Townsville Grammar School

Townsville Grammar School
Townsville Grammar School
Location
	Townsville; Australia
Coordinates	19°15′3″S 146°48′18″E / 19.25083°S 146.80500°E
Information
Type	Independent, day & boarding, IB
Motto	Latin: Bonus Intra Melior Exi; (Come In Good, Go Out Better)
Denomination	Non-denominational
Established	1888
Headmaster	Timothy J. Kelly
Grades	P–12
Gender	Co-educational
Enrolment	~1,400
Colour(s)	Black and gold;
Website	www.tgs.qld.edu.au

Townsville Grammar School is an independent, co-educational, day, International Baccalaureate and boarding school, located in Townsville.

Established in 1888, it is the northernmost member of the Queensland grammar schools. From its foundation the school encouraged a co-educational environment, but in its early decades the number of female students was particularly small; in its foundation year (1888), "20 boys" are recorded as being enrolled. During World War II the school was acquired by the Royal Australian Air Force for use as barracks accommodation for the No. 3 Fighter Sector RAAF.

School badge

The School Badge was designed in 1902 by a Sydney architect. The background represents the Southern Cross, with the Three Turrets set on the Rock of Christianity, surrounded by the sea of Plenty. The central turret symbolises spiritual values, while the two side turrets represent intellectual and sporting values.

The Latin text on the badge reads "Bonus intra melior exi", literally "Come in good, go out better".

Headmasters

Period	Details	Notes
1888	E. F. Upward	^[1]
1889–1900	C. H. Hodges	^[2]
1901–1904	Fredrick Thomas Miller	^[3]^[4]
1905–1938	Percy Fritz "Boss" Rowland	^[5]
1939–1946	Thomas Burnside Whight	^[6]
1947–1948	A. Campbell Logan	^[7]
1946–1965	Maurice William Blank	^[8]
1966–1975	Leonard Stanley Daniels
1976–1992	Alan Douglas Morwood
1993–1997	S. C. Paul
1998–2017	Richard W. Fairley
2018–present	Timothy J. Kelly

P. F. Rowland is as of 2018 the longest serving headmaster, holding his position for 34 years. During his time,"Boss" Rowland taught the School's two Rhodes Scholars, Chester Parker and George Hall.

Campuses

North Shore

The Junior School North Shore campus teaches from pre-kindy (for children turning 3 before 30 June). This campus opened in 2015, and continues to grow.

Annandale

The Junior School Annandale campus teaches from pre-preparatory (for children turning 4 before 30 June) to grade 6. This campus opened in 1997.

North Ward

The North Ward campus is situated in the seaside suburb of North Ward in Townsville. It comprises the Middle School (grades 7-9) and Senior School (grades 10-12). The School House building is now heritage-listed.^[9]

Sporting houses

The four sporting houses are named after former headmasters:

Rowland – Red colour
Miller – Blue colour
Hodges – Green colour
Whight – Purple colour

Notable alumni

Karen Andrews, politician, current member of parliament for McPherson
Charles Davidson, politician and former Postmaster-General & Minister for the Navy
Harriet Dyer, actress^[10]
Jarrod Harbrow, AFL footballer
Ted Harding, politician and rugby league player
Remy Hii, actor
Harold Lowes, lawyer and politician
Micheal Luck, professional rugby league player
Agnes McWhinney, first female solicitor in Australia
Greg Norman, former Number 1 ranked golfer
Frederick Perkins, teacher, headmaster and minister
Douglas Reye, pathologist, first to study and namesake of Reye syndrome
Tia-Clair Toomey, world Crossfit champion and Australian weightlifting Olympist.

Notable staff

Merilyn Manley-Harris, professor of carbohydrate chemistry in New Zealand^[11]

References

^ "Our Townsville Letter". The Telegraph. No. 4, 829. Queensland, Australia. 3 April 1888. p. 5. Retrieved 30 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "TOWNSVILLE". Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald And General Advertiser. Vol. XXIX, no. 4159. Queensland, Australia. 9 February 1889. p. 6. Retrieved 30 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "MR. F. T. MILLER". Morning Bulletin. Vol. LXI, no. 10, 932. Queensland, Australia. 14 December 1900. p. 5. Retrieved 30 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "TOWNSVILLE GRAMMAR SCHOOL". Morning Bulletin. Vol. LXVI, no. 12167. Queensland, Australia. 6 December 1904. p. 5. Retrieved 30 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Townsville Grammar School". The Telegraph. No. 10013. Queensland, Australia. 21 December 1904. p. 6. Retrieved 30 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "FORMER PUPIL". The Northern Herald. Vol. 101, no. 1339. Queensland, Australia. 10 December 1938. p. 9. Retrieved 30 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "T.G.S. HEADMASTER". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Vol. LXVII. Queensland, Australia. 26 October 1946. p. 2. Retrieved 30 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "PERSONAL". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Vol. LXIX. Queensland, Australia. 13 May 1948. p. 2. Retrieved 30 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "School House (entry 601029)". Queensland Heritage Register. Queensland Heritage Council. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
^ Armitstead, Jane (24 January 2015). "Harriet's star on the rise". Townsville Bulletin. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
^ "Hamilton Public Lecture Series - Professor Merilyn Manley-Harris - GAPA - Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts: University of Waikato". www.waikato.ac.nz. Retrieved 12 November 2023.