St. Brendan's College
Encyclopedia
This article is about the school in Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia. For the school in Killarney, County Kerry, Ireland, please see St Brendan's, Killarney
St. Brendan's College (sometimes shortened to SBC) is a Roman Catholic all-boys day and boarding
school located in Yeppoon, Queensland
. The school was officially opened in 1940 with a total of 61 students. The school describes itself as "Australia's Largest Country Boys Boarding School", and has nurtured the growth of several leading National Rugby League
players.
. The school officially opened in February 1940 with 42 boarders and 17 day students. The first headmaster of St Brendan's was Br. J. B. Gettons.
The school's spiritual and academic policies are rooted in the traditions of Edmund Ignatius Rice
. The school is named after Saint Brendan the Navigator
.
St Ursula's College, Yeppoon
, a separate Catholic all-girls day and boarding school located further into the centre of Yeppoon, has shared a close relationship with St Brendan's. Both schools share a relationship with the town's Catholic primary school, Sacred Heart.
The college song, Bordered by blue waters splendid, details the rural surrounds of the school near Mary's Mount, as well as confirming strength in faith-based learning.
Students are placed amongst four houses, Duhig
(Gold/Yellow), Gettons (Red), Hayes (Blue), and Tynan (Green), named after Bishops of note and the schools first headmaster.
The school hosts the largest rodeo of the CRCA circuit. The rodeo is held annually over the Father's Day weekend (the first in September in Australia). The school's cattle
club and stud program has also garnered a good name for itself. The school allows students to bring their own cattle to prepare for shows.
St Brendan's also has a strong reputation as a rugby league
breeding ground.
clubs. Several current and former professional players are St. Brendan's alumni.
Despite the school's reluctance to actively recruit students based on sporting potential, the depth of talent attracted to the school allows its second-string team to be competitive with its rival schools top-class teams. St. Brendan's rugby league has experienced a period of dominance in the annual Confraternity Carnival of Queensland independent schools.
Professional rugby league players
Professional bull riders
St. Brendan's College (sometimes shortened to SBC) is a Roman Catholic all-boys day and boarding
Boarding
Boarding may refer to:*Temporarily residing somewhere, as in a boarding school or boarding house*Boarding , a naval term for the forcible attempt at capturing another naval vessel*Boarding , customs, coastguard etc...
school located in Yeppoon, Queensland
Yeppoon, Queensland
Yeppoon is a coastal resort town situated in Central Queensland, Australia. Located on Keppel Bay, at the 2006 census, Yeppoon had a population of 13,284.-Geography:...
. The school was officially opened in 1940 with a total of 61 students. The school describes itself as "Australia's Largest Country Boys Boarding School", and has nurtured the growth of several leading National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
players.
History
Groundbreaking for the school started on 8 October 1939 and presided by Bishop Romuald Denis Hayes of RockhamptonRockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
. The school officially opened in February 1940 with 42 boarders and 17 day students. The first headmaster of St Brendan's was Br. J. B. Gettons.
The school's spiritual and academic policies are rooted in the traditions of Edmund Ignatius Rice
Edmund Ignatius Rice
Blessed Edmund Ignatius Rice , was a Roman Catholic missionary and educationalist. Edmund was the founder of two orders of religious brothers: the Congregation of Christian Brothers and the Presentation Brothers....
. The school is named after Saint Brendan the Navigator
Brendan
Saint Brendan of Clonfert or Bréanainn of Clonfert called "the Navigator", "the Voyager", or "the Bold" is one of the early Irish monastic saints. He is chiefly renowned for his legendary quest to the "Isle of the Blessed," also called St. Brendan's Island. The Voyage of St...
.
St Ursula's College, Yeppoon
St Ursula's College, Yeppoon
St Ursula's College is a Roman Catholic, all-girls, day and boarding high school in Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia. The College is run under the auspices of the Presentation Sisters....
