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Grammar News Winter 2018

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Old Boy stories in this edition
Chris Austin '79
From the President, Chris Austin '79

The Class of 2017 was the first year group to all graduate as Life Members of the OBA. A highlight of the past 12 months was joining with other members of the Committee in presenting these graduating students with their Old Boy ties after having the opportunity to welcome them as new members of the Association.

Several successful networking activities have now been hosted by the Association over the past 18 months. The recent law evening proved another success with over 70 people attending and the majority under 30 years of age. These events create a wonderful opportunity for young Old Boys to meet with well-established Old Boys in their area of interest or chosen vocation.

This year's Foundation Day cocktail party was another OBA highlight with around 80 people in attendance. New Old Boy parents were invited to join existing Old Boy parents in a social format where all were presented with a unique Old Boys cap.

Old Boys are currently raising funds to support repairs and upgrades to the War Memorial Library. I wish to thank all those who have contributed and encourage others to support this important cause.

In closing, please join us for what will be a fantastic evening at the Annual Reunion Dinner. More details are below.

BGS OBA Committee (as elected at the 16 April 2018 AGM)

Old Boy Year Role
Chris Austin '79 President
Michael Forrest '87 Vice President
Jim MacPherson '85 Treasurer
John Emery '83 Secretary
Stuart Rees '79 Past President
Stephen Bizzell '84
Cameron McLeod '88
Geoff Clarke '64
Cameron Feltham '86
Timothy Sharpless '11
Garth Hobson '86
Richard Wheeler '99

Thank you to Julian Potten '07, Jeremy Hunt '16 and Nathan Huehne '11 for their time on the Committee and the valuable contribution they have made.


Also in this edition

News Snapshot

  • Old Boy Logie nominations: Two BGS Old Boys were nominated in the same category at the 2018 Logies, Most Popular New Talent. Dr Shalin Naik '95 aims to become the first scientist and first person of Indian heritage to win a Logie, for presenting on ABC's Catalyst and Ask the Doctor. George Pullar '13 is nominated for his role in A Place to Call Home.
  • First boarding renovations: BGS boarding benefited from a US$500,000 donation from Old Boy Matt McLennan '86, contributing to the first phase of boarding redevelopment, including refurbishments outside Harlin House.

Foundation Day 2018 & Honours

  • Guest speaker: BGS Old Boy Scott Wharton '95 explored his journey to the position of Executive General Manager, Strategy and Performance, Enterprise Services at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.
  • Scholarships (honouring longest-serving Headmaster RH Roe; the School's first Rhodes Scholar AS Roe; and AJ Mason, who taught at BGS from 1889 to 1940) awarded to 2017 graduates Joshua Grice, Toby Buckley and Dougal Brown.
  • JG Nowlan Award: Christian Fuller. Trustees' Scholarship recipients: Connor Haley, Isaac Robinson, Hansa Tennakoon and Jaden Teow.
  • 2018 Australia Day Honours:
  • David Bevan '66 received a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to public administration in Queensland through oversight, accountability and administrative justice roles, and to the law.
  • Dr Neil John Bartels '76 received a Medal in the General Division (OAM) for service to medicine in rural and regional areas.
  • Ross Maddock '62 received an OAM for service to Australia-Taiwan trade and business relations.

Reflections & Generations: historical Old Boy mentions

  • BGS150 Gala Dinner (Brisbane City Hall, 3 March): Old Boy tenor David Kidd '88 performed with 200 BGS musicians.
  • "Connection", 49th Annual Art Show 2018 (BGS150): A special exhibition featuring Old Boy artists, including emerging artist Daniel Sherington '14 (Queensland College of Art), Graham Ashton '78 (winner of the 1977 Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Child Art Contest), international artist Nameer Davis '76, and further Old Boy artists Stewart Service '65, Jeffery Service '63, Scott Breton '99, Stefan Dunlop '90, Chris Inwood '07 and Maxim Varghese '14.
  • The Roe family, a BGS legacy (Generations): Reginald Heber Roe (Headmaster 1876–1909, later Vice-Chancellor of The University of Queensland); his son Dr Arthur Stanley Roe (Queensland's first Rhodes Scholar and Brisbane's first specialist urologist); and grandson Dr Charles Roe, who attended BGS as a scholarship holder in 1932, was a Prefect, tennis champion and captain and a member of the First XI and First XV, served as an RAAF medical officer in WWII, and became a urologist. Then aged 98, Dr Charles Roe lived on South Stradbroke Island at 'Roe's Kamp', land adjoining property bought by his grandfather in 1882.
  • Light dark blue (BGS sesquicentenary history): the foreword was written by Old Boy David Malouf AO '50; the book was written by professional historian Helen Penrose (HistorySmiths).
  • Rowing (archival photo): Arthur Baynes (BGS 1913–1917) won the Queensland championship sculls in 1919–1925 and competed in the Diamond Sculls at Henley in 1922. The photo also showed Tom 'Tommy' Lawton, later a Rhodes Scholar, who captained the Queensland rugby union team that defeated the New Zealand All Blacks in three Tests in 1929.
  • "The boy in the boater" (Reflections): Arthur Blaney Powe (BGS from 1906), First XI cricketer, magazine editor and School House boarder, topped the Sydney University junior exam in 1908 and was awarded the Byrnes Medal, named in honour of BGS Old Boy Thomas Joseph Byrnes, former premier of Queensland. Powe headed the first scholarship list for the new University of Queensland, later winning a scholarship to Balliol, Oxford in 1914, fighting on the western front from 1916, and becoming a lecturer in classics at the University of Sydney. The 1911 opening of Allora State School's new building was presided over by BGS Old Boy John Douglas Story, Under-Secretary for Education.

Upcoming OBA / BGS events

Event Date
Celebrating 150 Years of Sport and Community (Upper Exhibition Hall, Brisbane Showgrounds) Fri 7 September 2018, 12.30pm–5.00pm
49th Annual Art Show 2018, Gala Opening Night (ticketed) Fri 14 September 2018, 7.00pm–9.30pm
49th Annual Art Show 2018 (free admission, on Open Day) Sat 15 September 2018, 10.00am–3.00pm
BGS Open Day Sat 15 September 2018, 12.00noon–3.00pm
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Nil Sine Labore

Brisbane Grammar School Old Boys' Association · Old Boys History. Part of the OBA Knowledge Project.

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