The Snow Centre for Education in the Asian Century

Canberra Grammar School entered a new era with the construction of the state-of-the-art centre – The Snow Centre for Education in the Asian Century – dedicated to the development of Australian education in the global era. Opened in March 2015, the establishment of the Centre was made possible thanks to an extraordinary gift of $8million from Canberra Airport owner, philanthropist and CGS Old Boy, Mr Terry Snow.

Mr Snow’s gift is one of the largest to a school in Australian history and it reflects his commitment to enhancing the life and character of Canberra and to linking the national capital with the outside world. It also reflects Mr Snow’s long and proud association with Canberra Grammar School which he, his brothers and his children attended, and which his grandchildren currently attend.

Vital to the premise of the Centre is that it benefits not only the School but the community of Canberra and Australian education generally. This unique facility sees the School collaborating with other leading educational organisations including the Australian National University’s world-leading College of Asia and the Pacific and the University of Canberra’s Faculty of Education.

“Dr Garrick’s concept is to make this school the best school, not the second best school, but the best school in Australia. And the way he is going to do that is to take the School into the Asian Century. We need big ideas and we need the facilities to do it… You and the Head and the teaching staff can make this the best school in Australia and the way you do that is to be the most worldly school in Australia… I think it is so exciting where the Head is proposing to take you. You will look back on today and think ‘what an opportunity’ and not only is it an opportunity for the School or for the members of the School but this is an opportunity for Australia.”

– CGS Alumnus Mr Terry Snow in his address to CGS students on 29 May 2013

The Centre houses 12 classrooms for the teaching of Asian languages, geography, history, economics and culture. It includes an amphitheatre for lectures, an exhibition area, open learning spaces, student collaboration pods and video conferencing facilities to link lessons with schools and universities around the world.

Symbolically designed to link the Schools’ past with its future, the Centre blends the classic red brick features of the School’s heritage-listed Quadrangle with a bold apex of zinc and glass pointing outwards and facing north towards Australia’s neighbours.