School buildings

The main building was completed in 1891; the architect was Andrea Stombuco.^[8] The façade of this building was used in the movie Phar Lap. The matching chapel was completed in 1916 and is used for weddings and funerals in addition to school celebrations. In 1993, after refurbishment, it won Royal Australian Institute of Architects Conservation Award^[9] and Regional Commendation. A second school building was completed in 1919. All three buildings were completed in the Italian Renaissance style.

In 1938, Nudgee Junior College was opened at a separate campus in Indooroopilly. In 2015, it was renamed Ambrose Treacy College.

Building has continued at Boondall, and the campus now has sporting and academic facilities including technologically advanced classrooms throughout the school, an award-winning multi-level learning centre, science laboratories, a vocational education centre, a 400-seat auditorium, 13 playing fields for cricket, rugby and football, 12 tennis courts, indoor and outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, a multi-purpose gymnasium, an Olympic grade athletics track, a weights room, Olympic 50-metre and 25-metre heated swimming pools, a sound-proofed, digital recording studio, art workshops, and cattle yards.

Other significant developments

In July 1967, a 17-year-old student of the college, John Frances Treacy, was murdered outside the chapel by a 29-year-old man, John Martin Heywood. Heywood had befriended Treacy while in hospital in August 1966.^[10] Heywood, who had a long criminal history, was convicted of the murder, and spent the remainder of his life in prison or in mental hospitals.^[11]

In September 1996, Stephen David McLaughlin, Nudgee College headmaster from 1988 to 1993, wrote an article in The Courier-Mail in which he claimed to have personally cared for more than 40 foster children in conjunction with Nudgee College and the Queensland Families Department.^[12] Subsequently, in August 2022, the Queensland State Government Children's Department confirmed McLaughlin was given "caring responsibilities" for foster children in the 1990s despite having never been "formally assessed" as a foster carer. Children's Department Minister Leanne Linard said she had ordered a review of the arrangement involving foster children being placed at the Nudgee College.^[13]

On 30 October 1997, McLaughlin delivered a speech at the Nudgee College annual speech night in which he defended the Christians Brothers against accusations of child sexual abuse claiming there is an "orchestrated campaign where few individuals are systematically targeting and attempting to destroy the hard-won reputations of brother after brother" and McLaughlin asked the Nudgee community to "fight for the Christian Brothers because we need you to support us in this time of real need." The entire speech was submitted to Parliament by Senator Herron on 11 November 1997.^[14]

In August 2008, a 59-year-old man from Richmond, Victoria, accused a priest from the college of abusing him and four other students who have since committed suicide due to the abuse. The college was unable to locate any records of the man attending the school and denied any wrongdoing.^[15]

On 30 April 2013, two students at St Joseph's Nudgee College, aged 16 and 17, were arrested on Tuesday on charges of possession and supply of steroids. Both were expelled.^[16]

In July 2017, the school's Nth Degree magazine published a photo of McLaughlin attending a birthday celebration at the college that took place on 31 May 2017 despite being under police investigation for child sexual abuse of a 12-year-old boy in 2015.^[17] Subsequently, in July 2022, a spokesman for Nudgee College said due to separation between the college and the Christian Brothers, they were not aware of any discussions in 2017 related to claims made against McLaughlin.^[18]

In March 2018 at the schools annual St Joseph's Feast Day Mass, current principal Peter Fullagar offered a public apology on behalf of the current St Joseph's Nudgee College community for abuse committed by religious and past staff at the school.^[19]

In March 2022, after several failed police investigations related to child abuse allegations in the late 1990s and early 2000s including allegedly taking children to stay with him in motels, McLaughlin was found guilty on two counts of abusing a 12-year-old child he had been babysitting in 2015.^[20]

In March 2022, the media got hold of a video which shows a bus driver and a student doing inappropriate things. It allegedly depicts a St Joseph's Nudgee College student performing inappropriate sexual acts on a bus driver, in return for money and treats. The video was widely shared across Queensland. Police are investigating this case.^[21]

On 24 July 2022, ABC News Australia published a comprehensive report into McLaughlin and his relationship with Nudgee Old Boy and convicted child molester Dennis Norman Douglas.^[22] The report described Queensland Police Task Force Argos attempts to convict McLaughlin over a 25-year period including allegations he took children for overnight stays at popular motels and lavished money on his alleged victims and their families.^[23][24]

In October 2022, Nudgee College issued a statement to say it was conducting a review into the naming of one of its boarding houses after the school's former boarding master and deputy principal Brother Darcy Fidelis Murphy following the ABC News report into historical child sexual abuse allegations made against him.^[25][26]

