“While this is a constant cycle that is hard to avoid, boarding teaches you how to navigate the low periods and ultimately use it as a learning lesson for future experiences.”
We have been boarders since Year 7.
Over the past five years, we have found one of the most valuable lessons that boarding can teach teenage boys is the ability to self-navigate and overcome challenges.
Entering a boarding house is the first time many boarders have stepped away from the comfort and security of their parents and guardians. Although this can be a daunting experience, one of the things that this unfamiliarity creates is the ability to organise yourself. With a larger workload than previous years, a greater number of commitments, and the absence of parents and guardians, you are required to quickly learn the basic skills of organisation. While this may take a while to learn, after a few weeks the boys will be well and truly on top of their daily routine, academic load, and external commitments. Likewise, the unfamiliarity of boarding and the constant challenges high school throws at you will provides boarders with the ability to overcome challenges. During their time in boarding, they will be faced with the highest of highs, and sometimes the lowest of lows.
Boarding also teaches you how to act within a community. Along with their academic and co-curricular load, boarders have to maintain their own personal area while working with their friends to keep their House neat and tidy. Boys work together to make sure multiple essentials to living are maintained. Each morning we empty the bins and then clean the dishes in the evening after prep (homework sessions). Boys are also required to manage their assortment of clothes to ensure the washing within the House runs smoothly. All these shared chores teach you how to work within a community. You learn not only about personal responsibilities, but the importance of working together, sharing the workload and its significance in maintaining a well-functioning community. Considering plan to attend university or get a job, boarding prepares them not only to be self-sustainable beyond school, but how to function within a community. While boarding will come with its challenges, it is a very memorable experience which allows boys to leave Toowoomba Grammar School as men of good character with the strength and resilience to face challenges in life, and knowing the importance of giving back to others.
But the boarding experience offers so much more - boys make lifelong memories and friends that, like their skills, will last and serve them far beyond the School gates.
Fidelis in Omnibus
by Stuart Officer and Alistair McKay - School Prefects and boarders
Latest Blog
75 Years of Rivalry and Respect
This year’s match holds special meaning, as it marks 75 years since the very first O’Callaghan Cup clash in 1950. Among those who remember the early days is Malcolm Powell, a proud TGS Old Boy (1948-52) who played fullback for the First XV in 1951. Malcolm, now in his nineties, still vividly recalls the thrill of those early games. “I watched the first Cup from the sidelines, I was in the Thirds that year,” Malcolm recalls. The fiercest of rivals but the greatest of friends “Downlands won that…
Our Sesquicentenary
The day was filled with reflection, celebration and a deep sense of connection to the generations who have shaped the School’s legacy. From the opening of a time capsule sealed in 1975, to a Sesquicentenary Assembly that honoured our roots and looked to the future, the occasion was a powerful reminder of what it means to be part of the TGS community. And of course there was cake! A Message Across Time: Opening the 1975 Time Capsule
Better Together - 2025 IBSC Conference
With its global network of over 300 member schools spanning more than 20 countries, the IBSC advocates for educational opportunities that focus on the holistic development of young men. This year, the IBSC Annual Conference was hosted by Belmont Hill School in Boston, United States, where teachers, school leaders and experts in boys' education gathered under the inspiring theme of "Better Together". Toowoomba Grammar School was proudly represented by Mr Luke Rawle, Ms Abby Varley and Mr Henry…
Reliving the Past, Shaping the Future
Mr Nicholas Hess has been a coach for both rugby and tennis and a boarding supervisor after he finished Year 12 His connection to the School runs deep, from the friendships he formed as a student to his dedication now as a Boarding House Assistant and long-standing member of the Old Boys’ Association (OBA). TGS has had a lasting impact on his life, and he has been only too willing to give back to the place that he loves so much. “There’s something special about being part of the Blue and Gold,”…
Never Give Up
Six years ago, after experiencing ongoing muscle weakness, he was given a life-changing diagnosis - Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy 2i (LGMD2i). Basically, Matt’s body doesn’t produce the chemical substance, Ribitol which is crucial for muscle function. He was told there is no treatment or cure, that he would be wheelchair bound in five to ten years and require oxygen, with the likelihood of an early death. But Matt would not accept that fate. Instead, he took up the fight – not just for…
A Magical Collaboration - “Midnight: The Cinderella Musical”
A co-production between Toowoomba Grammar School and Fairholme College, this enchanting musical captivated audiences at the Empire Theatre for two nights in early June, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended. A Story Brought to Life “Midnight” is a fresh take on the Cinderella story, featuring music and lyrics by John Foreman and Anthony Costanzo, with orchestrations by Anthony Barnhill and additional contributions from Kate Miller-Heidke. The book, written by Dean Murphy and Pip…
Pioneering Excellence: Launching TGS's Athletic Development Program
Our Athletic Development Program represents a paradigm shift in how schools nurture sporting talent—combining cutting-edge technology, evidence-based practices and a whole-person philosophy that prepares young men for success beyond the scoreboard.
Reflecting on the Past, Walking Forward Together
This week is an important time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to reflect on how we can each contribute to achieving reconciliation. The theme for NRW 2025, 'Bridging Now to Next,' calls on us to honour the past, acknowledge the present and actively build a better future. It reminds us that reconciliation is not a destination, it is a journey guided by reflection, respect and a shared commitment to walking together. As we look back on the…
A Bright Start to our Rising and Leading Series
More than 150 members of the Toowoomba and Darling Downs community joined us to hear from leading demographer and data commentator Simon Kuestenmacher, whose presentation sparked fresh thinking about the decade ahead.
