50 Leading School Principals in South East Queensland

Last updated: August 2026

Introduction

South East Queensland is home to well over a hundred independent schools, from century-old grammar schools in inner Brisbane to fast-growing Christian and Lutheran colleges on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast. As of August 2026, this list brings together 50 of the principals and heads currently leading independent schools across the region, drawn from Brisbane, Moreton Bay, the Redlands, Logan, Ipswich, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba.

Each entry names the person's current role, their school, and one useful fact about them or their school, sourced from the school's own website. The list helps parents, staff, board members and education partners get a clearer picture of who is currently leading independent schools across South East Queensland, in one place.

The names are presented alphabetically by surname for easy navigation. Independent schools here include Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Christian, Adventist and non-denominational schools, covering single-sex and co-educational, day and boarding communities from Prep through to Year 12.

This is a working list, not a complete census of every independent school leader in the region. It reflects publicly available information at the time of research, and principal appointments in schools change more often than many parents realise. If you are a principal on this list, or work with one, we would welcome hearing about it.

Why school leadership in South East Queensland matters

Queensland's independent school sector serves several hundred thousand students across the state, with the largest concentration of schools in South East Queensland. The person leading each of these schools sets the tone for culture, wellbeing, curriculum direction and community engagement for every family who walks through the gate.

Independent school principals in this region lead a genuinely varied set of communities: century-old grammar schools with strong alumni networks, faith-based colleges connected to Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Adventist and Christian traditions, and newer P to 12 colleges built for growth corridors on the Gold Coast and in Ipswich and Logan. Many principals also carry sector responsibilities beyond their own gate, sitting on the boards of professional associations, diocesan or synod bodies, and school networks that shape policy for the wider sector.

Knowing who currently leads a school matters for practical reasons too. Principals change more often than school websites are updated, and a name attached to the wrong school can cause real confusion for a parent trying to make contact. This list is a snapshot, built from each school's own current leadership pages, to make that information easier to find in one place.

The Principals

1. Alan Campbell

Headmaster, Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie)

Dr Alan Campbell has served as Headmaster of Anglican Church Grammar School, known as Churchie, since 1 January 2014, making this one of the longer-serving headships in this list. Based at the school's East Brisbane campus, Dr Campbell leads a Diocesan-owned Anglican school for boys with a strong boarding tradition.

Beyond Churchie, Dr Campbell is a Director on the Board of Independent Schools Queensland, the peak body for the state's independent schooling sector, and a Director of the College Council of St John's College at the University of Queensland. That dual role gives Dr Campbell a sector-wide vantage point that few school leaders in this list share.

2. Anthony Micallef

Headmaster, Brisbane Grammar School

Anthony Micallef is the 12th Headmaster of Brisbane Grammar School, a role held since 2014, leading a school for boys with more than 155 years of history in the Brisbane CBD. Mr Micallef's leadership spans the school's academic, cocurricular and student wellbeing programs.

Mr Micallef has completed a sabbatical at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, a distinction that reflects an ongoing engagement with international thinking on school leadership. For families weighing up a BGS education, this tenure offers a long, stable reference point.

3. Jacinda Euler Welsh

Principal, Brisbane Girls Grammar School

Ms Jacinda Euler Welsh leads Brisbane Girls Grammar School, founded in 1875 as one of the first schools in Australia to offer girls a Grammar-tradition education. The school sits in the heart of Brisbane and is recognised internationally for its academic results.

Under this leadership, in 2026 BGGS became Brisbane's first secular, independent girls' school to educate girls in Years 5 and 6, extending its offering into the Junior School years for the first time. That expansion is a genuinely distinctive and recent development for families considering the school.

4. Deborah Priest

Principal, Somerville House

Dr Deborah Priest leads Somerville House, a girls' school in South Brisbane connected to the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association. Dr Priest's connection to the school goes back further than the current principalship: Dr Priest previously served as the school's Head of Senior School.

Since leaving Somerville House in 2011, Dr Priest went on to lead Australian and international school communities before returning to the school once served earlier in the career, bringing that broader leadership experience back to a familiar community. That combination of continuity and outside experience is a useful thing for prospective families to know.

