Welcome to Downlands College

Where your heart finds a home

Downlands College is a Prep to Year 12, independent, Catholic, coeducational, day and boarding school with a long tradition of heart-centred and values-based education.


Situated in the regional city of Toowoomba at the centre of a prosperous rural community, Downlands provides a full range of facilities often found only in large cities. The College is nestled in 38 hectares of landscaped grounds, with historic buildings and modern facilities, including a performing arts centre; dance, drama and film studios; indoor sports centre; flourishing Rural Centre; seven ovals; and a heated 50m outdoor pool.


Downlands is a place where one’s heart can find a home - where students can grow and flourish as they develop a sense of truth, goodness and beauty and so be ready to go out and to make a difference in the world.

Read Principal Mr Stephen Koch's Welcome

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News and Events

Downlands College Netballers in action
July 17, 2025
Get ready for a memorable evening on Friday, 25 July, as Downlands and St Ursula's College come together in a spirited battle for netball glory. Join us for a celebration of determination and teamwork. It’s an opportunity to witness passion and talent in action, and to cheer on these amazing athletes as they give their all on the court. The festivities begin at 4:00 PM, leading up to the much-anticipated First VII game at 6:15 PM.  We can't wait to see you there! Watch the Merici-Chevalier CUp Live HERE:
Rural Operations students at Downlands On-site Farm
June 13, 2025
At Downlands College Rural Centre, you might come across some raised garden beds that look a little different from the usual veggie patch. Beneath these mounds, something special is quietly taking place. Our Year 11 Rural Operations students recently began a hügelkultur project, exploring whether alternative gardening methods can promote sustainable food production in our local climate. Hügelkultur (pronounced “hoo-gell-culture”) is an age-old agricultural practice rooted in German and Eastern European traditions. The term means “mound culture” or “hill culture,” reflecting its distinct shape. The process involves building up layers of decaying wood, organic material, soil, and compost to create a living, breathing garden bed. Over time, this mound enriches the soil, nurtures the plants above, and exemplifies the beauty of working in harmony with nature’s cycles. It’s a method that values renewal and resourcefulness. Guided by their teacher, Mr Will Mann, the students scouted the paddock for old logs, branches, and woody debris, to form the foundation of their mounds. They then layered sticks, leaf litter, and green garden waste, collected from around the school. Each layer brought different textures and nutrients to the mix, creating the perfect environment for decomposition. Finally, the mounds were topped with a rich layer of soil and compost, locking in moisture and providing an ideal space for planting vegetables. Through teamwork and care, the class transformed an empty patch of earth into a living garden bed that will serve the College for seasons to come. The hügelkultur project is more than a lesson in alternative gardening. It’s an opportunity for students to learn about self-sufficiency, environmental care, and the value of shared effort. "I wanted the students to be given an opportunity to try a different way of producing food to what they might have seen in the past. Simple ideas like this are hopefully going to help with sustainability in the future," Mr Mann says. And through hands-on experience in Agriculture crop establishment, our Rural Operations students are learning skills that go beyond the textbook. "Taking what was just a bare patch of dirt and transforming it into a thriving garden, hopefully, is giving the students a unique opportunity to do a full establishment of a crop. They are also learning alternative ways to produce a similar product to what is conventionally used in Australia, and hopefully, inspiring them with a new way of looking at the needs of a changing industry and growing into thoughtful stewards of the land." Downlands College is dedicated to supporting the future of farming. Our renowned Agricultural Science program is a standout feature of our curriculum, offering students hands-on learning opportunities at our 14-hectare on-site farm, the College Rural Centre. The Downlands Agricultural curriculum combines high standards with practical experience, inspiring students to excel in both Agricultural Science and Vocational Education programs. With a focus on real-world learning, our students gain valuable skills in farming, sustainability, and agricultural innovation.
March 31, 2025
Downlands becomes the first coeducational boarding school in Australasia to achieve Australian Boarding Standards Accreditation. Learn about our exceptional program.
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