Melbourne Grammar School
Encyclopedia
Melbourne Grammar School is an independent
, Anglican
, day
and boarding school
predominantly for boys, located in South Yarra
and Caulfield
, suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria
, Australia.
Founded on 7 April 1858 as the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1,800 students from Prep to Year 12, including 120 boarders from Years 7 to 12.
The bluestone buildings at the senior campus are all on the Victorian Heritage Register
. The school's War Memorial Hall recently underwent a major renovation and in 2006 it won the RAIA National Architecture Awards - Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage, the top award in its category, at an awards show in Brisbane.
Melbourne Grammar is affiliated with the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
, the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria (AISV), and is a founding member of the historic Associated Public Schools of Victoria
(APS). The School is also a member of the G20 Schools
Group.
In 2001, The Sun-Herald ranked Melbourne Grammar School second among Australian schools based on the number of their alumni mentioned in Who's Who in Australia (a listing of notable Australians). In 2010 The Age
reported that Melbourne Grammar School ranked equal seventh among Australian schools based on the number of alumni who had received a top Order of Australia
honour.
The origins of Melbourne Grammar School (colloquially known as Grammar) can be traced back to 1849, with the establishment of an experimental grammar school
at St Peter's Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
. This school had been established by Melbourne's first Church of England
Bishop
, Charles Perry
, who founded the Diocese of Melbourne
, and had been opened to meet the growing educational needs of the young colony
. In 1853, Bishop Perry commenced planning for the diocesan experimental school to become permanent, although on a larger site and not under his direct management, and so he set up a committee of eminent men to consider the task. The school however did not thrive and was suspended at the end of 1854.
The first Board of Governors was elected in 1854 to take over from the committee, and it set about drawing up a Constitution
, finding a Headmaster and a new site. Locations considered included Carlton
, Prahran
and St Kilda
.
Perry's dream of building a permanent, centrally located grammar school, based on the principles of the great English
Public School
s, was realised in 1855, with a grant from the Governor Charles Hotham
of 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) on St Kilda Road
. This is the inner South Yarra land now occupied by Senior School and Wadhurst, next to the Royal Botanic Gardens
and a short walk from the central city
. At the time it was considered relatively isolated and remote. The Governors chose architect
s Charles Webb
and Thomas Taylor, well known Melbourne contractors George Cornwell and co.
undertook the construction and Bishop Perry laid the School's foundation stone on 30 July 1856.
The Melbourne Church of England Grammar School was finally opened on 7 April 1858 with 77 pupils, and with Dr John E Bromby as the first Headmaster. Enrolments grew to 136 during the first year, with four students being the sons of Dr Bromby, and about one quarter of the them boarders.
The school's first forty years proved to be a struggle, exacerbated in the 1890s by economic depression
, financial concerns and changes of Headmaster. Senior School enrolments fell from 272 in 1889 to 117 in 1894 prompting a group of former students to do something "to save the old School". They formed The Old Melburnians Society in 1895, "to be the means of bringing together many former schoolmates, reviving pleasant recollections, and at the same time benefiting the life of the School as it is today".
Two significant developments of the late nineteenth century were, firstly, the recognition that with a limited site, one storey buildings were not a wise use of space. A move began, continued now, of adding second stories or replacing buildings with two- or three-level structures. The second was the dedication of the Chapel
of St Peter in 1893, the first school chapel in the colony of Victoria.
The beginning of the new century saw the School's future assured, with enrolments increasing and the Jubilee
celebrated in 1908. Hundreds of former students enlisted in the Great War
of 1914–1918, as they had in the South African War
, and sadly more than 200 did not return.
The 1920s were a relatively stable time for the School, experiencing high academic and sporting results. The 1930s however were an unsettling time. The Great Depression
put pressure on members of the Grammar community, while administrative instability affected the whole school. Between 1935 and 1938 the School had three Headmasters and two Acting Headmasters, and the outbreak of war the following year meant building plans were put on hold. Some 3,500 Old Boys enlisted in the services, and school buildings were commandeered by Australian and American forces with some students dispatched to the country and others doubled up in crowded quarters.
By the 1950s it became clear that the School was seriously lacking adequate space, with expansions, extensions and renovations mostly crammed into Dr Bromby's original 15 acres (60,702.9 m²). The School subsequently embarked upon a building program which it was thought could take 30 years to complete, with the Senior School, Wadhurst and Grimwade campuses all receiving attention. The Centenary Building Campaign of 1958 began this expansion. Another solution to this problem since this time has been the steady acquisition of neighbouring properties.
In 1986 the Governors decided on a staged restructure of the School. Until then, Wadhurst, established as a preparatory school
in 1886 and Grimwade House, opened in 1918, had operated as two parallel feeder school
s taking students through to Year 8. Grimwade's boarding house had closed in the mid 1970s, leading to debate on the best use of the newly available space. It was decided to introduce girls at primary levels at Grimwade House, and today Grimwade House caters for girls and boys up to Year 6 and Wadhurst for boys in Years 7 and 8.
The 1980s and 1990s were times of further growth, with the outdoor
program expanded with three permanent campsites at Breakfast Creek near Licola
, Woodend
and Banksia Peninsula
on the Gippsland Lakes
. On 7 April 2008, as part of the celebrations of Melbourne Grammar's sesquicentenary, the School officially opened the multi-million dollar Nigel Peck Centre for Learning and Leadership on the Domain Road boundary, an event which was attended by the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby
, who is also an Old Melburnian.
es, three used for everyday schooling, one for sporting activities, and three for the School's outdoor education program:
(VCE), the main assessment program which ranks the students in the state.
In 2004, six Melbourne Grammar students achieved the maximum possible Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank
(ENTER) of 99.95; only 32 students in Victoria achieved this ENTER. In 2005, five Melbourne Grammar students achieved this same ENTER of 99.95.
In 2006, two Melbourne Grammar students achieved the maximum ENTER of 99.95, and three Melbourne Grammar students achieved an ENTER of 99.90. In 2007, three Melbourne Grammar students achieved the maximum ENTER of 99.95; again, only 32 students in Victoria achieved this ENTER. In 2008, five Melbourne Grammar students achieved the maximum ENTER of 99.95. This tradition was continued in 2009, when a record seven students achieved the maximum ENTER of 99.95. The school also recorded its best average score on record in 2009, with the median ENTER being 93.95.
, in which they participate in the South Yarra draw, which takes place at Melbourne High School
.
