The Armidale School
Encyclopedia
The Armidale School is an independent
, Anglican, day
and boarding school
predominantly for boys, located in Armidale
, on the New England Tablelands
of northern New South Wales
, Australia
. It is administered by the Anglican Diocese of Armidale
.
Founded in 1894 as the New England Proprietary School, The Armidale School has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 620 students, including 200 boarders from Years 6 to 12. TAS is made up of a co-educational Junior School
with classes from Transition (4 years old) to Year 5, a Middle School
for boys from Years 6
to 8 and a Senior School
from Years 9
to 12 (18 years old). In 1993, The Armidale School became the first school in Australia to provide internet
access for its students.
The School
is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
(JSHAA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and is one of only three Round Square
schools in the state of New South Wales. TAS is also the only member of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (AAGPS) located outside of the Sydney metropolitan area
.
s of the gentry
, however the origins of the school can be traced to 1838, when Patrick Grant, a magistrate
at Maitland
, conceived the idea of a proprietary school for boys in the Hunter Valley
. This idea was taken over by prominent members of the Church of England
in the northern districts of New South Wales, and 500 pounds
was obtained from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, as a result of the efforts of the first (and only) Bishop of Australia, William Grant Broughton
. In 1840, a site for the school was purchased at Honeysuckle Point, in Newcastle
. Nothing more came of the plan until the appointment of William Tyrrell, as the first Bishop of Newcastle
in 1846. The property was passed on to Tyrrell, and in 1854 the land was resumed by the Hunter River Railway Company.
By 1877, the school had still not been established, and Bishop Tyrrell began to push the matter further. Subsequently, a plan was drawn up and land selected at Blandford, near Murrurundi
. In 1881, it was determined that the plan to build the School at Blandford was unaffordable, and a suggestion was made that it should be built on the New England
Tablelands at Armidale. The additional capital required, to the amount of 6,000 pounds, was raised by James Ross, Archdeacon
of Armidale, and his leading laymen
.
On 5 June 1891, The New England Proprietary School Limited (NEPS) was incorporated with 100 pound shares, offered at 50 pounds each, allowing each shareholder
to nominate one pupil
for each share purchased. The Directors
purchased 20 acres (8 ha) in Armidale in September 1891, adding to the 10 acres (4 ha) obtained in 1889.
The foundation stone of the main building was laid on 22 February 1893, by the Governor of N.S.W., the Rt. Hon. Victor Albert George, Earl of Jersey
. The Opening Ceremony
was performed by the Rt. Rev A V Green, Lord Bishop
of Grafton and Armidale
on 15 May 1894.
The name of the Company
and School, was changed in 1896 to The Armidale School (TAS). Also that year, TAS joined the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (GPS) in Sydney, and has remained a member ever since.
In 1950, the School site was transferred to the Trustee
s of the Church of England Diocese of Armidale
, and was administered by a School Council comprising members from the Diocese, Old Boys and P&F. through to 2009.
On January 1, 2010 the School was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act with the name: The Armidale School.
in Armidale, a university
city on the New England Tablelands of New South Wales, midway between Sydney and Brisbane. The school features a mix of historic and modern buildings.
The facilities of the school include a creative arts centre (the Hoskins Centre) with theatre, heated indoor swimming pool
, rifle range, cattle stud
, chapel
, gym
nasium, library
, music
centre, computer rooms, climbing wall
, weights room, hockey training field, an indoor cricket
centre, an indoor and outdoor basketball court
, seven tennis court
s, rugby and soccer fields, and cricket wickets.
s, named Abbott, Dangar, Croft, Tyrrell, and White.
The senior boarding houses (Abbott, Croft and Tyrrell) each accommodate up to 50 students, with 10 to 15 boys in each year group. In the lower years boys are accommodated in dormitories, and as they progress through the school are moved into private study/bedrooms.
, drama
, band
, orchestra
, choir
s, art
, photography
, Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme
, school poll, and the Hereford
stud involving participation in local and regional agricultural show
s.
per year, both in the local and wider community. Students may participate in the annual "Pilgrimage of Hope" to Fiji
. The pilgrimage
involves students working alongside Mother Teresa
's Missionaries of Charity
, in their service to the "poorest of the poor".
TAS boys may also volunteer for service at St Christopher's orphanage
in Fiji
, where they participate in the upkeep
and daily maintenance of the orphanage and establish friendships with the children.
