The History of Glendyne.
In the beginning with Glendyne
Glendyne Education and Training Centre had it’s beginnings after a Think Tank meeting at the Hervey Bay Baptist Church in the early part of 1997. Keith Stevenson set the task to the members of coming up with creative ideas that you would implement if money was no object.
Ray Krueger (then Head of Department in Engineering TAFE) and Owen Backwell (the Chaplin at Hervey Bay High School) put forward the proposal that the Pineapple farm next to the Church should be purchased and turned into an alternative training centre for boys who were not fitting into the current schooling system.
Keith Stevenson then took the idea to the Baptist Union of Queensland, who in the long term purchased the property. Ray Krueger was then approached about leading the program, and becoming an employee of Queensland Baptist Care. Glendyne Education and training was officially opened on the 29th November 1997.
The program then commenced with five students in March 1998, being directed by Ray and his wife Jenny with volunteers, mainly Brian Rhule. Les Furnival was the first farm manager and was responsible for business side of the farm. The program was conducted under the farmhouse, which was also the residence of Ray and Jenny Krueger, the program then consisted mainly of Literacy and Numeracy and practical farm skills and welding, these programs were conducted under the umbrella of the Brisbane School of Distance Education.
On the 12th December 2002 Glendyne was registered as a School. Glendyne has continued to grow from strength to strength, from having no workshops to now having major workshops in Engineering/Welding and a separate Carpentry workshop donated by the Vertel Foundation through Pat Rafter Cherish the Children Foundation. More recently the addition of a full Industrial hospitality kitchen, two fully networked computer rooms, and four air conditioned class areas. The program now has many TAFE accredited certificates and numerous other programs as outlined elsewhere on this site. Glendyne now has over 26 full and part time staff, with over 92 students in attendance.