As Gippsland Grammar’s Bairnsdale Campus celebrates 20 years of learning and connection, students like year 12 Prefect Hudson are living proof of how early beginnings can shape remarkable futures.
“In the Early Learning Centre, I remember writing the names of all the colours on the concrete near the gates,” he said.
“Apparently that was impressive for ELC standards.”
It’s a small memory, but one that perfectly captures the curiosity, creativity and confidence that have guided him from Early Learning to VCE.
As the community prepares for the annual Open Day on Saturday, March 28, from 9–11am, Hudson says visiting in person is the best way to understand the school.
“Open Days are the best way to find out not only what a school looks like, but what it feels like,” he said.
“You hear it in the people — their character as well as their stories.”
Hudson began his schooling at the Bairnsdale ELC in 2012, and credits several teachers with shaping his passions. His year three teacher, Anne Crowe, extended him academically and made learning exciting, while music teacher Brett Glover made “music cool” and set him on the path to becoming one of the school’s most accomplished drummers.
IT teacher Sharen Cameron introduced him to programming.
“She sparked my creativity,” he said.
“I remember building games for my classmates and watching them laugh. That moment shaped everything I do now.”
With a love of technology and a desire to contribute, Hudson even donated some of his year seven pocket money during the 2021 Giving Appeal to support the completion of the Garnsey Campus Art and Design Centre.
“It seemed small at the time, but I realise now how meaningful it was to contribute to something that helped shape me,” he said.
One of Hudson’s most powerful realisations comes from the Bairnsdale Fellowship tradition — the campus’s equivalent of assemblies.
“With seven class groups, everyone had to speak at Fellowship,” he said.
“By year six, we all knew how to public speak confidently. Recently, I used that skill at my grandfather’s funeral, and my extended family and guests asked where I learned it. I realise now, I learned it here.”
That foundation has carried him through House events, cultural festivals, performances, and now into his leadership role as school vice captain and music captain.
Hudson’s story is also deeply musical. From ukuleles in year four to rock anthems in senior years, and even a trip to France and Belgium to perform under the Arc de Triomphe on the Gippsland Grammar ANZAC Music and Language Tour, music has been his creative anchor.
He recalls the first Rock Band performance as a defining moment.
“It was the first time I realised I could actually make an impact on the school,” he said.
“Students who didn’t know I could drum suddenly saw me differently.”
He also reflects fondly on House Cultural Festivals, where he performed and encouraged younger students.
“It feels great to uplift people,” he said.
“Giving younger performers space to grow is one of the best parts of leadership.”
Now a Year 12 Prefect, Hudson says leadership is about more than wearing a badge.
“For me, it’s about paying back the students who got me here,” he said.
“I want to make things transparent, meaningful, and create real change.”
If a parent of a five-year-old asked why Gippsland Grammar should be on their list, Hudson’s answer is simple:
“Gippsland Grammar is a Goldilocks situation. Not too few opportunities and not too many. Just right. You can try things, grow, and still feel grateful for what you’re given.”
After graduation, Hudson hopes to study IT, potentially combined with science, arts or music. Whatever comes next, he knows his foundation was built long before VCE began.
“From ELC to now, every step has shaped who I am,” he said.
“That’s the power of this place.”
