represent Queensland in Adelaide in December. Previous winners of this state title have been professional golfers Adam Scott, Jason Day and Steven Bowditch. Fellow BBC student Lachlan Amos finished the tournament in 27th place from 70 competitors.
IN SEASON SUMMARY KICK IT Football constitutes BBC’s largest sport, with five to six teams competing in the majority of year groups. BBC finished second overall this season on the GPS ladder with 86 wins, 74 losses and 108 draws. AGILITY AND STRENGTH College Gymnasts continue to go from strength to strength. After securing fourth position in 2016, BBC delivered a solid performance at this year’s GPS championships to secure second place overall, behind Brisbane Grammar School and followed by The Southport School and Gregory Terrace respectively. IN THE WATER While not an official GPS sport, a significant number of boys gathered together each Friday evening during Term 2 to compete in this year’s water polo competition. BBC’s Year 7, 8 and 10A teams proved their strength in the water, remaining undefeated and claiming victory against Churchie in the finals with a score of 7-2, 8-5 and 9-5 respectively with the Year 10B and Seconds also securing a win on the night with 9-5 and 7-1.
CRICKET Max Carlyon - 15 Years Queensland Cricket Team FOOTBALL Oliver Duncan - New Zealand National Team VOLLEYBALL Ethan Waugh - 15 Years Volleyball Team James Bainbrigge - Queensland Volleyball, QAS Under 19s, Australian Men’s Junior Development Mark Nicolaidis - 2017 Australian Commonwealth Youth Games Team (Beach Volleyball) Nikita Khromykh - National Youth Team RUGBY (GPS) GPS 1 Trevor Hosea Tom Kibble Cullen Ngamanu Carter Gordon Xavier Vela-Tupuhi (unavailable as a result of injury) GPS 2 Prynce Taugaele Rhys Van Nek Matthew Stirling GPS 3 Tetuai Raoren Will Deck Rugby League Lukas Ripley - Queensland 15s Byron Johnson - Queensland 15s SWIMMING Lachlan Byrne - Australian Age Swimming Championships Patrick Traynor - Queensland Team Sam Kovac - Queensland Team Thomas Brentnall - Queensland Team TRIATHLON Mitchell Yarde Jackson Medway Lachlan Medway TENNIS Dane Sweeny - Australian Under 16 Davis Cup Team TRACK AND FIELD AUSTRALIAN TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS Ashley Moloney Patrick Thygesen William Stephen Dominic Thygesen Flynn Pumpa WATER POLO Jack Gallagher - Australian Schoolboys Water Polo Team William Downes - Australian Schoolboys Water Polo Team
INSIGHT R E S EA R C H
RESOURCES
P E R S P E CT I V E
48 Making sense of emotions
KidsMatter provide advice as to how parents can best navigate the emotions experienced by older children
49 Get connected
Putting parents in touch with resources
46
The future of work A guide to positioning your son for success
46 | INSIGHT
PARENT FORUM
THE FUTURE OF WORK POSITIONING YOUR SON FOR SUCCESS
Understanding the future of work is as important for parents as it is for boys, as they look to support their sons in transitioning into the workforce after school. While boys were able to learn more at BBC’s Careers Conference this year, the Parents and Friends’ Association’s most recent event provided the perfect forum for parents to discover how they can help position their sons for success. According to guest speaker and career management expert, Libby Marshall, while it’s difficult to accurately predict the jobs of the future, it is possible to identify the skills and proficiencies that will be required. This, according to Libby, is the key to navigating what has been termed the ‘VUCA world’. “Today we find ourselves operating in a highly complex and constantly changing world,” explains Libby. “VUCA is a known acronym for describing our current business environment. Our world today can be described as Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. This word was first coined by the US Military to frame the environment of Iraq and Afghanistan in the Middle East 10 to 12 years ago. It was used to contextualise the environment so the military could build frameworks to manage their response,” she said. “A few years later, this terminology found its way into other realms and has since been adopted by business practitioners to help frame our current work environment. “Most of us in recent years, to some extent would have experienced the effects of a VUCA world. It’s the type of environment that can leave any person feeling somewhat overwhelmed, nervous for the future and unsure of next steps." This model is particularly relevant to parents as they look to assist their sons in preparing for an unknown future. “I think one of the hardest things about being a parent is that we don’t want our kids to make the same mistakes as we did,” says Libby. “Yet, if we think about it, some of our greatest learnings came from the mistakes we made as children and as young adults, as we explored our interests, tested our capabilities and realised our potential. I believe it’s important to talk about our learnings from our own careers as we engage in conversation with our kids." For Libby, during these times, where there is much rhetoric around artificial intelligence and how jobs will disappear into the future, remembering that business is about people is key to helping children navigate the complex world of careers. “My philosophy is that business is about people. Often, we give more credit to the brand of a business rather than the organisational capability. For example, we talk about the State Government as a brand who decides on which project goes ahead and which project does not. At the centre of any decision is the capability of the people making a decision. This approach puts a whole new emphasis on an individual’s capability and contribution to decisions made within any organisational context. It is not brands that make decisions or enable innovation or create impact, it is people. People make the decisions that create value and foster innovation,
people enable change; and it’s people who ultimately decide on the allocation of resources. So, the capability of organisations is determined by its people. "With this in mind, helping our children to understand their value proposition, their capabilities, their potential and how they can stand out and communicate their value, as people, is critical to the journey. “Currently there are approximately 1,410,000 people enrolled in universities around Australia. Over the years the numbers of university graduates have increased exponentially. Now we find ourselves sometimes questioning the relevance of a degree. “I believe it is important to realise the employment market is highly competitive and that the degree or the study or the pathway chosen at the end of school, does not necessarily determine your success into the future. There are many examples of people who have not studied who have become highly successful and many examples of those who have transitioned during their careers." So how do we help our children stand out in this highly competitive employment market? Libby provides eight pointers: 1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7.
8.
Demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively – verbally, in writing, and as a member of a team. Be able to talk about your strengths, capabilities and potential and how these combine to add value and create impact. Have purpose – move with intent and identify what you want to do as opposed to what you want to be. Be socially and community minded – get involved in community causes and initiatives that mean something to you. It will open your network with like-minded people. Be positive, engaged and an active listener. Adopt a mindset of continual learning. Be conscious of people around you and open your mind and heart so that you adopt the characteristics of a continual learner. Adopt a mindset open to change and develop resilience – challenges, rejection and hardships are all part of life – how we manage these challenges and importantly, how we bounce back, impact the next steps. Take time to explore opportunities and take time to reflect on what is important as you take your next steps. Rushing into a job or position may lead to dissatisfaction. Remember, the job interview is a two-way process. The candidate should use the employment process to interview the people of the organisation as well.
