Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School (colloquially known just as Grammar) is a non-denominational, independent school for boys located in Sydney, Australia founded in 1854. As one of the oldest and most famous schools in Australia, it claims to offer the "classic" or "grammar" type of education thought of as liberal, humane, pre-vocational pedagogy. As well as the high school in Darlinghurst, there are two preparatory schools in St Ives and Edgecliff.
History
The Sydney Public Free Grammar School opened in 1825 with L. H. Halloran as Head Master. In 1830, Sydney College was founded. Sir Francis Forbes, Chief Justice, became President of the College and laid the foundation stone of the present building in College Street on 26 January, 1830. In 1835 Sydney College opened in this building with W.T. Cape as Head Master. In 1842 he resigned and was succeeded by T.H. Braim. In 1850 Sydney College was closed.
In 1854 Sydney Grammar School (SGS) was incorporated by Act of Parliament and acquired the land and building in College Street which had been temporarily occupied by the newly-founded University of Sydney in 1852. It was opened on 3 August 1857 specifically as a 'feeder-school' for the University.
Today
Sydney Grammar is a private and perhaps the most selective school in Australia, measured by the scholarship entry examination results produced by the Australian Council of Educational Research. Currently, it is the most academically proficient private school in NSW as measured by consistent performance in the Higher School Certificate. [1]
At $19,463 per annum (for Forms I - VI, non-boarding ), the school fees are amongst the highest of any secondary school in the country.
Located near the heart of the Sydney Central Business District, SGS is excellently situated with regard to all City amenities. The campus is small in land area, consisting of multi-storey buildings (up to seven floors) in a concrete landscape setting. Sydney Grammar is situated on the eastern side of Sydney's Hyde Park, next to the well-known Australian Museum. The grounds extend from College Street to Yurong Street. The school illustrates many different architectural eras; from the grandeur of the colonial era "Big School", dating from the early 19th Century, the Blackett Buildings, which are annexed onto either side of "Big School", the Palladium Building, exhibiting a rather unsightly example of International Style architecture, to the Science Building, featuring the A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson Library, and Stanley Street Buildings, including one cottage, still used as a classroom, dating from 1867.
However the school's extensive sporting facilities, named 'Weigall' after former Headmaster A.B. Weigall, are located in Rushcutter's Bay next to the school's Edgecliff preparatory school. The sporting facilities include tennis courts, cricket pitches and fields for rugby and soccer.
Music
Sydney Grammar's music programme is amongst the best of any secondary-school in Australia. SGS has won the AMEB Music Shield 10 times in the past 11 years. Two-thirds of students in the school play a musical instrument or are involved with music in some way. SGS boasts scores of musical groups in mostly classical, chamber, jazz and 'big band' styles. The School Orchestra has received wide-acclaim and frequently engages in tours across Australia and the World. Grammar's extensive choir-programme involves hundreds of boys, 'Old Boys' and parents, participating every-which-way in its many annual concerts. The school's a capella group is known as 'The Grammarphones' and is composed of the best tenors, basses and baritones in the senior years.
Recently, SGS has embarked upon a 5 year programme entitled 'Bach: 2010' in which all the known choral cantatas of J.S. Bach will be performed in a series of concerts between 2005 and 2010. Sydney Grammar is one of the only institutions in the world seeking to engage in such an exercise and, with its newly installed Mander Organ in the 'Big School', is well-equipped to do so. [2]
Under the current Head Master, an organic Rock-&-Roll movement has emerged and is currently thriving. The end of 2004 saw the consummation of years of practice in the 'Grammarpalooza' Rock Concert, which included the musical style of an 'Old Boy' band of some-note, Dappled Cities Fly. Another band under the formed in the school is the Spinifex, who combine many modern genres to make their own unique sound. This band is best known for their leader and manager, James Ulrick, who is known for his wit and racial tolerance.
Sport
Sydney Grammar School is one of eight Sydney schools known collectively as the GPS Schools. GPS sporting events are contested keenly in rugby, football, cricket, tennis, volleyball, cross country, basketball, rowing, athletics, rifle shooting, and debating. SGS also runs a fencing and chess programme, which are very successful in their respective competitions.
