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Schoolies HistoryHistory of Schoolies WeekWe are compiling a timeline and some historical information about Schoolies Week, as we often get asked by the media and students doing assignments who want to know about the History of Schoolies Week, especially the history of Gold Coast Schoolies. To start with a referenced timeline of the history of Schoolies Week will be developed, then some commentary from various spokespersons will be added. If you are able to supply information, please contact us. If you have any questions, please ask in the Schoolies Forum in this thread. Over the past three decades, Australian high school graduates have celebrated their graduation with a week long party at a popular tourist destination. Known as 'Schoolies Week,' it is the most significant youth event in the national social calendar. Schoolies Week is considered a rite of passage, signaling their transition into the adult world beyond high school and a life of their own design. Schoolies Week 1987 Oblate Priest Paul Costello founded Rosies Youth Mission QLD to provide support to young people during Gold Coast Schoolies Week. While founded initially in response to Schoolies Week, Rosies evolved into a support service for homeless people on the Gold Coast and grew to include outreach programs in Brisbane and at the Sunshine Coast. Rosies has continued their involvement in Gold Coast Schoolies over the years. From 1995 to 2002 Bob Boardman was Director of Rosies Youth Mission in Queensland. From 1994 to 2002 Dominic Mapstone was initially a volunteer with Rosies and later employed as a Social Worker with Rosies. Schoolies Week 1988 Drug
Arm commenced support services for graduates at Gold Coast Schoolies. One
of their volunteers 'Martha' has been involved each year since. Mitchell Dobbie
was the manager of Drug Arm for many years. Schoolies Week 1989 Tony Smith, an ex Sydney Swans footballer founded Sports Break Travel (now BreakFree) which went on to promote Schoolies Week travel packages. Schoolies
Week 1990 Schoolies Week 1993 SportsBreak (now BreakFree) trademarks the terms 'Schoolies' and 'Schoolies Week'. Schoolies Week 1994 Social Worker Dominic Mapstone started working with Rosies Youth Mission during Schoolies, later establishing Rebeccas Community in 2002 and providing support services to Gold Coast Schoolies from 2003 onwards. Schoolies Week 1995 Anthony
Smith and Doreen Rosenthal conducted research into risk taking behavior by young
people during Gold Coast Schoolies, which was later published: Smith
AMA, Rosenthal D. Sex, alcohol and drugs? Young people's experience of Schoolies
Week. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 1997;21:175-80 (subscription
required). The sample size was 1796, here are some of their results: Days
or nights drunk Schoolies Week 1996 Schoolies Week 1997 Andy Gourley founds Hotel Chaplains to provide support to young people during Schoolies. Community Solutions kicked off the first Schoolies Festival on the Sunshine Coast in 1997, which ran for 5 years inclusive of 2002 after which a regional Schoolies Taskforce was formed. Community Solutions have continued to provide support to young people at Mooloolaba during Schoolies through their Street Angels service. Street Angels was originally a separate organisation that later amalgamated with Community Solutions. Schoolies Week 1998 Schoolies Week 1999 Frank Ahlin founds Encounter Youth (formerly Encounter Schoolies) in South Australia to support young people celebrating Schoolies in Victor Harbor. Schoolies Week 2000 Sports Break Travel (now Breakfree) challenged
P&O in federal court
for using the
trademarked words 'Schoolies / Week.' Sports Break Travel Pty Limited v P&O
Holidays Limited [2000] FCA 924, Justice Burchett decided that the 'schoolies'
trade mark, owned by Sports Break, should never have been registered and had therefore
not been infringed. The reason? Schoolies' Week has 'become a tradition'. TeenBreak (S8) start promoting Schoolies Week travel packages. Schoolies Week 2001 After The September 11 attacks in the US in 2001, Schoolies were worried that their celebrations at the Gold Coast may be a target. Schoolies Week 2002 Queensland Ambulance Service establishes a 'triage' in Surfers Paradise as a first port of call for young people injured during Schoolies. Schoolies Week 2003 Legal Aid Queensland releases a report titled: 'Surf City Limits: The unfair treatment of young consumers in the rental accommodation marketplace of Schoolies Week.' Premier of QLD provides staff from the Department of Communities to oversee the preparation for and management of Schoolies Week at the Gold Coast. Rebeccas Community launches the National Schoolies Website and provides support services at Gold Coast Schoolies. Schoolies Week 2004 The Gold Coast Management of Public Intoxication Program's 'Chillout Zone,' coordinated by Angela Driscol provides support to young people at North Stradbroke Island in the third term holidays which have been described as the 'pre-Schoolies' party. Schoolies Week 2005 Gold Coast City Council return to a significant role in Gold Coast Schoolies after a break in 2003 and 2004 when the QLD Department of Communities had taken the lead role. Breakfree merge with MFS. S8 close Teenbreak, their Schoolies booking service and sell rights to Breakfree for Schoolies bookings in their resorts and hotels. BreakFree make a number of undertakings to the ACCC regarding their use of the trademarks on 'Schoolies' and 'Schoolies Week'. Schoolies Week 2006 Celebrations on the Gold Coast are scheduled for: Saturday 18th of November to Sunday 26th of November 2006. In October P&O announce that the 2006 schoolies week cruise will be the last, cancelling the 2007 cruises. Associated Press reported: "The move comes with P&O central in controversy surrounding the death of Mrs Brimble, a 42-year-old from Brisbane who died on a cruise in 2002." Schoolies Week 2007 Rosies Youth Mission to reaches 20 year milestone of supporting young people celebrating Schoolies Week at the Gold Coast. A fenced off area on the beach at Surfers Paradise was trialed. Schoolies registered for writbands creating a 'schoolies only zone.' The fence enclosed entertainment on beach stages and some support services. Police reported that they arrested twice as many schoolies in 2007 compared to 2006 during the first week of schoolies. Need to add to timeline: |
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