, Hong Kong
, and Guangzhou
. December 2007 saw the orchestra touring Dubai
, Zagreb
, Ljubljana
and Venice
, while in December 2008 the orchestra once again returned to Malaysia for Martin Rutherford's final orchestra tour. In 2009 Mark Drummond took over the orchestra and in 2010 the orchestra toured Japan, performing in Osaka
, Tokyo
(at the Okuma Auditorium which is located at Waseda University
) and Gamagori. The orchestra is usually made up of around 100 students, the vast majority attendants of the school. All campuses have their own choirs, concert bands and string orchestras. The Chapel Choir is the oldest of any Victorian private school and consists of about 40 select members. It sings at the weekly Eucharists along with occasional concerts with the like of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
.
The MGSSO has accompanied international soloists such as Ronald Farren-Price, Leslie Howard
and Neville Taweel, and has premièred works by Australian and British composers.
The Cordner-Eggleston Cup is competed for each year by the first football teams of Melbourne Grammar School and the Scotch College
and has been run since 1858, making it the longest running school football fixture in the world.
and Brisbane Grammar School
.
They are held at each school in rotation, with competing students being billeted out to the students of the host school against whom they will compete. It is customary when the rowing events are hosted by Melbourne Grammar that Sydney
and Brisbane
Grammars shall compete in the Head of the Yarra, an 8 kilometre river-race.
The cricketing rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney Grammars dates back to 1876 and is considered the oldest (in terms of cricket
) in Australia. In 1976, to mark the centenary of this rivalry, a "Bat" was struck, with the winner of the annual match taking possession of this bat.
In the mid 1990s, Brisbane Grammar was invited to play against both Melbourne and Sydney Grammars, giving rise to the 'Tri-Grammar Shield', won by the most successful school during the festival.
department, especially within the Senior Campus, which produces four plays each school year. In Early March, the Quad Play, most commonly a Shakespeare Play, but on occasion from other notable playwrights, is performed within the school's Quadrangle
, and is open to students in years 9 to 12. The 2007 Quad Play was Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. In 2008, the Quad Play was once again a Shakespeare Play; Othello. In 2009 Melbourne Grammar presented Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with Hamlet shown in 2010. 2011 saw the highly praised performance of Much Ado About Nothing and it has recently been announced that the Quad Play for 2012 will be Euripides' Greek tragedy, "The Bacchae".
The School Play, performed usually in August, is often the centrepiece of the year's theatrical calendar. Recent performances include Tim Winton's Cloudstreet
in 2006, and On the Twentieth Century
in 2005. These two performances were the first to take advantage of the newly renovated and restored Memorial Hall, which features improved staging facilities and backstage areas. The School Play for 2007 was the musical Guys and Dolls
. The School Play for 2008 was Arthur Miller's celebrated work on the Salem witch trials, The Crucible
. In 2009, the School Play was Gilbert and Sullivan's acclaimed comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance
. With the enormous success of the 2010 Play (Alan Bennett's The History Boys
) and the 2011 Musical (Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady
), next year's Production, Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband
, is also keenly awaited.
Students also have the opportunity to take part in the recently reinstated Year 9 Play. Usually directed by a competent Year 12 actor (although Eric Gardiner has also performed this task), the play is intended to welcome aspiring young actors to the Senior School and develop their interest in drama. The Year 9 Play for 2009 was Kes.
The final performance for the year is the Spring Production which is open to Years 9 and 10 students, and often alternates year on year between a light-hearted professional play, and an individual piece of work by a Year 9–10 student, or group of students. It is usually held in late October, near the end of the school year. The 2004 Spring production The Elisabeth Crown Affair, written by two Year 10 boys was seen by the owner of a local theatre who subsequently bought the script. In 2007, the Spring Production was Our Country's Good, written by Timberlake Wertenbaker, and edited by a Year 10 student. The year 9/10 play for 2008 was William Golding's Lord of the Flies and the 2009 production consisted of two short plays written by Year 10 students: "Bon Voyage" and "Unverified". In 2010, George Orwell
's Animal Farm
was chosen, followed in 2011 by the dark comedy Sweeney Todd
by Hugh Wheeler
.
All of these plays are performed by the students of Melbourne Grammar, with the August and Quad Play productions being performed in conjunction with students from the sister school, Melbourne Girls Grammar School
, whose campus is located nearby.
Staging is often designed by a contracted individual, with sets constructed jointly by staff and students, often both current and former. A train was constructed for On the Twentieth Century, an eight-metre diameter revolving circular stage constructed for Cloudstreet and a wheeled pirate ship was made for The Pirates of Penzance.
Wadhurst also partakes in an annual production. This is performed either on the Wadhurst Deck or in the Wadhurst Hall. In 2008, to celebrate the school's sesquicentenary, the play 'Glimpses of the Generations' was performed featuring 150 years of the school's history. In 2009, the play was an adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl
tale, The Witches. In 2010 the play was based on the original version of Pinocchio as written by Carlo Collodi
. In 2011, the play will be the Jungle Book.
The school motto
, Ora et Labora, which may be translated from Latin
to "Pray and Work", was chosen by the second Headmaster, Edward Morris in 1875.
An old boy of England's Rugby School
, Morris exemplified the way the principles of the English Public School system were adopted in Australia, including that education and religion should go hand in hand, as envisaged by Bishop Perry. The motto clearly reflects this.
The school crest
is composed of a number of elements. The Archbishop's mitre
placed on top of the crest indicates the school's connection with the Church of England; the mitre in the shield is in memory of Charles Perry, the schools founder; the open book represents either the bible
or 'Knowledge like an Open Book', while its large clasps show that the book is not to be opened with ease; the Fleur de Lys
(lily) is a symbol of purity
; and the Southern Cross is the emblem of Australia, and is also on the Victorian and Australian flag.
of Melbourne Grammar School are commonly referred to as Old Melburnians and may elect to join the schools' alumni association
, the Old Melburnians' Society (OMS). Some notable Old Melburnians include:
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, Anglican
Anglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
, day
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
and boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
predominantly for boys, located in South Yarra
South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...
and Caulfield
Caulfield, Victoria
Caulfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 12 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira...
, suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia.
Founded on 7 April 1858 as the Melbourne Church of England Grammar School, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1,800 students from Prep to Year 12, including 120 boarders from Years 7 to 12.
The bluestone buildings at the senior campus are all on the Victorian Heritage Register
Victorian Heritage Register
The Victorian Heritage Register lists places of cultural heritage significance to the State of Victoria, Australia. It has statutory weight under the Heritage Act 1995 which establishes Heritage Victoria as the permit authority...
