Celebrating 40 years at Wondall Rd

Written by Mrs Rebecca Lennon, Principal

Why is the past so important?

The past matters because it helps us understand how we got here. Without it, a school can look like little more than buildings, blazers and a very large number of emails. History gives those buildings meaning. It reminds us of the people, decisions, hopes and brave steps that have shaped the College we know today.

This year, while our 125-year celebrations have understandably taken much of the spotlight, we also pause to acknowledge another significant milestone: 40 years since the Secondary School began on the Wondall Road Campus in 1986. That move was far more than a change of address. It represented a pivotal moment in the story of Moreton Bay College, creating new opportunities for growth, signalling confidence in the future of the College and helping to shape the school we know today.

After 85 years at Bay Terrace in Wynnum, the move to Wondall Road marked the beginning of a new era. In 1981, the College acquired 20 hectares of land on Wondall Road. During 1983, the Primary buildings were erected and our Primary students and staff occupied them in 1984, becoming the first to establish what was then a new “settlement” for the College. In 1985, the Secondary School was built, with students commencing the 1986 school year on the new site.

It is easy to look around our campus now and assume it has always been this way, but for those who lived that moment, Wondall Road felt new, big and modern. A member of our Old Girls’ Association who was in Year 12 in 1986 recently shared her memory of the excitement in arriving at the new campus and the sense that the College was stepping boldly into its future. She reflected: ‘In many ways, it was like packing up the whole spirit of a school and moving it to a brand-new place, trusting that it would still feel like home’.

The pages of The Moretonian from 1986 offer a wonderful glimpse into that first Secondary year at Wondall Road. There are reminders of how much has changed: typewritten pages, carefully cut-and-pasted photo collages, memorable hairstyles, safari suits and stories that capture the energy and humour of the time. Yet there are also many signs of continuity. 1986 was the first year the College had a College Captain and two Vice Captains, reflecting the growth of enrolments and the increasing confidence of the school. The Champion House that year was Alison Greene, with points gathered across interhouse tennis, swimming, netball, volleyball, drama, ballgames and cross country, while athletics was only just beginning to emerge.

The 1986 record also reminds us of a College beginning to imagine the future of learning. The P&F made a major purchase that year, gifting the College an Apple Macintosh computer with graphics capabilities for the Art Department. It was also the first time students had access to what was described as a “fully fledged” computer facility, with computers beginning to be used in Science and in Primary clerical areas. At the time, this was pioneering; today, it is a reminder that innovation has long been part of the Moreton Bay story.

There were other memorable firsts and traditions too. 1986 was the first year of the Teddy Bears’ Picnic, when even the senior students brought their teddy bears. There was a grand opening marked with ceremony and celebration, and the yearbook captures a school community growing in confidence, character and a little cheeky spirit. The Seniors of 1986, in particular, remind us that Bay Girls have always had personality, courage and a willingness to make their mark.

Mr Ken Waller’s leadership during this period was significant. At a time when the College had known uncertainty, including a period in the 1970s when enrolments had fallen dramatically, the Wondall Road move became a statement of hope. With Primary established in 1984 and Secondary joining in 1986, the College began to flourish, creating space for new opportunities, new traditions and generations of Bay Girls to grow.

Forty years on, Wondall Road is much more than a campus. It is a place of belonging, growth and shared memory. It carries the stories of students, staff, families and leaders who believed in what this community could become. As we look back with gratitude, we also look forward with confidence, knowing that the same spirit of courage, hope and possibility continues to guide Moreton Bay College into the future.