Oxley College

The College took its name from the famous early Australian explorer, John Oxley, and looks up to the hill named after him. His descendants gave permission for the family crest to be used as the basis of the College badge which incorporates their motto Patientia et Fortitudine—Patience and Fortitude and the College similarly adopted this as its motto.

Expansive grounds of great beauty provide a wonderful setting in which to educate young people. The centerpiece is a graceful colonial homestead ‘Elvo’, built in the 1880s. Now, this elegant building serves as the administrative centre of the College.

The grounds occupy seven hectares with established trees, many of which were planted when the property was first occupied. The grounds and the facilities developed within them are designed and maintained to provide an atmosphere conducive to learning. There is a sense of openness which encourages enlargement of the mind. Students are encouraged to be sensitive to the environment in which they learn, to respect it and appreciate its beauty.

From its initial enrolment of 24 students, the student population is now 750 K – 12. It is the policy of the College to maintain its commitment to modesty of scale, small enough for the education of students to be personal and humane, yet large enough to provide a wide range of academic options and activities.

The wellspring from which the Oxley Values are taken is deep and lasting. Oxley is a college founded on Christian principles and these find expression in so many of the words here. Many of the values are explicitly from the Old or New Testament. Others are derived from two millennia of Christian philosophy. Oxley draws from wisdom wherever it is found and many of the values can be found highlighted in other faith traditions. Some of the philosophies and ideas in these values come from good people with a humanist or secular orientation.

The first and second values, of justice and humanity, find expression at Oxley every day and particularly in our Service Learning and Ethics programmes. The values of wisdom and knowledge are connected with our focus on enlightened academic rigour. The fourth value, of fortitude, also links to so much of what we do to ‘strive, stretch and stick’. The last value — mindfulness — prompts us to find self-discipline and stillness in the middle of this extremely busy and connected world.