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Libby also points to the importance of talking to your child about what success looks like and modelling a proactive approach to career planning. “It’s never too early to start talking about what success looks like. You can have this conversation with your child at any point. Ask them to think about what it looks like now and into the future. By understanding our success factors and expectations, we can measure progress made and also identify gaps for development." Libby also stresses the importance of focusing on strengths, not weaknesses. “Years ago, we were taught during leadership training to identify weaknesses with the objective to turn them into strengths. “Today’s modern learning is a totally different paradigm. Today experts advise us to concentrate on our strengths so that we can grow and develop them. It is still important to acknowledge and respect our weaknesses, but don’t focus on these. Focus on your strengths - that’s where you will shine.” In closing Libby offers the following advice: "If we can work with our children and guide them to think about what they want to do day to day to earn a living, rather than what they want to be, it changes our dialogue and flips outcomes so that they are defined by the contribution they can make to business, to the community, to the economy, rather than the title they look to hold."
SKILLS OF THE FUTURE Sense Making: being able to contextualise multiple sets of data – qualitative, quantitative, things that are happening in the environment – political data, technology data, any type of data. Social Intelligence: understanding how to work with different people, how to lead, manage and communicate. Novel and Adaptive Thinking: the ability to be creative, to connect the dots and to imagine what’s possible. Cross-Cultural Competency: the ability to work within or manage teams located across the globe. Computational Thinking: the ability to use your understanding of digital literacy to develop digital problem-solving tools. New Media Literacy: understanding all new media platforms and in particular identifying what are going to enable us to do our jobs better. Transdisciplinary: literacy in and ability to understand concepts across multiple disciplines. Design Mindset: ability to represent and develop tasks and work processes for desired outcomes. Cognitive Load Management: ability to discriminate and filter information for importance and to understand how to maximise cognitive functioning using a variety of tools and techniques. Virtual Collaboration: ability to work productively, drive engagement and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team.
KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Talk with your son about what he wants ‘to do’ vs what he wants ‘to be’. Identify strengths, natural talents and work from there. Start the dialogue now. Encourage a culture of transition and adaptiveness in your language. Model a proactive and motivated approach to change. Take time to read reports about industry growth sectors and discuss this with your son.
ABOUT LIBBY In her most recent position, Libby Marshall led the MBA employability and career management strategy as the Associate Director MBA at the University of Queensland Business School. Libby has more than 25 years experience in business. During this time Libby has worked in a diverse number of industries in the UK and Australia, within the disciplines of marketing, communications, organisational capability, people development and employability. Libby holds a strong track record for identifying emerging employment trends and business needs.
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KIDSMATTER RESOURCE
Making sense of older childrens' emotions The following KidsMatter article explores the world of adolescent emotion and how parents can better understand their child’s cues. KidsMatter is a national mental health initiative and BBC is an accredited KidsMatter School. Ten year old Tom, his friend Louis and Tom’s six year old brother, Josh, were trying out Tom’s new skateboard. Louis already knew a bit about skateboards, and he offered to show Tom and Josh how to do turns. It was harder than it looked. Tom slipped off and tumbled over. The others laughed. “Show me again,” Tom said to Louis. After watching Louis carefully and trying again, Tom was starting to get it. “I just need to keep practising,” he thought. Then it was Josh’s turn. “I can help you if you like,” said Louis. Josh wanted to do it by himself, but he couldn’t get the hang of it. When he tried to turn, the skateboard kept going straight and Josh landed on his bottom. The boys laughed, but Josh didn’t think it was funny. He got really angry at them. Then he ran inside to tell his mother how mean the two older boys were.
UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONS Children’s emotional reactions may be more complex than they appear. In the story Josh blames his hurt and angry feelings on the other boys. But was their behaviour the main problem for Josh? Or was it really that he was frustrated and disappointed over not being able to handle the skateboard as well as he would have liked? Learning to manage feelings and emotions is a very important part of children’s development. Emotions affect children’s ability to learn and relate to others, as well as their overall wellbeing.
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EMOTIONS AND SELF-CONCEPT Children’s emotions are not just a response to things that happen. They are influenced by what children think, especially by what they think about themselves and their abilities. Children often need support from parents and carers to manage their feelings effectively, particularly when they are young. Showing that you understand and accept children’s feelings is very important for supporting their emotional development. When children feel understood it is easier for them to learn to think through their feelings and work out effective ways to handle them. In the story, when Tom fell off the skateboard he told himself he could do it if he kept practising. This helpful thinking allowed him to put aside feelings of frustration and embarrassment, and keep trying.
Get Connected
Putting parents in touch with resources
TED-ED Lessons worth sharing
HOW PARENTS AND CARERS CAN HELP
https://ed.ted.com/about
Parents and carers can support children’s emotional development by tuning in to feelings, helping children understand feelings, and encouraging them to work out ways to manage feelings effectively. The following suggestions may be helpful.
TED-Ed is designed to spark and celebrate the ideas of teachers
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Tune in to children’s feelings and try to understand things from their point of view. This allows you to help them identify their feelings and the ways that feelings work. Show that you accept and respect children’s feelings. Accepting feelings is necessary before working out a way to manage them. Remember that it’s not always easy for children to know what is bothering them, and they may not always want to talk about it. Show children how you manage your own feelings effectively. If you act calmly it will help to reassure children that they can even manage difficult feelings. Acknowledge children’s efforts to manage feelings. This helps them see their progress and motivates them to use the helpful strategies they are developing in other situations.
Everyone has feelings. It takes time to learn how to manage them effectively.
SOMETHING TO TRY • • •
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Observe your child and take note of the situations that seem to trigger a particular emotional response. Think about how your child might be feeling given his or her age and stage of development. Talk and listen to your child about how he or she is feeling. Acknowledge both your child’s feelings and his or her efforts to cope. Talk about helpful ways of managing feelings and encourage your child to try out different options.
TED believes passionately that ideas have the power to change
attitudes, lives, and ultimately, the world. Their education channel, and students from around the world. From a growing library of original animated videos, to providing an international platform for teachers to create their own interactive lessons, to helping curious students around the globe to learn more, TED-Ed is not only an award-winning education platform that serves millions of teachers and students, but a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the world around them.
RECOMMENDED READ Nurturing Young Minds
Dr Ramesh Manocha In what has been labelled ‘the most authoritative and up-to-date collection of information about a range of issues affecting young people in the digital age’, Dr Ramesh Manocha explores the areas of online behaviour management, cyberbullying, mental health and making good choices. Being a teenager has never been easy, but the digital age has brought with it unique challenges for young people and the adults in their lives. Nurturing Young Minds: Mental Wellbeing in the Digital Age collects expert advice on how to tackle the terrors of the twenty-first century and is a companion to Growing Happy, Healthy Young Minds. A comprehensive and easily accessible guide for parents, teachers, counsellors and health care professionals, this book contains important advice about managing online behaviour, computer game addiction and cyberbullying, as well as essential information on learning disorders, social skills and emotional health.
