Kennedy Baptist College is pleased to introduce Mr Matthew Austin, who joins our community with a strong passion for STEM education and hands‑on learning. With experience leading student teams on the world stage, he’s excited to bring fresh opportunities and innovation to our College.
Mr Austin joins Kennedy after teaching at a small school in regional Queensland, where he helped students achieve remarkable feats on the international stage. One of his proudest moments was leading a student team to the Hydrogen Grand Prix World Finals in Germany, an experience that shaped both his teaching approach and his dedication to STEM innovation. When he isn’t teaching any technology-related subjects, he is passionate about photography and shares his knowledge by teaching photography as well.
Kennedy Baptist College, in partnership with Chevron Australia, is proud to launch a pioneering opportunity for Year 10 girls: our very first H2GP Hydrogen Powered Racing Team. This program combines engineering, innovation, teamwork and endurance racing into a truly unique extracurricular experience.
Before Mr Austin gets busy leading our new all‑female H2GP team, we sat down for a quick chat to learn a bit more about the person behind the program.
He shared that before becoming a teacher, he worked as an apprentice aircraft maintenance engineer for an Australian airline, an experience that often surprises people and shaped his practical, problem-solving approach to teaching. Outside of school, he enjoys flying model aircraft on the weekends, adding with a laugh that “most of the time they come back in one piece.” When it comes to the important debate of coffee or tea, he’s firmly in the coffee camp.
And as for what excites him most about leading Kennedy’s new all‑female H2GP team, he says he’s looking forward to giving girls the chance to step into a real engineering environment: “If this program helps more girls feel confident in STEM and see what they’re capable of, that will be a real win.”
Kennedy Baptist College is proud to offer students opportunities that spark curiosity, build character, and develop real‑world skills. With Mr Matthew Austin leading the way, our new extracurricular is set to inspire a new generation of thinkers, creators and innovators.
Mr Austin says he’s already excited to be part of the Kennedy community after meeting “a great group of colleagues.” We look forward to the impact he will have within our growing STEM programs and the enthusiasm he will bring to our students.
Welcome to Kennedy, Mr Austin, we are thrilled to have you on board!
About H2GP Hydrogen Powered Racing Team
Kennedy Baptist College is excited to announce an opportunity for Year 10 girls to form the inaugural H2GP Hydrogen Powered Racing Team. The College has secured sponsorship from Chevron Australia, allowing us to enter a female racing team in the competition.
What is the H2GP?
H2GP (Horizon Hydrogen Grand Prix) is a global STEM competition in which students design, build and race a hydrogen fuel cell-powered 1:10 scale remote-controlled vehicle. The races are endurance events and typically last 4 to 6 hours.
The program integrates mechanical engineering, electronics, CAD, energy management and strategic endurance racing.
The State Final is hosted at Murdoch University. If Kennedy Racing places first or is selected, the core team will then be invited to compete in the World Grand Finals (location yet to be announced) in 2027.