. The school's War Memorial Hall recently underwent a major renovation and in 2006 it won the RAIA National Architecture Awards - Lachlan Macquarie Award for Heritage, the top award in its category, at an awards show in Brisbane.
Melbourne Grammar is affiliated with the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference
The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 243 leading day and boarding independent schools in the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the Republic of Ireland...
, the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
Junior School Heads Association of Australia
The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia , is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia....
(JSHAA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria (AISV), and is a founding member of the historic Associated Public Schools of Victoria
Associated Public Schools of Victoria
The Associated Public Schools of Victoria are a group of eleven elite independent schools in Victoria, Australia, similar to the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales in New South Wales....
(APS). The School is also a member of the G20 Schools
G20 Schools
All the schools claim to have a commitment to excellence and innovation of some sort. The G20 Schools have an annual conference which aims to bring together a group of school Heads who want to look beyond the parochial concerns of their own schools and national associations, and to talk through...
Group.
In 2001, The Sun-Herald ranked Melbourne Grammar School second among Australian schools based on the number of their alumni mentioned in Who's Who in Australia (a listing of notable Australians). In 2010 The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
reported that Melbourne Grammar School ranked equal seventh among Australian schools based on the number of alumni who had received a top Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
honour.
History
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
at St Peter's Eastern Hill, East Melbourne
East Melbourne, Victoria
East Melbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, adjacent to Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, East Melbourne had a population of 4,330....
. This school had been established by Melbourne's first Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
, Charles Perry
Charles Perry (bishop)
Charles Perry was the first Anglican bishop of Melbourne, Australia.-Early life:Perry was born in Hackney, Middlesex, the third son of John Perry, sheriff of Essex and shipbuilder, and his second wife, Mary, daughter of George Green...
, who founded the Diocese of Melbourne
Anglican Diocese of Melbourne
The Anglican Diocese of Melbourne is the metropolitan diocese of the Province of Victoria in the Anglican Church of Australia. The diocese includes the urban cities of Melbourne and Geelong and also some more rural areas. The cathedral church is St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne...
, and had been opened to meet the growing educational needs of the young colony
Colony
In politics and history, a colony is a territory under the immediate political control of a state. For colonies in antiquity, city-states would often found their own colonies. Some colonies were historically countries, while others were territories without definite statehood from their inception....
. In 1853, Bishop Perry commenced planning for the diocesan experimental school to become permanent, although on a larger site and not under his direct management, and so he set up a committee of eminent men to consider the task. The school however did not thrive and was suspended at the end of 1854.
The first Board of Governors was elected in 1854 to take over from the committee, and it set about drawing up a Constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, finding a Headmaster and a new site. Locations considered included Carlton
Carlton, Victoria
Carlton is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 2 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
, Prahran
Prahran, Victoria
Prahran , also known colloquially as "Pran", is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 5 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Stonnington. At the 2006 Census, Prahran had a population of 10,651. It is a part of Melbourne with...
and St Kilda
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
.
Perry's dream of building a permanent, centrally located grammar school, based on the principles of the great English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
Public School
Public School (UK)
A public school, in common British usage, is a school that is neither administered nor financed by the state or from taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of endowments, tuition fees and charitable contributions, usually existing as a non profit-making charitable trust...
s, was realised in 1855, with a grant from the Governor Charles Hotham
Charles Hotham
Sir Charles Hotham, KCB, RN was Lieutenant-governor and, later, Governor of Victoria, Australia from 22 June 1854 to 10 November 1855.-Early life:...
of 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) on St Kilda Road
St Kilda Road, Melbourne
St Kilda Road is a street in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is part of the locality of Melbourne which has the postcode of 3004 and along with Swanston Street forms a major spine of the city....
. This is the inner South Yarra land now occupied by Senior School and Wadhurst, next to the Royal Botanic Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne
The Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne are internationally renowned botanical gardens located near the centre of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on the south bank of the Yarra River. They are 38 hectares of landscaped gardens consisting of a mix of native and non-native vegetation including over...
and a short walk from the central city
Melbourne city centre
Melbourne City Centre is an area of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is not to be confused with the larger local government area of the City of Melbourne...
. At the time it was considered relatively isolated and remote. The Governors chose architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
s Charles Webb
Charles Webb (architect)
Charles Webb was an architect working in Victoria, Australia during the 19th century....
and Thomas Taylor, well known Melbourne contractors George Cornwell and co.
George Cornwell
George Cornwell was a railway engineer and building contractor working in Melbourne, Victoria in the second half of the nineteenth century. Among his prominent works, were the Hawthorn Railway Bridge built in 1861, with a span of about , being one of the last major items of permanent way to be...
undertook the construction and Bishop Perry laid the School's foundation stone on 30 July 1856.
The school's first forty years proved to be a struggle, exacerbated in the 1890s by economic depression
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
, financial concerns and changes of Headmaster. Senior School enrolments fell from 272 in 1889 to 117 in 1894 prompting a group of former students to do something "to save the old School". They formed The Old Melburnians Society in 1895, "to be the means of bringing together many former schoolmates, reviving pleasant recollections, and at the same time benefiting the life of the School as it is today".
Two significant developments of the late nineteenth century were, firstly, the recognition that with a limited site, one storey buildings were not a wise use of space. A move began, continued now, of adding second stories or replacing buildings with two- or three-level structures. The second was the dedication of the Chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of St Peter in 1893, the first school chapel in the colony of Victoria.
The beginning of the new century saw the School's future assured, with enrolments increasing and the Jubilee
Golden Jubilee
A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary.- In Thailand :King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the world's longest-reigning monarch, celebrated his Golden Jubilee on 9 June 1996.- In the Commonwealth Realms :...
celebrated in 1908. Hundreds of former students enlisted in the Great War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
of 1914–1918, as they had in the South African War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, and sadly more than 200 did not return.
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
put pressure on members of the Grammar community, while administrative instability affected the whole school. Between 1935 and 1938 the School had three Headmasters and two Acting Headmasters, and the outbreak of war the following year meant building plans were put on hold. Some 3,500 Old Boys enlisted in the services, and school buildings were commandeered by Australian and American forces with some students dispatched to the country and others doubled up in crowded quarters.
By the 1950s it became clear that the School was seriously lacking adequate space, with expansions, extensions and renovations mostly crammed into Dr Bromby's original 15 acres (60,702.9 m²). The School subsequently embarked upon a building program which it was thought could take 30 years to complete, with the Senior School, Wadhurst and Grimwade campuses all receiving attention. The Centenary Building Campaign of 1958 began this expansion. Another solution to this problem since this time has been the steady acquisition of neighbouring properties.
