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St Joseph's Tobruk Memorial School

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St Joseph's Tobruk Memorial School
Original school crest
Information
School typePrivate
MottoCourage, Faith and Love
Established1953
PrincipalKevin Billion
GradesPrep - Year 6
Enrollment448 (2023)
WebsiteOfficial site

St Joseph's Tobruk Memorial School, also commonly known as St Joseph's or simply Joey's, is an independent, Roman Catholic, co-educational primary school, located in the town of Beenleigh in the City of Logan, Queensland, Australia.[1][2] It is administered by Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) and is a member school of the Queensland Catholic Education Commission, with an enrolment of 448 students and a teaching staff of 32, as of 2023.[2] The school serves students from Prep to Year 6.[1][2]

History

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The school was announced in May 1951, under the name St Joseph's Convent and was to be an all-boys school.[3] The permit was granted in June 1951,[4] and the foundation stone was laid on 16 March 1952.[5] Despite the weather on 16 March, many still attended the laying of the foundation stone.[6]

Originally budgeted at £20,000 in 1951,[7] the final cost of the school ranged between £26,000[8] and £27,000[9] by the school's opening in 1953. The school opened on 25 October 1953,[10][11] to honour those who served in the Siege of Tobruk during World War II.[12] Despite originally being planned as an all-boys school,[3] it opened as a coeducational facility for day school, but only accommodated boys for boarding school.[9] It had 97 foundation students.[13]

The school was blessed by Archbishop Duhig, with Leslie Morshead and 55 members of the Rats of Tobruk Association attending.[14] In July 1955, the only replica of the Australian memorial in Tobruk was unveiled at the school,[15] with approximately 300 members of the Rats of Tobruk Association present, and Archbishop Duhig unveiling the memorial.[16]

1998 saw the school celebrate its past by inviting the project team for the Rats of Tobruk to plant rose bushes in remembrance.[17] A rose garden featuring a memorial with 18 rosebushes was created.[17]

On 21 October 2006 the school was deliberately set ablaze,[18] and was severely damaged.[19] The cost of the repairs was more than $500,000;[18] being the second incident in the last 10 years (since 1996), the first fire caused roughly $60,000 in damage.[18][20] A number of surviving soldiers from Tobruk were involved in the school's rebuilding efforts, assisting with the RSL sponsored fundraiser for the school.[12]

The 60th anniversary was celebrated on 25 October 2013, with a Thanksgiving Mass and a 1950s dinner dance being held as the main events.[13]

The students wore yellow clothing on 1 August 2014 to support the Wear Yellow for Allison Day movement to remember Allison Baden-Clay, after an 11-year-old suggested the idea to the school council.[21]

In January 2024, the school's playground was replaced.[22]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "St Joseph's Tobruk Memorial School (Beenleigh) | Department of Education". Schools Directory. Archived from the original on 17 August 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "ACARA Data Access Program - School Profile 2023". Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. Archived from the original on 1 May 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Tobruk Memorial for Beenleigh". The South Coast Express. 18 May 1951. p. 1. Retrieved 17 August 2024 – via Trove.
  4. ^ "Permit Granted - Beenleigh Boys' School". The Beaudesert Times. 8 June 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 17 August 2024 – via Trove.
  5. ^ "Beenleigh Boys' School - Foundation Stone Laid". The Beaudesert Times. 21 March 1952. p. 7. Retrieved 17 August 2024 – via Trove.
  6. ^ "Beenleigh Buzz". The South Coast Bulletin. 26 March 1952. p. 25. Retrieved 6 September 2024 – via Trove.
  7. ^ "£20,000 Boys' School for Beenleigh". The Beaudesert Times. 25 May 1951. p. 3. Retrieved 6 September 2024 – via Trove.
  8. ^ "School As Tobruk Memorial". The Advertiser Adelaide. 26 October 1953. p. 2. Retrieved 6 September 2024 – via Trove.
  9. ^ a b "£27,000 Tobruk Memorial - Convent and school at Beenleigh". The Beaudesert Times. 30 October 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 6 September 2024 – via Trove.
  10. ^ "Opening and closing dates of Queensland schools". Queensland Department of Education. 14 April 2019. Archived from the original on 24 July 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  11. ^ "Tobruk Remembrance - Beenleigh Convent School". The South Coast Bulletin. 21 October 1953. p. 20. Retrieved 6 September 2024 – via Trove.
  12. ^ a b "St Joseph's Tobruk Memorial School". Monument Australia. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  13. ^ a b Ng, Emilie (3 November 2013). "Tobruk memorial school turns 60". The Catholic Leader. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Convent School Tobruk Memorial". The Catholic Weekly. 3 December 1953. p. 9. Retrieved 17 August 2024 – via Trove.
  15. ^ "Replica of Tobruk Memorial for Beenleigh School". The Beaudesert Times. 27 May 1955. p. 4. Retrieved 17 August 2024 – via Trove.
  16. ^ Morris, Ken (15 July 1955). "Looking at Queensland". The Beaudesert Times. p. 4. Retrieved 6 September 2024 – via Trove.
  17. ^ a b "Rats of Tobruk - still serving our country - World reunion". Vetaffairs. November 1998. p. 10. ISSN 0819-8934. Retrieved 17 August 2024 – via Trove.
  18. ^ a b c "Blaze tests school spirit". The Catholic Leader. 29 October 2006. Archived from the original on 21 February 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  19. ^ "Beenleigh | Queensland Places". The University of Queensland. Archived from the original on 5 May 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  20. ^ "Beenleigh school damaged in second arson attack". ABC News Australia. 22 October 2006. Archived from the original on 28 October 2016. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  21. ^ Feeney, Katherine (28 July 2014). "Wear yellow and be kind on Friday for Allison Baden Clay's legacy, friends urge". Nine News. Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Pipes, planks, and tyres replace swings and slides at St Joseph's". The Catholic Leader. 25 January 2024. Archived from the original on 21 May 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
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