The Coronation of Her Majesty the Queen has been the year's happiest and most significant event. We feel, moreover, that the School has a special affection for Her Majesty, through past association with her family, and present association with Vice-Royalty.
First, the Brisbane Grammar School was founded during the reign of another glorious queen, Queen Victoria, and this is commemorated in the main window of the Great Hall. Again, Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Edward and Prince George, honoured the School by a visit in 1881; and the trees that they planted on that occasion are a proud possession of the School. Furthermore, His Excellency the Governor, who is an Old Boy and who visits the School on Speech Night, is a valued link with the throne at the present time.
It is, therefore, with special loyalty that this School enters the reign of Queen Elizabeth. We foresee a revival of the prosperity and glory that were characteristic of Queen Victoria's day. We are confident that the boys — old and present — of the School will lead this renascence, continuing their tradition as leaders of the community.
Coronation Day itself, a proud day for the Commonwealth, will always be remembered by those boys of the School who took part in the celebrations. Many cadets from the School participated in the Royal Review held at Victoria Park. And the world-wide broadcast of the inspiring ceremony in Westminster Abbey united boys and old boys, no matter how scattered, in a sincere prayer for Her Majesty.
As the year draws to a close, we begin to think about the approaching Royal Visit. Not only will most of us have an opportunity of showing our affection for the Queen, but also Her Majesty will reveal to us those outstanding qualities — family happiness, grace, virtue, and leadership — which have won our admiration. Her example will still further inspire us to improve ourselves and to strive for perfection in all things.
Looking back over the last twelve months, we have reason to be proud of the progress made and the work done. Although we have appealed to members to induce School friends to apply for membership of the Association or to persuade those who have dropped out to join up again, results have been disappointing. On the other hand the spirit that has animated most of our functions and activities seems to point to a very much livelier interest in the Association. But when we consider the thousands of Old Boys who have passed through the School, we should have at least 3000 on the Membership Register.
I cannot impress upon you too often the fact that for many of its amenities our School depends on the support of its Old Boys. And it should not be necessary to remind any Old Boy that his responsibility to the School did not cease when he left School. May I take you back to 1949 for an example of an Old Boy's love for the B.G.S.? I refer to Mr. Frank Walker's generous donation of over £10,000 to the School. As a result the B.G.S. now has a fine Gymnasium. But further development in buildings and equipment is possible only as funds are made available. If "Grammar" means anything to you, give a hand to ensure its future, according to your ability. Many southern schools are richly endowed.
I would urge every parent to see that his boy, on leaving school, joins the Association immediately.
Clive Harburg graduated into Broadcasting from Accountancy. After working as Accountant to the Central Western Broadcast Co., he became Station Manager of 4LG, Longreach. From here he enlisted in the R.A.A.F. and saw service in Darwin, Morotai and Balik Papan, later transferring to the Education Services of the R.A.A.F. On discharge he joined the staff of the Australian Broadcasting Commission and in October 1946 became Sporting Editor for Queensland. Since 1948 Mr. Harburg has been President of the South-Eastern District Branch of the R.S.S.A.I.L.A., and is a member of the State Managing Council of the War Veterans' Home Committee. He had two brothers at the School: F. S. (1928–30) and V. P. (1936–37).
Old Boys' Association (Founded 1898).
Subscription — Annual: 10/-, due 1st July. Boys joining immediately on leaving school, 2/6 to 30th June. Life Membership: £10. Badge: 5/6. Magazine: 3/6 per copy.
The 85th anniversary of the foundation of the School was celebrated on Saturday, 28th February 1953, and was ushered in with the announcement of the appointment of Mr. A. E. McLucas, M.A., B.Ed., as the new Headmaster of "Grammar." His Excellency the Governor of Queensland (an Old Boy) and Lady Lavarack attended in the morning. At the Reunion that evening (Mr. J. G. Felgate in the chair), the toast of "The School" was replied to by the Acting Headmaster, Mr. S. G. Kennedy, M.Sc. A Farewell Dinner to Mr. H. R. Pigott, on his retiring from the position of Headmaster of the B.G.S., had been held at the Criterion on 25th November 1952.
Reginald Heber Roe Scholarship — Founded by the O.B.A. in memory of R. H. Roe, M.A., Headmaster of the School 1876–1909.
1953 Roe Scholarship: D. J. Nicklin (Donald James Nicklin), presented by the President at the Reunion. (Later Professor of Chemical Engineering, UQ; corroborates the entry previously sourced from the 1979 issue.) The Mason Scholarship was presented to J. C. Hodge.
J. G. Nowlan Bursary — to the boy entering the School with the highest pass in the State Scholarship Examination who receives no other assistance than the State Scholarship subsidy; value £10 per annum, tenable two years.
1953 Nowlan Bursary: Robert Young (89% in the 1952 State Scholarship) — recorded as "the first award of the Nowlan Bursary," established to commemorate the name of Joseph Gabriel Nowlan. Presented by the President during Foundation Day afternoon tea.
(A sports/awards summary in this issue also notes an earlier Reginald Heber Roe Bursary "awarded Foundation Day, 1951" to D. W. Ramm — recorded under 1951 in the bursary index.)
They are not reproduced in this transcript.
Source: The Brisbane Grammar School Magazine, November 1953 (School's 85th year; Coronation year). Notation: Bracketed "(year)" after a name = year of ENTRY to the School. School Captain 1953: T. (Tom) Baxter (Cadet Pilot Officer; 1st XV Captain; later the 1954 Roe Scholar). Headmaster: A. E. McLucas, M.A., B.Ed. — newly appointed in 1953 (announced on Foundation Day, 28 February 1953); his predecessor, H. R. Pigott, retired at the end of 1952 (farewell dinner 25 November 1952); S. G. Kennedy, M.Sc. served as Acting Headmaster in the interim.
In this era, an Old Boy's year designation was the year he entered Grammar; the convention today is the year he finished. A boy who started in 1993 and finished in 1997 was (93) but is now '97.
Brisbane Grammar School Old Boys' Association · Old Boys History. Part of the OBA Knowledge Project.
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