In 1986 the Governors decided on a staged restructure of the School. Until then, Wadhurst, established as a preparatory school
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
in 1886 and Grimwade House, opened in 1918, had operated as two parallel feeder school
Feeder school
Feeder school is a name applied to schools, colleges, universities, or other educational institutions that provide a significant number of graduates who intend to continue their studies at specific schools, or even in specific fields....
s taking students through to Year 8. Grimwade's boarding house had closed in the mid 1970s, leading to debate on the best use of the newly available space. It was decided to introduce girls at primary levels at Grimwade House, and today Grimwade House caters for girls and boys up to Year 6 and Wadhurst for boys in Years 7 and 8.
The 1980s and 1990s were times of further growth, with the outdoor
Outdoor education
Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
program expanded with three permanent campsites at Breakfast Creek near Licola
Licola, Victoria
Licola is a town in Victoria, Australia, located on Licola Road, in the Shire of Wellington, 254 kilometres east of Melbourne. At the 2006 census, Licola and the surrounding area had a population of 21....
, Woodend
Woodend, Victoria
Woodend is a small town in Victoria, Australia. The town is in the Shire of Macedon Ranges Local government area. It is bypassed to the east and north by the Calder Freeway and is located about halfway between Melbourne and Bendigo...
and Banksia Peninsula
Banksia Peninsula
Banksia Peninsula is a peninsula in Victoria, Australia. It is located at , about 15 kilometres south of Bairnsdale on the northern side of the Gippsland Lakes....
on the Gippsland Lakes
Gippsland Lakes
The Gippsland Lakes are a network of lakes, marshes and lagoons in east Gippsland, Victoria, Australia covering an area of about 600 km2. The largest of the lakes are Lake Wellington , Lake King and Lake Victoria. They are fed by the Avon, Thomson, Latrobe, Mitchell, Nicholson and Tambo...
. On 7 April 2008, as part of the celebrations of Melbourne Grammar's sesquicentenary, the School officially opened the multi-million dollar Nigel Peck Centre for Learning and Leadership on the Domain Road boundary, an event which was attended by the Premier of Victoria, John Brumby
John Brumby
John Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election...
, who is also an Old Melburnian.
Headmasters
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1858 – 1875 | John Edward Bromby John Edward Bromby John Edward Bromby was an Australian schoolmaster and Anglican cleric.Bromby was born in Hull, England, the son of the Reverend John Healey Bromby and his wife Jane, née Amis. His brother was Charles Henry Bromby, later Bishop of Tasmania. Bromby was educated at Hull Grammar School, Uppingham... |
| 1875 – 1883 | Edward Ellis Morris Edward Ellis Morris Edward Ellis Morris was an educationist and miscellaneous writer.Morris was born at Madras, India, fourteenth child of John Carnac Morris, accountant-general of the British East India Company at Madras, and his wife Rosanna Curtis. Morris was educated at Rugby School and Lincoln College, Oxford,... |
| 1883 – 1885 | Alexander Pyne |
| 1885 – 1893 | Ambrose John Wilson |
| 1894 – 1898 | Frederic Sergeant |
| 1899 – 1914 | George Ernest Blanch |
| 1915 – 1936 | Richard Penrose Franklin |
| 1937 – 1938 | David Stacey Colman |
| 1938 – 1949 | Joseph Richard Sutcliffe |
| 1950 – 1970 | Sir Brian William Hone Brian William Hone Sir Brian William Hone MA FACE OBE, was an Australian headmaster and, in his youth, an able cricketer.Born 1 July 1907 at Semaphore, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, he was educated at Prince Alfred College and the University of Adelaide where won Blues in cricket, football and tennis... |
| 1970 – 1987 | Nigel Arthur Holloway Creese |
| 1988 – 1994 | Antony James de Villiers Hill |
| 1995 – 2009 | Paul Sheahan Paul Sheahan Andrew Paul Sheahan was an Australian Test cricketer who played 31 Tests and 3 One Day Internationals as an opening and middle order batsman between 1967 and 1974.He made his first class debut in 1965 for the Victorian Sheffield Shield against New South Wales scoring 62 and 5.An elegant stroke... |
| 2009 – | Roy Kelley |
Campuses
Melbourne Grammar School features seven campusCampus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
es, three used for everyday schooling, one for sporting activities, and three for the School's outdoor education program:
- Grimwade House – Caulfield (Co-ed; Prep to Year 6)
- Wadhurst – South Yarra (All male; Years 7–8)
- Senior School – South Yarra (All male; Years 9–12)
- Edwin Flack Park – Port Melbourne (Sporting complex)
- Camp Dowd – Gippsland Lakes (Camp)
- Robert Knox Camp – Woodend (Camp; Years 5–8)
- L.G.Robertson Camp – Breakfast Creek, Licola (Camp; Years 9–12)
Curriculum
Melbourne Grammar offers its Years 11 and 12 students the Victorian Certificate of EducationVictorian Certificate of Education
The Victorian Certificate of Education or VCE is the credential awarded to secondary school students who successfully complete high school level studies in the state of Victoria, Australia. Study for the VCE is usually completed over two years, but it can be spread over a longer period in some cases...
(VCE), the main assessment program which ranks the students in the state.
In 2004, six Melbourne Grammar students achieved the maximum possible Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank
Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank
The Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank was the national Australian tertiary entrance rank, administered by Universities Australia...
(ENTER) of 99.95; only 32 students in Victoria achieved this ENTER. In 2005, five Melbourne Grammar students achieved this same ENTER of 99.95.
In 2006, two Melbourne Grammar students achieved the maximum ENTER of 99.95, and three Melbourne Grammar students achieved an ENTER of 99.90. In 2007, three Melbourne Grammar students achieved the maximum ENTER of 99.95; again, only 32 students in Victoria achieved this ENTER. In 2008, five Melbourne Grammar students achieved the maximum ENTER of 99.95. This tradition was continued in 2009, when a record seven students achieved the maximum ENTER of 99.95. The school also recorded its best average score on record in 2009, with the median ENTER being 93.95.
Debating
Melbourne Grammar has held inter-grammar school British Parliamentary Debating competitions involving Scotch College, Sydney Grammar, and Melbourne Grammar. Also, Melbourne Grammar enters about a tenth of its students into the Debating Association of Victoria's (DAV) Debating CompetitionDAV
DAV may refer to:*WebDAV, an internet standards group*Dayanand Anglo-Vedic Schools System, an Indian educational society*Disabled American Veterans, an American veterans organization*Debaters Association of Victoria*German Alpine Club...