5. Toni Riordan

Principal, St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School

Mrs Toni Riordan leads St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School in Corinda, a school with roots going back to 1929. Mrs Riordan has deliberately kept St Aidan's as an intentionally smaller school, with around 1,000 students from Kindergarten to Year 12.

That smaller scale is a genuine point of difference in a sector where many schools are growing larger. St Aidan's is also non-selective, meaning families do not need to clear an academic entry bar to enrol, which is worth knowing for parents comparing girls' schools across Brisbane's south side.

6. Ben Lowrie

Principal, St Laurence's College

Mr Ben Lowrie has been College Principal of St Laurence's College in South Brisbane since 2021. The school, conducted in the Edmund Rice tradition since 1915, enrols more than 2,000 boys from Year 5 to Year 12, including a substantial international cohort.

Leading a school of that scale means Mr Lowrie oversees one of the larger single-campus boys' communities in this list. The Edmund Rice tradition, focused on education as a form of liberation, shapes the school's pastoral and academic approach under this leadership.

7. Paul Begg

Principal, Villanova College

Mr Paul Begg is Principal of Villanova College, an Augustinian Catholic school for boys in Coorparoo, bringing more than 30 years of experience across the education sector to the role.

Villanova is one of a smaller number of Augustinian-run schools in Queensland, giving it a distinct order and charism compared with the more common Edmund Rice or Marist boys' schools in Brisbane. That order affiliation is a useful detail for families weighing up Catholic boys' education options.

8. Andrew Cousins

Principal, Clayfield College

Dr Andrew Cousins commenced as the seventh Principal of Clayfield College in January 2020, leading a co-educational school in Brisbane's inner north that uses a Parallel Learning model, teaching some subjects together and others in single-sex settings.

Dr Cousins holds a PhD and has published papers from that doctoral research in the Cambridge Journal of Education and the International Journal of Science Education. That published academic record is a genuinely distinctive credential among school leaders in this list.

9. Craig Wattam

Principal, Ambrose Treacy College

Dr Craig Wattam leads Ambrose Treacy College, a Catholic school for boys in Indooroopilly conducted in the Edmund Rice tradition, enrolling students from Years 4 to 12. Dr Wattam was appointed to the role in 2025, making this one of the more recent principal appointments on this list.

The Edmund Rice tradition at the heart of ATC's identity centres on learning, leadership and service as core pillars, with an explicit focus on faith formation alongside academic outcomes.

10. Kim Wickham

Principal, Loreto College Coorparoo

Ms Kim Wickham leads Loreto College Coorparoo, a Catholic girls' school connected to the international Loreto network of schools founded in the tradition of Mary Ward. The Coorparoo campus serves families across Brisbane's inner south east.

Being part of a global Loreto network gives the school a sisterhood of connected campuses beyond Australia, a point of difference from schools with a purely local or diocesan structure. For families interested in that wider Loreto tradition, it is a useful thing to know going in.

11. David Radke

Head of College, Grace Lutheran College

Mr David Radke has served as Head of College at Grace Lutheran College since 2017, leading a two-campus Lutheran school spanning Rothwell and Caboolture in the Moreton Bay region, north of Brisbane.

Running a genuinely two-campus college is an operational reality that not every leader on this list faces. It means coordinating culture, curriculum and community across two separate sites in a fast-growing part of South East Queensland.

12. Leighton Kuss

Principal, Northside Christian College

Mr Leighton Kuss is Principal of Northside Christian College, an independent Christian school at Everton Park on Brisbane's northside. The college serves families across Brisbane's inner north western suburbs.

As a smaller, community-based Christian college rather than a large historic institution, Northside offers families in that part of Brisbane a genuinely local independent option outside the city's more prominent grammar and Catholic schools.

13. Paul Sterling

Principal, Genesis Christian College

Mr Paul Sterling has been Principal of Genesis Christian College at Bray Park since the beginning of 2020, leading a Prep to Year 12 Christian college in Brisbane's northern Moreton Bay corridor.