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CONNECT O LD C O LLE G IAN S
W H E R E AR E T H E Y N OW
51 From the Alumni Office
A message from OCA President, Chris Hartley
53 Interview: Darren Middleton 18 ARIA award winner, former Powderfinger lead guitarist and singer songwriter Darren Middleton returns to the College
57 Kicking goals
Meet the BBC Old Boys behind one of Australia's leading manufacturers of performance leather
60 Meet Thailand's Honorary Consul for Queensland
Learn more about BBC Old Boy Andrew Park and his latest endeavour
59
Shared wisdom Old Boy David Moffatt imparts his wisdom at a recent networking breakfast held as part of the OCA's Mentoring Program
E VE N TS
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OCA PRESIDENT
CHRIS HARTLEY
Strengthening the tie 2017 has so far been one of reinvigoration for the Old Collegians’ Association. Whilst our membership has continued to enjoy a host of events and initiatives to foster engagement and community, we have seen some introductions that will only add to our already flourishing program. We hosted our first professional networking breakfast in May to enable Old Boys from across a variety of generations to come together on a social and working level. With leading telecommunications, media and finance executive – and former BBC Old Boy (1978) – David Moffatt on hand as guest speaker, the morning gathering was one of great camaraderie and learning. Given the strong support shown first-up, we will certainly be running similar forums again in the future. We held our AGM in June and with that some new faces were elected to the Executive Committee. I welcome Andrew Stephen (1994), Graham Sagar (1969), Julian Morrow (2007), Murray McNaught (1992) and Russell Byrnes (1985). This will no doubt bring fresh energy and ideas to the table. With their arrival, accordingly a debt of gratitude is owed to Alex Persley (2000), Guy Edgecombe (1975), Chris Humphrey (1990) and John ‘The Bull’ Stewart (1953) who have stepped back from the committee for the time being. It is the magnificent efforts from people like these, volunteering their time, who make the OCA work so well. Thank you gentlemen. In addition, our Sydney reunion in February was a terrific chance to catch up with our former students who have ventured south since school days, the Vintage Collegians’ enjoyed their Toowoomba, Gold Coast and Mt Mee luncheons,
and the Young Old Boys' relaxed at their social event in early May with over 70 Old Collegians attending that particular night. The second half of the year is always busy as our focus turns to our two premier events, the BBC Long Lunch and Old Boys’ Weekend. The Triffid was again the venue for our luncheon and tickets raced out the door, giving us our first Long Lunch ‘sell out’ in just its third year. It was certainly a jubilant affair with more than 200 Old Collegians and friends of the College enjoying an afternoon of laughs, and without doubt it is gaining in popularity every year. As this edition of Collegian goes to print, we look forward to welcoming our members back to the College for Old Boys’ Day with decade reunions taking place the night prior on Friday 25 August. We hope to see Old Boys’ Hill heaving in numbers beside Miskin Oval as the First XV do battle against Brisbane State High School. On a personal note, I have enjoyed sitting in as Acting Director of Alumni in Jarrod Turner’s absence, who has taken well-deserved long service leave from BBC and is reinvigorating himself overseas. This time has allowed me to gain an even greater understanding of the mountain of work that Jarrod, along with Kelly Edwards our Secretary and Development and Events Coordinator, accomplish for the OCA. As such, I thank them wholeheartedly for their ongoing support. I had best get back to work to make sure the second half of the OCA calendar is full of the same enthusiasm and spirit as the first, but I look forward to seeing you all at one of our aforementioned events.
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Generosity at its heart Each year, the BBC Foundation calls on its members and the community to give to its Annual Appeal. The appeal continues to be a testament to the power of collective giving and the impact our community can achieve. This year, the Foundation shared the Cox Family story, introducing BBC Boarder and Bush Kids Bursary recipient Edward. BBC Old Boy and bursary supporter Charlie Robinson, has continued to highlight the importance of providing these types of opportunities, over the years, for those children living in the bush. “I came from a sheep property in central Queensland and my sister and I were fortunate to be educated at boarding school. I was aware it was not easy for my parents to financially send both of us to a good school. By supporting the Bush Kids Bursary, I have been able to assist other boys from the bush to have lifelong memories of their time at BBC which I had the pleasure of experiencing,” said Charlie. BBC Foundation Chair, Andrew Macarthur, recently thanked donors for their generosity. “This remarkable community effort from BBC Old Boys, past and current parents, staff and friends of the College raised $56,980 for the Bush Kids Bursary,” said Andrew. “These funds will go a long way to helping another bush kid learn and live at BBC,” he said. “Beyond that, the difference a bursary makes to the lives of our boys and to their families cannot be measured. They will be forever grateful and that is an achievement our College can be proud of.” Richard Cox (’91), Edward’s father and BBC Old Boy is also grateful to the many Old Boys’ who gave and continue to support education for rural families at BBC. For BBC’s new Director of Development, Tiffany Hardy, the response has been inspiring.
“We hope our community has enjoyed learning more about where Edward lives, how he lives, how he learns, laughs, works, plays and studies; and we thank them for taking the time to listen to his story and to see the world through his and his family’s eyes,” said Tiffany. “We are also incredibly grateful for the support shown by those donors who gave to various BBC programs including $3,350 for the Indigenous Fund, $60,000 for the Boarding House Renovations, $750 for the Building Fund, $2,700 for the BBC Pipe Band and $10,000 in support of the new Miskin Oval Digital scoreboard,” she said. Tiffany joined the College in February, having worked in the University sector for more than 10 years in fundraising and alumni. “Philanthropist and author Kay Sprinkel-Grace once said, ‘In good times and bad, people give because you meet needs, not because you have needs’ and this sentiment sits at the core of my beliefs when it comes to giving,” said Tiffany. “I hope the Foundation can continue to demonstrate how it strives to meet the needs of our boys at BBC and support the College in its vital work,” she said. “I have been fortunate to meet some incredibly generous and passionate people since commencing earlier this year and I already feel so welcomed into this special community. “I look forward to continuing to build relationships with people across the school and progressing the philanthropic purpose of the BBC Foundation.”
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DARREN To describe him as down-to-earth feels somewhat understated for an artist as unique, diverse and talented as singer songwriter Darren Middleton (BBC 1988). Yet when speaking with Darren you can’t help but feel at ease and as though you’re in the presence of a certain kind of honesty that at times can be hard to find. His journey gives nothing but weight to his humble nature and intuitive approach for which he has become known. And as he describes his creative influences and the way in which he approaches the songwriting process, music appears to be somewhat of a sixth sense for Darren, secondary almost, with people and connection sitting at the core of his work and providing a ‘reason for being’ every day. His rise to fame, and that of Powderfinger, can only be described as legendary—a sentiment anyone growing up in the early 90s will readily endorse. Eighteen ARIA’s aside, their music has stood the test of time with their songs continuing to enjoy airplay today; songs that feel almost capable of transporting moments of the past into the present day.
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FROM TOP RIGHT: DARREN PERFORMS WITH BBC BAND STICKS; HANGING WITH POWDERFINGER, OPENING DAY AT SPLENDOUR AND THE TUNING FORK DUO (AS CAPTURED ON INSTAGRAM). OVER PAGE: DARREN ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS OF BBC'S SONGWRITING COMPETITION.
In this edition of Collegian we speak to Darren about his journey from high school musician, to lead guitarist and songwriter for Powderfinger, right through to where he finds himself today – revealing yet another layer as he pursues his solo career. From playing for Princess Mary through to jamming with Indian locals to Bollywood favourites, Darren’s career has undoubtedly granted him a collection of both unique and extraordinary moments. Yet the story behind where it all began is perhaps the story less told, but one that felt apt, or at least a good place to start, given Darren’s recent visit to the College and his involvement in BBC’s inaugural songwriting competition (which you can read more about in Arts on page 28).
