Church school council chair Russell Smith quits just months into role

The chair of the elite Churchie school in Brisbane has quit, and another member departed soon after, with a high-profile Queensland identity already named as his replacement.

The Anglican Church Grammar School at East Brisbane. File picture

Prominent property developer Russell ‘Rusty’ McCart is the latest member of the Churchie council to exit, as insiders warn the prestigious boys’ school is “in strife”.

The Courier-Mail understands Mr McCart, one of the most well-connected men in Brisbane, attended an urgent meeting by the Anglican Schools Commission, which runs the East Brisbane institution on behalf of the church.

Sources say Mr McCart’s departure is of great concern as he was an outspoken force willing to question the running of the school.

“More heads are set to roll,” one said. “The school is in strife from an operational point of view,” they said.

Mr McCart’s exit from the now eight-member council – his profile was deleted from the governance section of the Churchie website mid-afternoon on Friday, March 31 – follows the resignation of council chair Russell Smith.

Mr Smith, who quit after only a few months in the job, has declined to comment but those close to him say he resigned “as a matter of principle”.

Outgoing chair Russell Smith.

Former governor Paul de Jersey.

On Thursday, March 30, the Anglican Church announced Mr Smith had been replaced by former Governor of Queensland Paul de Jersey.

In a letter to the school community, the Right Reverend Cam Venables, Bishop administrator, said the change comes “as Churchie is progressing its strategic planning exercise to map out a vision for the school for the next three to five years”.

“While Russell had not been in the role for long, he was able to fill the important position of chairman whilst juggling a busy work schedule that takes him away from Brisbane for a considerable amount of time,” he said.

“We appreciate that the commitment of our volunteer council members – especially the chairman – is significant.

“We are pleased to announce that the new chairman of Anglican Church Grammar School council will be Mr Paul de Jersey, AC, CVO, KC. Mr de Jersey needs no introduction in Queensland except to say that he is a proud old boy of Churchie and has much to bring to his new role.”

Mr McCart is the managing director of Pacifica Developments, whose projects include the Woolstore Apartments in Teneriffe, the Sage Hotel in Fortitude Valley, and the Port of Airlie Marina.

He has been contacted for comment.

Churchie headmaster Dr Alan Campbell.

The turmoil within the council comes as a third-generation Churchie old boy has written to the body, outlining “grave concerns” he holds about practices at the school.

Simon Schmidt – father of Year 12 student Baxter Schmidt, who he says was initially excluded from the school due to having dyslexia – wrote the letter on March 30 after reading in The Courier-Mail that a group of parents was lobbying the Anglican Church to stop the renewal of the contract of headmaster Dr Alan Campbell.

Insiders say Dr Campbell has been reappointed for another five years from 2024 by the Anglican Church’s schools commission, without consultation with the Churchie council.

The commission has publicly denied the renewal, telling The Courier-Mail the review process of the headmaster is “only about to begin”.