His tenure through 2020 means Mr Sterling led the college through the early pandemic years, a period that tested continuity of leadership at schools across the state. That sustained tenure through a difficult period is worth noting for families assessing school stability.

14. Bruce McPhee

Principal, Padua College

Mr Bruce McPhee leads Padua College, a Franciscan Catholic school for boys at Kedron in Brisbane's north. The Franciscan charism shapes the school's approach to community and formation.

Padua is one of the smaller number of Franciscan-run Catholic schools in Queensland, distinguishing it from the more common Edmund Rice or Marist boys' schools elsewhere in Brisbane. That order affiliation is a useful reference point for families comparing Catholic boys' schools.

15. Paul Valese

Principal, Mueller College

Mr Paul Valese leads Mueller College, a Prep to Year 12 Christian college at Rothwell on Brisbane's northside, serving the Moreton Bay region.

Mueller sits in one of the fastest-growing parts of South East Queensland, where new independent schools and campuses have opened over the past decade to meet population growth. Leading a school in that kind of growth corridor brings different pressures to a long-established inner-city school.

16. Kate Mortimer

Principal, Sheldon College

Ms Kate Mortimer became Principal of Sheldon College in January 2022, the first new Principal in 25 years, taking over from the school's founder, and holds a Bachelor of Education from the University of Sydney.

Stepping into a founder's shoes after a quarter of a century is a distinctive leadership challenge, requiring a balance between honouring an established culture and bringing fresh direction. This appointment marked a genuine changing of the guard for the Redlands-area school.

17. Peter Charleson

Principal, Brisbane Adventist College

Mr Peter Charleson leads Brisbane Adventist College, a Seventh-day Adventist Prep to Year 12 school at Mansfield in Brisbane's south east.

As one of the few Adventist schools in the region, Brisbane Adventist College offers a distinct faith-based option compared with the more numerous Anglican, Catholic and Lutheran schools on this list, giving families a genuinely different denominational choice within South East Queensland's independent sector.

18. Shane Altmann

Principal, Faith Lutheran College Redlands

Mr Shane Altmann leads Faith Lutheran College Redlands, a two-campus Lutheran school with its Junior School at Victoria Point and its Middle and Senior School at Thornlands.

Running a split-campus model across the Junior and Senior years is a structural feature that shapes how families experience transitions through the school, and is a detail worth knowing for parents planning years ahead in the Redlands area.

19. Darrin Schumacher

Principal, Redeemer Lutheran College

Mr Darrin Schumacher began a tenure as Redeemer Lutheran College's sixth Principal in January 2025, leading a Lutheran Prep to Year 12 college at Rochedale in Brisbane's south.

As one of the more recently appointed principals in this list, Mr Schumacher's early tenure means Redeemer families are still getting to know the priorities and direction being set, making this a useful moment for the wider community to understand who is now leading the college.

20. Michael Hornby

Headmaster, Ormiston College

Mr Michael Hornby is Headmaster of Ormiston College, an independent Prep to Year 12 college in Ormiston, in the Redland City area east of Brisbane.

Ormiston College serves a bayside community distinct from the inner-Brisbane grammar schools on this list, giving Redlands families a locally based independent option without needing to travel into the city for an independent education.

21. Andrew Kelly

Principal, Living Faith Lutheran Primary School

Mr Andrew Kelly leads Living Faith Lutheran Primary School, a Lutheran primary school serving families in the Redlands area east of Brisbane.

As a dedicated primary school rather than a Prep to Year 12 college, Living Faith gives Redlands families a smaller, faith-based option for the early years of schooling, with families typically transitioning to a separate secondary school afterwards.

22. Andrew Hawkins

Headmaster, The Southport School

Mr Andrew Hawkins is the ninth Headmaster of The Southport School, known as TSS, an Anglican boarding and day school for boys on the Gold Coast, and is a former TSS student, originally from Emerald in central Queensland.