REMEMBERING THOSE OLD SCHOOL DAYS Darren is the first to admit that his school days weren’t “particularly amazing or particularly bad—it was just school”. He was into sport and music to some degree, although it wasn’t until Year 10 that he discovered it in a big way. So while the type of music program that exists at the College today may have been absent, Darren, thanks to a friend and a healthy dash of natural curiosity, found music for himself, while making what have turned out to be friends for life. Darren recalls the time when friend—Alex Fitzsimmons— asked him to take his guitar home after football training. He just started, picked it up and loved it; and that’s how ‘Pirates’, his first band, was formed. There was a rule at the school at the time (one that still exists today) that you couldn’t have hair below the collar. “We wanted to grow our hair long, because it was the 80s and big hair was the thing and we would gel it and curl it under in place,” laughs Darren. “It must have looked hideous but we did what we needed to do.” After playing at birthday parties and other significant events, Darren joined forces with Sonic Tapestry—again with some BBC mates—who supported Powderfinger at several gigs. At this point Powderfinger was more of a cover band and after seeing Darren perform, approached him to join. “It was a hard decision because my friends were obviously in the band. Yet one was on his way to being a dentist and the other pursing studies of his own. None of them were like ‘this is what I really want to do’ so I said yes. “I’ve never really looked back.”
FROM COVER BAND TO ARIA AWARD WINNERS Can you describe the feeling when Powderfinger first started to gain traction on the Australian music charts? It was always
unexpected and always amazing. We were honestly humble about it – we never expected anything great to happen. Not that we ever thought badly or down on ourselves, we just never assumed the next album was going to be bigger than the last one, yet somehow it always was and it never stopped feeling somewhat bizarre. There were many points along the way where we all considered taking alternative pathways. For me that was being offered an apprenticeship at the Hilton as a chef – and I love cooking - so I had to make a really conscious decision at this time. But once we got to the point where we made a deliberate decision to keep going, the question we always asked was, ‘OK, how can we make it better each time?’ That formed our ethos.
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Imagine it would be almost impossible to pinpoint a moment in time, but is there something in particular that stands out from your Powderfinger days – be it a moment, a lesson, a feeling? It is hard to pinpoint, because our time together was so diverse. If anything I can only describe it as a collection of unique moments. Supporting Crowded House at their farewell show at the Sydney Opera House in 1996 was pretty amazing. I was a massive Crowded House Fan and there were more than 100,000 people there. We also did a lot of Big Day Out tours and each time we’d get ‘bumped up’ and closer to the lead act and we’d be thinking ‘jeez this is amazing’. Being flown to Copenhagen to perform at Princess Mary's wedding was also a truly unique experience. Parting ways must have been hard for you all, how different was touring together vs your touring experiences today? It’s completely different, yet I really love it because it’s a very small group that I work with and we have a lot of fun together. I was actually only talking to the guys in the ‘fingers’ recently and it can be easy for all of us to forget those days. But when you’ve been in a relationship for 20 years and have lived out of each other’s back pockets it’s also something that never truly leaves you. We parted as friends so there’s a real kind of comfort and familiarity that just doesn’t go away. I get to enjoy really great experiences today, but as soon as I touch base with the others I always think – man, what we had was, and is, still really good.
THE END AND THE BEGINNING From lead guitarist and songwriter to solo artist – can you tell us a little about that transition. How did this manifest in your first LP, Translations? The last few years have been busy with touring, yet after Powderfinger I found myself pretty lost and without direction. I almost had to force myself to start again. Yet once I did I just fell back in love with it completely. I spent a good few years, stripping my work back, and it’s all kind of very quiet, theatrette shows now. The complete opposite to what I had done with Powderfinger - the massive stadium and noisy crowds. These were amazing experiences but I needed to get back to the start; to be able to make a connection with very little – without video screens, flashing lights and big loud anythings really. Translations was a learning curve. I had been writing songs for Powderfinger for a long time yet I was more of a guitarist, not really a singer. For my solo work I wanted to keep writing songs, but I also had to become the singer of those songs. I love singing, I always have, but I doubted myself a lot and enlisted the help of special friends and guest singers to carry as much of the load as possible! For the first record I was pretty shy in that sense but following my second album began to feel more comfortable with it. It just took a while to get there.
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FINDING MEANING IN MUSIC On Soundcloud you mention that you “make music that involves people” how does that translate when you’re creating new work? I'll get people involved wherever I can, and I find their input invaluable – in fact I consider it more valuable than my own. I hate to paint this with such a ‘general’ brush because it is quite a general statement yet ‘we’re all here on this Earth together and in essence all connected in some way’. Everyone goes through the same sort of struggles: trials, love, loss. For me music is about connection; it’s about people at its most intrinsic level. What sits at the heart of why you do what you do? What makes you choose music each and every day? There are a lot of songwriters who really put their lives on the paper but in doing this, perhaps miss that opportunity for the music to be ‘inclusive’ and I kind of like the ‘everyone’ vibe. People like Neil Finn do that really well. Bernard, when he was writing songs for Powderfinger would write like that. He would tell honest stories but would address them in a universal way. That’s what first attracted me to music and songwriting and continues to keep me interested today.
CURRENT CREATIVE PROJECTS You mentioned on a recent Facebook post that you’re excited to be ‘melting back into this record’. Is it true that you have to immerse yourself in the work in order to create? Yes, you kind of have to, at least for a certain period of time. It’s hard to just pick at it a little, although some people like to do that. I really have to fall back into it and stay there for a while, particularly when trying to overcome roadblocks, even if that means taking a detour or doing something else while keeping the idea humming in the back of my mind. This year you travelled to India to commence work on your third solo album and to continue filming for ‘The Tuning Fork’. Can you tell us more about these projects? I’ve got three or four music projects that I do and The Tuning Fork is one of them. I started it with a chef friend of mine – he is Australia’s only hatted indigenous chef. Together we travel around; he cooks and I sing. His food is incredibly sophisticated with a twist – with all of his dishes using traditional aboriginal bush herbs and ingredients. India was an amazing experience. It’s an intense place. There are so many layers to society, the food, culture, everything. We were lucky enough to be able to spend time with some of India’s most talented and authentic chefs, dining out at the places they like to go - the types of places you wouldn’t necessarily find in a travel guide. You mention you feel your new album will be different, what can we expect to see? The crew set to work on this album are quite different from those I’ve worked with before – there are some people I haven’t even met as yet. I’ll be working with David Lane from You Am I, who is a good friend of mine, and will also be collaborating with one of the members from The Bamboos – who have a distinct funk groove type sound. I think they’ll bring some interesting influences to the album.
