We are thrilled to announce that two Scotch Oakburn College Year 10 teams have taken out top honours in the Future of Our Regions Young Design Challenge, a national competition run by Young Change Agents. This challenge invited young people across Australia to imagine a healthier, happier, and more connected regional future—and create solutions to make it happen.

Our students’ ideas were selected as winners from an extensive field of entries submitted by schools nationwide. Here’s what they achieved:

Linked Up: Lola Wain, Sophie Cuthbertson-Cass and Saba McCullagh
The Linked Up team tackled the growing issue of loneliness by […]

(from the Penquite Remembrance Day assembly)

World War One was supposed to be ‘the war to end all wars’, as it was so brutal and costly that people vowed that ‘never again’ should war be allowed to erupt. Yet, only 20 years later, World War Two began and resulted in far greater destruction and loss of life, and there have been hundreds of smaller conflicts since.

So why is peace so elusive?

Peace is more than the absence of violence and war. Peace is where groups and individuals get along, cooperate, share, treat each other […]

Throughout this year, Early Learning Brown children have been fascinated with bugs, bees and other insects.  This evolved into wondering where bees and insects make their homes.

Everyone has been busy planting seeds and creating a garden to attract these insects so that we can observe them in their natural environment. This has sparked discussions about what happens beneath the ground, how we can care for our plants, and the important role bees play in our ecosystem.

On Monday 10 November the class visited Tasmanian Berries where our understanding of the importance of bees […]

Year 8 student Max Wilson and Year 9 Shiv Kataria proudly represented Tasmania in the National final of the Legacy Junior Public Speaking Award held at the Parliament House in Adelaide recently.

Competing against some of the best young speakers from across the country, both students delivered impressive speeches that reflected their preparation, confidence, and passion for public speaking. Max achieved an outstanding result by placing third in the national final, a remarkable accomplishment that highlights his dedication and skill.

Congratulations to both speakers on great achievements.

Katie Lester
Person-in-Charge of Public Speaking

Scotch Oakburn College presents, in 2026, Hadestown (Teen Edition).

Next year, our Senior School is incredibly excited to bring the electrifying, Tony Award–winning musical Hadestown to the stage in a powerful Teen Edition.

A story of love, hope, defiance and the power of music, Hadestown blends modern folk, jazz, and ancient myth into an unforgettable theatrical experience. Our students will dive deep into this rich, challenging, and beautifully crafted world, and we can’t wait to share it with our community.

Stay tuned for audition details, dates, behind-the-scenes updates and more.

Andy Prideaux
Head of Performing Arts

Year 9 Enterprise students recently welcomed Collegian Harrison Wagner (’21) from McGrath Launceston for an eye-opening session on “Buying Your First House – A Guide to Help You Get Started.” Harrison shared practical advice on saving for a deposit, avoiding common traps, and understanding the government’s “Help to Buy” shared equity scheme, including what it means when you eventually sell.

The highlight of the session was a hands-on challenge where students imagined their dream suburb, researched average house prices, calculated the deposit needed, and worked out how long it would take to save […]

The Raise Our Voice Australia Youth Campaign is a national initiative that empowers young Australians under 25 to have their ideas heard in Parliament. Year 9 student Lucia Vaca contributed her thoughts and Member for Bass, Jess Teesdale, recently chose to share Lucia’s words.

Throughout Term 4, we have been lucky to have Cayleigh Charton from St Cyprian’s School in Cape Town and Tlotliso Bogatsu from St Stithians Boys’ College in Johannesburg join our Year 10s as exchange students. Their presence on campus has been a delight, and last Friday they shared this lively dialogue with us all:

Cayleigh: G’day mates. I’m Cayleigh, from Cape Town.
Tlotliso: Yeah, she’s been here for a few weeks and thinks she’s native. I’m Zethu, from Johannesburg.
Cayleigh: We’re both exchange students from South Africa, and today we’re going to chat about what […]

Year 9 Enterprise students recently welcomed Verity Quill from Women’s Legal Service Tasmania for an inspiring session on financial literacy and gender equality.

Through interactive activities, students explored the gender pay gap, prioritising expenses, and the importance of financial conversations at home and in relationships. Verity highlighted practical strategies such as creating a “safety fund” and understanding needs versus wants, while also addressing online safety and the influence of social media on spending. Her message was clear: smart money choices empower independence and equality. The session challenged students to think critically about money choices and empowered them to […]

What parents need to know

Image source: esafety.gov.au

From 10 December 2025, Australian law will require social media users to be at least 16 years old. This change aims to protect young people from risks such as cyberbullying, grooming, scams, and the addictive design of platforms that are known to negatively impact mental health, sleep, and self-esteem. The law places more responsibility on tech companies to enforce age limits and use age assurance technology.

Working together matters. Schools and families also share the responsibility of supporting young people through this transition. Parents play a […]