A cradle Anglican and a keen surfer, Mr Hawkins brings a personal connection to both the school and to Gold Coast coastal life to a leadership role at one of the region's best-known boarding schools for boys.

23. Daniel Brown

Principal, Emmanuel College

Mr Daniel Brown leads Emmanuel College, an Anglican Prep to Year 12 college at Carrara on the Gold Coast.

Emmanuel is one of the larger Anglican colleges on the Gold Coast, giving families in that part of South East Queensland an established co-educational option within the Anglican school network, alongside the region's other faith-based and non-denominational colleges.

24. Patrick Innes-Hill

Principal, Coomera Anglican College

Mr Patrick Innes-Hill joined Coomera Anglican College in 2023 as the college's second Principal, bringing 30 years of experience in education to a fast-growing part of the northern Gold Coast.

Being only the second Principal in the college's history means Mr Innes-Hill has inherited a still-forming culture at a relatively young school, a different leadership task to inheriting a century-old institution with deeply set traditions.

25. Michael Kleidon

Principal, Saint Stephen's College

Mr Michael Kleidon has led Saint Stephen's College, an independent college at Upper Coomera on the Gold Coast, since 2024.

As one of the more recently appointed leaders in this list, Mr Kleidon's tenure is still young, making current, direct engagement with the school's own communications the best way for prospective families to understand his priorities for the college.

26. Richard Young

Principal, Rivermount College

Mr Richard Young leads Rivermount College, an independent Prep to Year 12 college at Yatala, on the border between Logan and the northern Gold Coast.

Yatala's location on that border corridor means Rivermount draws families from both the Logan and Gold Coast sides of the region, giving it a genuinely cross-boundary community compared with schools sitting more clearly inside one council area.

27. Anna Owen

Principal, Sunshine Coast Grammar School

Ms Anna Owen became the fourth Principal of Sunshine Coast Grammar School in 2022, returning to Queensland after serving as Principal of Canberra Girls Grammar School.

Her move from a long-established Canberra grammar school back to Queensland brought interstate grammar-school leadership experience to the Sunshine Coast, a background that differs from many of the other principals on this list who have built their careers within Queensland.

28. Michelle Carroll

Principal, Matthew Flinders Anglican College

Ms Michelle Carroll was appointed the fifth Principal of Matthew Flinders Anglican College in January 2024, after leading St Catherine's School, a prominent all-girls school in Melbourne, for more than ten years.

Bringing a decade of principal-level experience from an interstate all-girls school to a co-educational Anglican college on the Sunshine Coast is a genuinely distinctive career path among the leaders in this list, and reflects a particular interest in adolescent wellbeing that shaped her appointment.

29. Eloise Beveridge

Principal, Immanuel Lutheran College

Ms Eloise Beveridge leads Immanuel Lutheran College, a Lutheran Prep to Year 12 college at Buderim on the Sunshine Coast.

Buderim sits at the centre of the Sunshine Coast's independent schooling options, and Immanuel is one of the region's established Lutheran colleges, giving Sunshine Coast families a faith-based alternative alongside the area's Anglican and non-denominational schools.

30. Anthony Dyer

Principal, Good Shepherd Lutheran College

Mr Anthony Dyer leads Good Shepherd Lutheran College, a Prep to Year 12 Lutheran college at Noosaville, serving the Noosa area of the Sunshine Coast.

As the Lutheran option serving the Noosa end of the Sunshine Coast, Good Shepherd gives families in that northern part of the region a faith-based alternative without needing to travel further south to Buderim or Maroochydore for a similar option.

31. Bronwyn Dolling

Principal, Pacific Lutheran College

Dr Bronwyn Dolling leads Pacific Lutheran College, a Lutheran Prep to Year 12 college at Meridan Plains on the Sunshine Coast.

Meridan Plains sits in one of the faster-growing residential corridors of the Sunshine Coast, and Pacific Lutheran serves a community that has expanded significantly in recent years, a growth pattern shared with several other colleges in this list built to serve newer residential areas.

