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Guildford Grammar School

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31°53′41″S 115°58′52″E / 31.89472°S 115.98111°E / -31.89472; 115.98111 Guildford Grammar School, informally known as Guildford Grammar or GGS is an independent school for boys situated in Guildford, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia. The school is a member of the Public Schools Association and the Junior School Heads Association of Australia. It is an Anglican grammar school which traces its origins back to 1896, when it was established by Mr. Charles Harper.

In 1904, the school moved from the Harper family home, to its current site, just 15km from the City of Perth on 100 acres of property. In 1909, the school changed its name to Church of England Grammar School, it was later changed back to Guildford Grammar School in 1985

Since 1904, the college has been located on a 100-acre (40 ha) property, near the banks of the Swan River. The East Guildford campus consists of a high school for years 8-12 and a junior school for years K-7, sporting grounds, and boarding facilities for 100 students.

History

Guildford Grammar School Terrace Road 1932

Guildford Grammar School traces its foundations back to 1896 when Charles Harper, an influential Western Australian, established in his home (Woodbridge House) a school which was to cater for the educational needs of his children, and those from the surrounding district.[1]

Harper's vision was to create a school based on the English Public School system, whilst also attempting to accommodate the different culture of the modern colonial society. Under the guidance of Mr. Frank Bennett, the schools first headmaster classes commenced in the Billiards room of Woodbridge House.[2]

Guildford Grammar School traces its history back to 1896, when Mr. Charles Harper established in his stately home Woodbridge House - a school to cater for his own children and children in the surrounding district.[2]

In 1904, the school moved from the Harper family home to its current site, located 15km from the City of Perth on almost 100 hectares. Together with Christian Brothers College (now Aquinas College), Scotch College and The High School (now Hale School) the college established the Public Schools Association in 1905.[2]

The Guildford Grammar School Foundation was established in 1974 to help guarantee the financial independence of the School and to develop its standing within the Western Australian education system. The Board of the Foundation aims to establish a large, self-perpetuating capital fund of $30 million. Currently, a portion of the income generated from the Foundation's assets funds a Bursaries and Scholarships programme.[2]

Today, Guildford is a thriving school of some 1000 students, including 400 pupils who attend Guildford Grammar Preparatory School. The senior school has approximately 600 students, including 100 boarding students.

Campus

Guildford Grammar School Grounds 1933

Guildford Grammar School is located on a 100-acre (40 ha) campus on the banks of the Swan River. The campus is comprised of a number of buildings and sporting facilities necessary for the day to day educational needs of the students. Some of these buildings are of historical significance - including the Chapel, which is listed with the Heritage Council of Western Australia. Most of the buildings and sporting fields are named after significant people in the college's foundation and history.

2005 saw the college embark on a major redevelopment project, named the 'One Campus Project', the first major project to be undertaken at the school in 15 years. This project includes the redevelopment of the School's playing fields and property bordering the Great Eastern Highway. The project is expected to cost in excess of $5.5 million and includes the construction of a new hockey pitch, a second football oval, 12 new acrylic surface tennis courts, a new sports pavilion and the reconstruction of Roberts Oval. Much of the construction work will be completed by the end of May 2006 and the Roberts Oval sports pavilion is scheduled for completion by mid 2007.[3]

School Chapel

Main article: Guildford Grammar School Chapel

The Federation Gothic-styled School Chapel (the Chapel of St. Mary and St. George), first suggested by headmaster Canon P.U. Henn (after whom Henns House was named after) and funded by Cecil Oliverson , after whom the school gymnasium is named. It is heritage listed and contains a large amount of English Oak wood. It currently houses a bible (the Windsor Bible) gifted to the school by Queen Elizabeth II as a replacement for the bible gifted by King George V which was destroyed in a fire in 1980.

Student Life

Guildford offers a comprehensive extracurricular program for students. The school also has boarding facilities for students who live in rural areas of Western Australia, as well as international students. The major components of the program are sports, music, the arts, and cadets.

