
GPS Swimming Trophy Room
Timeline
Key events
1915 Swimming Championships commenced, inaugural year of competition (Tuesday 30 March)
Venue – Spring Hill Baths
Points system used to determine winner of Walker and Hall Challenge Cup
Competing schools – Brisbane Grammar School (BGS) – 54 points, Christian Brothers, Gregory Terrace (GT) – 20 points, Technical College (3 points)
Events: Open 50 Yards; Under 14 50 Yards; Open 100 Yards; 50 Yards Back and Breaststroke; Under 16 100 Yards; Open 440 Yards; Under 15 Relay Race; Open Relay Race; Diving Championships
1916 Inclusion of additional schools to competition: Toowoomba Grammar School, Church of England Grammar School*, St Joseph’s Nudgee College, Clayfield College (to become Brisbane Boys’ College), St. Laurence’s School
Winners – Brisbane Grammar School
Addition of events into competition: 100 Yards Teams Handicap; Under 15 50 Yards; Neat Header; 100 Yards Teams
1918 Change of association name, inaugural year of The Great Public Schools’ Association of Queensland Inc.
Events: Open Freestyle – 50 Yards, 100 Yards, 440 Yards; Under 16 Freestyle 100 Yards; Under 14 Freestyle 50 Yards
Inaugural winners – St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace
1919 Addition of event into competition: Back and Breaststroke – Open 50 Yards
1920 St. Laurence’s leaves the GPS Association due to lack of turf pitch playing fields.
Brisbane Grammar School wins the Championship for the first time.
1921 Addition of age group and event into competition: Under 15 Freestyle 50 Yards
1922 The Southport School wins the Championship for the first time.
1923 St Joseph’s Nudgee College wins the Championship for the first time.
1926 Distances changed from Yards (Imperial) to Metres (Metric)
Events: Open Freestyle – 50m, 100m, 400m; Backstroke – 50m; Breaststroke – 50m; Under 16 Freestyle – 100m; Backstroke – 50m; Breaststroke – 50m; Under 15 Freestyle – 50m; Under 14 Freestyle – 50m
1930 Church of England Grammar School* wins the Championship for the first time.
1932 No Championships were held due to Polio epidemic
1933 Brisbane State High School wins the Championship for the first time.
1935 Toowoomba Grammar School wins the Championship for the first time.
1936 Addition of event into competition: Under 16 Freestyle 50m, 200m, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Backstroke
Removal of event: Under 16 Freestyle 100m
1938 No Championships were held due to Polio epidemic
1942 No Championships were held due to World War II
1946 Addition of events into competition: Open – Freestyle 100m and Breaststroke 100m; Under 15 – Backstroke 50m and Breaststroke 50m; Under 14 – Freestyle 100m; Backstroke 50m and Breaststroke 50m
1948 Addition of event into competition: Under 15 Freestyle 100m and Breaststroke 100m
1951 No Championships were held due to Polio epidemic
1960 Addition of event into competition: Under 16 Butterfly 50m
1964 Under 13 age group added into competition – Year 8 becomes part of secondary schooling
Events – Freestyle 50m, Freestyle 100m, Backstroke 50m, Breaststroke 50m
Addition of events into competition: Under 14 Freestyle 200m, Butterfly 50m; Under 15 Freestyle 200m, Butterfly 50m; Reintroduction of event into competition – Under 16 Freestyle 100m
1966-67 No Championships were held
1971 Addition of events into the competition: Under 13 Butterfly 50m; Under 13 Freestyle 200m
1974 New GPS Rule: Maximum of 3 Individual swim events
New Event addition 200 Metre Medley Relay: Under 13, 14, 15, 16 and OPEN
1978 New Event addition 200 Metre Freestyle: OPEN
1980 GPS Swimming Championships moves venue to the Chandler Aquatic Centre, now known as the Sleeman Sports Complex
1985 Addition of events into the competition: 200 Individual Medley: All Age
2014 Competition extended from Year 8 to commence from Year 5-12
Anglican Church Grammar School is the first school to win the inaugural GPS Championships event for Year 5-7, and the first school to win the double – Junior and Senior Championships
2015 Year 7 becomes part of secondary schooling
2016 Introduction of Wedges for Backstroke
2022 Naming of Junior Championships changed to Junior Carnival
Championships and Carnival are postponed due to Brisbane weather event
* now known as Anglican Church Grammar School
Contributors: Brett Shields (BBC), Matt Logan (BGS) & Katie Veitch (GPS)