+ END NOTE He may have met some extraordinary people, visited extraordinary places and experienced ‘superstar’ things, but Darren is clearly a grounded type of guy, a trait only amplified further by his wife Tamara and two children, 16 year old Viola and 12 year old Arden. “Family is incredibly important to me. If they weren’t around I would have most certainly fallen by the wayside at some point along the way. Not because I’m interested in doing crazy things but am quite inquisitive and can be inclined to get lost in ‘fantasy’. Having them around reminds me to just be present in the moment.” A philosophy he continues to live by today. You see Darren’s not interested in reflecting on how he could have done things differently – he ‘needed to make all the mistakes he did’ – so when it comes to emerging artists or those wanting to pursue a creative career his advice is simple, “learn to find comfort in discomfort.” A mantra that has clearly taken Darren to great places.
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KICKING GOALS When a BBC boy laces up his Nike football boots at Miskin Oval or belts a Kookaburra Turf cricket ball to the square leg boundary of John Noblet Oval, a piece of BBC history is a lot closer to him than he realises. Because those boots, or that cricket ball, or indeed a number of fine leather products he may come across in his pursuits, have been put in his hands by a multigenerational BBC family – the Packer family. Packer Leather is one of Australia’s leading manufacturers of performance leathers. Established in 1891 by English immigrant Joseph Packer, Packer’s high quality kangaroo leather supplies a number of global sporting brands including Nike, ASICS, Kookaburra Sport and Sherrin. Today, it is run by Old Collegians and brothers Lindsay and Graham Packer, who attended the College until 1960 and 1963 respectively, and stand as Board Chairman and Board Director. Their younger brother Daryl (1970) also has ownership in the company but isn’t involved in its management. “We supply kangaroo leather for athletic sports shoe manufacturers for most of the world’s major brands, including Nike and ASICS,” Lindsay said. “We also supply for Sherrin AFL footballs, and glove leather for military and fire response emergency services, motor cycle companies, and golf and baseball. “In addition, we provide leather for helicopter and aviation seating, whip-making, crafting and lacing.”
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“MY FONDEST MEMORIES OF BBC WERE THE COLLEGIATE FRIENDSHIPS THAT I MADE AND PARTICIPATING IN MANY SPORTS,” LINDSAY SAID. “I LEARNT HOW TO DEAL WITH ADVERSITY AND HOW TO HANDLE MANY DIFFERENT SITUATIONS IN REAL-LIFE THROUGH THAT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.”
The Packers are a third-generation BBC family; Lindsay has two sons, David who finished at BBC in 1992 and Mark who left in 2006, while David’s son Will is currently in Year 11. “My fondest memories of BBC were the collegiate friendships that I made and participating in many sports,” Lindsay said. “I learnt how to deal with adversity and how to handle many different situations in real-life through that relationship building.” Graham also recalled his sporting days, with conflicting emotions. “I remember our First XI being dismissed for just 16 against a very strong Churchie but in my last year we won a rugby premiership with the Fourths so that was a lot of fun,” he said. “The friendships and connections that were made by attending BBC are a great conversation starter.” The leather factory they operate is a hive of activity, the process they carry out an art. In fact, there are more than 120 employees – including David and Mark – helping to take raw leather hide and prepare it to a set of unique specifications to suit the customers’ needs. Each piece of leather is cut, cleaned, stretched, reshaped, sometimes dyed, sometimes soaked, then laboratory tested on a series of specifications that include strength, water resistance, colour fastness, moisture management and abrasion resistance. It is a fascinating process that has clearly evolved over the years with technological improvements but Lindsay said the passion, dedication and values that originated back when Joseph founded the company have endured.
“We pride ourselves on being recognised worldwide for our innovation, research and development processes and expert understanding of our product’s technical specifications,” he said. “That is what sets us apart; our ability to work with our customers to understand what they need in their leather supplies. “We take a raw material from the outback regions of our country and produce a world class performance leather that is used in so many applications.” Graham said the company’s family heritage was also a source of modern-day inspiration. “To continue our heritage from 1891 with current fifth generation family members, in spite of the closure of most Australian tannery operations, and of course a multitude of business challenges over the years, is an amazing effort,” he said. “We have been awarded a number of accolades over that time, including being judged the Queensland Premier’s Exporter of the Year in 2015, but it is our family story that we are most satisfied with.”
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MENTORING PROGRAM One of the great benefits of the OCA network is the expansive breadth of knowledge and experience that resides within its arms. With over 14,000 Old Boys in its membership, it would be impossible to imagine an area of expertise that is not covered. For both current and past BBC students alike, this means the opportunity for lifelong learning. A recent example of this was at the BBC Networking Breakfast in June, the first event of its kind that the OCA has run. More than 80 Old Boys were in attendance and they were treated to an incredible insight into the career journey and learnings of fellow Old Boy David Moffatt (1978). A quick glimpse of David’s resume simply won’t do it justice for he has decades of experience in the telecommunications, media and financial services industries, he has chaired boards and managed companies, and he has immersed himself in a number of philanthropic pursuits. At present, he holds the positions of Chairman of Ventia Services, Chairman of Asurion and Foundation Director of Giant Steps Foundation, a school for children with Autism. David enlightened the group with a series of ‘life tips’ that he believed had helped him throughout his working life. He touched on the importance of family, making the most of educational opportunities and the benefit of choosing the right – and asking the right questions of – mentors. Without a doubt, everyone in the room took something away from his words of wisdom. On that last point about mentorship, the OCA Mentoring Program provides exactly that, an opportunity for current BBC students to tap into the minds of Old Boys who can help guide them through their transition
from school boy to Old Boy. The program pairs students with ex-students based on industry and interests, and having been in action for several years now, continues to be an immense resource to BBC. A new addition to the program this year has been the formation of a second tier of mentors, more senior, who can advise the younger mentors. A mentor for the mentors so to speak. Through this structure, there is greater alignment between younger Old Boys and the older Old Boys, who have trodden a certain path the former may be embarking on, or who have a wider understanding of various situations, and can therefore provide complementary support and advice. BBC students also heard from Old Collegians as part of the 2017 BBC Careers Conference, where they offered insights into career paths, university life and industry experiences. Rupert Bryce (1987) featured as the keynote speaker and brilliantly addressed the Year 12 cohort on ‘Finding Purpose’ in both life and work. With more than 50 Old Boys available for pairing in the Mentoring Program, in addition to opportunities such as the Careers Conference, these are fine examples of the strength and benefit of maintaining close ties to the Green, White and Black.
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“
BBC TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE A GENTLEMAN AND TO ACT WITH HONOUR”
ANDREW PARK
Last year, Andrew Park, BBC Old Boy (1993), was appointed Thailand’s Honorary Consul for Queensland.
With a significant involvement in the Thai community throughout the state, right down to the running of several well-known Thai restaurants, Andrew was an obvious fit. But the earliest steps towards this recent posting were charted in a more unusual place - an unexpected early love of politics. “Very strangely for a 16-year-old, I became seriously interested in politics in Year 12, then during my university days I was offered a part-time position with a State MP,” Andrew recalled. “After uni I became a political staffer for nine years, working for a range of members of Parliament. “I’m not doing that anymore but it provided a great foundation for my career journey ahead.” Andrew’s interest, and indeed hard work, took him deep into Australia’s inner political sanctum and allowed him to gain incredible insight into the inner workings of the country’s top leaders.