The Armidale School is one of the nine members of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (GPS) and participates in all GPS sporting competitions as well as several non-GPS or traditional sports. TAS students may participate in a variety of sports including: Australian Football, athletics
, badminton
, basketball
, canoeing
, cricket
, cross country
, golf
, hockey
, Rugby Union
, rifle shooting
, fencing
, soccer
, squash
, rowing
, swimming
, tennis
, and touch football
.
program, designed to develop a sense of responsibility and self confidence through activities such as abseiling
, whitewater kayaking
and bivouacs
. Outdoor education activities in which students may participate in, include the following:
, and has been operating at the school for over 100 years. This activity is compulsory for students in years 7 to 9, and is voluntary for years 10 onwards. It involves drill
and ceremonial work, and outward bound
training.
.
. The program is run in conjunction with a coastal Surf Life Saving Club and they are instructed in inshore boat rescue - crewing, patient pick-ups and assessment, related signals, radio
, equipment and safety; first aid
- CPR; board rescues, tube rescues, patient care, patient carries, etc. This program culminates in an examination for their RLSSA Surf Life Saving Bronze Medallion.
of The Armidale School are commonly referred to as Old Boys and may elect to join the schools' alumni association
, the TAS Old Boys Union. Some notable TAS Old Boys include:
Rhodes Scholars
Business
Media, entertainment and the arts
Politics, public service and the law
Sport
Other
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, 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 Armidale
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
, on the New England Tablelands
New England (Australia)
New England or New England North West is the name given to a generally undefined region about 60 kilometres inland, that includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The region has been occupied by Indigenous...
of northern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is administered by the Anglican Diocese of Armidale
Anglican Diocese of Armidale
The Anglican Diocese of Armidale is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia, located in the state of New South Wales. The diocese was created in 1914 as a result of a division of the previous Diocese of Grafton and Armidale which was created by letters patent in 1863...
.
Founded in 1894 as the New England Proprietary School, The Armidale School has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 620 students, including 200 boarders from Years 6 to 12. TAS is made up of a co-educational Junior School
Junior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
with classes from Transition (4 years old) to Year 5, a Middle School
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
for boys from Years 6
Year Six
Year Six is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is usually the sixth year of compulsory education and incorporates students aged between ten and twelve.-Australia:...
to 8 and a Senior School
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
from Years 9
Year Nine
Year Nine is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. It is usually the ninth year of compulsory education and incorporates students aged between thirteen and fourteen....
to 12 (18 years old). In 1993, The Armidale School became the first school in Australia to provide internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
access for its students.
The School
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
is affiliated with 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), and is one of only three Round Square
Round Square
The Round Square Conference of Schools is a worldwide association of more than 80 schools that allows students to travel between schools,tour foreign countries, involve themselves in community service and discover cultures along the way.-History:...
schools in the state of New South Wales. TAS is also the only member of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (AAGPS) located outside of the Sydney metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
.
History
The Armidale School was founded in 1894 as a boarding school for the sonSon
A son is a male offspring; a boy or man in relation to his parents. The female analogue is a daughter.-Social issues regarding sons:In pre-industrial societies and some current countries with agriculture-based economies, a higher value was, and still is, assigned to sons rather than daughters,...
s of the gentry
Gentry
Gentry denotes "well-born and well-bred people" of high social class, especially in the past....
, however the origins of the school can be traced to 1838, when Patrick Grant, a magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
at Maitland
Maitland, New South Wales
Maitland is a city in the Lower Hunter Valley of New South Wales, Australia and the seat of Maitland City Council, situated on the Hunter River approximately by road north of Sydney and north-west of Newcastle...
, conceived the idea of a proprietary school for boys in the Hunter Valley
Hunter Valley
The Hunter Region, more commonly known as the Hunter Valley, is a region of New South Wales, Australia, extending from approximately to north of Sydney with an approximate population of 645,395 people. Most of the population of the Hunter Region lives within of the coast, with 55% of the entire...
. This idea was taken over by prominent members of the 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...
in the northern districts of New South Wales, and 500 pounds
Australian pound
The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...
was obtained from the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, as a result of the efforts of the first (and only) Bishop of Australia, William Grant Broughton
William Grant Broughton
William Grant Broughton was the first Bishop of Australia of the Church of England....
