Established 1891 Enrolment ~1,750(5–12) Phone +61 7 3865 0555 | Principal Peter Fullagar Colour(s) Blue and White Founded 1891 | |
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Motto Latin: Signum Fidei("A Sign of Faith") School types Private school, Single-sex education, Day school, Boarding school Similar St Joseph's St Anthony's, St Flannan's Catholic, St Kevin's, Geebung Catholic Church, St Anne's Catholic Church Profiles | ||
St Joseph's Nudgee College (commonly referred to simply as Nudgee) is a heritage-listed private, Roman Catholic, day and boarding school for boys, located in Boondall, a northern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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In 1891 it was decided by the Congregation of Christian Brothers that because of the large numbers of boarders at St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace and insufficient room to house them that a new school be opened to cater for the boarders at Nudgee. Both schools share St. Joseph's College as part of their name and follow the Edmund Rice tradition. Nudgee currently caters for approximately 1390 students from Years 5 to 12, including 450 boarders. Tuition is offered to boys in Years 5 to 12.
St Joseph's is affiliated with the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), the Combined Independent Colleges (CIC) and is a founding member of the Great Public Schools' Association Inc (GPS).
History
Established in 1891, as the boarding campus for the Brother's flagship school at Spring Hill, Nudgee is a Catholic boys' school, and caters for both day students and boarders. The location for the College was selected by Rev. Br. P.A. Treacy, founder of the Australian Province of the Christian Brothers, at the request of the Archbishop of Brisbane at the time, Most Rev. Robert Dunne D.D.. Rev. Br. D.F. Bodkin was appointed first Headmaster.
The main building, whose facade was used in the movie Phar Lap, was completed in 1891; the architect was Andrea Stombuco. The matching chapel was completed in 1916 and is used for weddings and funerals in addition to school celebrations. In 1993, after refurbishment, it won Royal Australian Institute of Architects Conservation Award and Regional Commendation. A second school building was completed in 1919. All 3 buildings were in Italian Renaissance Style.
In 1938 Nudgee Junior College was opened at a separate campus in Indooroopilly.
Building has continued at Boondall, and the campus now has sporting and academic facilities including 2 swimming pools, tennis and basketball courts, a 9 hole golf course, rifle range, full track and field provision and cricket and football ovals as well as several halls.
In August 2008, the school was the centre of controversy when a 59-year-old man from Richmond, Victoria accused a priest from the college of abusing him and four other students who have since committed suicide due to the abuse. The school denied any wrongdoing.
Heritage listing
Many of the buildings of the school were jointly listed in the Queensland Heritage Register in 2006.
Battle Of The Colours
In 1991, the following was printed in the Centennial Rugby Programme, dubbed - "The Battle of The Colours", for the 100th anniversary of the annual Nudgee vs Terrace rugby match.
Before Nudgee existed, St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace wore the colours Nudgee wears today - Blue and White.
A popular story, especially at Nudgee, is that when Nudgee began and had to choose it colours, there was a great debate as to whether the original school, Terrace, or its "extension" school, Nudgee, should have the Blue and White.
No amount of debate could solve the dispute so it was decided to rest the colour dispute on the first ever Nudgee-Terrace rugby match.
Nudgee won and Terrace then chose colours diametrically opposed. The blue became red and the white became black.
The result of the Centennial Nudgee vs Terrace rugby match was a 15-all draw.
Nudgee International College
While Nudgee International College sits within the grounds of Brisbane GPS School St Joseph's Nudgee College at Boondall (also an EREA school), Nudgee International College is a completely separate entity and is not part of St Joseph's Nudgee College. In early 2012 it was announced that the International College would be closing. As of late 2012 the site has ceased to function as a separate college, with the building and facilities being tuned over to the Saint Joseph's Nudgee College. The site will be repurposed by the school in preparation for planned developments of the existing school.