Grammar participates in the Tri-Grammar Cup (Cricket) in which Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne Grammar Schools each send their best cricket team to compete for the title, known as the "shield". Sydney Grammar School and Melbourne Grammar School compete for a "bat" in the same competition. The Sydney-Melbourne match dates back to 1876.
Competition in rowing culminates in the Riverview Gold Cup (for Junior Crews) and the Head of the River for Senior Crews. In 2001, a new rowing competition - the Tri-Grammar Series - was begun. A rowing regatta between Sydney Grammar School, Melbourne Grammar and Brisbane Grammar held in each city in rotation. To ensure a friendly atmosphere and spirit, each member of the host crew offers accommodation to their counterpart from a rival crew.
The school's main sport field is Weigall, named after former Headmaster A.B. Weigall. It is located in Rushcutter's Bay, in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. It is routinely used for Saturday sports matches, Physical Education and as a recreational area for Grammar's Edgecliff Preparatory School.
In May 2005, John Vallance, Headmaster of SGS, announced that the school would lead a consortium to purchase 30 Alma St Paddington, known as 'White City', from Tennis New South Wales, thus extending the Weigall grounds substantially. [3]
Structure
Sydney Grammar has a total enrolment of 1840 boys across Years K-12. The main High School campus has an enrolment of 1100 boys in Forms I-VI (Years 7-12). There are also two primary-level Preparatory Schools: Edgecliff Preparatory in the Eastern Suburbs, which has 300 boys, and St. Ives Preparatory in the Northern Suburbs, which has 440. Each year, approximately two-thirds of the incoming Form I at College St are from the two Preparatory Schools, while the rest are from various other schools across Sydney, Australia and the World.
Extra-Curricular
Dozens of clubs and societies service the extended student body of the school. These include a Student Advisory Council, Chess Club (renowned to be one of the best in NSW, having won the State Senior, Intermediate and Junior divisions in 2002, the first school to have done so in the competition), a Debating club, a Fly fishing club, a Ceramics Club, a Classical Culture Society, a Philosophy Club, a Maths Club, a satirical school newspaper known as 'Tiger', an academic extension magazine 'Kaleidoscope Eyes', an Anime Society, an Asian Education Club, the oldest Air Force Cadets organisation in Australia, an Army Cadet Corps which pre-dates the existence of the Australian army, an Audio-Visual Team, a Drama Club, a Creative-Writing club, and a gourmet food society. A number of boys also assist in editing the school's almanac, 'The Sydneian'.
Notable alumni
Former students of the school are known as Old Sydneians. For notable Old Sydneians, see List of famous Old Sydneians.
Headmasters
The current Headmaster of Sydney Grammar School is Dr. John T. Vallance. Dr. Vallance attended St John's College, Cambridge and was later a fellow of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge at which time he wrote The Lost Theory of Asclepiades of Bithynia (ISBN 0198242484), which is cited by a number of other histories of philosophy and of medicine. [4] Dr. Vallance is also the author of the entries on medicine and anthropology in the Oxford Classical Dictionary (3rd edition).
Dr. Vallance succeeded Dr. Ralph Townsend in his role as Headmaster. After a period at the Oundle School, Dr. Townsend is now currently Headmaster of the Winchester School, England.
| Years | Sydney College | Sydney Grammar School |
|---|---|---|
| 1835-1841 | W. T. Cape | |
| 1841-1846 | Thomas Henry Braim | |
| 1847-1849 | D. Patterson | |
| 1850 | Charles Woodward, LLB | |
| 1857-1866 | W. J. Stephens, MA | |
| 1867-1912 | Albert Bythesea Weigall, CMG, MA | |
| 1913-1920 | H. N. P. Sloman, MC, MA | |
| 1920-1923 | A. H. S. Lucas, MA, BSc | |
| 1923-1939 | H. S. Dettmann, MA, BCL | |
| 1940-1950 | F. G. Phillips, MA | |
| 1951-1964 | C. O. Healey, OBE, TD, MA | |
| 1965-1968 | S. P. T. Houldsworth, MA, DipEd | |
| 1969-1989 | A. M. Mackerras, MA | |
| 1989-1999 | Dr. Ralph D. Townsend, MA, D.Phil | |
| 1999- | Dr. John. T. Vallance, MA, Ph.D. |