Sunshine Coast, Noosa high flyer’s schools revealed
From some of the Sunshine Coast and Noosa’s most powerful political figures to sporting stars children idolise, they all started somewhere. Check out their success stories.
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They’re now some of the most powerful, influential and best known people in the Sunshine Coast and Noosa – but they had to start somewhere.
From top-ranked local political figures to construction giants and sporting superstars, this is the history behind local success stories.
Clare Stewart
Before Clare Stewart became the first female Noosa mayor in 2020, she was an academic superstar.
Ms Stewart, who attended primary school at St Peter Chanel in The Gap in Brisbane, graduated from All Hallow’s School in Brisbane’s CBD in 1994 – the same year she became a prefect at the school.
From there, she went straight to the University of Queensland to study a Bachelor of Business, where she graduated in 1997, and earnt herself a part scholarship to Bond University to study a Bachelor of Laws.
She graduated from the university in 1999, and went on to study a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practices at the College of Law in Sydney, which was completed in 2000.
From 2002 to 2004, she studied a Master of Laws at the University of Sydney.
Reed Mahoney
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs player Reed Mahoney graduated from Beerwah State High School in 2015, and three years later made his NRL debut with the Parramatta Eels.
He played in junior teams for the Kawana Dolphins and Beerwah Bulldogs as well as a number of Sunshine Coast regional teams.
He was selected to play for the Queensland Maroons squad in 2021, and today plays for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in 2023.
Mark Jamieson
Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson may be the top of the food chain in local politics on the Sunshine Coast now, but it all started when he graduated from Hervey Bay State High School in 1976.
Mr Jamieson said Hervey Bay State High was his third and final high school, after attending St Columba’s High School in Hordern, New South Wales from 1971 and 1972 and then transferring to Marist Brothers College as a boarder in 1973 and 1974.
In his final year at school, Mr Jamieson was awarded the senior prize for modern history, he said.
After school he was accepted to study property valuation at the University of Queensland’s Gatton campus but declined the offer in favour of getting into the workforce.
But later, in 1990, he began studying a double major of marketing and resources management at the University of Southern Queensland and graduated in 1995.
In 2009 he went to Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts for a leadership program and in 2014 accepted an alumni award from the University of Southern Queensland for community service.
He was elected Sunshine Coast mayor in 2012.
Chris Flannery
Rugby league great and Sunshine Coast Falcons CEO Chris Flannery’s alma mater is Kawana State High, where he graduated in 1998.
Until that point, Mr Flannery had played for the Kawana Dolphins junior team; but after graduating kicked off his nearly decade and a half career by playing for the Sydney Roosters from 1998 until 2007.
He then jetted off to the United Kingdom, where he played for the St Helens rugby league team from 2007 until 2012.
In 2013, he returned to Australia and took up his position as chief executive of the Sunshine Coast Falcons – then called the Sea Eagles, where he continues to work today.
Lang Walker
Lang Walker may now be known as an international property tycoon, developer and philanthropist, but it all started in Sydney when he graduated Caringbah High School.
From there, Mr Walker began work as a deckhand on yachts in Queensland before he joined the navy and qualified as an elite Naval Diving Officer – the equivalent of the SAS today.
Later, he partnered with his father, Alec, to establish what is now known as the Walker Corporation.
The corporation is a partner in creating the new Maroochydore City Centre.
Blake Enever
Former Wallaby player Blake Enever said he had prospects of becoming a marine biologist when he graduated from Sunshine Coast Grammar School in 2008.
From there, the now Super Rugby star, moved to Brisbane to study marine biology at the University of Queensland in 2009, but did not finish his degree and left the university in 2011 after receiving a Queensland Reds Academy contract.
He went on to have 50 appearances in the Super Rugby with the Queensland Reds and the ACT Brumbies and represented the Wallabies in 2017.
In 2022 he began offering private coaching to rising Sunshine Coast rugby union talents.
Mal Meninga
Australian and International league hall of famer and now rugby league coach Mal Meninga moved to the Coast when he was 11, where he began his journey to sporting greatness.
Mr Meninga previously told the Sunshine Coast Daily he had attended Maroochydore Primary and High School. While at school, he played for the Maroochydore Swans.
He went on to have a 17-year career in Rugby League, winning premierships in 1981, 1985, 1989 and 1994.
In 2003, he was inducted into the Australian and International hall of fame in 2003 and was announced as a rugby league Immortal in 2018.
Ben Ross
Another Rugby League great to have come from the Sunshine Coast, Ben Ross was a former Burnside State High School student before he hit sport stardom.
His career began in the 1990s, playing against future Queensland teammates such as Chris Flannery and Casey McGuire. He also played with former Sunshine Coast Falcons coach Sam Mawhinney.
Ross went on to play six origins for Queensland and played for the Dragons, Panthers, Sharks and Souths across his career.
He retired in 2013.
Rob Comiskey
The Comiskey Group is responsible for some of the biggest projects across the Sunshine Coast, but for director and founder Rob Comiskey, it all started in Brisbane.
Mr Comiskey graduated from Craigslea State High School, in Chermside West, in 1990 before he went on to complete an Advanced Diploma of Architecture at Queensland TAFE in South Brisbane.
He later went back to TAFE to complete an Advanced Diploma of Building.
He told the Sunshine Coast Daily both qualifications, coupled with work experience in the industry, meant he could obtain an open builder’s licence to construct high-rises.
Jake Friend
Jake Friend joined the Sydney Roosters NRL team at 15-years-old, but before that, he was a student at Noosa District State High.
By 18-years-old, Friend had made his first grade debut and by the time he retired in 2021, had played in four grand finals, won three premierships, represented Queensland thrice, and awarded the Ron McAuliffe Medal as Queensland’s Player of the Series for his efforts during the Maroons’ 2020 State of Origin.
He twice received the Jack Gibson Medal as the Roosters’ player of the Year in 2011 and 2016. He was named the club’s Clubman of the Year in 2018.
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