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Along with Wasana, his wife of 10 years and Thai heritage, he also owns and operates two Thai restaurants in the western suburbs, namely Siam Sunset at Kersley Road in Kenmore and Moggill Road in Pullenvale respectively. And then of course there is his Royal Thai Consulate appointment. So was this always his plan? “Certainly not, but my earlier career in politics, and specifically in the Foreign Minister’s office, gave me a strong underpinning to carry out all of these roles with a solid understanding of what’s required,” Andrew said. “Through my wife I became involved with the Thai community here in Queensland and now I am Thailand’s honorary representative with jurisdiction for Queensland.
wishing to visit, work or study in Thailand. “And finally, I am actively involved in promoting and encouraging trade and investment flows between Queensland and Thailand, and regularly lead business trade missions to Thailand to encourage “I initially joined Alexander Downer’s staff in outbound investment.” a rather junior role, as Assistant Media Adviser, Andrew and Wasana have two boys, when he was the nation’s Foreign Minister,” Campbell, eight, and Lachlan, seven, who are Andrew said. both enrolled to attend BBC in 2018 and “This gave me a terrific, firsthand 2020 respectively. understanding of the way Australian media Andrew said he often reflects on his own works, and in particular gave me incredible time at the College in the lead up to their access to Australia’s leading political journalists attendance. “The friendships and senses of working in the ‘Press Gallery’. brotherhood and camaraderie are what have “After a few years in this role I was promoted provided the most significant memories for me to become one of the Minister’s political of my time at BBC,” he said. advisers, with areas including Parliament and “It was an extremely enjoyable legislative matters, consular affairs and experience for me, being at the College the Australian Passports office within for seven years. my remit. Working closely with, and for, such an “Our cohort from school still catch “This was a heady time in Australian experienced and professional politician such as up regularly as a group, socially as foreign affairs – conflict in Iraq, the emergence of terrorism after 9/11 with Alexander Downer was an enormous privilege, individuals and with our families, and we the bombings of Australians in Bali, and and he was someone I believe represented us also make an effort to get together for the annual BBC Long Lunch, and for the difficult consular matters such as the with great honour during the 11 years he was last few years I believe our class of ‘93 deaths of many Australians in the Asian in the role of Foreign Minister, and I certainly has been one of the best represented.” tsunami, the arrests of the Bali Nine and For Andrew, it was within the school’s Schapelle Corby and the execution of an learnt an enormous amount from him.” revered motto that he believes he learnt Australian in Singapore. his most valuable lesson. “Working closely with, and for, such an “Primarily this involves ensuring the welfare of “BBC taught me how to be a gentleman and experienced and professional politician such as Thai nationals who are visiting, or are residents, to act with honour,” he said. Alexander Downer was an enormous privilege, of Queensland, so when there are deaths, “Seeing the way today’s generation behaves and he was someone I believe represented us serious accidents, domestic or family violence in greater society, the teaching of how to act with great honour during the 11 years he was in incidents or arrests involving Thai nationals, I like a gentleman and have strong and admirable the role of Foreign Minister, and I certainly learnt work with the individual or family concerned to personal qualities such as respect, honour, an enormous amount from him.” ensure their welfare interests are met. discipline and the like are sorely lacking. Today Andrew runs a small consultancy, “Secondly, through the Consulate office I “I’m heartened that BBC still makes a strong providing government affairs and have established in the Brisbane CBD, my effort in this regard.” communications/stakeholder relations advice staff provide a wide range of visa services to to the property and infrastructure sectors on a Australians and people of other nationalities national level.
“
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SPOTLIGHT OCA Events In this edition we recap on a number of events that have taken place across the first half of this year. These events have seen people from all parts of our community come together to honour all things Green,White, Black.
FEBRUARY 10
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SYDNEY REUNION The OCA visited Sydney for the first time in a number of years and our southern cohort didn’t disappoint, with over 65 Old Boys gathering for a fantastic night of mateship and memories at the CBD Hotel on Friday, 10 February. The attendee alumni years spanned from 2011 to 1959, with each decade in between being represented - a great cross section of the Old Boy community. Local hosts Paul Tamaschke (1993), David Cockerell (2002), Michael Huggins (1989) and James Cadden (1969) must be thanked for their huge effort in helping to coordinate the function.
TOOWOOMBA LUNCHEON Our annual lunch at Picnic Point is always a cheery affair, with 40 guests enjoying the spectacular views and wonderful service in February. It was an intimate gathering allowing the Darling Downs locals to enjoy catching up with those who travelled down on the bus from Brisbane. Our next regional lunch will be held on the Sunshine Coast on Wednesday 27 September
MARCH 10
1962 REUNION On Friday 10 March, members of the Class of 1962 and their partners came together to celebrate 55 years since leaving the College. With 36 guests in attendance at the Queensland Club, a fun night was had by all. Special thanks to those who travelled from overseas and interstate as well as 1962 College Captain, Richard Clarke, for his involvement in planning this milestone reunion.
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A N Z A C D AY The 2017 BBC ANZAC Day service was another special occasion of togetherness and remembrance, with more than 1,500 boys filling the Junior School Green to honour the 99 Old Collegians who served their country and paid the supreme sacrifice. Special thanks to Old Boy, Captain Jim Campbell DFC, who was our guest speaker on the day.
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MAY 6
MAY CONTINUED
YOUNG OLD BOYS' EVENT
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The OCA launched its first ever BBC Networking Breakfast on a bright and early Tuesday morning in May, a popular event that saw 83 Old Boys, current parents and Year 12 students gather at the newly renovated Wests Bulldogs Rugby Club. Special thanks to our guest speaker, David Moffatt (1978), who shared some insights into his expansive career and imparted some worldly advice that he had acquired over the years through his various tenures to those who attended.
On Saturday 6 May, more than 70 Young Old Boys from the alumni years of 2016 to 2011 came together for a night of catching up at Wests Bulldogs Rugby. Special thanks to the Young Old Boys Committee for organising such a well-received event. Plans are already in place for a second evening in October.
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BBC NETWORKING B R E A K FA S T
GOLD COAST LUNCHEON The OCA was delighted that more than 30 Old Boys were able to attend this year’s annual Gold Coast Reunion on Wednesday 10 May. The alumni years of those who attended at Southport's Galaxy Restaurant spanned from 1999 to 1943.
JUNE 17
JULY 21
BBC LONG LUNCH
A packed house on 21 July at the Triffid in Newstead saw the BBC Long Lunch enter its third – and by far biggest – year of being. More than 205 Old Collegians were joined by staff and friends of the College to revel in an afternoon of entertainment and reminiscing. MC Steve Haddan, a BBC past parent, kept the laughs coming, while a host of auction and raffle items kept the attendees’ interest. Alumni years spanning 1962 to 2016 were represented and the jovial BBC spirit continued well into the evening as guests ventured into the adjacent beer garden. Blue Sky Funds, who have a strong BBC contingent in their workforce ranks, must be thanked for their support of the day, and in particular Vaughan Henry (BBC Past Parent) who organised their partnership. No doubt the BBC Long Lunch has fast become the ‘must do’ event on the OCA calendar.
