Moreton Bay College
Encyclopedia
Moreton Bay College is an independent
Uniting Church, day school
for girls, located in Manly West
, an outer suburb of Brisbane
, Queensland, Australia
Established in 1901 as the Moreton Bay Girls' High School, by Alice J. Alison Greene and her sister Anne, the College currently caters for approximately 1,166 students from Preschool to Year 12.
Moreton Bay College is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA), the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), and first became a member of the Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association
(QGSSSA) in 1941. Its brother school is Moreton Bay Boys' College
.
town, on Bay Terrace, in a building designed and built by John Iley Greene, the father of the two sisters. In addition to classrooms and other rooms, it was intended to provide boarding facilities
for up to thirty boarders, providing education for the daughters of country families and missionaries, and accepting a few day-girls. The College remained solely a secondary school
for many years, but later, due to local pleas and requests from parents from rural areas, a primary section was added including a Kindergarten
. Soon after the school's foundation, Anne Greene designed the school badge featuring a German motto
, Ohne Hast, Ohne Rast, which may be translated as "Without Haste, Without Rest".
In 1910, a new wing was built, including a library
, and following Anne's departure from the school in 1911, three other sisters joined the staff. With the outbreak of World War I
, the school motto was changed to the Latin
, Fortitudine et Spe, which translates to "With Courage and Hope". In a 1945 radio interview, Alice Greene stated that she believed that the College featured "the first, if not the only music school established in Queensland." Housed in a separate building, it was directed by Hilda, a piano teacher who held a licentiate from the Royal Academy of Music
, London
, and was an associate-member of the Royal College of Music
. Elsie Greene taught French and mathematics
, and when Alice retired in December 1943, Elsie was appointed acting Principal. Helah Greene managed the domestic affairs of the school, and taught violin
and cello
.
The Greene family handed control of the school over to the Methodist Church in 1944, with Miss Elsie in the role of Acting Headmistress until 1946. The Methodist Church then gave the school to the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association (P.M.S.A.), who appointed Ellen Christensen to the Headship in 1946. Christensen remained Headmistress until 1949, when an illness in her family led to her absence, during which time Miss Popple was Acting Principal. Mrs Millicent Drewe was eventually appointed in 1950, and remained Headmistress until 1964.
By 1956, the school had 150 students enrolled, with 27 candidates for Junior Public Examination. Girls first sat for the Senior Public Examination in 1959 when there were 167 pupils in all. In 1957, the school's name was changed to Moreton Bay College in order to avoid confusion with the State High School system
, and to be more in keeping with the names of the other P.M.S.A. schools. Also at this time, the post Junior section was moved into the newly acquired Moreton House, located a mile away at Wynnum North.
In the early 1960s, due to the school's limited facilities at the time, the schools enrolment hovered at around 180 and no more students could be accommodated. The site was just 1.25 acres (5,058.6 m²) in size, and this period was one that saw significant expansion in student numbers in the other Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association
(QGSSSA) girls' schools. The College remained a small school, therefore finding it harder to meet the increasing commitments in an expanding QGSSSA competition. Eventually, in the early 1970s, Moreton Bay College withdrew from QGSSSA sport with the understanding that it could return when numbers were sufficiently large.
In 1965, after a time as Acting Head, Viola Owen-Winchester was appointed Principal. On occasion there was talk of relocating the school to a property at the southern end of Manly Road, but nothing was to come of it. The rural recession had a significant impact on the school, as it was essentially a boarding school with a small day component. Subsequently, in 1975, with the roll down to 125, the PMSA decided to close the College. Although this decision was overturned soon after, it had caused the College great damage. Parents began to withdraw their daughters, teachers resigned, and in 1976 there were just 65 girls attending the school. Mrs Winchester, with the aid of the Parents and Friends, battled to keep the College open. Eventually, the Uniting Church assumed responsibility for Moreton Bay College, setting up a new Board under the Chairmanship of John Mason. Under Letters Patent, issued in August 1979, Moreton Bay College was reconstituted. In that year the roll stood at 116.
Following the retirement of Owen-Winchester at the beginning of 1980, Mr K.G.T. Waller was appointed Headmaster, the first male Principal in the College's history. At the end of 1980, with numbers down to just fifteen, the struggling boarding house was closed by the Board with regret.
At the end of 1981, the College acquired 14 acres (56,656 m²) of land in Wondall Road, and the Board began planning the move of the College to it. It was decided to do this in two stages, with the primaries to go first. During 1983, the primary buildings were erected and were occupied on the first day of school, 1984. Towards the end of 1985, the Secondary School was built, with pupils beginning the 1986 school year on the new site. At the close of 1998, Waller retired after 19 years as Principal of the College. His time at the College is known as one of significant growth and expansion, particularly during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Paul Teys, formerly the Head of Secondary School at A. B. Paterson College, and Head of Curriculum at Fairholme College
, was appointed Principal from the start of the school year in 1999. Teys left the College in March 2005 and Mr Geoff McLay assumed the position of Acting Principal.