Battle of the Colours

In 1991, the following was printed in the Centennial Rugby Program, dubbed "The Battle of The Colours", for the 100th anniversary of the annual Nudgee vs Terrace rugby match:^[27]

Before Nudgee existed, St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace wore the colours Nudgee wears today - Blue and White. A popular story, especially at Nudgee, is that when Nudgee began and had to choose it colours, there was a great debate as to whether the original school, Terrace, or its "extension" school, Nudgee, should have the Blue and White. No amount of debate could solve the dispute so it was decided to rest the colour dispute on the first ever Nudgee-Terrace rugby match. Nudgee won and Terrace then chose colours diametrically opposed. The blue became red and the white became black.

— B. D. Honan in Nudgee College Centenary Rugby Programme, The Battle of the Colours, 1991.

The result of the Centennial Nudgee vs Terrace rugby match was a 15-all draw.^[28][29]

The Season

In 2017, Nudgee College was featured in series one of Onion TV's production of The Season. The series followed the school's first XV as they progressed through the 2017 GPS season, which ultimately ended with a tied Premiership with The Southport School. The Season aired on Fox Sports 3 in Australia and Sky Sports in New Zealand. The episodes are now available to watch on the school's YouTube channel.

Academia, medicine and science

• Dr Prof John Boldeman – nuclear scientist, best known for his work on the ANTARES Tandem Accelerator and the Australian synchrotron^[32]
• Francis Patrick Donovan AM – 1946 Rhodes scholar^[33]
• Neal Macrossan – 1907 Rhodes scholar^[33]
• Dr Harry Windsor – Australia's first heart transplant surgeon^[34]

Arts, entertainment and music

• Jacob Elordi – actor^[35]
• Ron Grainer – composer
• Pete Murray – singer-songwriter

Business

• Ian Rice – property developer and former president of Carlton Blues^[36]

Politics, public service and the law

• Archbishop John Bathersby – Catholic Archbishop of Brisbane^[37]
• Kevin Byrne – former Mayor of Cairns
• The Hon Hugh Denis Macrossan – State MLA, 1912–1915 and Chief Justice of Queensland, 1940^[38]
• Neal Macrossan – Chief Justice of Queensland, 1946–1955^[39]
• The Hon John Muir – Justice of Appeal, Supreme Court of Queensland (retired 27 December 2014)^[40]
• Ted O'Brien – Member for Fairfax
• Neil O'Sullivan – Leader of the Liberal Party in the Senate^[41]
• The Hon Warwick Parer – Senator and Minister, 1984–2000^[42]
• Tom Quilty – pastoralist, philanthropist, and bush poet^[43]
• Mick Veivers – former coalition government minister, and rugby league football player^[44]
• Terry White – former Liberal Party leader in Queensland and founder of Terry White Chemists^[45]
• Mark Ryan MP – Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister for Fire and Emergency Services

Sport

• Jason Akermanis – Australian rules player^[46]
• Leith Brodie – swimmer, bronze medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics
• Joe Burns – cricketer
• Jamie Charman – Australian rules football player^[47]
• Lionel Cox – cyclist, gold and silver medallist at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic]^[48]
• Michael Cresswell – basketball player for Cairns Marlins^{[49][50][51][52][53][54]}
• Rocky Elsom – rugby union player
• Elton Flatley – rugby union player
• Josh Flook – rugby union player
• Nicholas Hall – jockey^[55]
• Sean Hardman – rugby union player
• Nathan Hauritz – cricketer
• Peter Hewat – rugby union player
• Damian Istria – gymnast, gold and silver medallist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games^[56]
• Mark Loane – rugby union player
• Chris Lynn – cricketer
• Jimmy Maher – cricketer
• Will Magnay – Australian Nba/Nbl basketball player currently plays for Tasmania jack jumpers
• Anthony Martin – weightlifter, 2000 Olympic Games
• Paul McLean – rugby union player
• Jack McLoughlin – 1500m Freestyle, 2016 Rio Olympics
• Sean McMahon – rugby union player
• Hugh McMeniman – rugby union player
• Nathan McSweeney – cricketer
• Harley Moore – representative rower
• Matt Moore – basketball player for South East Melbourne Magic and Brisbane Bullets
• James O'Connor – rugby union player for the Australian Wallabies^[57]
• Reesjan Pasitoa – rugby union player
• Brenton Rickard – swimmer, silver medallist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics^[58]
• Dom Shipperley – rugby union player
• Mitchell Swepson – cricketer
• James Tuttle – Rugby Union player