Last Friday I had the pleasure of attending the 40th anniversary dedication service at

Westside Christian College in Goodna. Led by Principal Barry Leverton, the morning was a great success and was

attended by hundreds of current teachers, past teachers, students, parents and supporters as the school celebrated

this significant milestone. The school was first formed by a small band of people who desired to establish a

parent controlled Christian school. That came to be in 1977, under the name of Goodna Christian School, to

later become Westside Christian College. From small beginnings, Westside Christian College is now the oldest

Christian independent school in Queensland, spanning two campuses and educating over 1,000 students each

year.

As Principal Barry Leverton put it so simply, 'A school is not just bricks and mortar; it is made up of the people,

past and present, who establish culture that gives the warm and friendly atmosphere that Westside Christian

College is today.' That is evident through the stories, like that of the head of the junior primary, Rechelle Edwards,

who first applied for the role of a year 1 teacher in 1986 and is still teaching at the school 30 years later. I pay

tribute to the board members, staff, parents and supporters who, throughout the last 40 years, have established

Westside Christian College as a light in the local community. I wish them all the best for their next 40 years.