Moreton Bay Boys' College
was established in 2003 with Preschool and Year 1 classes, so beginning a new phase of growth in the educational service provided by the College. The boys school has sought to establish its primary school before offering secondary education. Jennifer Haynes was appointed Principal of Moreton Bay College in January 2006. Haynes came from Mentone Girls' Grammar School
in Melbourne, where she was Acting Principal.
for Years Prep to 12, is based around eight main Learning Areas: English, Mathematics, Science, SOSE, Languages, Technology, Personal Development, and the Arts. In the Senior Years, students are offered more choice, with 25 Authority subjects, four Authority-Registered subjects and Externally-based Vocational courses, and a Personal Development program.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
Uniting Church, day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
for girls, located in Manly West
Manly West, Queensland
Manly West is a suburb of Brisbane, Australia. It is 16 km east of the CBD. Manly West contains a primary school, a preschool, Moreton Bay College and Moreton Bay Boys College. Over 47% of households in this area consist of a couple with children and a further 35% are couples without children...
, an outer suburb of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Queensland, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
Established in 1901 as the Moreton Bay Girls' High School, by Alice J. Alison Greene and her sister Anne, the College currently caters for approximately 1,166 students from Preschool to Year 12.
Moreton Bay College is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
Junior School Heads Association of Australia
The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia , is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia....
(JSHAA), the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (AGSA), and first became a member of the Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association
Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association
The Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association Inc is a sporting association for girls from eight private girls' schools, one co-educational private school, and one co-educational public school, based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
(QGSSSA) in 1941. Its brother school is Moreton Bay Boys' College
Moreton Bay Boys' College
Moreton Bay Boys College is an independent school for boys located in Manly West, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The school caters for 380 boys from prep to year eleven....
.
History
Moreton Bay College was established in 1901 as the Moreton Bay Girls' High School, with six boarders and twenty day scholars, by Alice J. Alison Greene (1863–1966) and her sister Anne. The school was located in WynnumWynnum, Queensland
Wynnum is a suburb located on the shores of Moreton Bay in Brisbane, Australia, about 16 kilometres east of the CBD. The area was sparsely settled until the arrival of the railway in the late 1880s, but then grew fairly rapidly. The former Wynnum Shire Council was created in 1902, and twelve years...
town, on Bay Terrace, in a building designed and built by John Iley Greene, the father of the two sisters. In addition to classrooms and other rooms, it was intended to provide boarding facilities
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
for up to thirty boarders, providing education for the daughters of country families and missionaries, and accepting a few day-girls. The College remained solely a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
for many years, but later, due to local pleas and requests from parents from rural areas, a primary section was added including a Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
. Soon after the school's foundation, Anne Greene designed the school badge featuring a German motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
, Ohne Hast, Ohne Rast, which may be translated as "Without Haste, Without Rest".
In 1910, a new wing was built, including a library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, and following Anne's departure from the school in 1911, three other sisters joined the staff. With the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, the school motto was changed to the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, Fortitudine et Spe, which translates to "With Courage and Hope". In a 1945 radio interview, Alice Greene stated that she believed that the College featured "the first, if not the only music school established in Queensland." Housed in a separate building, it was directed by Hilda, a piano teacher who held a licentiate from the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and was an associate-member of the Royal College of Music
Royal College of Music
The Royal College of Music is a conservatoire founded by Royal Charter in 1882, located in South Kensington, London, England.-Background:The first director was Sir George Grove and he was followed by Sir Hubert Parry...
. Elsie Greene taught French and mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, and when Alice retired in December 1943, Elsie was appointed acting Principal. Helah Greene managed the domestic affairs of the school, and taught violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
and cello
Cello
The cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
.
The Greene family handed control of the school over to the Methodist Church in 1944, with Miss Elsie in the role of Acting Headmistress until 1946. The Methodist Church then gave the school to the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association (P.M.S.A.), who appointed Ellen Christensen to the Headship in 1946. Christensen remained Headmistress until 1949, when an illness in her family led to her absence, during which time Miss Popple was Acting Principal. Mrs Millicent Drewe was eventually appointed in 1950, and remained Headmistress until 1964.
By 1956, the school had 150 students enrolled, with 27 candidates for Junior Public Examination. Girls first sat for the Senior Public Examination in 1959 when there were 167 pupils in all. In 1957, the school's name was changed to Moreton Bay College in order to avoid confusion with the State High School system
Queensland State High Schools
Queensland State High Schools cater for Years 8 to 12 . Years 8 and 9 are known as Junior and Years 10, 11 and 12 are known as Senior. The term "Senior" is widely applied to those in Years 11 and 12...
, and to be more in keeping with the names of the other P.M.S.A. schools. Also at this time, the post Junior section was moved into the newly acquired Moreton House, located a mile away at Wynnum North.
