St Patrick’s College Shorncliffe appoints Amber Hauff as principal in historical first for Brisbane

In a groundbreaking move, a woman has been appointed as the new principal of an all boys’ private school after beating several “first-class” candidates to the position.

Amber Hauff has been announced as the new principal of St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe. Picture: Shae Beplate.

In a Brisbane first, a woman has been appointed principal of an all boys’ private school.

From 2025, Amber Hauff will take the reins of St Patrick’s College Shorncliffe following the retirement of respected leader Chris Mayes.

Ms Hauff is currently principal Catholic girls’ school St Patrick’s in Townsville.

Her groundbreaking appointment will see her become the northeast Brisbane college’s 15th principal – and its inaugural female.

In a letter to parents on Thursday morning, Chris Woolley, CEO of EREA Colleges Ltd, described Ms Hauff as “a woman of great passion, optimism and integrity”.

Mr Woolley said her selection followed a rigorous selection process with “first-class candidates from across the nation”.

St Patrick’s College Shorncliffe has a new principal in Amber Hauff, following the retirement of Chris Mayes.

Ms Hauff said she was looking forward to “working with the community to ensure St Patrick’s College Shorncliffe continues to grow and flourish as a school of choice for young men of integrity, courage and action”.

“I enrolled my son at the college before we left as a family to live in Townsville. I was looking forward to my son being an SPC student,” she said.

Ms Hauff, who this month completed an MBA from the University of South Australia, is well-known in Queensland education circles.

Prior to her nine years at the Townsville day and boarding school, she sat on the Student Protection Reference Group, which reports to Queensland Catholic Education Commission on child safety and wellbeing issues.

She has also been influential in the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority in the area of accounting – the subject she first taught at All Saints Anglican School on the Gold Coast after gaining a Bachelor of Education at QUT in 2000.

The EREA’s Mr Woolley said Ms Hauff would bring significant leadership experience to the Shorncliffe role, including from her time as director of teacher performance and development at St Joseph’s Nudgee College and other senior positions at Clayfield College.

St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe retiring principal Chris Mayes.

He said under her present leadership, the Townsville school had enjoyed a 41 per cent growth in student enrolments and three major building projects totalling $40m had been completed.

Mr Woolley also paid tribute to the decade-long “outstanding and inspirational” leadership of Mr Mayes.

When news broke on the school’s landmark appointment, members of the college community were quick to congratulate M Hauff.

“Welcome … such an amazing school and wonderful legacy from Mr Mayes who has been instrumental in building a strong community,” one wrote on the St Patrick’s Shorncliffe social media page.

“Welcome Amber to a great school. You picked the right place,” said another.

EREA currently has three women leading boys’ schools - St Kevin’s in Melbourne, Rostrevor College in Adelaide and St Patrick’s in Sydney.

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