1972 REUNION On Saturday 17 June, 25 members of the senior class of 1972 came together at Wests Bulldogs Rugby Club, to celebrate 45 years since leaving the College. Special thanks to Bruce Webb and the 1972 Reunion Committee for organising such a great night.
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SYDNEY REUNION Friday 10 February
1962 REUNION Friday 10 March
YOUNG OLD BOYS' NIGHT Saturday 6 May
BBC NETWORKING BREAKFAST Tuesday 23 May
1972 REUNION Saturday 17 June
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TOOWOOMBA LUNCHEON Wednesday 15 February
BBC ANZAC DAY Monday 24 April
GOLD COAST LUNCHEON Wednesday 10 May
BBC LONG LUNCH Friday 21 July
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
DENE BORDER (1995 – 2001) Years at BBC Six. House Flynn. Where do you live? Singapore. Have you travelled? I have travelled quite a lot since leaving school southern Africa, Turkey, Morocco, bits of Europe and the USA as well as plenty of South-East Asia since setting up in Singapore. Family status? Recently engaged to Redha Nuruinda. Current occupation? FX Trader at Macquarie Bank since 2007. Previous occupation/s? After working at the Paddo Tavern and doing some travelling, I started at Macquarie in 2003 for a year and half before taking some time off to travel and returning in 2007. Did you study after BBC? No, I was lucky enough to fall into a job without studying further but would like to do something academic in the future. Biggest achievement since leaving BBC? Getting engaged and trekking the Kokoda Trail with dad for my 21st birthday. What do you aspire to do in the future? Career-wise I am very content where I am, and I am looking forward to getting married in 2018 and starting a family down the track. I also still want to do plenty of travelling! Longer term I would love to find something a little more socially-conscious than banking. Favourite pastimes/hobbies? I’ve never lost my love of cricket and that takes up most of my spare time – playing and in administration here in Singapore.
What do you do on a day-off? If I’m not playing or watching cricket, or travelling, a movie is often on the cards. Going to the cinema is a lot cheaper up here. What is playing on your iPod right now? Foo Fighters – they’re touring here later in the year. Favourite holiday destination? Always tough to pick but a recent trip to Myanmar was pretty spectacular. Fondest memory of BBC? Friendship and mischief… and my boater! Favourite teacher/s? Mr Banks and Mr Acton were great mentors for me in the Junior School. I had plenty of great teachers in the Senior School but two that jump out were Mr Noy and Mr Maksoud.
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PETER ROE (1961 – 1966)
DANIEL GERVAIS (2002 – 2005)
Years at BBC Five. House Knox. Where do you live? Coorparoo, Brisbane. Have you travelled? Widely throughout Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Indonesia and the USA. Family status? Married to Gillian with three children: John (BBC 1990 – 1994), Donald (BBC 1993 – 1997) and Susan (Somerville 1996 – 2000). Current occupation? Retired for four years. Previous occupation/s? Environmental Manager with BHP for 26 years; Environmental Planner with Cameron McNamara for 13 years. Did you study after BBC? Agricultural Science at University of Queensland. Biggest achievement since leaving BBC? Implementing significant changes in environmental management at coal mines and ports in Queensland. What do you aspire to do in the future? Enjoy retirement and family time. Favourite pastimes/hobbies? Watching rugby. What is your perfect weekend? Time with family and watching rugby. Favourite holiday destination? Currumbin, Gold Coast. Fondest memory of BBC? Third in GPS Open 800m in 1966; marching my platoon up the embankment by Main Oval during the Inter-Platoon Competition in 1966. Favourite teacher/s? Pete Lawton – communication with humour.
Years at BBC Three. House One year in Rudd, three years in Birtles. Where do you live? Bondi Beach, Sydney. Have you travelled? I travelled a lot when I was younger as my parents loved to explore. When I was young we spent a lot of time visiting most of South East Asia, Europe, Mauritius, Canada and Australia. I took some time off University to backpack around Europe and today, I travel every month around Australia, to Singapore and the USA. Family status? Not yet married and no children. Current occupation? I’ve been working at Airbnb for four years and look after Brand Marketing for Australia and New Zealand. Previous occupation/s? Graduate Management Program at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG); Recruitment Consultant at SThree. Did you study after BBC? Yes, I did a Bachelor of International Hotel and Tourism Management at University of Queensland. Biggest achievement since leaving BBC? Getting a job at Airbnb. What do you aspire to do in the future? At some point I’d like to work closely with organisations in and around the disability sector. Technology has a huge role to play in improving the lives of thousands of Australians and I’d like to contribute to change here. What do you do on a day-off? If I’m not travelling for work I generally float around Bondi. What is playing on your iPod right now? Mask Off by Future. Favourite holiday destination? Bali, Indonesia. Fondest memory of BBC? GPS Athletics 2005. Favourite teacher/s? Mal Staniforth and Theo Kotzas.
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LEADERS' ASSEMBLY 27 JANUARY - COLLEGE HALL The BBC community acknowledged the incoming senior leaders at a special event in January, following Scholars' Assembly. The event marks the start of a new year and a renewed commitment from seniors to uniting and engaging the student body across the school.
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P&F WELCOME PARTY 23 FEBRUARY - COLLEGE HALL FORECOURT New and returning families were welcomed to 2017 by BBC's Parents and Friends' Association at their annual 'Welcome Party'. The event provides those within the BBC community an opportunity to connect with other parents and friends of the College.
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HONG KONG COMMUNITY VISIT 27 FEBRUARY - CONRAD HILTON HOTEL A number of past students, parents and friends came together earlier this year at the Conrad and Hilton Hotels in Hong Kong and Singapore respectively for a night of conversation and networking.
SINGAPORE COMMUNITY VISIT 1 MARCH - HILTON HOTEL
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P&F NIGHT UNDER THE STARS 27 JULY - P&F PAVILION Parents and friends gathered for a ‘Night Under the Stars’ in July for the official opening of the new Pavilion, proudly supported by the P&F Association, and to recognise all of the association’s wonderful volunteers who assist the school in various capacities from the Tuckshop and College Shop through to individual parent support groups.
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GEOFFREY BECK AND EMILY GORDON
MOTHERS' MORNING TEA 12 MAY - PHIL BISSET GALLERY, COLLEGE HALL BBC held a special mothers’ morning tea to provide an opportunity for incoming parents to meet with those from our current community and to get a sense of life at the College prior to their son commencing school. Guests also heard from a number of staff and were able to enjoy a high tea and music performances from a number of BBC musicians.