32. Adam Forsyth

Headmaster, Ipswich Grammar School

Dr Adam Forsyth commenced as the 17th Headmaster of Ipswich Grammar School in Term 4, 2024, and is an IGS Old Boy, with a family connection to the school dating back more than a century.

That century-long family link to the school is a genuinely distinctive personal thread among the leaders in this list, connecting Dr Forsyth's own family history directly to the institution now being led.

33. Ray Celegato

Principal, St Edmund's College

Mr Ray Celegato leads St Edmund's College, a Catholic school for boys in Ipswich conducted in the Christian Brothers tradition.

St Edmund's is one of a smaller number of Christian Brothers schools remaining in South East Queensland, giving Ipswich families a distinct religious order tradition compared with the Edmund Rice, Marist or diocesan Catholic schools found elsewhere in the region.

34. Craig Merritt

Principal, John Paul College

Mr Craig Merritt leads John Paul College, a Prep to Year 12 independent college at Daisy Hill in the City of Logan.

John Paul College serves one of the larger and more established independent school communities in the Logan corridor, giving local families a well-known Prep to Year 12 option without needing to travel into Brisbane.

35. Dan Walker

Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Canterbury College

Mr Dan Walker is Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Canterbury College, an independent college at Waterford in the City of Logan.

Holding the combined Principal and Chief Executive Officer title reflects a governance structure some independent colleges use to formally connect educational and organisational leadership under one person, a distinction worth noting compared with schools where those responsibilities sit with separate roles.

36. Allison Elcoate

Principal, Trinity College

Ms Allison Elcoate leads Trinity College, an independent, Roman Catholic, co-educational secondary school in Beenleigh, in the City of Logan.

As a dedicated secondary college rather than a Prep to Year 12 school, Trinity gives Beenleigh-area families a Catholic secondary option distinct from the primary-through-senior colleges more common elsewhere on this list.

37. Stephen Wilson

Principal, Livingstone Christian College

Mr Stephen Wilson leads Livingstone Christian College, an independent Christian college at Ormeau, on the border between Logan and the Gold Coast.

Like Rivermount College nearby, Livingstone sits in the Ormeau growth corridor that draws families from both the Logan and Gold Coast sides of South East Queensland, reflecting how quickly that part of the region has grown in recent years.

38. Cherylynne Gostelow

Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Calvary Christian College

Mrs Cherylynne Gostelow is Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Calvary Christian College, a Christian college with campuses at Springwood and Carbrook in the City of Logan.

Leading a two-campus college under a combined Principal and Chief Executive Officer title means Mrs Gostelow carries both educational and organisational responsibility across two separate Logan communities, a genuinely broad remit among the leaders in this list.

39. John Kinniburgh

Headmaster, Toowoomba Grammar School

Dr John Kinniburgh has been Headmaster of Toowoomba Grammar School since 2021, leading a boarding and day school for boys in Toowoomba, part of the wider South East Queensland region under the ShapingSEQ regional plan.

Toowoomba's inclusion in South East Queensland alongside Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast is a detail some readers may not expect, and Dr Kinniburgh's school is one of the region's most established boarding schools for boys.

40. Leigh Hobart

Principal, Fairholme College

Dr Leigh Hobart is Principal of Fairholme College, a girls' school in Toowoomba, and holds a Doctor of Education, a Master of Education and a Bachelor of Education, all from the Queensland University of Technology, along with a Diploma of Teaching from the University of Southern Queensland.

That combination of doctoral, masters and undergraduate qualifications from Queensland institutions reflects a career built substantially within the state's own education and teacher-training system.

41. Stephen Koch

Principal, Downlands College

Mr Stephen Koch has led Downlands College, a Catholic school in Toowoomba, since 2019.

Downlands is one of the Toowoomba region's established Catholic colleges, giving Darling Downs families within the South East Queensland region a well-known option alongside the area's Anglican and state-based alternatives.

42. Martina Millard

Principal, Marymount College

Ms Martina Millard leads Marymount College, a Catholic Prep to Year 12 college at Burleigh Waters on the Gold Coast.

Marymount is one of the Gold Coast's established Catholic colleges, giving families in the Burleigh area a well-known Prep to Year 12 option within the region's Catholic education network.