In the early 1960s, due to the school's limited facilities at the time, the schools enrolment hovered at around 180 and no more students could be accommodated. The site was just 1.25 acres (5,058.6 m²) in size, and this period was one that saw significant expansion in student numbers in the other Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association
Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association
The Queensland Girls' Secondary Schools Sports Association Inc is a sporting association for girls from eight private girls' schools, one co-educational private school, and one co-educational public school, based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia....
(QGSSSA) girls' schools. The College remained a small school, therefore finding it harder to meet the increasing commitments in an expanding QGSSSA competition. Eventually, in the early 1970s, Moreton Bay College withdrew from QGSSSA sport with the understanding that it could return when numbers were sufficiently large.
In 1965, after a time as Acting Head, Viola Owen-Winchester was appointed Principal. On occasion there was talk of relocating the school to a property at the southern end of Manly Road, but nothing was to come of it. The rural recession had a significant impact on the school, as it was essentially a boarding school with a small day component. Subsequently, in 1975, with the roll down to 125, the PMSA decided to close the College. Although this decision was overturned soon after, it had caused the College great damage. Parents began to withdraw their daughters, teachers resigned, and in 1976 there were just 65 girls attending the school. Mrs Winchester, with the aid of the Parents and Friends, battled to keep the College open. Eventually, the Uniting Church assumed responsibility for Moreton Bay College, setting up a new Board under the Chairmanship of John Mason. Under Letters Patent, issued in August 1979, Moreton Bay College was reconstituted. In that year the roll stood at 116.
Following the retirement of Owen-Winchester at the beginning of 1980, Mr K.G.T. Waller was appointed Headmaster, the first male Principal in the College's history. At the end of 1980, with numbers down to just fifteen, the struggling boarding house was closed by the Board with regret.
At the end of 1981, the College acquired 14 acres (56,656 m²) of land in Wondall Road, and the Board began planning the move of the College to it. It was decided to do this in two stages, with the primaries to go first. During 1983, the primary buildings were erected and were occupied on the first day of school, 1984. Towards the end of 1985, the Secondary School was built, with pupils beginning the 1986 school year on the new site. At the close of 1998, Waller retired after 19 years as Principal of the College. His time at the College is known as one of significant growth and expansion, particularly during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Paul Teys, formerly the Head of Secondary School at A. B. Paterson College, and Head of Curriculum at Fairholme College
Fairholme College
Fairholme College is an independent, day and boarding school for girls, located in Toowoomba, one of Australia's largest provincial cities, in South East Queensland, Australia....
, was appointed Principal from the start of the school year in 1999. Teys left the College in March 2005 and Mr Geoff McLay assumed the position of Acting Principal.
Moreton Bay Boys' College
Moreton Bay Boys' College
Moreton Bay Boys College is an independent school for boys located in Manly West, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The school caters for 380 boys from prep to year eleven....
was established in 2003 with Preschool and Year 1 classes, so beginning a new phase of growth in the educational service provided by the College. The boys school has sought to establish its primary school before offering secondary education. Jennifer Haynes was appointed Principal of Moreton Bay College in January 2006. Haynes came from Mentone Girls' Grammar School
Mentone Girls' Grammar School
Mentone Girls' Grammar School is an independent, Anglican day school for girls, located in Mentone, a bayside suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
in Melbourne, where she was Acting Principal.
Curriculum
The school's curriculumCurriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...
for Years Prep to 12, is based around eight main Learning Areas: English, Mathematics, Science, SOSE, Languages, Technology, Personal Development, and the Arts. In the Senior Years, students are offered more choice, with 25 Authority subjects, four Authority-Registered subjects and Externally-based Vocational courses, and a Personal Development program.
Notable alumnae
- Quentin BryceQuentin BryceQuentin Bryce, AC, CVO is the 25th and current Governor-General of Australia and former Governor of Queensland....
ACOrder of AustraliaThe Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
– Governor of Queensland and Governor-General-designate of AustraliaGovernor-General of AustraliaThe Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth... - Chloe SimsChloe SimsChloe Leigh Sims is an Australian gymnast. She was born in Queensland, Australia and trains at the Moreton Bay College centre of excellence. She is a national team member and double Commonwealth champion....
- Artistic Gymnast, Commonwealth Individual Gold Medalist - Naazmi JohnstonNaazmi Johnston'Naazmi Johnston is an Australian rhythmic gymnast that represented Australia at the 2008 Summer Olympics as well as the 2006 Commonwealth Games.-Career:...
- Rhythmic Gymnast - Bronze medal Commonwealth Games, Beijing Olympic Team member, placed 22nd Gold Medal Commonwealth Games, New Delhi 2010 - Megan WashingtonMegan Washington-Studio albums:-Extended plays:-Singles:-External links:* *...
- Musician - Best Female Artist" and "Breakthrough Artist - Aria Awards - Australia 2010