The Southport School

The Southport School
File:Tss-logo2.jpg
Palmam qui meruit ferat. Let him who deserves the palm of victory bear it.
Established	1901
School type	Private/Independent
Denomination	Anglican
Headmaster	Greg Wain
School Captain	John Fox
Location	Southport, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
Enrolment	approx. 1,000
Colours	Maroon, Navy Blue, White
Homepage	http://www.tss.qld.edu.au

The Southport School (TSS), founded 1901, is an all boys Anglican day and boarding school located Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

TSS is the only all boys boarding school on Gold Coast. TSS's sister all girls day and boarding school, St Hilda's, is situated approximately 5 kilometres away.

History

The founder and first Headmaster of the school, The Right Reverend Horace Henry Dixon was first given charge of Southport Church of England Parish. During his tenure, Reverend Dixon later gained approval from the Diocese of Brisbane to proceed with the establishment of the school.

With financial support from Hon. E.J Stevens, (past member for Logan in Queensland Legislative Assembly) and Dr. R.S Berry (a Southport doctor at the time), a lease was obtained for the land and buildings. The buildings were completed prior to commissioning in 1901 and the first boarders A.A Markwell and Frank Taylor took up residence at The Southport High School, as it was then recognised.

In the formative years, TSS remained solely a boarding school and only gained the name The Southport School in 1913.

Academic Pursuit

The Southport School usually performs well academically. The school has produced several Rhodes Scholars, the last being Peter Annand in 1966. The School's headmaster, Greg Wain, attributed last years results to a "less academically inclined cohort" in 2005. In the weekly TSS newsletter on February 28 2006, he noted that the school had performed "better overall" with more OP4 - OP7 results than in recent years. There is an argument that the breadth of activities available reflects the School's philosophy of producing the Renaissance man rather than one-dimensional academics. Notwithstanding this, although the Southport School is Queensland's most expensive school, with 2006 fees from AU$7,420 to AU$12,276 a year, it did not rank in the top 100 Queensland schools academically in 2005, based on its OP results.

Co-Curricular

TSS has a reputation throughout the country for producing top level athletes including those mentioned below^. The school offers a wide range of sports beginning in term 1 with sailing, rowing, swimming and cricket. The School's position on the river gives rowers and sailors a distinct advantage as is attested to by the School's record at GPS Rowing and Sailing events and at other championships. Over the last three years the under 18 English swimming team has completed years 11 and 12 at TSS with each student paying full boarding fees.

In terms 2 and 3 boys may involve themselves in rugby, soccer or cross country running. The 3 or 4 home rugby matches a season draw large crowds with the final home game being the focal point of Old Boys Week.

In Term 3 and 4 the school undertakes basketball and tennis along with track and field events.

TSS also has a full time gymnastics squad who train all year for their GPS titles (held at TSS) in term 3. Students also may involve themselves in Debating in terms 1 and 2, and the TSS Speech and Variety Club through which they learn the skills of oral communication.

Round Square

Internationally, over 30 secondary schools claim to be members of the Round Square association. TSS has been a member of Round Square for over seven years and in this time over thirty (30) students have experienced foreign exchange with other member schools.

Cadets

At the Southport School, Yr 9 students must join an Australian Defence Force Cadets organisation. There is currently a movement to reinstate compulsory attendance in Yr 10 as well. The Australian Naval Cadets unit at the school (TS Southport) is the largest in Queensland. On October 30th 2006 The Southport School's army cadet unit will celebrate its centenary.

The House System

In 1909 the house system was developed by Charles Thorold, in which students were divided into three separate houses, Delpratt, McKinley and Thorold, which were named after the respective Housemasters M.G Delpratt, J McKinley and C.C Thorold.

Since then there have been further additions with the dayboys being first placed in Walker House in the reign of John Day. Now day houses outnumber boarding houses 2:1. The boarding houses have still been a prominent force in the school with few day houses ever winning the overall interhouse competition.

The division of students into houses was convenient for the purposes of inter-house sporting competition and the House Shield is the most coveted prize in the school. The system extends far beyond this though, and is used to instill the notion of brotherhood as is evident by the quote from Shakespeare's Henry V that takes pride of place at the front of the school dining hall, "We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers"

Senior School Day Houses

• Atkinson
• Kaiser
• Maughan
• Melbourne
• Radcliffe
• Surman
• Turnock
• Walker

Senior School Boarding Houses

• Biddle
• Delpratt
• McKinley
• Thorold

Junior School Day Houses

• Dixon
• Mitre
• Musgrave
• Shepherd

Junior School Boarding Houses

• Rogers (not a competing house)

Headmasters of the School

• Rt. Rev. Horace Henry Dixon (1901-1929)
• Bertram George Lawrance (1930-1935)
• Rev. Verney Lovett Johnstone (1936-1940)
• John Norman Radcliffe (1941-1950)
• Cecil Garton Pearce, OBE (1950-1971)
• John Henry Day, AM (1972-1987)
• Paul John McKeown, AM (1987)
• Bruce Alexander Cook (1988-2003)
• Greg Wain (2004-present)

Old Southportonians

The OSA

The Old Southportonians Association (OSA) is the alumni for old boys of the school. The OSA is celebrating its 100 years as a recognised body in 2007.

Notable Old Boys

Military

• Lieutenant John Fraser (fought and died in Vietnam)
• General Robert Harold Nimmo (Head of UN Military Observer Group in Pakistan & India 1952-1966)
• Major Hugh Quinn (fought and died at the eponymous Quinn's Post at Gallipoli in 1915)

Business and Politics

• Rob Borbidge (Former Premier of Queensland)
• The Hon. John Moore (former Defence Minister)
• Bill O'Chee (Former National Party Federal Senator)
• Matthew Perrin (Former Managing Director of Billabong)
• Glen Shiel (Former National Party Federal Senator)

Arts, Media and Sciences

• Scott Beveridge (Channel 10)
• James Blundell (Singer)
• Sidney Cotton, inventor of the 'Sidcot' flight suit
• Perry Cross (quadriplegic, motivational speaker)
• Ben Dark (Getaway, Nine Network)
• Rod Young (Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC and Seven Network news anchor)

Sport

• Chris Atkinson (World Rally Car Driver - Subaru)
• Courtney Atkinson (triathlete)
• Clark Keating (AFL)
• Andrew Baildon (Short distance swimmer)
• Mathew & Daniel Belcher (former world champion sailors and Olympic hopefuls)
• Caleb Brown (Queensland Reds)
• John Buchanan (Coach of Australian cricket team)
• Trent Durrington (Major League Baseball)
• Caine & Shannon Eckstein (Iron Men)
• Duncan Free (3 time Olympic rower)
• Josh Graham (Gold Coast Titans, rugby league)
• Nathan Grey (New South Wales Waratahs Rugby Union)
• Peter Jackson (Queensland and Australian Rugby League representative)
• Lloyd Johannson (Gold Coast Breakers, Queensland Reds, Australia Rugby Union)
• Tom Lawton (Wallabies Hooker in the 1980s prior to Phil Kearns)
• Leigh McBean (Squad member of Australian National swimming team)
• Griffin McMaster (Squad member of A-League Club Queensland Roar)
• Mat Rogers (Cronulla Sharks rugby league, New South Wales Waratahs, Australia Rugby Union)
• Adam Scott (Professional Golfer)
• Nathan Sharpe (Queensland Reds, Western Force, Australia Rugby Union)
• Brett Stapleton (Australian Schoolboys, Western Force Rugby Union)

See also

• Education in the Gold Coast

References

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