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Downlands Sacred Heart College
Downlands Sacred Heart College
	Ruthven Street entrance, 2014
Location
	Toowoomba, Queensland; Australia
Coordinates	27°32′07″S 151°57′27″E / 27.53528°S 151.95750°E
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	4–12
Gender	Coeducational
Enrolment	~900
Colour(s)	Royal blue 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, Primary school, secondary, coeducational, day and boarding school at Harlaxton in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Founded by the 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 students from communities such as Kowanyama and the 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]}

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, and the lower half bears the 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, to symbolise the college's setting in the 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, uses a house system in the college. Students are randomly assigned to one of four houses which compete against each other during swimming and athletics carnivals, 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]} Rugby union, football (soccer), netball, cricket, tennis, touch football, softball, Australian rules football, hockey, basketball, athletics and swimming 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 (CaSSSA). The college's mascot is the Gryphon, who makes appearances at certain inter-school competitions.

Arts

One of the newest facilities at Downlands is its large Performing Arts department, catering for all age groups. The College choirs and musical ensembles, as well as individual students, are regular participants in the Toowoomba Eisteddfod. Downlands runs a musical every two years with participation across all grades. Recent musicals include Wicked (2020), Crazy For You (2018), Les Miserables (2016), High School Musical 2, Footloose (2008), The Wiz (2007), Disco Inferno (2006) and SherWoodstock (2005).^[3] With the upcoming musical being another addition to Downlands already extensive Performing Arts retinue. The college also enters teams into the Queensland Debating Union, with much success.

Heritage listing

The grounds of the school contain the heritage-listed 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

Senator Gerard Rennick – Federal Senator for Queensland, 2019–
Mike Ahern AO – former Premier of Queensland
Sir Gerard Brennan^[4] – Chief Justice of Australia 1995–1998
Frank Brennan SJ, AO – Jesuit priest, human rights lawyer and academic
Sir Walter Campbell^[5] – judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland, Chancellor of the University of Queensland, and Governor of Queensland
Major General John Cantwell DSC, LOM, AO – Army officer, author and academic
Gene Fairbanks – rugby union
Greg Holmes – rugby union
Tim Horan^[6] – rugby union
Michael Katsidis – professional boxer
George Kneipp (1922–1993) – judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland, and Chancellor James Cook University
Vince Lester^[6]^[7] – politician
Ann Leahy – politician
Garrick Morgan – rugby union
Tony Nunan – CEO of Queensland Gas Company and Royal Dutch Shell in Australia
Mary O'Kane – Australian scientist
Mark O’Shea – one half of the country music duo O'Shea
Will Power – international motorsports driver^[6]
Dr Dan Pronk – Special Air Service Regiment Doctor and Author
Peter Ryan – rugby union and rugby league
Brett Robinson – rugby union
Josh Smith – Australian rules football
Dominic Tabuna – Nauruan politician
Tom Veivers – cricketer and politician
Dennis Manteit – Rugby League

References

^ ^a ^b "Downlands College Toowoomba – Welcome". Archived from the original on 11 September 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2009.
^ "Independent Coeducational School Toowoomba | Downlands College". www.downlands.qld.edu.au. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
^ "Arts Choice". www.downlands.qld.edu.au. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
^ "Who's Who in the Legal Zoo: Sir Gerard Brennan AC, KBE – Former Chief Justice of the High Court". Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
^ 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).
^ ^a ^b ^c "News of Past Students". Downlands Past Students Union. Archived from the original on 22 August 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
^ "Students hand loss to Old Boys". Toowoomba Chronicle. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2011.