, in which they participate in the South Yarra draw, which takes place at Melbourne High School
Melbourne High School
Melbourne High School is a selective entry state school for boys in years 9 to 12 located in the Melbourne suburb of South Yarra. Being a selective school, it is known mainly for its strong academic reputation...
.
Music
Melbourne Grammar is noted for its Orchestra, the Melbourne Grammar School Symphony Orchestra (MGSSO). Conducted by Martin Rutherford, retiring at the end of 2008, the Orchestra tours internationally in December every year. In 2005 the Orchestra toured Malaysia and Singapore and in 2006 travelled to China, performing in ShanghaiShanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, and Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
. December 2007 saw the orchestra touring Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
and Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, while in December 2008 the orchestra once again returned to Malaysia for Martin Rutherford's final orchestra tour. In 2009 Mark Drummond took over the orchestra and in 2010 the orchestra toured Japan, performing in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
(at the Okuma Auditorium which is located at Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
) and Gamagori. The orchestra is usually made up of around 100 students, the vast majority attendants of the school. All campuses have their own choirs, concert bands and string orchestras. The Chapel Choir is the oldest of any Victorian private school and consists of about 40 select members. It sings at the weekly Eucharists along with occasional concerts with the like of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra
The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra is an Australian period instrument orchestra specialising in the performance of baroque and classical music.The musicians play from original edition scores on restored or reproduced instruments of the 18th century...
.
The MGSSO has accompanied international soloists such as Ronald Farren-Price, Leslie Howard
Leslie Howard (musician)
Leslie Howard AM is an Australian pianist and composer. He is best known for being the only pianist to have recorded the complete solo piano works of Franz Liszt, a project which included more than 300 premiere recordings...
and Neville Taweel, and has premièred works by Australian and British composers.
Cordner-Eggleston Cup
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
and has been run since 1858, making it the longest running school football fixture in the world.
Tri-Grammar series
Melbourne Grammar participates in the annual Tri-Grammar games, a series of cricket and rowing competitions between the Firsts teams of Melbourne Grammar School, Sydney Grammar SchoolSydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
and Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Grammar School
Brisbane Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for boys, located in Spring Hill, an inner suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia...
.
They are held at each school in rotation, with competing students being billeted out to the students of the host school against whom they will compete. It is customary when the rowing events are hosted by Melbourne Grammar that Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
and Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
Grammars shall compete in the Head of the Yarra, an 8 kilometre river-race.
The cricketing rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney Grammars dates back to 1876 and is considered the oldest (in terms of cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
) in Australia. In 1976, to mark the centenary of this rivalry, a "Bat" was struck, with the winner of the annual match taking possession of this bat.
In the mid 1990s, Brisbane Grammar was invited to play against both Melbourne and Sydney Grammars, giving rise to the 'Tri-Grammar Shield', won by the most successful school during the festival.
Rowing
Melbourne Grammar has a proud rowing record, having claimed the Head of the River 27 times, the most recent being in 2009. In that year the school's 1st VIII broke the Head of the River record. It was believed that they had also broken the National Schoolboy's VIII record, but this proved to be inaccurate. They rowed a very credible race to win the schoolboy title over the Shore School in 5:49.Theatre
Melbourne Grammar has a strong theatreTheatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
department, especially within the Senior Campus, which produces four plays each school year. In Early March, the Quad Play, most commonly a Shakespeare Play, but on occasion from other notable playwrights, is performed within the school's Quadrangle
Quadrangle (architecture)
In architecture, a quadrangle is a space or courtyard, usually rectangular in plan, the sides of which are entirely or mainly occupied by parts of a large building. The word is probably most closely associated with college or university campus architecture, but quadrangles may be found in other...
, and is open to students in years 9 to 12. The 2007 Quad Play was Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. In 2008, the Quad Play was once again a Shakespeare Play; Othello. In 2009 Melbourne Grammar presented Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with Hamlet shown in 2010. 2011 saw the highly praised performance of Much Ado About Nothing and it has recently been announced that the Quad Play for 2012 will be Euripides' Greek tragedy, "The Bacchae".
The School Play, performed usually in August, is often the centrepiece of the year's theatrical calendar. Recent performances include Tim Winton's Cloudstreet
Cloudstreet
Cloudstreet is a novel by Australian writer Tim Winton. It chronicles the lives of two working class Australian families who come to live together at One Cloud Street, in a suburb of Perth, over a period of twenty years, 1943 - 1963...
in 2006, and On the Twentieth Century
On the Twentieth Century
On the Twentieth Century is a musical with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Cy Coleman. Part operetta, part farce, part screwball comedy, the story involves the behind-the-scenes relationship of a temperamental actress and a director.-Background:Comden and Green based...
in 2005. These two performances were the first to take advantage of the newly renovated and restored Memorial Hall, which features improved staging facilities and backstage areas. The School Play for 2007 was the musical Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls
Guys and Dolls is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure", two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably...
. The School Play for 2008 was Arthur Miller's celebrated work on the Salem witch trials, The Crucible
The Crucible
The Crucible is a 1952 play by the American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatization of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Province of Massachusetts Bay during 1692 and 1693. Miller wrote the play as an allegory of McCarthyism, when the US government blacklisted accused communists...
. In 2009, the School Play was Gilbert and Sullivan's acclaimed comic opera, The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
. With the enormous success of the 2010 Play (Alan Bennett's The History Boys
The History Boys
The History Boys is a play by British playwright Alan Bennett. The play premiered at the Lyttelton Theatre in London on 18 May 2004. Its Broadway debut was on 23 April 2006 at the Broadhurst Theatre where there were 185 performances staged before it closed on 1 October 2006.The play won multiple...
) and the 2011 Musical (Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe...
), next year's Production, Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband
An Ideal Husband
An Ideal Husband is an 1895 comedic stage play by Oscar Wilde which revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour...
, is also keenly awaited.
Students also have the opportunity to take part in the recently reinstated Year 9 Play. Usually directed by a competent Year 12 actor (although Eric Gardiner has also performed this task), the play is intended to welcome aspiring young actors to the Senior School and develop their interest in drama. The Year 9 Play for 2009 was Kes.
