THE BLUE AND GOLD - Friday, 13 November 2026

Dear TGS Families,

When we think about the role of facilities in education, it is easy to focus on the physical structures themselves. Yet the true value of any facility is not found in the building, but in what it makes possible. A stage builds confidence, an innovation hub encourages curiosity, sporting fields teach perseverance and teamwork, and boarding houses foster independence and a sense of community.

At Toowoomba Grammar School, our facilities play an important role in the daily life of the School. They provide the spaces for our boys to learn, train, perform, explore new interests and develop their skills. They also allow us to welcome a range of sporting, educational and community events, bringing people to our campus and creating opportunities to showcase what TGS has to offer.

Our campus has been particularly alive with activity in recent weeks as we hosted the Queensland Schools Sport Cricket (U14 Boys) competition. Next week, we welcome representatives from the Australian Olympic Committee, who will visit Toowoomba Grammar School and the broader region. These occasions are a reminder that the facilities our boys use every day are recognised and valued well beyond our own School community.

As Brisbane looks towards the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, conversations are already taking place with international sporting organisations about training and preparation opportunities across regional Queensland. We have been privileged to be involved in discussions with several countries considering TGS as a potential training base in the lead-up to the Games. While these conversations remain at an early stage, they speak to the quality of our facilities and the reputation our School has established.

Looking further ahead, in 2027 we will host the Rugby Heritage Cup, welcoming representatives from around 11 nations to our campus and the Toowoomba community. It will be another wonderful opportunity to showcase not only our facilities, but also the culture, hospitality and spirit that define Toowoomba Grammar School.

However, the significance of these events extends well beyond the opportunity to host major sporting organisations and international visitors. They reinforce the importance of providing environments that enable young people to learn, explore, challenge themselves and discover what they are capable of achieving.

Every day, our boys train, learn, perform and grow in these spaces. The same sporting fields that attract elite athletes, the same learning environments that encourage innovation and the same facilities that will welcome international visitors are first and foremost places where our students develop their skills, character and confidence.

Investment in facilities is never simply about buildings. It is an investment in young people and in the opportunities available to them. Ultimately, it is about creating environments where every boy can discover his strengths, pursue his passions and develop a sense of what is possible.

Kind regards,
Dr John C Kinniburgh
Headmaster

As another school year moves towards its conclusion, it is timely to reflect on the growth, development and contribution of our Year 6 student leaders. Throughout the year, our boys have demonstrated that leadership in the Junior School is not simply about holding a title or wearing a badge. It is about service, responsibility, character and the willingness to contribute positively to the community around them.

Our School Captains and Vice Captains, House Captains have carried significant responsibilities throughout the year. They have represented their peers, supported assemblies and events, encouraged participation, contributed ideas and helped foster the strong sense of community that characterises our Junior School.

Equally important has been the contribution of all Year 6 boys through the Year 6 Monitor Program. Across roles including Sports Monitor, School Pride Monitor, Library Monitor, Art and Woodwork Monitor, and Community Service Monitor, boys have had regular opportunities to serve others and take genuine responsibility within the life of the School.

These roles are deliberately varied because leadership itself takes many forms. Some boys lead confidently from the front, while others make their greatest contribution through reliability, initiative and quiet service. Whether helping younger students, caring for our facilities and resources, assisting staff, supporting sporting activities or contributing to community service initiatives, each role provides an opportunity for boys to discover that leadership begins with taking responsibility for something beyond themselves.

Over the course of the year, we have seen our Year 6 boys grow into these responsibilities. They have learnt that effective leadership requires consistency, organisation and resilience. At times it means speaking in front of others; at other times it means completing a task when nobody is watching. It means listening, including others, following through on commitments and recognising that the example they set influences the boys who will follow them.

As our Year 6 leaders approach the conclusion of their Junior School journey, another group of boys is preparing to step forward.

Throughout Terms 3 and 4, our Year 5 boys have participated in the Character Development Program, exploring the qualities, behaviours and responsibilities associated with leadership. This development has culminated in the Year 5 Leadership Day, facilitated by Character Builders, providing the boys with an opportunity to put many of these ideas into practice through activities centred on teamwork, communication, problem-solving and leadership.

The process of selecting our next group of student leaders is now underway. Applications are being submitted, speeches delivered and interviews conducted. While these processes will ultimately identify boys for particular formal positions, their value extends well beyond selection. Every boy who participates is being asked to reflect on an important question: What kind of leader do I want to be?

Importantly, leadership in Year 6 will once again extend beyond the boys appointed to our most visible positions. Every Year 6 boy will have opportunities to contribute, serve and lead. The expectation is not that every boy leads in the same way, but that every boy recognises his capacity to make a positive difference.

This year, we have also strengthened the way we recognise the legacy of student leadership within our Junior School. New Junior School House Captain Honour Boards have been installed in the Junior School Hall and backdated to the beginning of the Student Leadership Program. The names of every boy who has led one of our Junior School Houses are now proudly displayed.

These boards are much more than a record of names. They tell part of the story of our Junior School.

For current students, seeing those names provides a tangible connection between the leadership opportunities they experience today and the boys who have gone before them. For former students, it provides lasting recognition of the responsibility and service they contributed during their time in the Junior School. For the boys currently applying for leadership positions, the boards are also a reminder that being selected as a student leader is both an honour and a responsibility.

In time, the names of our current leaders will become part of that history too.

