“I love just always keeping myself busy. I don’t really like sitting around.”Banjo Seaniger
Year 11 student Banjo Seaniger wears a bright, cheery smile. His eyes light up when he talks about cricket and his middle name, Yarra.
He explains that he’s named after Yarramundi, a respected and influential leader of the Richmond tribes of the Dharagnora (Hawkesbury-Nepean region of New South Wales) and a respected elder of the Boorooberongal clan of the Dharug people.
“I’m proud of my culture and excited to have just started learning Dharug Dalang as part of the language revitalisation with my family.”
During one week late last year he juggled exams, balanced representative cricket in Mackay with being the emcee of the culturally significant 2024 Battle of Meewah Commemoration Service. Earlier in the year, he was delighted when two of his passions combined; he got to play in the National Indigenous Cricket Championships as part of the Queensland Indigenous Men’s team in Alice Springs.
“We get to travel around and play some high-level cricket with some very high-level players. Some of those people play professionally.”
“I got to bowl to people playing in the BBL like Brock Larance and Clinton Hinchcliffe. I had to open the bowling against them and I bowled well. I didn’t get them out, but I bowled none for seven off four overs, which was pretty good.”
One thing is clear: Banjo is the type of student who rarely idles for long before he knocks it up a gear.
While cricket is certainly keeping him busy for now, Banjo does have one eye on the future, as he’s already considering his options for tertiary education. He has won a place in the University of Queensland’s InspireU program, which brings Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander high school students from across the state for a week-long camp on the St Lucia campus in Brisbane.
“It’ll be great to talk to students and learn more about the Bachelor of Laws to see if it’s something I want to pursue. Meeting the teachers and making connections will be helpful, so if I decide to go there, I’ll already have some links.”
In the short term, the spin bowler has study and sport high on his agenda.
It has been his aim to gain a place in the School’s coveted First XI (Cricket) team and this year he is in. After a successful Neil Dansie Cricket Festival at the start of the year, which the TGS First XI won, it has been a steady start to the season for our team.
Their latest victory was over the weekend against ACGS and it's Banjo's great hope that they continue on that upward trend for the rest of the GPS season.
Latest Blog
Creating a Learning Environment that Boys Enjoy
Creating an environment for students to access and engage in learning is the educational philosophy of the new Toowoomba Grammar School Head of Junior School, Mr Ken Raven. “This requires a supportive an inclusive learning environment across the school where everyone feels they can make a positive contribution,” Mr Raven stated. “I encourage evidence-informed, explicit teaching of curriculum that sparks curiosity and interest for students to engage and explore.” Parental interaction and…
Introducing our new Deputy Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning), Mrs Chantelle Bauer
Toowoomba Grammar School is excited to welcome our new Deputy Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning), Mrs Chantelle Bauer. Mrs Bauer brings a wealth of experience and passion to her new role, having lived and worked in the Darling Downs and Southwest Queensland region her entire life. She was born and bred in St George, attended university in Toowoomba and took her first teaching role in Roma. She has worked in various roles across the region, including Year Level Coordinator, Head of…
You can't know a student without knowing where they come from
Boarding at Toowoomba Grammar School can be described as many things such as evolving identity, growing personally and developing character in your second home, but it is also about growing your family. Head of Boyce House boarding, Mr Michael Hall and his family, certainly enjoyed that opportunity over January. Catching up with a beautiful collection of current families from Boyce House was a privilege and has helped to build the relationships of trust and care that are essential in a…
DNF (Did Not Finish)
- Dan CrookHead of Library and Information Services I was talking books with a friend the other day; an avid reader, she had been looking for some light reads in new genre for the holidays, and so had sought out the wisdom of the internet. After watching a few BookToks (Tiktok book recommendations) she’d settled on some titles and begun to read. However after investing a good amount of her time and getting half way through the first and most highly recommended book, she asked herself, and then…
TGS Boarding - A Safe, Welcoming and Joyous Community
“From a boarding perspective, enabling young boys to flourish is only achieved within a community that is safe, welcoming, and joyous. These three aspects are at the core of my boarding philosophy and are closely aligned with my fundamental values as a boarding Head of House – acceptance, resilience, and fun,” explains Mr Henry White, Head of Corfe House. Corfe House serves as the entry point for Toowoomba Grammar School’s youngest boarders (Years 5 to 7) and the skills, relationships, and…
Transitioning to Year 7 at TGS
Can you remember your first day in secondary school? It can be a time of mixed feelings - very exciting, but also quite daunting and challenging. Irrespective of whether your son is joining us from the TGS Junior School, or if they are just starting at Toowoomba Grammar School, it can appear to be the start of a long journey. It is a rite of passage in many respects but with this comes increased emotions in response to transition. The boys have a lot to digest with a new, possibly larger campus…
The Boarding Journey
Every parent will have a unique journey with their son whilst he is boarding at Toowoomba Grammar School. I’m Kym Wright, mother of Clancy, who is in Year 12 and this is my journey…. From my very first experience with Toowoomba Grammar School Boarding ten years ago, I had a good feeling straight away that TGS would be the perfect fit for my son. I was picking up my nephew for lunch. He had started boarding at TGS just six weeks prior. It was pouring rain and there were boys enthusiastically…
Building Self-Confidence and Resilience in Year 7s
As your child enters the new and unknown world of secondary school, it is a very important time to nurture the confidence and self-esteem of your son. Adolescence can also be a time of bewildering physical changes and strong emotions, opinions and increasing independence. Nurturing their confidence, self-esteem and assertiveness will go a long way to helping them to have the self-belief to tackle difficult new academic challenges, to developing new friendships and social skills, and…
Introducing our new Head of Year 7 - Jodi Blades
My family moved from Brisbane to Toowoomba when I was ten years of age. I’ve lived here for most of my life, other than to study and begin my teaching career in Brisbane. I lived and worked in London for 18 months before returning to Toowoomba in 2001. With over 20 years’ experience teaching and leading pastoral care programs within independent day and boarding schools, I am dedicated to developing students holistically; the academic, social, emotional, cultural, and physical development of…
