27 June, 2025
Dear Parents, Council Members and friends of St Leo’s,
Whether this is your first year as a Leo’s parent, or your third, we hope you feel as proud as we have been to watch your sons tackle university life with increasing confidence, resilience, and spirit.
With Semester 1 now behind us, it is a great time to reflect on the highlights and milestones of life at St Leo’s. It’s been a semester full of impressive achievements, and We’re incredibly proud of the way so many of your sons have embraced life at Leo’s.
From sporting victories and academic efforts to new friendships, your sons have already created a strong foundation for the rest of the year and their lives.
Semester 1 of uni is one of the hardest as students face a new way of learning. Results from UQ are due on July 2nd, and we wish every resident the very best.
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Celebrating Sporting and Cultural Excellence
Semester 1 Inter-College Council (ICC) Results
As always, the ICC activities play a huge part in social events and activities for residents. Still to come in Semester 2 for Cultural are Oratory, Art Show, One Act Play and Dancefest. And for Sport, we have Soccer, Touch Football, Rugby Union, Basketball and Athletics.
St Leo’s currently sits 4th overall in ICC Sport and 9th overall in ICC Cultural.
Here is where we have placed for individual categories…
| Hockey | 2nd |
| Tennis | 3rd |
| Swimming | 4th |
| Cricket | 4th |
| Rowing | 4th |
| Chess | 4th |
| Volleyball | 5th |
| Table Tennis | 6th |
| Bandfest | 6th |
| Debating | 7th |
| Choralfest | 8th |
Bandfest members: L-R Darcy Bouwman, Ian Pinto, Oliver Lynch, Stirling Harris, Joe Strachan, Josh Mann, Noah Fahey and William Jamieson
Chess Tournament: L-R Ned Fairley, Sebastian Lee, Noah Fahey and Rhys Jenkins
ICC Cricket: St Leo’s vs St John’s
ICC Rowing: the St Leo’s Eight
Whilst on the topic of sporting achievements, we were thrilled to see our very own Mac Rogers (Third Year Resident and Residential Assistant) featured in an article for RACQ’s Road Ahead magazine, highlighting the groundbreaking Queensland Academy of Sport’s ‘YouFor2032’ Talent Search app.
This innovative platform is using cutting-edge technology to identify Queensland’s next generation of elite athletes, offering them a pathway to high-performance sports. Mac’s journey from gymnastics to rowing exemplifies dedication and versatility.
It was only two years ago (Sunday, 17 September 2023), that an 18 year old Mac broke the Guinness World Record for most muscle-ups completed on gymnastics rings within a 24 hour period. Right here at St Leo’s!
Guinness World Record Attempt 2023: Mac Rogers breaking the previous world record
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College Life Highlights from Term 2
Mothers’ Day Lunch – 10 May
A beautiful sunny Saturday brought 32 families together for a relaxed and joyful afternoon. Fun Fact: amongst the residents present on the day, there were four sets of brothers in attendance.
Thank you to everyone who travelled to be part of this special day. A short, fun video made by our residents was screened for our guests—you can watch it here. To those mums whose sons avoided the camera: I tried! 😅
Mothers’ Day Luncheon: George Needham with mum Senator Susan McDonald
Mothers’ Day Luncheon: Andy Lee with mum Suk Hyun Lee
Mothers’ Day Luncheon: Sam Kirwin and mother Angela Kirwin
ANZAC Day Commemoration – 24 April
This solemn and meaningful event brought together all ANZAC-era colleges for a shared moment of reflection.
- Wreath Bearer: Rhys Jenkins (3rd Year), whose great-grandfather served in WWI
- Guest Speaker: Mrs Anne Irwin, Veteran and Treasurer of Legacy Brisbane
- Mass: Thanks to Darcy Bouwman for arranging Fr Frank Brennan SJ AO to say Mass prior to the ceremony
“Leadership isn’t about rank or medals. It’s about responsibility. And each of us is a leader — in how we act, how we serve, and how we show up when it counts.”
Anne’s reflections on her military service made a powerful impact, encouraging our residents to think deeply about how we live and honour our ANZACs.
ANZAC Day Luncheon: L-R Tom Molly, Caitlin Brittan, Annabel Flower, Millie O’Halloran, Emmanuel Kelly and Sam Crook
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Leonians Giving Back to the Community
On Sunday, 1 June, our Leonians took to the streets for the EVA Air Brisbane Marathon Festival. Not just to challenge themselves physically, but to raise funds for Two Good Co., a not-for-profit founded by St Leo’s alumnus Robert Caslick. Two Good Co. provides meaningful employment and support for women who have experienced homelessness, domestic violence, or trauma, offering not just a second chance, but a pathway to dignity and independence.
Fuelled by the mission of doing good, the team set themselves a fundraising goal of $7,500. Their determination, however, went the extra mile (see what we did there?), raising an incredible $9,651.
The event was a testament to what can happen when compassion meets action, proving that when Leonians run, they run with heart.
St Leo’s were also awarded the prize for Largest School Team participating in the event, by the EVA Air Brisbane Marathon Festival.
Congratulations to all the runners, supporters, and donors. We are incredibly proud of our young men.
EVA Air Brisbane Marathon Festival: Some of our very proud runners after their races
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College Staff Updates
Recruitment is underway for a new CEO and Head of College at St Leo’s – so watch this space! In the interim, Sou McPhail is acting CEO and Mark Thornton, a long-term deputy, has moved back into college (literally) to act as Deputy. Steve resigned as CEO in mid-June.
“Steve has played an important part in a number of initiatives. These include the formation of a foundation and an alumni, which will help grow St Leo’s into the future. He also led the modernisation and refurbishment of college and the important milestone of St Leo’s centenary in 2017. Steve has always acted as a strong and effective advocate for the place of residential colleges in young adult formation.” – Madonna King, St Leo’s College Council Chair.
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Looking Ahead
UQ Open Day – Sunday, 3 August
We are in full preparation mode for UQ’s upcoming Open Day. Do you know a young man considering college life in 2026? Please let them know of this event. We’ll be offering guided tours, a sausage sizzle, chats with current residents, and free limited parking. UQ’s courtesy bus will also make it easy to get here. Contact Heidi via registrar@stleos.uq.edu.au for more information.
Fathers’ Day BBQ – Saturday, 6 September
Mark this one in your calendar! Join us at St Leo’s for a relaxed and enjoyable afternoon with your son. A save-the-date for this event will be going out soon.
Valete Luncheon – Saturday, 1 November
For families of our Third Year residents, this special farewell event is a highlight of the College year. It’s a chance for families to join with their sons and celebrate a very significant time in their lives.
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Help Another Young Man Thrive at Leo’s
Each year, we welcome students from across Queensland into our vibrant college community. For many, it’s the first step in a lifelong journey of leadership, service and belonging. But for young men from regional, rural and remote communities, this journey often comes with a major obstacle: the cost of living away from home to attend university.
If you have the capacity to offer assistance to a future Leonian, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to the St Leo’s Scholarships & Bursary Fund.
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Final Word
I hope this break from uni offers your sons a chance to recharge, reconnect with family, and reflect on all that has been accomplished so far this year.
As always, we welcome your feedback. Whether you have suggestions, concerns, or praise to share, please reach out. We are committed to creating the best possible college experience for every student who calls St Leo’s home.
Best,
Pete
Peter Arena | Marketing, Communications & Advancement Manager