That is perhaps one of the most important lessons of student leadership. Positions are temporary, but the influence of good leadership can endure. What ultimately matters is not the badge a boy wore or the title beside his name, but how he used the opportunity: how he treated others, how he served his School, the example he set and the contribution he made.

We are enormously proud of the growth and contribution of our Year 6 boys this year and grateful for the energy, enthusiasm and service they have brought to their roles. As they prepare to hand those responsibilities to the next group of young leaders, we look forward with great confidence to seeing our Year 5 boys take the next step in their own leadership journey.

Amanda Hall
Deputy Head of Junior School (Students)

Years 3 and 4 Japanese students have been learning about housing in Japan, exploring traditional features found in Japanese homes while developing their language skills. As part of the unit, the boys practised grammar such as "What is this?" and learned how to describe items found in different rooms. To bring their learning to life, they constructed detailed papercraft models of a washitsu (traditional Japanese room), complete with an origami kotatsu (heated table).

Our Year 3 boys recently enjoyed an exciting day of learning at Moo Baa Munch at the Toowoomba Showgrounds. The interactive program gave students the opportunity to discover where their food and fibre come from through a range of hands-on activities led by industry experts.

Students, staff and industry partners recently gathered for the TGX End of Year Celebration, marking the inaugural year of innovation, learning and growth. The event provided each TGX group with the opportunity to reflect on their journey, sharing the challenges they faced, the lessons learned and how setbacks and failures helped shape their projects and successes.

We are grateful for the contributions of UniSQ, Power Tynan, TAFE Queensland, Compass Group, OneAg, Elite Oceania, E&E Waste and Hutchinson Builders, whose expertise, guidance and encouragement have helped students develop real-world skills, confidence and resilience.

Toowoomba Grammar School is proud to announce the establishment of the Andrew Hart Bursary, a lasting tribute to an Old Boy whose courage, determination and love for his School community continue to inspire those who knew him.

Created through the generosity of the Hart family, the bursary will provide opportunities for future Grammar Boys to access the transformative educational experience that meant so much to Andrew during his time at TGS.

Andrew joined Toowoomba Grammar School in 2004 and quickly became a valued and much-loved member of the School community. Born with significant medical challenges, he faced more adversity in his young life than many people encounter in a lifetime. Yet those who knew Andrew rarely focused on his disabilities. Instead, they remember his humour, resilience, generosity and unwavering commitment to making the most of every opportunity.

Determined to fully embrace School life, Andrew immersed himself in a wide range of activities. He managed sporting teams, contributed to clubs and was a passionate member of the Spirit Squad. His quick wit, infectious personality and genuine care for others helped him form friendships across year levels and left a lasting impression on students and staff alike.

While Andrew quietly navigated ongoing medical challenges, multiple surgeries and significant health complications, he approached life with remarkable courage and optimism. He never allowed his circumstances to define him. Rather than standing on the sidelines, he chose to participate, connect and contribute wherever he could.

Andrew graduated from Toowoomba Grammar School in 2008. Tragically, following a further operation, he passed away only months later at the age of 18.

Although his life was far too short, Andrew's impact on the Grammar community endures.

The Andrew Hart Bursary will ensure his legacy continues through future generations of students. Reflecting Andrew's deep belief in participation, belonging and opportunity, the bursary will support young men who may otherwise face barriers to accessing a Toowoomba Grammar School education.

For the Hart family, the bursary represents a meaningful way to honour Andrew's memory while creating opportunities for others to experience the sense of community, connection and growth that shaped his time at TGS.

Every student supported through the Andrew Hart Bursary will become part of that legacy, carrying forward the values Andrew embodied so well: courage, gratitude, involvement and a determination to make the most of every opportunity.

In doing so, Andrew's story will continue to inspire future Grammar Boys for many years to come.

To contribute to the Andrew Hart Bursary and become a founding supporter, visit Andrew Hart Bursary.

Earlier this year, we introduced families to Queensland's Child Safe Standards and the steps Toowoomba Grammar School has taken to strengthen our child safety framework. As part of the next phase of these reforms, Queensland's Reportable Conduct Scheme came into effect for schools on 1 July 2026.

The Scheme is designed to strengthen accountability and transparency by requiring schools and other child-related organisations to report and investigate certain allegations involving employees, contractors and volunteers who work with children. It also provides oversight through the Queensland Family and Child Commission, helping to ensure concerns are managed appropriately and consistently.

Importantly, the Reportable Conduct Scheme works alongside the Child Safe Standards. While the Child Safe Standards focus on creating safe environments and preventing harm, the Reportable Conduct Scheme ensures there is a clear process for responding when concerns arise.

Under the Scheme, reportable conduct includes:

• A child sexual offence
• Sexual misconduct involving a child
• Ill-treatment of a child
• Significant neglect of a child
• Physical violence against, or in the presence of, a child
• Behaviour that causes significant emotional or psychological harm to a child.

The introduction of the Scheme reinforces the importance of speaking up when something doesn't seem right. Parents, carers, students and members of our community are encouraged to raise concerns if they become aware of behaviour that may impact a child's safety or wellbeing.

To support this, we have continued to strengthen our child safety framework, including updated policies, reporting procedures, complaints handling processes, staff training and governance practices. Information relating to the School's child safety commitment, policies and reporting processes is available on the School website under Policies and Procedures.

Creating and maintaining a child-safe environment is a shared responsibility. We thank our families and community for their ongoing partnership in helping ensure every Grammar boy feels safe, respected, supported and empowered to speak up.

John Anderson
Deputy Headmaster

For a comprehensive list of our upcoming events, head to the TGS Events Calendar.