Milestones WEDDINGS 7 July Mitchell Allen (2007) and Jordan Havers 17 June Jordan Grice (2012) and Victoria Leth 27 May Matthew Andersen (2005) and Hayley White 13 May Geoffrey Beck (2004) and Emily Gordon 5 May Harry Crowther (2010) and Kate Shaw 18 March William Drury (2011) and Kate Wagner 11 March Joshua Bedser (2004) and Christina Sorbello
VALE Robert ‘Jock’ Grant (1956-1960) passed in August 2017 Dr Harold ‘Alec’ Alexander Bell Foxton AO (1933-1943) passed in July 2017 Gavin Livingston Boyd (1937-1946) passed in July 2017 James ‘Jim’ Patrick (1941-1942) passed in June 2017 Stewart Leith Gordon (1943-1948) passed in May 2017 Bruce Charles Hervey (1956-1959) passed in May 2017 Cameron Rodney Marshall (1960-1963) passed in April 2017 Richard Leslie (1972-1977) passed in March 2017 Allan ‘Bruce’ Wilson (1939-1942) passed in March 2017 Don Walter Astill OAM (1934-1936) passed in February 2017 William Laurence Pitt (1938-1941) passed in February 2017 Lloyd Allison Salisbury (1947-1948) passed in October 2016 Laurie William Jeays (1951) passed in September 2016 Ian Edwin Tatham (1965 - 1970) passed in July 2016
SHARE YOUR COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT In each edition of Collegian, we include a number of community announcements including births, weddings and the vale as part of our Milestone section. If you have an announcement you would like to share with us, relating to either yourself or a fellow Old Boy, please inform BBC’s Alumni Office via oca@bbc.qld.edu.au
FLASHBACK Helen Jackson, Archivist
Tennis Courts at Clayfield and Toowong The quality of our current professionally surfaced tennis courts has helped produce some remarkable results including an unbroken BBC GPS record: five consecutive premiership wins, 2013-2017. Tennis was a popular sport in the early days at Clayfield, unhampered by the lack of courts. This was due to the generosity of several local residents, namely, Dr Halford and Mr JJ Trundle, who offered their grass courts for College use. In 1919 three courts were built in the College grounds. Before the formation of GPS (Great Public Schools Association of Queensland) in 1918, the Clayfield First IV of RB Steele (Captain), AV Bignell, H Ferguson and AR Cleghorn played in QLTA fixtures, against a variety of local teams. The pleasure of playing on ant-bed, home courts was short-lived as during the 1921-22 season the courts were declared unfit for play, as the runback area was insufficient. After unsuccessful modifications, land was acquired adjoining the courts, which needed excavating.
By 1923, one court had been enlarged although three were in use. In 1925, heavy rain caused further problems. A spring started in the upper corner of the courts and the water helped to establish the growth of weeds and grass. Proper drainage was required. The 1923 photo shows one enlarged court, although three were in use. In 1926, an anonymous donation allowed the courts to be totally repaired and become the best courts in the GPS competition. On 1 December 1926, the revamped tennis courts were officially opened by Rev James Walker. In 1927, heavy rain washed away the brick retaining wall which was only repaired at great expense. During BBC’s time at Clayfield, the players looked after the courts.
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IMAGE (L-R): KEEN TENNIS PLAYERS 1932; 1935 TENNIS TEAM IMAGE BELOW: OPENING OF THE TENNIS COURTS 1932. IMAGE PREVIOUS PAGE: TENNIS COURTS 1926
1931 The construction of the ant-bed tennis courts was only made possible by the voluntary assistance given by the boys and with the support and cooperation of the parents. The boys' actual work time was six months due to rain, heat, the polio epidemic and holidays.
After the 1931 transfer of the school to Toowong and the completion of Main Building, there was no PMSA money available for sporting facilities and ground improvements. The new Headmaster, Mr Hamilton, winner of a Tennis Blue from Oxford University and also the students were keen to acquire tennis courts. On graph paper Mr Hamilton drew the plans for three tennis courts. The chosen site was a mass of tangled undergrowth and situated on a slope. Today’s courts are on the original site near the upper Moggill Road entrance. Money raised at a school fete allowed a bulldozer to transform the site. However, the construction of the ant-bed tennis courts was only made possible by the voluntary assistance given by the boys and with the support and cooperation of the parents. The boys' actual work time was six months - due to rain, heat, the polio epidemic and holidays. Pick shovel and wheelbarrow work was taken in good spirits and a ready will. The value of the boys’ work amounted to £300 (AUD $28,118.31). Each of the three Houses was responsible for a court with the enticement of £10 being awarded to the House which was the first to finish their court. Wesley won the money (AUD $937.28). The courts were officially opened 1 May 1932. A fourth court for the Junior School and beginners was completed in 1935.
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IMAGE TOP: TENNIS COURTS 1932 IMAGE LEFT: 1917 TENNIS TEAM
During the winter months of 1935, four teams competed in Saturday afternoon fixtures. The A team consisting of Mr PM Hamilton, Lex McNab, Stuart and Doug Cumming secured the Men’s Metropolitan A Grade Tennis Competition title by defeating their opponents in 48 games. Despite the accessibility of courts, Tennis premierships were scarce with a long interval between the 1934 win and that in 1983 and 1987. After a 49-year interlude, the winning First IV team was Danny Chiu (Captain), Peter Lewis, Sean Morrison and John Owen who were coached by Mr Ross MacDonald in 1983. The Senior Tennis Courts were resurfaced and the office completed in conjunction with the Integrated Learning Centre, officially opened on 18 May 2005. Two well-used green synthetic surfaced courts were situated between the access road and the wooden Junior School classrooms before being relocated to the Oakman Park side of Toowong Creek. This upgraded transfer allowed the Early Leaning Centre to come into fruition in Semester 2, 2007. In 2009, a thick bed of concrete was laid over the asphalt surfaces of four Senior courts, and all five courts were resurfaced with an advanced polymer technology layer providing a professional standard for the BBC players and opposing teams.
Through the comprehensive tennis program offered at Brisbane Boys' College under the direction of Chris Rolph, boys can enjoy their first tentative games. Alternatively, students are supported and coached to strive and attain their individual potential. The below teams have conquered the court and captured nine GPS titles in 14 years. 2006
Pat Baldock, Isaac Frost, Jakob Richardson, Hugh Clarke
2007
Hugh Clarke, Nick Northcott, Jonathon Knowlman, Mitch Thams, Ethan Wilkinson
2008
Hugh Clarke, Nick Northcott, Jonathon Knowlman, Mitch Thams, Ethan Wilkinson
2011
Mitchell Cook, Tom Douglas, Harrison Such, Lucas Such
2013
Harrison Such, Jack Jaede, Jie Dong, Nicholas Liddy, Tom Liddy
2014
Jack Jaede, Jie Dong, Lewis Edwards, Mitchell Wilson, Nicholas Liddy
2015
Thomas Liddy, Jie Dong, Lewis Edwards, Nicholas Liddy, Mitchell Wilson
2016
Colby Norman, Casey Edwards, Bryn Nahrung, Dane Sweeny, Santokh Bains
2017
Bryn Nahrung, Liam Franklin, Dane Sweeny, Finn MacNamara, Ryan Hayes, Jacob Hegedus
COLLEGIAN AUGUST 2017
Boys move to the beat of their own drum. That’s why we have music every day. At Brisbane Boys’ College, we believe music is an integral part of child development; not to make them musicians but to complete them as human beings. BBC’s Music Every Day program provides all Prep to Year 3 students with daily specialist music lessons. The program acts as an aid to literacy and numeracy and is yet another facet to the development of boys who’ll bring great joy to their families: even when they bring their instruments home for music practise.