, a separate Catholic all-girls day and boarding school located further into the centre of Yeppoon, has shared a close relationship with St Brendan's. Both schools share a relationship with the town's Catholic primary school, Sacred Heart.
The college song, Bordered by blue waters splendid, details the rural surrounds of the school near Mary's Mount, as well as confirming strength in faith-based learning.
Students are placed amongst four houses, Duhig
James Duhig
Sir James Duhig, KCMG was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane from 1917 until his death. At the time of his death he was the longest-serving bishop in the Catholic Church .-Early life:...
(Gold/Yellow), Gettons (Red), Hayes (Blue), and Tynan (Green), named after Bishops of note and the schools first headmaster.
Student demographics and facilities
Although the school is affiliated with the Catholic church, it accepts students of all faiths and backgrounds.The school hosts the largest rodeo of the CRCA circuit. The rodeo is held annually over the Father's Day weekend (the first in September in Australia). The school's cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
club and stud program has also garnered a good name for itself. The school allows students to bring their own cattle to prepare for shows.
St Brendan's also has a strong reputation as a rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
breeding ground.
Rugby League program
The college boasts an impressive schoolboy rugby league program, with an experienced strength and conditioning coach and well equipped gym. Many of the students in the 1st XIII graduate with affiliations or contracts with NRLNational Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...
clubs. Several current and former professional players are St. Brendan's alumni.
Despite the school's reluctance to actively recruit students based on sporting potential, the depth of talent attracted to the school allows its second-string team to be competitive with its rival schools top-class teams. St. Brendan's rugby league has experienced a period of dominance in the annual Confraternity Carnival of Queensland independent schools.
Notable alumni
Politics- John MomisJohn MomisJohn Momis is the current President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville. Momis was sworn in as President of Bougainville on June 10, 2010, after defeating his predecessor, President James Tanis, and five other challengers by a landslide in the 2010 presidential election.Momis, who served as a...
- President of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, 2010 – present
Professional rugby league players
- Paul Bowman
- Jamie SimpsonJamie SimpsonJamie Simpson born 6 September 1986 in Australia is a rugby league player for the Huddersfield Giants in the Super League. He currently plays as a centre or on the wing, but was successful as a lock and Five-Eighth in his schoolboy years at St...
- Matthew ScottMatthew ScottMatthew Scott is an Australian professional rugby league footballer and current co-captain for the North Queensland Cowboys of the National Rugby League...
- Tom HewittTom HewittTom Hewitt is an actor and Broadway stage performer, and a native of Victor, Montana.-Life:After graduating from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with the Professional Theatre Training Program's first class in 1981, Tom Hewitt worked with such regional powerhouses as Minneapolis's Guthrie...
- Julian O'NeillJulian O'NeillO'Neill then played at fullback in all three games of the 1994 State of Origin series under coach Wally Lewis. During the 1994 NSWRL season, O'Neill played at lock forward for defending premiers Brisbane when they hosted British champions Wigan for the 1994 World Club Challenge. In 1994 and 1995...
- PJ MarshPJ MarshPeter-John "PJ" Marsh is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played for a number of clubs in the National Rugby League. He has also played representative rugby league for Queensland in State of Origin. He is named after his uncle, Peter John Marsh, who was killed in a car...
- Dave TaylorDavid Taylor (rugby league)Dave Taylor is an Australian professional rugby league footballer for the South Sydney Rabbitohs of the National Rugby League...
- Ben HuntBen Hunt (rugby league)Ben Hunt is an Australian rugby league footballer who plays for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL. Hunt also plays for the Central Comets in the Queensland Cup when not in the Broncos squad...
Professional bull riders
- Troy DunnTroy DunnTroy Dunn is an American television personality, businessman, and public speaker. In 18 years, Dunn has assisted more than 40,000 people to find long-lost relatives or loved ones, including helping his own mother, Katie Dunn, to find her birth mother. This was the impetus for the business he...