. In 1840, a site for the school was purchased at Honeysuckle Point, in Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
. Nothing more came of the plan until the appointment of William Tyrrell, as the first Bishop of Newcastle
Bishop of Newcastle, Australia
The present bishop of Newcastle in the Anglican Church of Australia is the Right Reverend Brian Farran, who was enthroned on 24 June 2005 at Christ Church Cathedral, Newcastle, New South Wales.-Former bishops:...
in 1846. The property was passed on to Tyrrell, and in 1854 the land was resumed by the Hunter River Railway Company.
By 1877, the school had still not been established, and Bishop Tyrrell began to push the matter further. Subsequently, a plan was drawn up and land selected at Blandford, near Murrurundi
Murrurundi, New South Wales
Murrurundi is a rural town in Upper Hunter Shire, located in the Upper Hunter Valley of New South Wales. Murrurundi, which is 193 km by road from Newcastle and 309 km from Sydney, has a population of 1,330 people...
. In 1881, it was determined that the plan to build the School at Blandford was unaffordable, and a suggestion was made that it should be built on the New England
New England (Australia)
New England or New England North West is the name given to a generally undefined region about 60 kilometres inland, that includes the Northern Tablelands and the North West Slopes regions in the north of the state of New South Wales, Australia.-History:The region has been occupied by Indigenous...
Tablelands at Armidale. The additional capital required, to the amount of 6,000 pounds, was raised by James Ross, Archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Armidale, and his leading laymen
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
.
On 5 June 1891, The New England Proprietary School Limited (NEPS) was incorporated with 100 pound shares, offered at 50 pounds each, allowing each shareholder
Shareholder
A shareholder or stockholder is an individual or institution that legally owns one or more shares of stock in a public or private corporation. Shareholders own the stock, but not the corporation itself ....
to nominate one pupil
Pupil
The pupil is a hole located in the center of the iris of the eye that allows light to enter the retina. It appears black because most of the light entering the pupil is absorbed by the tissues inside the eye. In humans the pupil is round, but other species, such as some cats, have slit pupils. In...
for each share purchased. The Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
purchased 20 acres (8 ha) in Armidale in September 1891, adding to the 10 acres (4 ha) obtained in 1889.
The foundation stone of the main building was laid on 22 February 1893, by the Governor of N.S.W., the Rt. Hon. Victor Albert George, Earl of Jersey
Victor Child-Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey
Victor Albert George Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey GCB, GCMG, PC, DL, JP , was a British banker, Conservative politician and colonial administrator...
. The Opening Ceremony
Opening ceremony
An opening ceremony is the official opening of a building or event. The opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup are huge events involving thousands of participants and watched by a massive worldwide audience. On a much smaller scale, some ceremonies mark the opening of a...
was performed by the Rt. Rev A V Green, Lord Bishop
Lord Bishop
"Lord Bishop" is a traditional form of address used for bishops since the Middle Ages, an era when bishops occupied the feudal rank of 'lord' by virtue of their office...
of Grafton and Armidale
Anglican Diocese of Armidale
The Anglican Diocese of Armidale is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia, located in the state of New South Wales. The diocese was created in 1914 as a result of a division of the previous Diocese of Grafton and Armidale which was created by letters patent in 1863...
on 15 May 1894.
The name of the Company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
and School, was changed in 1896 to The Armidale School (TAS). Also that year, TAS joined the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (GPS) in Sydney, and has remained a member ever since.
In 1950, the School site was transferred to the Trustee
Trustee
Trustee is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, can refer to any person who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the benefit of another...
s of the Church of England Diocese of Armidale
Anglican Diocese of Armidale
The Anglican Diocese of Armidale is a diocese of the Anglican Church of Australia, located in the state of New South Wales. The diocese was created in 1914 as a result of a division of the previous Diocese of Grafton and Armidale which was created by letters patent in 1863...
, and was administered by a School Council comprising members from the Diocese, Old Boys and P&F. through to 2009.
On January 1, 2010 the School was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act with the name: The Armidale School.