The final performance for the year is the Spring Production which is open to Years 9 and 10 students, and often alternates year on year between a light-hearted professional play, and an individual piece of work by a Year 9–10 student, or group of students. It is usually held in late October, near the end of the school year. The 2004 Spring production The Elisabeth Crown Affair, written by two Year 10 boys was seen by the owner of a local theatre who subsequently bought the script. In 2007, the Spring Production was Our Country's Good, written by Timberlake Wertenbaker, and edited by a Year 10 student. The year 9/10 play for 2008 was William Golding's Lord of the Flies and the 2009 production consisted of two short plays written by Year 10 students: "Bon Voyage" and "Unverified". In 2010, George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
's Animal Farm
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is an allegorical novella by George Orwell published in England on 17 August 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to and during the Stalin era before World War II...
was chosen, followed in 2011 by the dark comedy Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd
Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as then antagonist of the Victorian penny dreadful The String of Pearls and he was later introduced as an antihero in the broadway musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and its film adaptation...
by Hugh Wheeler
Hugh Wheeler
Hugh Callingham Wheeler was an English-born playwright, screenwriter, librettist, poet, and translator. He resided in the United States from 1934 until his death and became a naturalized citizen in 1942. He had attended London University.Under the noms de plume Patrick Quentin, Q...
.
All of these plays are performed by the students of Melbourne Grammar, with the August and Quad Play productions being performed in conjunction with students from the sister school, Melbourne Girls Grammar School
Melbourne Girls Grammar School
Melbourne Girls Grammar School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for girls, located in South Yarra, an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
, whose campus is located nearby.
Staging is often designed by a contracted individual, with sets constructed jointly by staff and students, often both current and former. A train was constructed for On the Twentieth Century, an eight-metre diameter revolving circular stage constructed for Cloudstreet and a wheeled pirate ship was made for The Pirates of Penzance.
Wadhurst also partakes in an annual production. This is performed either on the Wadhurst Deck or in the Wadhurst Hall. In 2008, to celebrate the school's sesquicentenary, the play 'Glimpses of the Generations' was performed featuring 150 years of the school's history. In 2009, the play was an adaptation of the classic Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl
Roald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
tale, The Witches. In 2010 the play was based on the original version of Pinocchio as written by Carlo Collodi
Carlo Collodi
Carlo Lorenzini , better known by the pen name Carlo Collodi, was an Italian children's writer known for the world-renowned fairy tale novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio.-Biography:...
. In 2011, the play will be the Jungle Book.
Crest and motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
, Ora et Labora, which may be translated from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
to "Pray and Work", was chosen by the second Headmaster, Edward Morris in 1875.
An old boy of England's Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
, Morris exemplified the way the principles of the English Public School system were adopted in Australia, including that education and religion should go hand in hand, as envisaged by Bishop Perry. The motto clearly reflects this.
The school crest
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
is composed of a number of elements. The Archbishop's mitre
Mitre
The mitre , also spelled miter, is a type of headwear now known as the traditional, ceremonial head-dress of bishops and certain abbots in the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in the Anglican Communion, some Lutheran churches, and also bishops and certain other clergy in the Eastern Orthodox...
placed on top of the crest indicates the school's connection with the Church of England; the mitre in the shield is in memory of Charles Perry, the schools founder; the open book represents either the bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
or 'Knowledge like an Open Book', while its large clasps show that the book is not to be opened with ease; the Fleur de Lys
Fleur de Lys
Fleur de Lys is a superheroine from Quebec and an ally of Northguard, created in 1984 by Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette. The name of the character is inspired by the heraldic symbol of the fleur de lys. It is the official emblem of Quebec and a prominent part of the Flag of Quebec...
(lily) is a symbol of purity
Virtue
Virtue is moral excellence. A virtue is a positive trait or quality subjectively deemed to be morally excellent and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being....
; and the Southern Cross is the emblem of Australia, and is also on the Victorian and Australian flag.
Student Leadership
Melbourne Grammar School takes great pride in its student leadership body, which includes the School Captain, School Vice-Captain, 12 House Captains and Vice-Captains and 11 other Prefects who take certain portfolios. In 2011, the Captain of the School is Nick Langford of Witherby House and his Vice-Captain is Nick Churkovich of Bromby. Under this leadership, the Prefect group has this year advocated a balance between sport and the arts, with the School Captain quoted as saying, "Promoting an environment where there is equal support given to all facets of School life will be my focus, as I go about giving back to the school that I love." It has recently been announced that Edward Langley of Miller House will succeed Langford as School Captain in 2012, with Chris Lam of Creese as his deputy.Alumni
AlumniAlumnus
An alumnus , according to the American Heritage Dictionary, is "a graduate of a school, college, or university." An alumnus can also be a former member, employee, contributor or inmate as well as a former student. In addition, an alumna is "a female graduate or former student of a school, college,...
of Melbourne Grammar School are commonly referred to as Old Melburnians and may elect to join the schools' alumni association
Alumni association
An alumni association is an association of graduates or, more broadly, of former students. In the United Kingdom and the United States, alumni of universities, colleges, schools , fraternities, and sororities often form groups with alumni from the same organisation...
, the Old Melburnians' Society (OMS). Some notable Old Melburnians include:
- Sir Keith AickinKeith AickinSir Keith Arthur Aickin KBE QC , Australian judge, was a Justice of the High Court of Australia.Aickin was born in Melbourne in 1916, and was educated at Melbourne Grammar School. He also studied at the University of Melbourne, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and later a Master of Laws...
– former Justice of the High Court of AustraliaHigh Court of AustraliaThe High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and... - Harry Brookes AllenHarry Brookes AllenSir Harry Brookes Allen was a noted Australian pathologist.-Education:Harry Brookes Allen was born at Geelong, Victoria, the son of Thomas Watts Allen. He was educated at Flinders School, Geelong, and in 1869–70 at Melbourne Church of England Grammar School...
– Notable pathologist - Austin AscheAustin AscheKeith John Austin Asche, AC, QC is a former Administrator of the Northern Territory and was the third Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory.-Early years, education and family:...
– former Administrator of the Northern Territory - Oscar AscheOscar AscheJohn Stange Heiss Oscar Asche , better known as Oscar Asche, was an Australian actor, director and writer, best known for having written, directed, and acted in the record-breaking musical Chu Chin Chow, both on stage and film, and for acting in, directing, or producing many Shakespeare plays and...
– actor; director; writer - David Ashley – Judge, Victorian Court of Appeal
- Mervyn AustinMervyn AustinMervyn Neville Austin was an Australian headmaster and professor.-Early life:Austin was born in Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia, and from 1927 to 1931 was a student at Melbourne Grammar School. For three years he was a member of the school's 1st XI cricket side and was captain in his final year...
– Rhodes Scholar, headmaster Newington CollegeNewington CollegeNewington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
and professor - Ted BaillieuTed BaillieuEdward Norman "Ted" Baillieu MLA is an Australian politician. He is currently the Premier of Victoria and the member for the Legislative Assembly seat of Hawthorn...
