Iona College is an independent Roman Catholic single-sex day school for boys, located in the Brisbane suburb of Wynnum West, Queensland, Australia. Iona is operated by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a religious order that was founded in 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod.
Founded in 1958, the College caters for 1,852 students from years 5 to 12 on a 25-hectare (62-acre) campus approximately 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) east of the Brisbane central business district.
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History
On 1 October 1957, Father Tim Long and Father Denis McCarthy arrived on the hill at Lindum in an old second-hand Vauxhall, with only five pounds in cash, a gift of blankets, sheets and towels from the Oblate parish of Eagle Junction and a 'Mass Kit' from the Mercy Sisters at All Hallows School. The site, of 32 acres (13 ha), had been given to the Oblates by Archbishop James Duhig to begin a school for boys. With the help of local residents providing resources to help establish the College, it commenced on 28 January 1958 with 58 students and four staff members.
Iona College's name is taken from the Scottish island of Iona, the birthplace of Celtic Christianity in Scotland.
In 1961, Father Tim Long suffered a heart attack in London while making his way back to Ireland at the age of 65.
In 2015, Michael Twigg O.M.I. was appointed rector of the College.
In 2019, the Board and Oblates appointed Trevor Goodwin as the first principal of Iona.
In 2024, Fr Joe Antony OMI started in the role as college rector, taking over from Fr Michael Twigg OMI.
There are two other schools run by the OMI in Australia: Mazenod College, Victoria and Mazenod College, Western Australia.
Arms, motto and colours
The College colours are black and white. The College crest consists of a shield on which is depicted an arm holding a cross, while underneath is the Latin phrase "In Hoc Signo Vinces", which translates to "In This Sign You Will Conquer".
Campus
The college is situated on 63 hectares and the campus includes such facilities as:
A performing arts centre (IPAC)
4 basketball courts – indoor and outdoor
Indoor Volleyball courts
7 cricket / rugby / soccer / athletics ovals
An Olympic sized swimming pool
A fully equipped gymnasium and weights room
6 new tennis courts in the Iona Tennis Centre and Barton Family Show Courts
Industrial Design and Technology Centre
Art Precinct.
Indoor Sports Precinct
In total the school has 26 different blocks with a chapel, a staff and priests' house.
Iona College has an outdoor education centre called "Glendalough" near Peregian Beach on the Sunshine Coast. Most year levels visit the camp every year. The site has an area of 19 hectares and Glendalough is close to the southern shores of Lake Weyba, one of the large shallow lakes of the region. Double kayaks are provided for use on the lake. Other nearby activities include climbs of Mt Coolum and Mt Peregian, the environmental walk at Stumer’s Creek Reserve and numerous local patrolled surf beaches.
Performing Arts Centre and cultural activities
The Iona College Performing Arts Centre (IPAC) was opened in 1998, giving the school's cultural activity such as Speech & Drama, Music and Art a venue to display their talents.
Iona has a proud tradition in many cultural activities such as drama, music, art, debating and public speaking, titration and mooting.
Every year The Festival of Music, a statewide competition open to all schools is held in the Iona Performing Arts Center (IPAC). Both state and private schools are allowed to enter this competition. Iona's musical, play and band concerts all are performed here. Music at Iona College maintains a good reputation, such as the Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble and Jazz Band receiving success in their fields of competition.
The school provides over 14 school bands. It can be divided into 6 categories. These include:
Concert bands (Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, Concert Band, Year 6 Band, Year 5 Band)
Sympathy Orchestra
String orchestras
Vocal ensembles (Iona Singers, Ionian Voices)
Jazz ensembles (Jazz Ensembles 1, 2 and 3)
Percussion ensembles (Percussion Ensemble 1, 2 and 3)
Mass Band
Sports Band
These categories can be divided into three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. The bands use IPAC to perform and practice. The school also provides music lessons for students.
Sport
Iona College is a member of the Associated Independent Colleges (AIC). The College offers a variety of sports including: rugby union, soccer, water polo, cricket, Australian rules football, chess, volleyball, tennis, basketball, sailing, swimming, athletics, cross country, touch football, and mountain biking.
AIC premierships
Iona College has won the following AIC premierships.
AFL (1) – 2025
Athletics (9) – 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
Basketball (5) – 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
Cricket (10) – 1999, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2016, 2022, 2024, 2025
Cross Country (9) – 1999, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2016, 2023
Chess (1) – 2004
Rugby (4) – 2000, 2009, 2013, 2018
Soccer (4) – 2015, 2017, 2018, 2023
Swimming (2) – 2003, 2004
Tennis (2) – 2021, 2022
Volleyball (5) – 2018, 2019, 2024, 2025, 2026
Rugby League (3) – 2022, 2024, 2025
House system
As with most Australian schools, Iona College utilises a house system. Iona currently has ten houses, many of which are named after famous oblates. They are:
Albini (gold) – named after Charles Albini
Anthony (mauve) – named after Brother Anthony Kowalczyk
Chisholm Cebula (dark blue) – named after Jozef Cebula and Caroline Chisholm
Charlebois (orange) – named after Ovide Charlebois
Gérard (green) – named after Joseph Gérard
Grandin (red) – named after Vital-Justin Grandin
Long (blue tartan) − named after Fr Tim Long
Mackillop (maroon) – named after Mary MacKillop
Mazenod (light blue) – named after Eugène de Mazenod
McAuley (grey) − named after Catherine McAuley
Many inter-house competitions are held throughout the year, such as swimming, athletics and cross-country. Although inter-house sport is an important aspect of inter-house activities, it is by no means the only area. Houses also compete in the arts and academic arenas. The winner of each competition receives points which contribute towards the Oblate Trophy.
Notable alumni
Order of Australia recipients
Ashley Callus OAM – former sprint freestyle swimmer, gold medal winner in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay at the 2000 Sydney Olympics
Paul Stevenson OAM – psychologist
Sport
Tom Bell – former Australian rules footballer
Wayne Broad – former first-class cricketer
Mitchell Dodds – former rugby league player
Shane Drahm – former rugby union player
Benjamin Goedemans - international swimmer
Harrison Graham – rugby league player
Tom Hickey – Australian rules footballer
Andrew Johns – British triathlete
Bob Lindner – former rugby league player
Chris McKenna – former rugby league player
Max Plath – rugby league player
Dan Power – Australian-born American former rugby union player and commentator
Graham Quinn – former rugby league player
Ed Quirk – rugby union player
Josh Thomas – former Australian rules footballer