Headmasters
| Period | Details |
|---|---|
| 1894 – 1906 | Rev W A Fisher, MA (Cantab) University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally... |
| 1906 – 1910 | Rev A H Reynolds, MA (Cantab) |
| 1910 – 1912 | Ven Archdeacon T K Abbott, MA (Oxon) University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096... |
| 1913 – 1918 | Rev F T Perkins, MA (Sydney) |
| 1918 – 1919 | Rev Canon J Forster, BA (Melbourne), ThL. |
| 1919 – 1926 | Rev Canon H. K. Archdall, MA (Cantab), ThSoc |
| 1927 – 1934 | Rev H Sanger, MA (Cantab) |
| 1936 – 1939 | Rev H P Young, MA (Cantab), BLitt |
| 1940 – 1961 | G.A. Fisher, B.A., B.Sc. (Queensland), MACE |
| 1962 – 1982 | A H Cash, AM 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"... , MA (Oxon), DipEd, FACE |
| 1982 – 1986 | G C S Andrews, MA (Cantab), DipEd, DipEdAdmin, FRGS, MACE, MIBG |
| 1987 – 1997 | K Langford-Smith, BA (Sydney), MA (Western Australia), ACP |
| 1998 – Present | Mr Murray L Guest, BA (Sydney), MComm Hons (UNSW), Grad Dip Ed (Sydney) |
Campus
The Armidale School is situated on a single 18 hectares (44 acre) 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...
in Armidale, a university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
city on the New England Tablelands of New South Wales, midway between Sydney and Brisbane. The school features a mix of historic and modern buildings.
The facilities of the school include a creative arts centre (the Hoskins Centre) with theatre, heated indoor swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, rifle range, cattle stud
Stud farm
A stud farm or stud in animal husbandry, is an establishment for selective breeding of livestock. The word "stud" comes from the Old English stod meaning "herd of horses, place where horses are kept for breeding" Historically, documentation of the breedings that occur on a stud farm leads to 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,...
, gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium, library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
centre, computer rooms, climbing wall
Climbing wall
A climbing wall is an artificially constructed wall with grips for hands and feet, usually used for indoor climbing, but sometimes located outdoors as well. Some are brick or wooden constructions, but on most modern walls, the material most often used is a thick multiplex board with holes drilled...
, weights room, hockey training field, an indoor cricket
Indoor cricket
Indoor cricket is a variant of and shares many basic concepts with cricket. The game is most often played between two teams each consisting of eight players, in matches featuring two innings of sixteen 7-ball overs each...
centre, an indoor and outdoor basketball court
Basketball court
In basketball, the basketball court is the playing surface, consisting of a rectangular floor with tiles at either end. In professional or organized basketball, especially when played indoors, it is usually made out of a wood, often maple, and highly polished...
, seven tennis court
Tennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, rugby and soccer fields, and cricket wickets.
Boarding
TAS currently has five school boarding houseBoarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
s, named Abbott, Dangar, Croft, Tyrrell, and White.
The senior boarding houses (Abbott, Croft and Tyrrell) each accommodate up to 50 students, with 10 to 15 boys in each year group. In the lower years boys are accommodated in dormitories, and as they progress through the school are moved into private study/bedrooms.
Co-curriculum
Co-curricular activities available to TAS students include: Debating and public speakingPublic speaking
Public speaking is the process of speaking to a group of people in a structured, deliberate manner intended to inform, influence, or entertain the listeners...
, drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
, band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
, choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
s, art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
, Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award , is a programme of activities that can be undertaken by anyone aged 14 to 24, regardless of personal ability....
, school poll, and the Hereford
Hereford (cattle)
Hereford cattle are a beef cattle breed, widely used both in intemperate areas and temperate areas, mainly for meat production.Originally from Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom, more than five million pedigree Hereford Cattle now exist in over 50 countries...
stud involving participation in local and regional agricultural show
Agricultural show
An agricultural show is a public event showcasing the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show , a trade fair, competitions, and entertainment...
s.
Community service
It is an expectation of TAS that all students must commit to at least 20 hours of community serviceCommunity service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
per year, both in the local and wider community. Students may participate in the annual "Pilgrimage of Hope" to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. The pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
involves students working alongside Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
's Missionaries of Charity
Missionaries of Charity
Missionaries of Charity is a Roman Catholic religious congregation established in 1950 by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, which consists of over 4,500 sisters and is active in 133 countries...
, in their service to the "poorest of the poor".
TAS boys may also volunteer for service at St Christopher's orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
in Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
, where they participate in the upkeep
and daily maintenance of the orphanage and establish friendships with the children.
Sport
Athletics (track and field)
Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, 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...
, cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
, hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, Rugby Union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, rifle shooting
Shooting sports
A shooting sport is a competitive sport involving tests of proficiency using various types of guns such as firearms and airguns . Hunting is also a shooting sport, and indeed shooting live pigeons was an Olympic event...
, fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
, soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
, rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, and touch football
Touch football
Touch football may refer to:* Touch football , a variant of American football where players touch, rather than tackle, their opponents* Touch rugby, games derived from rugby football in which players touch, rather than tackle, their opponents...
.
Outdoor education
The Armidale School has an outdoor educationOutdoor 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, designed to develop a sense of responsibility and self confidence through activities such as abseiling
Abseiling
Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...
, whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking
Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a kayak on a moving body of water, typically a whitewater river. Whitewater kayaking can range from simple, carefree gently moving water, to demanding, dangerous whitewater. River rapids are graded like ski runs according to the difficulty, danger or...
and bivouacs
Bivouac shelter
A bivouac traditionally refers to a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually without shelter or protection from enemy fire or such a site where a camp may be built. It is also commonly used to describe a variety of improvised camp sites such as those used in scouting and...
. Outdoor education activities in which students may participate in, include the following:
Cadets
The TAS Cadet Unit is part of the Australian Army Cadet CorpsAustralian Army Cadets
The Australian Army Cadets is a youth organisation that is involved with progressive training of youths in military and adventurous activities. The programme has more than 19,000 Army Cadets between the ages of 12½ and 19 based in 236 units around Australia...
, and has been operating at the school for over 100 years. This activity is compulsory for students in years 7 to 9, and is voluntary for years 10 onwards. It involves drill
Drill
A drill or drill motor is a tool fitted with a cutting tool attachment or driving tool attachment, usually a drill bit or driver bit, used for drilling holes in various materials or fastening various materials together with the use of fasteners. The attachment is gripped by a chuck at one end of...
and ceremonial work, and outward bound
Outward Bound
Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor educationorganization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year...
training.
Pioneers
The Pioneers activities program was conceived in the 1980s, and is offered as an alternative to Cadets. The aim of the program is to develop responsibility, self reliance, and the development of bush skills. Year 10 Pioneers students spend five days in the wildernessWilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
.
Rural Fire Service
This program aims to produce boys who are competent in aspects of bush firefighting, and who take an active role in helping their community by obtaining a Basic Firefighting (BF) and Village Firefighter (VF) qualification. The activity is carried out in conjunction with the Armidale Fire Training Centre and the Rural Fire Service.Surf Life Saving
Before boys participate in Surf Life Saving, they are required to demonstrate a high proficiency in swimming and have attained their RLSSA Bronze MedallionBronze Medallion
The Bronze Medallion may refer to:*Bronze Medallion *Bronze Medallion *Bronze Medallion *Bronze Medallion...
. The program is run in conjunction with a coastal Surf Life Saving Club and they are instructed in inshore boat rescue - crewing, patient pick-ups and assessment, related signals, radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
, equipment and safety; first aid
First aid
First aid is the provision of initial care for an illness or injury. It is usually performed by non-expert, but trained personnel to a sick or injured person until definitive medical treatment can be accessed. Certain self-limiting illnesses or minor injuries may not require further medical care...
- CPR; board rescues, tube rescues, patient care, patient carries, etc. This program culminates in an examination for their RLSSA Surf Life Saving Bronze Medallion.
Notable alumni
AlumnusAlumnus
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 The Armidale School are commonly referred to as Old Boys 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 TAS Old Boys Union. Some notable TAS Old Boys include:
Rhodes Scholars
- 1949–2010; Robert Clarence Robertson-CuninghameRob Robertson-CuninghameRobert Clarence Robertson-Cuninghame AO , Australian pastoralist and academic, was the fourth Chancellor of the University of New England from 1981 until 1993....
– BScBSCBSC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:Science and technology* Bachelor of Science , an undergraduate degree* Base Station Controller, part of a mobile phone network; see: Base Station subsystem...
(AgricAgricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
) 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...
, later Chancellor of the University of New EnglandUniversity of New England, AustraliaThe University of New England is an Australian public university with approximately 18,000 higher education students. Its original and main campus is located in the city of Armidale in northern New South Wales....
(1981–1993)
Business
- James Keith Bain – Company Director; Farmer; Author; Chairman of Merryville Estates Pty Ltd, NatWest Aust. Bank Ltd (1985–91), W. Bain & Co. (1947–87); Sydney Stock Exchange Ltd (1983–87) (also attended The Scots CollegeThe Scots CollegeFor other schools with a similar name see Scots College.The Scots College is an independent Presbyterian day and boarding school for boys, located in Bellevue Hill, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
) - Alex Thursby – Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Asia Pacific, Europe & America, ANZ Banking Group
Media, entertainment and the arts
- Alex BuzoAlex BuzoAlex Buzo was an Australian playwright and author who wrote 88 works.-Early life:Buzo was born in Sydney in 1944 to an Albanian-born father and an Australian mother...