– current Premier of Victoria - Adam BasilAdam BasilAdam Basil is an Australian athlete, specialising in 100m and 4x100 m relay.He ran the 1st leg for Australia at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens in the 4x100m relay with Paul Di Bella, Patrick Johnson and Joshua Ross. The team qualified for the final where they finished 6th...
– Australian sprinter (MGS staff member) - Simon BeaumontSimon BeaumontSimon Beaumont is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Carlton and Hawthorn in the AFL.Carlton secured the services of Beaumont with the 18th pick in the 1993 AFL Draft...
– Australian rules footballer - John F.O. BilsonJohn F.O. BilsonJohn F.O. Bilson is a Professor of Finance and Director of the MS and Ph.D. Programs of Finance at the Illinois Institute of Technology, in Chicago. Bilson grew up in Melbourne, Australia where he attended Melbourne Grammar School. He went on to receive a Master of Economics and a Bachelor of...
– academic - John BrackJohn BrackJohn Brack was an Australian painter, and a member of the Antipodeans group.-Life:...
– artist (MGS staff member) - Alfred Brookes – first head of the Australian Secret Intelligence ServiceAustralian Secret Intelligence ServiceThe Australian Secret Intelligence Service is the Australian government intelligence agency responsible for collecting foreign intelligence, undertaking counter-intelligence activities and cooperation with other intelligence agencies overseas...
- Sir Norman Brookes – tennis player
- Stanley BruceStanley BruceStanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, CH, MC, FRS, PC , was an Australian politician and diplomat, and the eighth Prime Minister of Australia. He was the second Australian granted an hereditary peerage of the United Kingdom, but the first whose peerage was formally created...
, Viscount Bruce of Melbourne – former Prime Minister of AustraliaPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful... - John BrumbyJohn BrumbyJohn Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election...
– former Premier of Victoria - Samuel BurstonSamuel BurstonMajor General Sir Samuel Roy Burston KBE, CB, DSO, VD, FRCP, FRCPE, FRACP was an Australian soldier, physician, and horse racing identity....
– doctor, soldier, horseracing identity - Julian BurnsideJulian BurnsideJulian William Kennedy Burnside AO QC is an Australian barrister, human rights and refugee advocate, and author. He is known for his staunch opposition to the mandatory detention of asylum seekers, and has provided legal counsel in a wide array of high-profile cases...
– prominent QC - Sam CalderSam CalderStephen Edward "Sam" Calder AM, OBE was a decorated World War II flying ace, member of the Australian House of Representatives, and founder of the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party, one of the more successful political parties in Australia’s history.Calder was born in Melbourne, Victoria...
– politician - Frank CallawayFrank CallawaySir Frank Callaway was an influential music educator and administrator in Perth, Western Australia.-Early life:...
– former judge, Victorian Court of Appeal - Richard CaseyRichard Casey, Baron CaseyRichard Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey KG GCMG CH DSO MC KStJ PC was an Australian politician, diplomat and the 16th Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:...
, Baron Casey of Berwick – former Governor-General of AustraliaGovernor-General of AustraliaThe Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth... - Manning ClarkManning ClarkCharles Manning Hope Clark, AC , an Australian historian, was the author of the best-known general history of Australia, his six-volume A History of Australia, published between 1962 and 1987...
– historian - Don CordnerDon CordnerDr Donald Cordner was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League during the 1940s...
– doctor and Australian rules footballer - David CrawshayDavid CrawshayDavid Crawshay is an Australian rower. Crawshay is a member of Mercantile Rowing Club based on the Yarra River in Victoria....
– 2008 Olympic gold medallist Mens Double Sculls - Professor Merlyn Crossley – Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of SydneyUniversity of SydneyThe University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
- Jonathan DawsonJonathan DawsonJonathan Dawson is an Australian academic, filmmaker, film and literary critic and broadcaster.-Background:Jonathan Dawson was born in Melbourne. At Melbourne University he graduated in English Honours and won awards for acting and two One Act Playwriting Competitions...
– Screenwriter/Director, Academic, Newspaper Columnist - Alfred DeakinAlfred DeakinAlfred Deakin , Australian politician, was a leader of the movement for Australian federation and later the second Prime Minister of Australia. In the last quarter of the 19th century, Deakin was a major contributor to the establishment of liberal reforms in the colony of Victoria, including the...
– former Prime Minister of AustraliaPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful... - Lancelot De MoleLancelot De MoleLancelot Eldin De Mole CBE, was an Australian engineer and inventor. He suggested the idea of what would become the tank to the British authorities before the First World War but his idea was not taken up at the time and the tank was brought to fruition later by others.-Life:De Mole was born in...
– Engineer and inventor of the first tankTankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities... - Xavier EllisXavier EllisXavier Ellis is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Hawthorn Football Club in the Australian Football League...
– Australian rules footballer, No. 3 draft pick 2005 - Edwin Flack (Teddy) – 1896 Olympic gold medallist
- Malcolm FraserMalcolm FraserJohn Malcolm Fraser AC, CH, GCL, PC is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was the 22nd Prime Minister of Australia. He came to power in the 1975 election following the dismissal of the Whitlam Labor government, in which he played a key role...
– former Prime Minister of AustraliaPrime Minister of AustraliaThe Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful... - Ernest GauntErnest GauntAdmiral Sir Ernest Frederick Augustus Gaunt KBE , a native of Australia, was a Royal Navy officer who went on to be Commander-in-Chief of the Western Approaches.-Naval career:...
– Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Admiral - Guy GauntGuy Gaunt-External links:...
– Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
Admiral and British Conservative Member of ParliamentMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,... - Aubrey GibsonAubrey GibsonAubrey Hickes Lawson Gibson was an Australian businessman, arts patron and art collector. Born and educated in Melbourne, Gibson became a successful businessman in the city, establishing his own company, A.H. Gibson Industries, which was listed on the stock exchange in the 1950s...
– businessman and philanthropist - Harold William GrimwadeHarold William GrimwadeMajor General Harold William Grimwade CB, CMG was an Australian Army colonel and temporary brigadier general in World War I.-Early life and career:...
– soldier - Samuel Hains – poet
- William Keith Hancock – Rhodes Scholar, historian
- Tom HawkinsTom Hawkins (footballer)Thomas "Tom" Jack Hawkins is an Australian rules footballer for the Geelong Football Club in the Australian Football League...
– Australian rules footballer - Sir Edmund HerringEdmund HerringLieutenant General Sir Edmund Francis Herring, KCMG, KBE, DSO, MC, KStJ, ED, QC was an Australian Army officer during the Second World War, Lieutenant Governor of Victoria, and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria.A Rhodes scholar, Herring was at New College, Oxford, when the First World...