The Cadet program at Guildford has a long and proud tradition, which dates back to 1904. The program is governed by the State and Federal Arms of the Australian Army Cadet Corps, and is supported by the A SQD Tenth Light Horse.

1913 Prefects

Academic Studies

The college offers a range of academic pursuits for students, and also gives awards such as academic colours, subject awards and the dux award, which are given at an annual presentation night.

Guildford awards several scholarships based on academic merit to students, but under agreed PSA rules no member schools may award sports scholarships.

D'Arcy Slater Scholarship, which is awarded annually to a student entering Year 8 in memory of D'Arcy Slater, a student of the School who died in 1991. The student that receives the award must be a good all-rounder. This scholarship provides all tuition fees for the student.[4]

Council Scholarships - Candidates must be under the age of 13 on the first day of January following the examination. This scholarship is tenable for between 25 to 50% of five years' worth of tuition fees.[4]

Harry Campbell Pope Scholarships - Awarded to a number of students entering Year 8 of the Western Australian education system, following an examination and an interview with the Headmaster. These scholarships are worth 25% of tuition fees for five years.[4]

Calder Crowther Scholarship - Awarded every two years to day boy candidates from government schools in the vicinity of Guildford. It is worth 50% of tuition fees from years 8 to 12.[4]

Ray Mackewn Scholarships - Awarded to boys in Year 7 at Guildford Grammar Preparatory School to those who plan to continue in the Senior School as boarders.[4]

Boarding

When Guildford opened in 1896, it was a day school, since its humble beginnings boarding was introduced for years 6-12, there are 100 boarders at the college. In 2007, international students were required to pay an extra $7683 in lieu of Government Subsidies and extra administration costs, which brought fees for international student at Guildford to $32,006.[3]

All boarders reside in one of the boarding hall of residences with their house masters, house mothers and boarding assistants. Meals are served in the Dining Hall which is located in close proximity to the residences, and boarders have 12-hour access to medical services in the College's hospital.

On weekends boarders will often do a variety of activities that staff and senior boys arrange. They also use the nearby Swan River as well as Adventure World and Subiaco Oval. Boarders in years 10, 11 and 12 will also participate in sport on a Saturday morning.

House system

Guildford Grammar School has an eight-house system in both junior and senior school. Each house is named in honour of individuals who have had an association with the school and the Western Australian community including: Canon Percy Henn, an influential headmaster of the school, and James Stirling, a man much credited with the settlement of Western Australia.

The eight houses are; Henns, School, Stirling, Harper, Bennett, St. George's, Woodbridge and Freeth House with each house being devided into five mentor groups with a mentor group for each year, eg: stirling year 10, henns year 8 and so on. Each mentor group is overseen by a mentor and head of house. The members of each house are led by the house captain (elected each year by the members of the house).

The eight houses compete against each other in three areas; sport (for the Cock House Cup), culture (for the Centenary Cup), and academia (for the John Gladstones' Cup). There is also the Council shield, which is awarded to the house adjudged to have been the most successful in the three competitions.

Sport

Main articles: Public Schools Association and Junior School Heads Association of Australia
File:GGS Rowing Team 1950.PNG
Guildford Rowing Team 1950

Guildford Grammar School was a founding member of the Public Schools Association (PSA) in 1905, and the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA) in 1968. Mr. Craig Wheatley (junior school headmaster), is the current (2007) president of the JSHAA, within both organisations the school competes in inter-school sports.[5]

In 2006, Guildford won none of the PSA sporting competitions, although is did obtain a number of strong finishes. Guildford has also been somewhat successful in a wide range of other sports, and has won the following trophies more than five times; Swimming (18), Cricket (15), Athletics (12), Rugby (8), Football (6), and Rowing (Head of the River) (6).[5]

Old Guildfordians Mundaring hockey club

The Old Guildfordians Mundaring Hockey Club (OGMHC), is an incorporated men’s and women’s hockey club based in the Guildford/Mundaring area. The club competes in various grades of the HockeyWA competition, from minkey (junior hockey) to senior’s hockey.

