A New Millennium The new millennium was viewed with some degree of trepidation. Warnings had been issued that suggested computer systems would crash and some degree of chaos would follow. Late 1999 the BAC Board instituted a review of its internal systems, evaluated what might happen were they to fail, and made contingency plans to avert disaster. Fortunately the prophecy of massive computer failures was not fulfilled and the new millennium dawned with optimism and hope. This new day included a new principal. Following ten years as principal of Auckland Adventist High School, New Zealand, Mr Gavin Williams assumed the leadership role at Brisbane Adventist College. The process of appointing Williams was a departure from the usual method used by the Church to appoint teaching and administrative staff. Traditionally the staffing of Adventist schools was managed from Church headquarters in Sydney. However, under urging from the BAC Board chairman, Dr Ross Cuthbert, the South Queensland Conference agreed that the position be advertised and applicants be interviewed. The final recommendation would be endorsed by the Board and then forwarded to the Conference for confirmation and processing. This worked well, some quality applications were received and three were interviewed. Gavin Williams was the successful applicant. Thus BAC led the way in greater local input to the staffing process. When Williams arrived on campus the first thing that struck him was both the size and the attractiveness of the campus and the considerable distance between the primary and secondary buildings. In particular the efforts by the groundsman, Mr Geoff Lorensen, were a credit to his creativity and work ethic. During the growing summer months Lorensen was assisted in lawn mowing by his wife, Jenny, otherwise he carried the load alone. The value of the Lorensen’s contribution to BAC cannot be quantified, but the principal of a NSW state high school upon visiting BAC in 1999 commented that a comparable campus in his state system would require three groundsmen. In Geoff Lorensen BAC had the proverbial Singers ‘three-in-one’ good oil. When Williams took over in 2000, the combined campus BAC was but one year old. Williams recalls that the South Queensland Conference Education Director, Dr Grant Watson, had an early conversation with him in which Watson stressed the need to continue the process begun in 1999 of building staff cohesion. As Williams noted: “staff who had worked in the child care facility as well as the primary and secondary schools, were coming to grips with the fact they were now part of one large college.” This was no small task, but Williams was greatly assisted by the construction of the new Student Centre. Designed by architect Mr Allan Young and built by Mr David Bannister, this $2.3 million project included a gymnasium, classrooms, kitchen, music studios, teacher offices and storage areas. It was funded by a $1 million Commonwealth grant and the rest through a bank loan. The opening of the Student Centre fulfilled a long-held dream, but more importantly, it formed a bridge between the Mansfield and Wishart sections of the College as it catered for the entire student population. Williams described this facility as “an excellent educational asset.” Alas, this educational asset did not include a swimming pool!
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