# Downlands College

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Private, secondary, day & boarding school in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia

Downlands Sacred Heart College Ruthven Street entrance, 2014 Location Toowoomba , Queensland Australia 27°32′07″S 151°57′27″E / 27.53528°S 151.95750°E / -27.53528; 151.95750 Information Type Private, secondary, day & boarding Motto Latin: Fortes in Fide (Strong in Faith) Denomination Catholic Established 1931 Founder Jules Chevalier (founder of the MSC) Principal Stephen Koch Grades P–12 Gender Coeducational Enrolment ~1400 Colours Royal blue, gold, and cardinal red Affiliations Catholic Secondary Schoolgirls' Sports Association Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Website www.downlands.qld.edu.au

**Downlands College**, officially named **Downlands Sacred Heart College**, is a [private](/source/Private_school), [Primary school](/source/Primary_school), [secondary](/source/Secondary_school), [coeducational](/source/Coeducation), [day](/source/Day_school) and [boarding](/source/Boarding_school) school at [Harlaxton](/source/Harlaxton%2C_Queensland) in [Toowoomba](/source/Toowoomba), [Queensland](/source/Queensland), Australia. Founded by the [Missionaries of the Sacred Heart](/source/Missionaries_of_the_Sacred_Heart) in 1931,[1] the college began as a boarding school for boys with a total enrolment of 68.

Downlands is Queensland's only Catholic, coeducational, day and boarding school years prep-12. The school offers boarding for both boys and girls and demand for co-educational boarding is high as it allows families and siblings to remain together. The school has an enrolment of approximately 290 boarders from regional Queensland, interstate and overseas, including [indigenous](/source/Australian_Aborigines) students from communities such as [Kowanyama](/source/Kowanyama%2C_Queensland) and the [Tiwi Islands](/source/Tiwi_Islands). The school also provides casual boarding to its day students. Downlands College is one of the biggest boarding schools in Queensland.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## College badge

The Downlands College Badge consists of a horizontally-divided field in the College colours, royal blue and cardinal red. The upper of the shield carries a gold [gryphon](/source/Griffin), and the lower half bears the [Maltese Cross](/source/Maltese_Cross) of the State of Queensland. The shield is surmounted by the heart crest with the letters SHC (Sacred Heart College) supported by a ram's horns and ears of [wheat](/source/Wheat), to symbolise the college's setting in the [Darling Downs](/source/Darling_Downs). The college motto, *Fortes in Fide*, meaning *Strong in Faith*[1] is emblazoned under the crest.

## House system

Downlands, like many [Australian schools](/source/Education_in_Australia), uses a [house system](/source/House_system) in the college. Students are randomly assigned to one of four houses which compete against each other during [swimming](/source/Swimming_gala) and [athletics carnivals](/source/Sports_day), as well as a drama festival.

The Downlands houses are:

Name Day/boarding Colour Vandel Day/Boarding Piperon Day/Boarding Treand Day/Boarding Jouet Day/Boarding

## Extra-curricular activities

Downlands College is known as the School of Choice,[2] offering an extensive and varied curriculum and co-curricular offering.

### Sport

Downlands has long been recognised as one of the strongest sporting schools in Queensland.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] [Rugby union](/source/Rugby_union), [football](/source/Association_football) (soccer), [netball](/source/Netball), [cricket](/source/Cricket), [tennis](/source/Tennis), [touch football](/source/Touch_rugby), [softball](/source/Softball), [Australian rules football](/source/Australian_rules_football), [hockey](/source/Field_hockey), [basketball](/source/Basketball), [athletics](/source/Sport_of_athletics) and [swimming](/source/Swimming_(sport)) are the main sports played at the college, with a large number of students taking part in organised sport throughout the year. Downlands is a member of the [Catholic Secondary Schoolgirls' Sports Association](/source/Catholic_Secondary_Schoolgirls'_Sports_Association) (CaSSSA). The college's [mascot](/source/Mascot) is the Gryphon, who makes appearances at certain inter-school competitions. Downlands also has a tradition of hosting the "O'Callaghan Cup".[3] This is every year on 31 August, and has been a running tradition since 1950, when five friends first started it.

### Arts

One of the newest facilities at Downlands is its large [Performing Arts](/source/Performing_Arts) department, catering for all age groups. The College [choirs](/source/Choir) and [musical ensembles](/source/Musical_ensemble), as well as individual students, are regular participants in the Toowoomba [Eisteddfod](/source/Eisteddfod#Australia). Downlands runs a [musical](/source/Musical_theatre) every two years with participation across all grades. Recent musicals include [Legally Blonde](/source/Legally_Blonde_(musical)) (2024), [The Addams Family](/source/The_Addams_Family_(musical)) (2022) [Wicked](/source/Wicked_(musical)) (2020), [Crazy For You](/source/Crazy_for_You_(musical)) (2018), [Les Miserables](/source/Les_Miserables) (2016), [High School Musical 2](/source/High_School_Musical_2), [Footloose](/source/Footloose_(musical)) (2008), [The Wiz](/source/The_Wiz) (2007), [Disco Inferno](/source/Disco_Inferno_(musical)) (2006) and [SherWoodstock](/source/SherWoodstock) (2005).[4]

## Heritage listing

[Tyson Manor](/source/Tyson_Manor), 2014

The grounds of the school contain the [heritage-listed](/source/Queensland_Heritage_Register) [Tyson Manor](/source/Tyson_Manor).

