St Edmund's College, Ipswich

St Edmund's College
Naomh Éamonn Coláiste
Location
Ipswich, Queensland

Australia
Coordinates 27°36′34″S 152°45′13.4″E
Information
Type Independent secondary school
Motto Latin: Possunt Quia Posse Videntur
("They Can Because They See They Can")
Religious affiliation(s) Catholicism
Denomination Congregation of Christian Brothers
Established 1892
Oversight Edmund Rice Education Australia
Principal Ray Celegato
Years offered 7–12
Gender Boys
Enrollment c. 1,100
Campus type Suburban
Houses
  •   Ambrose
  •   Callan
  •   Elliot
  •   Finn
  •   Ignatius
  •   Morgan
  •   Rice
  •   Treacy
Colour(s)     Blue and white
Mascot Wayne the Wolf
Affiliation Associated Independent Colleges
Website www.sec.qld.edu.au

St Edmund's College (known colloquially as Eddies) is an independent Catholic secondary day school for boys', located in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. The school was founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 1892 and is conducted in the tradition of Edmund Ignatius Rice.

The school is a member of the Associated Independent Colleges of the Greater Brisbane region along with Marist College Ashgrove, Iona College, Padua College, Villanova College, St Patrick's College, St Laurence's College and St. Peters Lutheran College.

St Edmund's College accepts students from Years 7 to 12, drawing from a wide area of Ipswich. The total enrolment of the school is projected to be approximately 1,500 students. At the beginning of 2025 the college will reintroduce years 5 and 6.

The original St Edmunds Christian Brothers building is now used by St Mary's Primary School, still located on the corner of Mary & Elizabeth St, Woodend, besides the church. In fact, to this day the heritage listed gate at that stone wall still features the original St Edmunds initials CBC (Christian Brothers College).

Skool 2 Skoolies

The Skool 2 Skoolies initiative began in 2003, when one Year 12 St Edmund's student pledged to cycle 115 km (71 mi) to the Gold Coast on his last day of school. His primary mission was to raise funds for charity.

Sport

St. Edmund's is a member of the Associated Independent Colleges (AIC).

  • Season 1 February – March: Swimming, Cricket, Volleyball, AFL
  • Season 2 April – June: Chess, Cross Country, Rugby Union, Soccer
  • Season 3 July – October: Hockey, Cross Country, Track and Field, Basketball, Tennis, Rugby League
  • Season 4 October – November: Track and Field, Golf

AIC sports include: Australian rules, basketball, chess, cricket, cross country, rugby union (St Edmund's College Ipswich was selected to represent Australia at the prestigious Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament in Fukuoka, Japan during 2003), soccer, swimming, tennis, track & field, volleyball, hockey, and rugby league. Non-AIC sports include: e-sports, golf, hockey, and orienteering.

AIC premierships

St Edmund's College has won the following AIC premierships.

  • Athletics (3) – 2012, 2013, 2014
  • Basketball (5) – 2001, 2002, 2006, 2017, 2020
  • Rugby (2) – 2011, 2014
  • Soccer – 2016
  • Tennis – 2005
  • Volleyball (5) – 1999, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2011

Musical and drama productions

Each year, since 2007, a full musical production is conducted, in conjunction with St. Mary's College, Ipswich. The host school alternates every year.

Musicals

Houses

In 1981, Eddies added school houses. These houses, Hogan, Ryles, Carroll and Stevens, were named after previous principals of the school.

Name Colour Name origin
Stevens Red

 

J.C. Stevens, college principal from 1940–1941.
Hogan Gold

 

W.J. Hogan, college principal from 1899–1901 and 1905–1907
Ryall Green

 

G.E. Ryall, college principal from 1952–1954.
Carroll Blue
  		M.C. Carroll, college principal from 1925–1930.

In 1995, the four houses at St Edmund’s changed their names, which coincided with the college moving from year levels to a Pastoral System.

  • Hogan became Rice (yellow)
  • Ryall became Callan (green)
  • Carroll became Morgan (blue)
  • Stevens became Treacy (red)

In 2003, due to an increase in student numbers, these house were split in half, creating eight houses: Callan 1, Callan 2, Rice 1, Rice 2, Morgan 1, Morgan 2, Treacy 1 and Treacy 2.

At the end of 2006, further change came when these eight houses were folded into six for the following year, with the addition of two new houses, Finn and Ambrose.

In 2013, two more houses were created in preparation of Year 7 returning to St Edmund’s College in 2015. These two house were named Ignatius and Elliott.

Name Colour Crest Motto Name origin
Ambrose Maroon
  		Courage to believe, strength to succeed Br Desmond Ambrose Purcell (known as 'Br Ambrose') was a Christian Brother who served the community of Ipswich and the last Christian Brother to teach at St Edmund's.
Callan Green
  		Participation, determination, success Callan, Ireland was the home town of Edmund Rice
Elliott Teal
  		Scottish Gaelic: In ár caisleáin togetherness a tógadh –
In our togetherness castles are built 		Elliott house is named after Mary Elliott the wife of Edmund Rice. She died suddenly a few years after they were married
Finn Orange
  		Fair & Just Named after Patrick Finn, who was not only one of the founding members of the Christian Brothers but also one of Edmund Rice's closest companions
Ignatius Purple
 
To go where no one else will go 'Ignatius' was the name Edmund Rice took to mark his new life as a Christian Brother
Morgan Blue
 
In giving we receive Morgan House derives its name from the first Christian Brother Principal – Brother J Morgan who came to Ipswich in February 1892 and took up residence to establish the school.
Rice Gold
 
Latin: Nihil alienum –
Nothing is alien to us 		Named after the founder of the Christian Brothers, Edmund Ignatius Rice
Treacy Red
 
Latin: Prorria audax virtute –
Bravery in the cause of virtue 		Brother Patrick Ambrose Treacy (20 October 1834 – 15 August 1913) was the first Christian Brothers' provincial superior of Australia, who established the first permanent Christian Brothers community in Australia in 1868. The Treacy crest and motto was created by the first dean of the house, Mr Paul Begg

Principals

  • Joseph Morgan: 1892–1894
  • J.D. O'Donaghe: 1895–1898
  • W.J. Hogan: 1899–1901, 1905–1907
  • R.X. Butler: 1902–1904
  • J.F. O'Brien: 1908–1914, 1931–1936, 1939
  • F. Donovan: 1915–1918
  • Thomas C. Seery: 1919
  • B. O'Ryan: 1920–1924
  • M.C. Carroll: 1925–1930
  • S.L. Carroll: 1937–1938
  • J.C. Stevens: 1940–1941
  • H.A. Segrave: 1942
  • R.G. McCartney: 1943–1945
  • F.C. Walsh: 1946–1948
  • N.G. Wigmore: 1949–1951
  • G.E. Ryall: 1952–1954
  • W.A. Lewis: 1955–1960
  • Brian Malachy Shortill: 1961–1966
  • K.F. Lynch: 1967–1971
  • A.I. Schofield: 1972–1977
  • L.E. "Ted" Magee: 1978–1983, 1994–1998
  • R.M. Reardon: 1984–1989
  • R.O. “Steve” Grundy: 1990–1992
  • Jim Lucey: 1999–2004
  • Brendan Lawler: 2005–2013
  • Christopher Leadbetter: 2014–2017
  • Diarmuid O'Riordan: 2018–2020
  • Ray Celegato: 2021–present

Notable alumni

Entertainment, media and the arts
Politics and the law
Sport

See also