As long as there has been a school, there have been performances, concerts and musicals and sports.
In 1985, the first year of the school, the Year 1-3 students performed “Agapeland’ in a Sunday evening service at Northside Christian Family and also at the ‘Chermside Old People’s Home’. Staff and Alumni from those early years would remember the “God’s Kids”, “The Story Telling Man”, “We, Like Sheep” and more. Hopefully, the photos will emerge. There is a photo of the first Secondary musical, A Dangerous Journey, which was staged in 1995. If you look, you may spot Mrs Crimmins, who was a cast member that year.
The 1987 celebration of Queensland Day was an event to remember. It was a combination of Firsts; like a mix of Open Day and Grandparents’ Day. Staff, children, parents and grandparents dressed in period costumes, sets were painted by our talented teacher aide, Betti Liyanage, the children performed, there was a whip-cracking display by Don Corney, a wood sawing display by Ps Herb Day and a celebratory cake of the State of Queensland. It really was a day to remember.
1988 was the year of the big adventure… a full-scale school trip to Sydney for the Christian Community Schools celebration for Australia’s Bicentenary. We had a “less than luxurious’ bus trip down (though there were some families who did a family road trip in somewhat more comfort) and we were billeted with very kind families from some of the Sydney Christian Community Schools.
Approximately 5000 children from almost fifty CCS schools participated in a program of shared activities beginning with a Celebration of Praise and Thanksgiving and culminating in a massed display in the main arena of the Royal Easter Show. Our children were part of both the combined choir at the Thanksgiving Service and the display in the arena. The last day of the trip was spent with the other schools at Old Sydney Town.
Closer to home, 1988 was the year when the first sod was turned for our first school building – A Block. The first stage was approved after ‘much negotiation and some Divine intervention’. The photo shows Ps Charles Newington (Acting Senior Pastor) and Graham Corney (Chairman) at the ceremony.
In that same year, we purchased the school’s very first computers – two Apple IIE s – seen in the photo being set up by myself. In the early days of schooling, the staff all multi-tasked and this event began my time as ‘the computer person’ – a role that was a far cry from the current IT roles.
The first classroom in 1985 was a room under the church that had been a Kindy room. For a few years there were other classrooms under the church and then in a demountable at the back; appropriately referred to as ‘The Back Hall’. In 1989, while still using these rooms, the first of three stages of A Block was completed and was the first official school building.
This could become a very long article with so many firsts across the years.
Here is a snapshot of a few more.
The first Sports Houses were named after the Bible heroes, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. After the school became a college, the houses were changed to the current Booth, Elliot and Wesley and these were later joined by Graham when the enrolment numbers increased.
In 1990, our first Sports day was held on the Everton Park State School oval on July 25. Abednego won. Our school then competed against 16 other Christian schools in the Inter-Christian Schools Sports Day, coming 3rd in our division and winning 3 of the age championships.
While Abednego won the sports competition, Meshach won the 1991 Trophy of Excellence for the academic competition in both spelling and number facts.
In May 1991, our long-distance runners won the trophy for Division B of the Inter-school Cross Country. The following year, they won Division A!
I want to finish this month’s article on note of praise: In 1989, the school reached a full complement of Year levels from Pre-school to Year 7. Northside Christian Community School was granted Approved Status by the Education Department. Previously, the school had interim approval, pending the establishment of Year Seven.
From these small beginnings, a great school continued to grow.
Bev Starrenburg
College Archivist