“That’s what Nuffield has given me, exactly the same as TGS — a networking capability that is just beyond what I can even explain. It is something you have forever.”Jake Moon
My time at TGS has given me a networking capability beyond what I can explain — it’s something you have forever.
Jake Moon is a sixth-generation primary producer. He is dedicated to agriculture and is currently working at his family’s St George farming enterprise, tackling some of the sector’s biggest challenges.
The 28-year-old says his family moved to the St George irrigation precinct in 1978, initially growing rockmelons and watermelons, hence the business name Moonrocks. Seasonal and market changes led them to switch crops frequently, growing grapes, broccoli and even wax flowers over the years. Currently, they grow onions, garlic, pumpkins, grapes and cotton. Jake explains that they grow and pack everything on site. They regularly supply major chain stores all over Australia and have diversified, launching the e-commerce business, G’day Garlic, to sell directly to customers.
An idyllic childhood on the farm meant he was primed for his current job. “I spent a lot of my years in the workshop annoying our mechanics and boilermakers. Unbeknownst to me, I learned a lot — pulling small engines apart when I was 11 or 12 years old; I just thought that was normal.”
The TGS Old Boy boarded from 2010 to 2014 and rates his years at the School as some of the best of his life, cherishing the friends and networks he established. He credits TGS Vocational Education and Training Coordinator, Mrs Marian Rathie as his saving grace at TGS. “I was very fortunate to have had the relationship I had with her because she helped me.”
Jake says that despite now having completed his Graduate Diploma in Agribusiness (Horticultural Business) at the University of Tasmania, it was good not to feel like a failure for choosing not to go to university upon leaving TGS. That, he said, was Mrs Rathie’s best piece of advice and it stuck with him.
After TGS, Jake worked as a ringer at Lorraine Station near Burketown before returning to his family’s farm for several years. He later joined JKT Contract Fencing in Central Queensland, which was owned by a friend and former Moonrocks employee. Afterwards, he moved to Goondiwindi, where he worked in broadacre cropping, heavy haulage and logistics.
In 2022, Jake moved back to St George and took on a role with Moonrocks as the engineering and maintenance manager.
Jake won a 2024 Nuffield Scholarship, awarded to a small number of Australian farmers each year. It aims to unlock individual potential and broaden horizons through study and travel overseas. His topic is titled “Harvesting and Storage — The Missing Puzzle Pieces for Garlic and Onions.”
Jake’s focus is on “the mechanisation of onion and garlic harvesting and optimising post-harvest storage processes, essentially trying to innovate better ways to guarantee a premium product.” His scholarship is supported by Hort Innovation using the Onion Research and Development Levy.
Jake has already been to Brazil and the United States, making connections in the international farming community.
OMNIBUS / BALLIWANGA IS GOING DIGITAL
In 2025, there will be an increased digital distribution of the Omnibus and Balliwanga magazine. Increasingly, readers are requesting a digital edition only. Moving to a largely digital publication will also support the School’s goal of being an environmentally sustainable organisation.
If your alumni year is 1975 or earlier, you will continue to receive a printed copy in the post. For those whose alumni year is 1976 or later, you will receive a digital edition, however you can opt in to continue receiving a printed edition.
Those wishing to continue to receive a print copy can opt in using the link below.
Print Opt In FormLatest Blog
Preparing for the Future of Work
For months I have been watching the earthworks being undertaken ahead of construction for the new DET Centre at Toowoomba Grammar School with interest. It is hard to miss, given that the Headmaster’s residence, our family home, is right next to the building site. The vibrations can be unsettling, and the noises are constant. However, each day reminds me of the important work underway to secure a part of the School’s future. Soon, all boys at TGS will have the opportunity to immerse themselves…
“Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”
Whether it was American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson, Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, or even UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s father who coined the phrase “watch your character, it becomes your destiny,” it was Dr Linda Evans who gave it real relevance to a theatre full of students, staff and families. After a decade and a half in charge of Toowoomba’s respected Fairholme College as Principal and some 22 years in total on staff, Dr Evans will leave the institution she has led and loved by…
Preparation for Boarding: Practical Tips and Tricks
In fact, I’ve coined the phrase “the clearer the runway, the smoother the landing” as a neat summary of this observation. A great deal of boarding experience can be initiated at home in the weeks and months leading up to your son’s departure, helping him prepare psychologically and logistically for his upcoming journey. At TGS, we acknowledge that the boarding journey for boys and families starts long before they enter the house in late January. In the mind of a new boarder and their family,…
Exploring the Role of Neuroscience in Supporting Teenage Boys
Recent insights from neuroscience reveal that the teenage brain undergoes significant changes, particularly in the frontal lobe, which is essential for decision-making, impulse control and emotional regulation. By leveraging this knowledge, we can create supportive environments that guide our boys through the complexities of their teenage years.The Prefrontal Cortex The prefrontal cortex, located in the frontal lobe, is one of the last areas of the brain to mature, significantly impacting…
Wellbeing and Character Development Program — Benefiting Students and Staff Alike
In 2024, the School re-established the Head of Pastoral Care position. The role will be pivotal in supporting all staff to foster a supportive and nurturing environment at Toowoomba Grammar School. Integral to the role’s success is the parallel expansion of the Wellbeing and Character Development (WCD) program to yield multifaceted benefits for both staff and students. For staff, the Head of Pastoral Care provides guidance, support and resources, aiding in their efforts to address students’…
Nurturing the Seeds of Leadership
Early exposure to leadership roles helps children develop character traits such as responsibility, empathy, resilience and integrity. As a School, we provide the opportunity for the cultivation of leadership skills in our young boys. From the formative years in Prep through to the adolescent years of Year 6, the importance of fostering leadership qualities cannot be overstated. In our modern world, where adaptability, resilience and initiative are regarded as quality attributes, nurturing the…
Pedal Power: The TGS Mountain Bike Club
What started with 12 boys now has 90, with many of the riders racing in the Schools Academy Gravity Enduro Series and other events. We also have a tour of 20 boys going to Thredbo in December this year, where they will tackle some of the most exciting trails in Australia. We thank the wonderful group of parents who support the club. They can often be found driving vehicles up and down the range on a Sunday morning to support the boys. We would not have been as successful as we are without…
Beyond the Blue and Gold
Our focus is to work with each individual student to assist in creating awareness of the world of work, helping students to articulate their interests and identifying what is important to them and their values. We assist the boys in developing the skills to explore the different careers out there. We connect them with employers and industry professionals and help them navigate towards the job or career they are interested in. We work hard to individualise each student’s unique School journey to…
Character and Wellbeing – The Grammar Way
Legacy of Leadership: The Impact of John Mackintosh at Toowoomba Grammar School Toowoomba Grammar School’s first Headmaster, John Mackintosh (1876–1879) led the School with the demeanour of a typical Victorian father figure. His leadership was steadfast and nurturing, with decisions that were definitive and meticulously aimed at creating an environment that was conducive to a boy’s character and learning outcomes. Mackintosh introduced recreational activities such as chess and draughts…