Ironbark Outdoor Education
Outdoor Education in Year 9
Ironbark is St Peters’ iconic outdoor education program, held at the College’s Ironbark Centre near Crows Nest in Queensland. For five weeks in Year 9, students step away from screens and everyday routines to live, learn, and grow together in a unique community setting.
Set on more than 800 hectares of farmland and bush, Ironbark offers students the opportunity to embrace challenges, adventure, and personal growth. The program is built on the values of community, commitment, and connection, encouraging students to build resilience, strengthen relationships, and discover what they’re truly capable of.
The Ironbark program comprises four key elements:
- Outdoor pursuits – hiking, camping, high ropes, horse riding, and other activities that build teamwork and confidence.
- Farm skills – caring for livestock, gardening, maintaining the property, and learning practical skills that foster responsibility and independence.
- Environmental awareness – exploring the natural world and developing respect for sustainability and environmental stewardship.
- Community living – sharing daily life, preparing meals, managing routines, and contributing to a supportive group environment.
Every activity is designed to challenge and inspire. Whether they’re blacksmithing, cooking, hiking through the bush, or helping on the farm, students return from Ironbark with greater resilience, self-belief, and a deeper appreciation for community and the environment.
For further information, download the Ironbark Information Guide.
Ironbark History
In the early 1970s, a group of St Peters staff envisioned a new kind of education; one that extended beyond the classroom and into the outdoors. Their idea gained momentum in 1971 when Wendall Dahl generously donated 78 acres of land near Crows Nest to establish a dedicated outdoor education site. By 1974, Head of College Dr Carson Dron had championed a pilot program, and in 1976, Ironbark officially became a permanent part of a St Peters education.
Dr Dron and the founding staff, including Maurie Fielke, Don Protheroe and Barry Jahnke, believed deeply in the power of nature to shape character. They created a program designed to challenge students physically, emotionally, spiritually, and socially, helping them grow in resilience, confidence, and self-awareness. Decades later, that vision continues. Ironbark has become a defining rite of passage for St Peters students.
While the program has evolved over time, its purpose remains unchanged. Its transformative impact is recognised by educators across Australia and was formally documented in 2018 in the Ironbark Research Report, produced by St Peters Student Counsellors. The report examines the lasting benefits of the Ironbark experience and its impact on helping young people flourish.
To read the full Ironbark Research Report, click here.
“At Ironbark, we focus on personal growth and development. It’s a real joy to be part of giving these students new experiences, new opportunities and helping them to learn more about themselves in the process, within a Christian context.”
Matthew Sullivan, Director of Ironbark.