– soldier and judge - Vasey HoughtonVasey HoughtonWilliam Vasey Houghton MLC , better known as Vasey Houghton, was an Australian politician, grazier, and conservationist. He was one of the longest-serving members of the Victorian State Parliament, spending eighteen years as a Member of the Legislative Council, nine of them on the front bench...
– politician - Cedric HowellCedric HowellCedric Ernest "Spike" Howell DSO, MC, DFC was an Australian fighter pilot and flying ace of the First World War. Born in Adelaide, South Australia, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1916 for service in the First World War and was posted to the 46th Battalion on the Western Front...
– First World War fighter pilot and flying ace - Frederic Godfrey HughesFrederic Godfrey HughesMajor General Frederic Godfrey Hughes CB was an Australian Army Major General in World War I.-Early life and career:...
– soldier - Wilfrid Kent HughesWilfrid Kent HughesSir Wilfrid Selwyn Kent Hughes KBE, MVO, MC was an Australian soldier, Olympian and Olympic Games organiser, author and federal and state government minister.Kent Hughes was born in Melbourne to an upper middle-class family...
– Rhodes Scholar, politician - Barry HumphriesBarry HumphriesJohn Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
– entertainer - William Donovan JoyntWilliam Donovan JoyntWilliam Donovan Joynt VC , an office worker, farm labourer, soldier, farmer, printer, publisher and author, was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military award for gallantry in the face of the enemy given to British and Commonwealth forces.On 23 August 1918 at Herleville,...
– soldier, Victoria CrossVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
winner - Charles KellawayCharles KellawayCharles Halliley Kellaway, MB, BS, MD, MS, MC, FRS, was an Australian medical researcher and science administrator.-Early years and education:...
– scientist - Barrie KoskyBarrie KoskyBarrie KoskyBarrie Kosky's name is sometimes misspelled as Barry Kosky, Barrie Koski, Barrie Koskie. is an Australian theatre and opera director.Kosky also plays the piano, as he did in his production of Monteverdi's Poppea...
– opera and theatre director - Chris LangfordChris LangfordChris Langford is a former professional Australian rules footballer who is currently a game administrator.Langford is best known for his 303 game career for the Hawthorn Hawks between 1983 and 1997. He captained the club in the 1994 season and earned All-Australian selection. It was his second...
– former Australian Rules Footballer (Hawthorn), AFL commissioner - Nam LeNam LeNam Thien Le is a Vietnamese-American professional poker player from Huntington Beach, California....
– writer - David Lean – M.L.A. Victoria and Entertainment Promotor
- Dick Lean – Leading Entertainment & Sports Promotor & MD of Festivall Hall
- Andrew MacLeodAndrew MacLeodAndrew MacLeod is the CEO of the Committee for Melbourne, Foundation Chair of the United Nations Global Compact Principles for Social Investment and a member of the United Nations Expert Group on Responsible Business and Investment in High-Risk Areas...
– International Disaster Manager - Geoff Manchester – founder of Intrepid Travel
- Chris MaxwellChris MaxwellChris Maxwell BA , LLB , BPhil , QC is an Australian jurist.Maxwell has been President of the Victorian Court of Appeal since 16 July 2005, succeeding Justice John Winneke....
– Rhodes Scholar, President, Victorian Court of Appeal - Sir William Neil McKieWilliam Neil McKieSir William Neil McKie was an Australian organist, conductor, and composer. He was Organist and Master of the Choristers at Westminster Abbey 1941-1963 and noted for his direction of the music for the marriage of Princess Elizabeth in 1947, and later her Coronation in 1953.- Birth and studies...
– Former Organist and Master of the ChoristersOrganist and Master of the ChoristersAn Organist and Master of the Choristers is a title given to a Director of Music at a Cathedral, particularly an Anglican Cathedral in England. The tradition dates back to the Middle Ages. He is both the organist and the choirmaster....
at Westminster AbbeyWestminster AbbeyThe Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,... - Leslie MorsheadLeslie MorsheadLieutenant General Sir Leslie James Morshead KCB, KBE, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian soldier, teacher, businessman, and farmer, with a distinguished military career that spanned both world wars...
– soldier (MGS Staff member) - William MouleWilliam MouleWilliam Henry Moule was a lawyer, a politician and a cricketer....
– cricketer; politician - William Ellis NewtonWilliam Ellis NewtonWilliam Ellis Newton VC was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to a member of the British and Commonwealth armed forces...
– airman, Victoria Cross winner - William Ormiston – former Judge, Victorian Court of Appeal
- Dan Robinson – singer
- Brian Stonier – publisher and vigneron
- Andrew ThompsonAndrew Thompson (footballer)Andrew Charles Thompson is a retired Australian rules footballer for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League....
– Australian rules footballer - Frank ThringFrank ThringFrank William Thring was an Australian character actor.-Early life:Thring was born in Melbourne and educated at the Melbourne Grammar School. His father, Frank W. Thring, was the head of Efftee Studios, in Melbourne, in the 1920s, and is said to be the inventor of the clapperboard...
– actor - John ThwaitesJohn Thwaites (Australian politician)Johnstone William "John" Thwaites , Australian politician, was Deputy Premier of the state of Victoria from 1999 to 2007.-Early life :...
– politician - Rick Tudor – Headmaster of Trinity Grammar School (Victoria)
- Athol TymmsAthol TymmsAthol Stanley Mortimer Tymms was a former Australian rules footballer in the Victorian Football League.-Football career:Tymms attended Melbourne Grammar and debuted with the Essendon Football Club in 1905...
– Australian rules footballer and doctor - Simon Wilson QC – immediate past president of the Old Melburnians, member of the Carlton Football Club board, Q.C.
- Sir Edward Woodward AC OBE QC – former Chancellor of the University of MelbourneUniversity of MelbourneThe University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, and former head of ASIOAustralian Security Intelligence OrganisationThe Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is Australia's national security service, which is responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically-motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system, and...
See also
Further reading
- Challenging Traditions, Weston Bate and Helen Penrose (2002)
- Kiddle, J Beacham, (ed), Liber Melburniensis (1848-1936), Robertson & Mullens Ltd, Melbourne, 1937
- Liber Melburniensis, Centenary edition 1858-1958, revised edition 1915-1995
External links
- Melbourne Grammar School website
- MGS Portal login
- Encyclopedia of Melbourne article http://www.emelbourne.net.au/biogs/EM00943b