## Principals

Years Principal 1931–1935 R Hyland MSC 1935–1938 H Asprey MSC 1938–1945 J Doyle MSC 1945–1949 R Campbell MSC 1949–1956 V Dwyer MSC 1956–1962 T Kelly MSC 1962–1969 J Mooney MSC 1969–1974 Harold Baker MSC 1975–1981 Val Patterson MSC 1981–1986 James Littleton MSC 1987–1990 Roy O'Neill MSC 1991–1999 D McIntyre 2000–2005 Denis Uhr MSC 2006–2010 John Mulrooney MSC 2011–2018 Stephen McIllhatton 2019–present Stephen Koch

## Notable alumni

This list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please help improve it by adding reliable sources for existing names which prove they are alumni. Unsourced names may be challenged and removed. (February 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

- [Senator Gerard Rennick](/source/Gerard_Rennick) – Federal Senator for Queensland, 2019–

- [Mike Ahern](/source/Mike_Ahern_(Australian_politician)) AO – former [Premier of Queensland](/source/Premier_of_Queensland)

- Sir [Gerard Brennan](/source/Gerard_Brennan)[5] – Chief Justice of Australia 1995–1998

- [Frank Brennan](/source/Frank_Brennan_(priest)) SJ, AO – Jesuit priest, human rights lawyer and academic

- Sir [Walter Campbell](/source/Walter_Campbell_(judge))[6] – judge of the [Supreme Court of Queensland](/source/Supreme_Court_of_Queensland), Chancellor of the [University of Queensland](/source/University_of_Queensland), and [Governor of Queensland](/source/Governor_of_Queensland)

- [Major General](/source/Major_General) [John Cantwell](/source/John_Cantwell_(general)) DSC, LOM, AO – Army officer, author and academic

- [Brendan Doggett](/source/Brendan_Doggett) - Australian Test Cricketer

- [Gene Fairbanks](/source/Gene_Fairbanks) – rugby union

- [Greg Holmes](/source/Greg_Holmes_(rugby_union)) – rugby union

- [Tim Horan](/source/Tim_Horan)[7] – rugby union

- [Michael Katsidis](/source/Michael_Katsidis) – [professional boxer](/source/Professional_boxer)

- [George Kneipp](/source/George_Kneipp) (1922–1993) – judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland, and Chancellor James Cook University

- [Vince Lester](/source/Vince_Lester)[7][8] – politician

- [Ann Leahy](/source/Ann_Leahy) – politician

- [Garrick Morgan](/source/Garrick_Morgan) – rugby union

- Tony Nunan – CEO of [Queensland Gas Company](/source/Queensland_Gas_Company) and [Royal Dutch Shell](/source/Royal_Dutch_Shell) in Australia

- [Mary O'Kane](/source/Mary_O'Kane) – Australian scientist

- Mark O'Shea – one half of the [country music](/source/Country_music) duo [O'Shea](/source/O'Shea_(band))

- [Will Power](/source/Will_Power) – international [motorsports](/source/Motorsports) driver[7]

- Dr Dan Pronk – [Special Air Service Regiment](/source/Special_Air_Service_Regiment) Doctor and Author

- [Peter Ryan](/source/Peter_Ryan_(rugby_league)) – rugby union and rugby league

- [Brett Robinson](/source/Brett_Robinson_(rugby_union)) – rugby union

- [Josh Smith](/source/Josh_Smith_(footballer%2C_born_1994)) – Australian rules football

- [Dominic Tabuna](/source/Dominic_Tabuna) – Nauruan politician

- [Tom Veivers](/source/Tom_Veivers) – cricketer and politician

- [Dennis Manteit](/source/Dennis_Manteit) – Rugby League

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-firstParty_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-firstParty_1-1) ["Downlands College Toowoomba – Welcome"](http://www.downlands.qld.edu.au/). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20090911204647/http://www.downlands.qld.edu.au/) from the original on 11 September 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Independent Coeducational School Toowoomba | Downlands College"](https://www.downlands.qld.edu.au/). *www.downlands.qld.edu.au*. Retrieved 16 October 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["O'Callaghan Cup: Downlands Grammar Day"](https://www.downlands.qld.edu.au/o-callaghan-cup). *Downlands College*. Retrieved 16 October 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Arts Choice"](https://www.downlands.qld.edu.au/downlands-choice/arts). *www.downlands.qld.edu.au*. Retrieved 16 October 2020.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Who's Who in the Legal Zoo: Sir Gerard Brennan AC, KBE – Former Chief Justice of the High Court"](http://epublications.bond.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1156&context=nle&sei-redir=1#search=%22Gerard%20Brennan%20Downlands%20College%22). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110930130549/http://epublications.bond.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1156&context=nle&sei-redir=1#search=%22Gerard%20Brennan%20Downlands%20College%22) from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Angus Innes, "Sir Walter Campbell Pt. 2", Shoulder to Shoulder: The Journal of the Society of St. Andrew of Scotland (QLD), (Brisbane: Society of St. Andrew of Scotland, June 2000).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-paststudents_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-paststudents_7-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-paststudents_7-2) ["News of Past Students"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110822134334/http://www.downlands.qld.edu.au/default.asp?contentID=203). Downlands Past Students Union. Archived from [the original](http://www.downlands.qld.edu.au/default.asp?contentID=203) on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Students hand loss to Old Boys"](http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2009/11/14/students-hand-loss-to-old-boys/). *Toowoomba Chronicle*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20110929060246/http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2009/11/14/students-hand-loss-to-old-boys/) from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.

## External links

- [School website](http://www.downlands.qld.edu.au/)

- [Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Webpage](https://web.archive.org/web/20180604212127/http://www.misacor.org/)

Authority control databases ISNI VIAF

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