St Brendan’s College Boarding offers a sprawling 300 acre-campus with abundant space, facilities, academic and extra-curricular opportunities for the development of boys to young men. We are located only minutes from Yeppoon Town Centre and the beauty of Capricorn Coast's beaches, and a short half an hour drive from Rockhampton.
The College is a spacious ‘home away from home’ for boys with quality staffing and support so parents can be assured their son’s care and welfare is our ultimate priority.
St Brendan’s College Boarding has been specialising in the provision of residential care for young men from Central Queensland and beyond since 1940. With such a wealth of experience, we understand the unique needs of our boarding students and their families. Our qualified and experienced staff provide a level of care that resembles that of a family home. Our professional and caring staff provide a safe and structured environment and support the boys through any academic or personal issues that may arise. The daily routine for each Residence is supervised by Heads of Residence staff. They are well supported by a trained team of supervisors to ensure comprehensive duty of care. All Heads of Residence and Supervisors live on-site, have “Working with Children” clearances and are in-serviced regularly in the latest strategies and innovations in Residential Care.
Specifically, the residential community of St Brendan’s College aims:
The focus is strongly pastoral and is founded in sound educational and spiritual practices developed specifically for young men. The formation programs are responsive to the ever-changing needs of the modern teenager while respecting the necessity for strong moral and behavioural standards.
The college has four Boarding Residences, each has Wi-Fi and air-conditioned common areas. All Residences have kitchenettes located in common rooms as well as BBQ’s for weekly Saturday night barbecues and common and individual study areas.
Boarders are educated in basic home care skills like bed-making and room cleanliness, and are responsible for various house duties to contribute to a positive and familial boarding environment. The students’ educational needs are well catered for with individual and group areas for study and lesson preparation. All Residences provide compulsory supervised study sessions five days per week and provide time and facilities for more study if required.
This Residence is named after the founder of the Irish Christian Brothers, Edmund Rice. It is from his philosophy and willingness to help those less fortunate than others that forms the foundation of the education boys receive at St. Brendan’s College.
This Residence was named after Brother Gerald Fitzpatrick who came from Tatura, Victoria. He arrived at St Brendan’s College in 1941 and stayed till 1957. His name was synonymous with kindness and generosity and was in his element attending to the sick. His work around St Brendan’s was to collect firewood for the boiler and the kitchen and to mow the ovals using a mower drawn by ‘Barney’ the horse.
Fitzpatrick is currently home to our Year 11 and 12 boarders and is located adjacent to our abundant sporting fields, tennis courts, cattle yards and rodeo arena. McKennariey Residence extracurricular activities.
This Residence was named after Brother Leonard McKennariey, who came from Brisbane. He taught in the secondary classes and he was a good gymnast, an enthusiastic sports coach and a tireless and thorough teacher. He arrived at St Brendan’s in 1944 and spent over ten years at the College. Brother McKennariey spent his last forty years in Queensland boarding schools.
McKennariey is the College's oldest residence, and houses our Year 10 and Year 11 boarders. It is located closest to the academic facilities of the College and includes a theatre room, pool room and common BBQ area.
Wallace Residence was named after the Bishop of Rockhampton, Bishop Bernard Wallace. He was bishop from 1974 until he retired in May of 1990 before his passing in November of the same year. Bishop Bernard was a brave man. He expressed his convictions forcefully; he stood his ground resolutely; and he followed his ideals passionately. We work to instill these traits in our students today.
Wallace Residence houses the youngest members of the St Brendan's boarding community, the Year 7's. In 2019 this residence was completely refurbished to make it suitable for this Year 7's. Wallace Residence has a warm and inviting common area, with an office and parent lounge. The new accommodation and facilities go hand in hand with the dedicated team of caring staff to support these young boys as they transition from home to boarding life.
St Brendan's College duty of care for boarding students is our utmost priority. We have a caring and committed Boarding Team including our Assistant Principal-Residential, Heads of Residence, Assistant Heads of Residence, Supervisors and Boarding Secretaries to care for our boarders.
There is a significant range of information, forms and procedures covered within boarding and we ask parents to review this information carefully and complete relevant forms in a timely manner.
The Waterford Dining Complex is a stylish and modern facility that allows our boarders to eat in a relaxed and comfortable environment. The boys are provided with hearty and nutritious meals including breakfast, lunch (first break), afternoon tea (second break), an after school snack, dinner (which includes dessert) and an after study supper.
Weekends are a little more relaxed with a BBQ dinner on Saturday nights, brunch on Sunday mornings and roast for Sunday dinner. The menu is on a four week cycle and is audited by our catering company to ensure a well-balanced and nutritious diet. Included in that cycle is a theme night each term, for example Christmas in July, Indian Night etc which adds even more variety to the menu.
Our dining staff continue to show their professionalism and commitment, scoring 100 per cent for the third consecutive year in an external kitchen audit of food safety in 2017. While for many, boarding school food may never rate as highly as Mum's home cooking, the College prides itself on providing nutritious, hearty meals for our boarders.
Our day students also have the option to pay for the Boarders' Lunch Package, which is $5 per day paid per term (from Term 2 2019), enabling day students to have the same first break lunch as the boarding students. (Day students still need to bring food for second break.) This offers significant flexibility for families.Parents must advise our Accounts Receivables Officer Mrs Sherene Wright of your son's intention to start (or finish) taking advantage of the Lunch Package so it can be accounted for on Term fees. Day students and boarders can also take advantage of our full tuckshop menu available at the College canteen before school and at first and second break.
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