HomeCommunityBundaberg Christian College flies Australian flag high

Bundaberg Christian College flies Australian flag high

Bundaberg Christian College flag raising
Brandon Ivers gives his rendition of Advance Australia Fair at the flag raising ceremony.

Visitors to Bundaberg Christian College (BCC) may notice an addition to the school’s frontage fluttering proudly in the breeze – the Australian flag.

The flag was recently raised over the college for the first time since 2019 at a special ceremony attended by Year 12 and Year 8 students and invited guests.

Former college captain Noah Hayes, speaking via video message from the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra, shared some of his memories from when junior school students were tasked with raising and lowering the flag each day.

“It meant coming in early and staying back after our last class, but it also demonstrated respect which is one of BCC’s ‘RISE’ values” he said, referring to the college’s values of respect, integrity, servanthood, and excellence.

“Our prefect body of 2019 had pushed for a new flagpole and now we get to see this project come to fruition.”

The college’s 2019 prefect body identified the need to have the Australian flag on permanent display to demonstrate national identity and respect for Australia’s heritage, history, and freedom – a sentiment shared by the BCC’s current student leaders.

Bundaberg Christian College flag raising
Participating in the recent flag raising ceremony at Bundaberg Christian College are (back row from left) director of student wellbeing James Marsman, Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett, Zachary Faint, Andrew Udal, Caitlyn Avery, Ari Maata, Rebekah Doolan (partly obscured), Sarah Cathie, head of middle and senior school Cameron Ivers and college principal Paul Thompson. Front row: Charlotte Rhebein, Gracee Grolimund, Lillianna Dobesch and Erin Bowie.

Head of middle and senior school Cameron Ivers shared with those gathered some of his learnings about the flag.

“I thought I knew everything about the Australian flag, but even I learnt something new when researching for today,” he said at the ceremony.

“For example, the original flag design was a compilation of five designs from an open competition whose winners were all under (the age of) 40, which to me showed a major buy-in from the youth of the nation at that time.”

Director of student wellbeing James Marsman explained that Year 8 students would be given the responsibility of raising and lowering the flag each day, taking on a leadership role that this year’s Year 12 student body was entrusting them with.

The flag was donated by Federal Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt and State Member for Burnett Stephen Bennett was in attendance for this special ceremony.

Bundaberg Christian College's resident bugler Brandon Ivers played the national anthem at the Australian flag raising ceremony which concluded with a rendition of the college’s ‘war cry’ by the students and teachers in attendance.

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