43. Marcus Richardson

Principal, Aquinas College

Mr Marcus Richardson leads Aquinas College, a Catholic Prep to Year 12 college at Ashmore on the Gold Coast.

Aquinas serves families across the central Gold Coast, giving that part of the region a well-established Catholic option among the area's growing number of independent and faith-based colleges.

44. Rees Davis

Executive Principal, King's Christian College

Mr Rees Davis is Executive Principal of King's Christian College's Pimpama campus, an independent Christian college on the northern Gold Coast.

Pimpama has grown rapidly as a Gold Coast residential corridor, and King's Christian College's presence there reflects how independent schools in South East Queensland continue to open or expand campuses to keep pace with new housing growth.

45. Steven Morris

Principal, Springfield Anglican College

Mr Steven Morris has been Principal of Springfield Anglican College since early 2020, leading an Anglican Prep to Year 12 college in Springfield, part of the City of Ipswich.

Springfield is one of South East Queensland's major planned growth communities, and Mr Morris has led the college through a sustained period of residential expansion in the area it serves.

46. Tyson Kenny

Principal, Faith Lutheran College Plainland

Mr Tyson Kenny was appointed Principal of Faith Lutheran College Plainland after more than 16 years serving the college community as a member of its teaching staff and senior leadership team.

That long internal history, rising through the college's own staff and leadership ranks before becoming Principal, is a genuinely distinctive path among the leaders in this list, most of whom have moved between different schools during their careers.

47. Tim Kotzur

Head of College, St Peters Lutheran College Indooroopilly

Mr Tim Kotzur is Head of College at the Indooroopilly campus of St Peters Lutheran College, one of Queensland's larger Lutheran schools.

Leading the flagship Indooroopilly campus of a multi-campus Lutheran school gives Mr Kotzur oversight of one of the larger single independent school communities in this list, drawing families from across Brisbane's western suburbs.

48. Brendan Cahill

Principal, Brigidine College

Mr Brendan Cahill has been Principal of Brigidine College in Indooroopilly since 2012, leading one of Brisbane's Catholic girls' schools in the Brigidine tradition, founded by the Sisters of St Brigid.

His tenure since 2012 makes him one of the longer-serving principals in this list, giving the Brigidine community more than a decade of continuity in its senior leadership.

49. Trevor Goodwin

Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Iona College

Mr Trevor Goodwin is Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Iona College, a Catholic school for boys in the Christian Brothers tradition at Wynnum, in Brisbane's bayside area.

The combined Principal and Chief Executive Officer title reflects the scale of Iona's operations, a structure shared with a small number of other larger independent colleges in this list rather than the more common single Principal title.

50. Gary O'Brien

Principal, Cannon Hill Anglican College

Mr Gary O'Brien has been Principal of Cannon Hill Anglican College since 2019, leading an Anglican Prep to Year 12 college in Brisbane's eastern suburbs.

His tenure since 2019 has spanned a period of considerable disruption for schools generally, and Cannon Hill's Anglican, co-educational Prep to Year 12 structure gives Brisbane's eastern bayside corridor a well-established independent option.

What these leaders show us about school leadership in South East Queensland

Looking across these 50 profiles, a few patterns stand out. First, the sheer diversity of governance and faith traditions across South East Queensland's independent sector is striking: Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran, Adventist and non-denominational Christian schools all sit within a relatively compact geography, each shaped by a distinct order, diocese or synod.

Second, tenure varies enormously. Some principals on this list have led their school for more than a decade, giving their communities long continuity of direction. Others have been appointed only in the past year or two, often stepping into fast-growing schools in newer residential corridors such as Pimpama, Ormeau, Springfield and Meridan Plains. Both patterns bring real value: stability supports long-term culture, while fresh appointments often bring energy to schools navigating rapid growth.

Third, several principals in this list moved into their current role from another school, sometimes interstate, bringing outside perspective to their new community. Others have spent years, in some cases decades, working their way up through a single school's own staff and leadership ranks before becoming its principal. Neither path is inherently better; they simply produce different kinds of leadership.

