Matthew Flinders Anglican College (MFAC) is an independent Anglican co-educational primary and secondary day school located in Buderim, approximately north of Brisbane, on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1990 and named in honour of Matthew Flinders, the college has grown from an enrolment of 160 students in its foundation year, to over 1,300 students in 2015.
Overview In 2011, the school's Overall Position and NAPLAN results put the school in the top 100 schools in Australia, top 10 schools in Queensland and highest-achieving school in the Sunshine Coast.
In 2012, the college completed its 600-seat performance centre."School realises 11-year dream" by Warren Lynam, Sunshine Coast Daily, 11 February 2012
Houses
The students are divided into four (primary) and eight (secondary) houses, each named after a notable Australian person: +Primary House Namesake Colour Freeman Cathy Freeman, Olympic sprinter Silver Milton Michael Milton, Paralympic skier White Rafter Pat Rafter, tennis player Navy blue Thomas Petria Thomas, Olympic swimmer Jade + Secondary House Namesake Colour Bradman Sir Donald Bradman, cricketer Navy blue Chisholm Caroline Chisholm, humanitarian White Helpmann Sir Robert Helpmann, dancer Yellow Mawson Douglas Mawson, explorer Silver McCubbin Frederick McCubbin, artist Maroon Oliphant Mark Oliphant, physicist Red Sutherland Dame Joan Sutherland, opera singer Sky blue Thiele Colin Thiele, author Jade
Dean Carelse conviction Dean Carelse was a South African national and water polo coach.Lamb J (30 March 2022) ‘Water polo coach to be deported after pleading guilty to 14 charges of indecent treatment of children’, ABC News Australia, accessed 19 February 2025. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-30/former-qld-water-polo-coach-guilty-indecent-treatment-child/100950188 Carelse was employed at MFAC from ~2019-2020, as a middle school science and mathematics teacher and a water polo coach. He was dismissed from the college after allegations of grooming after contacting students on social media such as Facebook, and allegedly taking inappropriate photographs of students. Maroochydore Police raided his Moololabah home in early 2021 and discovered child exploitation content, in 2022 he pleaded guilty to 20 charges consisting of possessing child exploitation material and distributing child exploitation material.Queensland College of Teachers v Dean Carelse QCAT 195 QCAT. Much of the child exploitation charges related to students at MFAC. Carelse was sentenced to 6 years in prison, but instead deported to South Africa. After an investigation conducted by the ABC, Carelse was discovered working at a water park in the United Kingdom and departed from there in 2024.Black J (24 June 2024) ‘Paedophile and ex-Sunshine Coast water polo coach Dean Carelse deported from UK after ABC investigation’, ABC News Australia, accessed 19 February 2025.
This controversy caused MFAC to implement more stringent and effective child protection policies, as well as the introduction of frequent school assemblies regarding child protection. School policies such as requiring teaching staff to maintain zero contact with students for at least 2 years after graduation were implemented to address the controversy and ensure child protection.Mathew Flinders Anglican College (ND) Student Protection and College Policies, MFAC, accessed 19 February 2025. https://www.mfac.edu.au/community/policies
References
External links