– Playwright - Peter CousensPeter CousensPeter Cousens is an Australian actor, born in Tamworth NSW.He attended The Armidale School in Armidale and then Gordonstoun School, Scotland. He then spent a year reading Arts at St Paul's College, Sydney University before studying at the National Institute of Dramatic Art , graduating in...
– Musical theatre performer - Ian Bruce Carrick KiernanIan KiernanIan Bruce Carrick Kiernan AO is an environmentalist who organised the Clean Up Australia campaign, and in 1993 a similar Clean Up the World operation which attracted participation from 30 million volunteers in 80 countries....
AOOrder of AustraliaThe 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"...
OAMOrder of AustraliaThe 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"...
– EnvironmentalistEnvironmentalistAn environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
& around the world yachtsman (also attended The Scots CollegeThe Scots CollegeFor other schools with a similar name see Scots College.The Scots College is an independent Presbyterian day and boarding school for boys, located in Bellevue Hill, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
) - Angus SampsonAngus SampsonAngus Murray Lincoln Sampson is an Australian actor, voice-over artist, director and writer based in Los Angeles and Melbourne.-Early life:Sampson was born in Sydney, Australia. A former ward of the state, he was educated at the Trinity Grammar School in Sydney prior to winning a place at The...
– TV & Film actor. Recently appearing in KokodaKokoda (film)Kokoda is a 2006 Australian film directed by Alister Grierson and is based on the experiences of Australian troops fighting Japanese forces during the 1942 Kokoda Track campaign....
and Thank God You're HereThank God You're HereThank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons with Seven for the fourth season... - David Morrow - ABC Sports Commentator Order of Australia (OAM)
Politics, public service and the law
- William Wentworth AOOrder of AustraliaThe 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"...
– LiberalLiberal Party of AustraliaThe Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member of the Australian House of RepresentativesAustralian House of RepresentativesThe House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
(1949–1977) - Lieutenant Colonel Sir Michael BruxnerMichael BruxnerLieutenant Colonel Sir Michael Frederick Bruxner KBE, DSO, JP was an Australian politician and soldier, serving for many years as Leader of the Country Party and its predecessors...
– Leader of the New South Wales Country Party, Deputy Premier and Member of the NSW Parliament from 1920-1962
Sport
- James Holbeck – Representative Rugby Union footballer for the ACT Brumbies and AustraliaAustralia national rugby union teamThe Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
- Joe RoffJoe RoffJoe Roff is a retired Australian rugby union footballer and a product of the Tuggeranong Vikings Rugby Union Club in Canberra, who played on the wing or at fullback for Brumbies and Australia and played 5 tests as a centre in the early part of his test career...
– Rugby union footballer for the ACT Brumbies and Australia - Richard Tombs – Rugby union footballer for New South WalesNew South Wales Rugby UnionThe New South Wales Rugby Union is the organisation responsible for the sport of rugby union in most of the state of New South Wales, Australia...
and Australia (5 tests at inside and outside centre between 1988–1996) - Greg Cornelsen; NSW, Queensland and Wallabies 1973-1982.
- William Forsythe; Australian Team, K1 Whitewater Slalom 2004-
- Tom Bedford; Australian Team, K1 Whitewater Downriver 2006-
- Bruce Taylor; 9 times Australian Gliding Champion 1970-77
Other
- Sir Patrick Gordon TaylorPatrick Gordon TaylorSir Patrick Gordon Taylor GC MC OBE was an Australian aviator and author. He was born at Mosman, Sydney, and died in Honolulu....
– pioneering aviator and author
See also
- List of non-government schools in New South Wales
- List of boarding schools
- Lawrence Campbell Oratory CompetitionLawrence Campbell Oratory CompetitionThe Lawrence Campbell Oratory Competition is an annual competition in impromptu public speaking between representatives of each of the Great Public Schools and Combined Associated Schools in New South Wales, Australia...
Further reading
- Graham, J. 1994. A school of their own: The history of the Armidale School. The Armidale School, Armidale, NSW. ISBN 0-6461585-7-0.