Finally, a genuine geographic spread emerges once Toowoomba is counted as part of the wider South East Queensland region under the state's own regional planning definition. Independent school leadership in this part of Queensland is not confined to inner Brisbane; it stretches from the Darling Downs to the Sunshine Coast hinterland.

How to use this list

If you are a parent researching schools, use this list as a starting point rather than a final answer. Visit the current principal's own welcome page on the school's website, since these details can change, and read it alongside open day information, enrolment criteria and a school tour before making a decision.

If you work in education, in a supplier role, or in a professional association connected to Queensland schools, this list is a quick way to check who currently holds the top leadership role at a school you deal with, before sending correspondence or planning an event.

If you are a journalist, researcher or industry body compiling information about Queensland's independent school sector, treat this list as a snapshot from August 2026 rather than a permanent record. Principal appointments change, and the most reliable source for a current name will always be the school's own website.

Finally, if you notice an error, an outdated appointment, or a principal missing from this list who genuinely belongs on it, we would welcome hearing about it so the record can be improved over time.

Frequently Asked Questions

**How many independent schools are there in South East Queensland?**

Independent Schools Queensland, the sector's peak body, represents more than 230 member schools across the state, with the largest concentration located in South East Queensland, spanning Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay and surrounding areas.

**Is South East Queensland the same as Brisbane?**

No. South East Queensland is a wider region defined under the state government's own regional planning framework, and includes Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, Moreton Bay, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Lockyer Valley, Noosa and Toowoomba local government areas.

**How often do independent school principals change?**

There is no fixed pattern. Some principals on this list have served for well over a decade, while others were appointed within the past year or two. Tenure tends to be longer at established schools and shorter, on average, at newer or fast-growing colleges.

**What is the difference between a principal, headmaster and head of college?**

These titles largely reflect a school's own tradition and governance structure rather than a difference in seniority. Grammar schools and some Anglican boys' schools commonly use headmaster, some Lutheran schools use head of college, and most other independent schools use principal.

**Are all the schools on this list religious?**

Most are affiliated with a Christian denomination, including Anglican, Catholic, Lutheran and Adventist schools, reflecting the historical development of Queensland's independent sector. A smaller number on this list are non-denominational Christian or independent colleges without a specific denominational affiliation.

**Does this list include state schools?**

No. This list covers independent schools only, meaning non-government schools that are not part of the Queensland state school system and are not Catholic systemic schools administered through a diocesan system in the way most parish primary schools are.

Conclusion

Fifty different people, fifty different schools, and one shared responsibility: setting the direction for a school community that families trust with their children's education. This list does not attempt to measure who is doing the best job. It simply brings together, in one place, the people currently holding one of the most consequential roles in South East Queensland's education landscape.

For families comparing schools, the person in the principal's office matters as much as the buildings, the fees or the co-curricular program. Leadership style, tenure and background all shape the day-to-day experience of a school community in ways a prospectus cannot fully capture.

If this list has been useful, the next step is simple: visit the website of any school that interests you, read directly from the principal's own welcome page, and if possible, arrange a tour or an enquiry conversation. That direct contact will always tell you more than any list can.

Related Reading

20 Independent School Leaders in Brisbane to Know

50 Brisbane School Principals Worth Knowing in 2026

5 School PD Speakers for Leadership in Queensland (2026)

Executive Offsite Facilitators for Brisbane Schools

Work with Jonno

If you lead an independent school in South East Queensland and are planning a staff conference, a leadership team offsite or a board or executive retreat, Jonno White works with school leaders as a separate resource: a keynote speaker, workshop facilitator and Certified Working Genius Facilitator who can help your team build clarity around a hard decision or a season of change. To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.

About the Author

Jonno White is a Brisbane-based leadership consultant, keynote speaker and Certified Working Genius Facilitator, and the author of Step Up or Step Out. He works with schools, corporates and nonprofits around the world. To enquire about a keynote, workshop or facilitated leadership session, email jonno@consultclarity.org.