The club plays its home games at Guildford Grammar School, using the available facilities and clubrooms available. It must be noted that it is not a requirement of the club to have left school, in fact many of the clubs members haven't left school.

Arts & Music

Students at Guildford have the opportunity to learn a music instrument during class time in the senior school. The school offers a variety of ensemble's for students to join including the senior choir and guitar ensemble. Music is compulsory for all students from Kindergarten to year 8, with the option of continuing to TEE music in year 12.

The drama program at the college is based largely around the school production, recent productions include; My Fair Lady, Twelve Angry Men, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, and Lord of the Flies.

Debating is a large component of the Arts program at the college, the college competes in Western Australian inter-school debating competition, which is run by the Western Australian debating league.

Old Guildfordians association

The Old Guildfordians Association or 'Old Boys' is an incorporated organisation established in 1905, which represents the former students of the college. The association exists to provide fellowship to former students, parents and staff and to support the college - especially in the provision of scholarships and financial assistance to families in need.[6]

Notable alumni

Alumni of Guildford Grammar School are called Old Guildfordians.

See also

References

  1. ^ Merryweather, E. J. (1988) Guildford Grammar School : the first half century : a personal history Perth, W.A : E.J. Merryweather. ISBN 0731635027
  2. ^ a b c d White, M. A. (1996) Go forward!' '(History of school for centenary). Perth, W.A. : Guilford Grammmar School, 1996. ISBN 0959873139
  3. ^ a b The One Campus Project - Guildford Grammar School (accessed: 18-04-2007) Cite error: The named reference "FeesIntl" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d e Scholarships at Guildford Grammar School (accessed: 18-04-2007)
  5. ^ a b 102nd Annual PSA Athletics Carnival Handbook
  6. ^ Old Guildfordians Official Website

Further reading

  • Cardell-Oliver, John (1983) Henn, Percy Umfreville (1865 - 1955), Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 9, Melbourne University Press. pp 261-262.
  • Cardell-Oliver, J (1985) Canon P.U. Henn and Woodardism in Western Australia: Antipodean Modifications of an Anglican Ideal, Masters Thesis, The University of Western Australia
  • Ellis, Nic (1995) Guildford : the life of the school / photographed by Nic Ellis ; introduction Paul Murray. Fremantle, W.A. : Plantagenet Press, 1995. ISBN 1875968105 Published for the centenary of Guildford Grammar School.
  • Firkins, Peter For God, King and country : the story of Old Guildfordians who have distinguished themselves in the wars of the 20th century . Perth, W.A. ISBN 0646355538
  • Canon Percy Henn - obituary - Born in the U.K. and died in Perth on 25 Feb. 1955. West Anglican, Vol 1, no.3 (April 1955), p. 2-3,
  • Hungerford, T.A.G. ed (1996) Tall stories : an anecdotal history of Guildford Grammar School, 1896-1996 .Guildford, W.A.: The School. ISBN 0959873147
  • Merryweather, E. J. (1988) Guildford Grammar School : the first half century : a personal history Perth, W.A : E.J. Merryweather. ISBN 0731635027
  • Simpson, Paul. Moody : a teacher to the very last. Profile of Guildford Grammar School principal, on his retirement after 36 years in teaching. West Australian 7 Dec. 1996, p. 38-39,41, (West Magazine)
  • White, M. A. (1996) Go forward!' '(History of school for centenary). Perth, W.A. : Guilford Grammmar School, 1996. ISBN 0959873139
  • Wickham, John (2004) Merging streams : the story of the Cloisters and Guildford Grammar School : a constitutional landscape Bassendean, W.A.. : Advance Press. ISBN 0975803409

See also

External links

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