Boarding

Thank you to our boarding and school community

With more than a few mixed emotions, Andrea, Olive, and I say farewell this week to an extraordinary community.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our time at College. As we conclude our eighth year, we are departing Australia's shores and relocating to an international boarding school. Our time here – with the incredible boarders and staff - has broadened our understanding and deepened our passion for boarding.  

Boarding is a unique environment and a very different to working in the classroom. Having the opportunity to work at one of the earliest established boarding schools in Australia has been a highlight of my career. As Director, Chair of ASBA Victoria, and a member of the National Board, I have been honoured to represent the College and help raise its profile. Boarding is, without doubt, a rewarding occupation—and for my family, it has equally become a way of life. The boarding house, and the young people who call it home, have made this experience a joy for our entire family.

I am proud to have witnessed so many of our young students grow in their time here, and then graduate the boarding houses carrying with them confidence and kindness—not just as words, but as lived values. The greatest memory will be the way our boarders stand tall together, embrace one another, and call each other family. Together, we have worked hard to shape a boarding environment that is successful, connected, safe, and nurturing—one that encourages growth in both confidence and courage. I thank all boarders over the last eight years for your contributions to the Speirs and Mac House legacy. We will miss you all, in particular, each and every conversation and connection.

To our families—thank you. Thank you for your trust, your engagement, and your unwavering enthusiasm for boarding. You are not passengers in this journey; you are partners. Your support has made everything possible, and it is no exaggeration to say that you are the heartbeat of this community. The College has stood strong for over 150 years because of families like yours, and I have no doubt it will continue to do so for generations to come.

To the staff—both within boarding and across the wider school—I owe you an enormous debt of gratitude. One of the College’s greatest strengths is the pastoral care provided to all students. It is shared genuinely and generously by colleagues across the school. Having worked in a number of schools, I know that such a collegiate spirit is rare—and something to be truly proud of.

To Maxine and Lise, and our MOD’s —the boarding house and its operations could not be in safer or more capable hands. I leave knowing that everything we have built together will be nurtured, protected, and taken even further under your leadership. That gives me tremendous confidence and peace of mind.

To every family, every student, every colleague, and every member of this remarkable community—we wish you the very best. May your children carry the gifts of their time in boarding with them throughout their lives, and may this community continue to thrive and inspire for many years to come.

Thank you once again.

Andrew, Andrea and Olive