On Tuesday, 30 January, His Grace, Archbishop Mark Coleridge conferred a Fellowship upon St Leo’s College retiring Chair, Mr Daryl Hanly OAM, in recognition of his outstanding leadership and dedication to the St Leo’s College community.

There are many reasons institutions confer Fellowships. A Fellow embodies the values and ideals that distinguish collegiate communities from non-collegiate. Fellows share the great wisdom, insight, and experience which they possess for the benefit of their whole community and the benefit of the people who work and live within it. Mr Hanly has been sharing his vision and his wisdom with the College since 2014 when His Grace appointed Mr Hanly Chair of the St Leo’s College Council.

In response to receiving this prestigious Fellowship, Mr Hanly expressed his gratitude, stating, "I’m very grateful for this honour and it has been a privilege to contribute to a college and community that has played such a significant role in the development of young men for over 100 years”.

Mr Hanly is both a University of Queensland alumnus and a St Leo’s old boy, graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts in 1971 and a Bachelor’s degree in Education in 1973.  Concurrently, Mr Hanly commenced a teaching career in Queensland secondary schools - notably regional secondary schools, serving in places as diverse as Biloela, Blackall, Mackay and Townsville. Mr Hanly understands regional Queensland and the important role that successful schools play in the health of these towns and communities.

From 1983 – 1993, when the state education department in partnership with the federal government needed a leader to rejuvenate an inner-city school, Kelvin Grove State High, the state and federal governments chose Mr Hanly – his leadership stewarding the evolution of what became the state government’s Schools of Excellence Program – known today as centres for excellence for disciplines as diverse as dance, golf, tennis and rugby. Students came from all over the country to attend what was Queensland’s very first School of Excellence, with the Queensland Ballet visiting its expertise on the dancers who attended Kelvin Grove High. A whole new model of education that continues to today.

Between 1995 and 1999, when the state department needed a leader to direct its Centre for Leadership Excellence to enhance the leadership capacity of principals and aspiring principals in Queensland schools, the state department chose Mr Hanly. In 2014 QUT recognised Mr Hanly and all that he had done to that date with an honorary doctorate recognising his services to education in Queensland and achievements in education in Queensland.

Conferral of St Leo’s College Fellowship: Mr Stephen Foley (Head of College), Mr Daryl Hanly OAM (retiring Chair), Ms Madonna King (College Chair) and Archbishop Mark Coleridge.