This year sees the celebration of a wonderful 50 years of the sport of Water Polo at Brisbane Girls Grammar School.
Girls Grammar’s first season commenced with a Junior U16 team playing in an official competition in 1972/73 against another founding QGSSSA school, Somerville House. At the time, there were two competitions—a Queensland Junior Amateur Water Polo Association U16 A Grade Shield and a Queensland Junior Amateur Water Polo Association Open Girls Shield.
Our committed and passionate Water Polo Support Group started in 1975/76 under the guidance of Dr David Gordon, (father of Susan Lanham, nee Gordon (Head Girl, 1978)) and then Principal, Mrs Judith Hancock, and continues to this day.
The Sports Honour Board in the McCrae Grassie Sports Centre details the Australian Open representative history of the sport, with Water Polo claiming the most Open Australian representatives of any of our sports. The School’s first Open representative was Deborah Handley (1970) in 1976, who captained Australia for many years, through to our recent graduates and current national representatives: Bridget Leeson-Smith (2014); Gabi Palm (2015); and Abby Andrews (2017).
Throughout the season, we are looking forward to a celebration of this milestone with our Water Polo families and sharing the history of the sport at the School.
Ms Jo Duffy
Director of Sport
1976 Water polo with Jacque Thomas, Cathy Juke Lindy Roden Katrina Dobronov
1977 Senior Water Polo team Ann Dingle Captain (2)
1979 April Sydney Water Polo. Katie McAdam, Goalie
1979 Water Polo. Rachel Wise, Katie Swindon, and Katie McAdam
1981 Katrina McAdam
1997 U14 A (7)
1997 U14 A (15)
2000: Susie Fraser, Anna Moore, and Jessica Moles. Australia Youth team members
2001: Courtney Gumbley, Kim Thompson, Tegan Burgess
Sabine Hatzipetrou (10M) playing for Queensland Under-16 White.
