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Hale School

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Hale School, informally known as Hale, is a selective, independent, Anglican day and boarding school for boys, located in Wembley Downs, a coastal suburb of Perth, Western Australia.

Founded by Bishop Matthew Blagden Hale in 1858[1], Hale School is the oldest private boys' school in Western Australia. The school was originally situated at the Cloisters on St Georges Terrace in Perth, relocating in 1914 to West Perth, and in 1961 to its current premises in Wembley Downs. The campus now consists of a senior school for Years 8 to 12 and a junior school for Years 1 to 7, but from 2010 a middle school will be created. This will divide the school into 3, with the junior school then consisting of boys only in Years 1-6, middle school Years 7 & 8 and senior school Years 9-12. The school also consists of sporting grounds, and boarding facilities for regional and international students.

The school is a member of the Public Schools Association and the Junior School Heads Association of Australia. Hale's sister school is St Mary's Anglican Girls' School located in Karrinyup. In 2008, Hale School celebrated its sesquicentennial (150th) anniversary.

History

An intrinsic part of Australia's colonial history, Hale School was responsible for educating many native-born sons of the Swan River Colony's 'establishment' and prominent families (see Alumni, below). Modelled on England's prestigious public schools, it has sometimes been accused of being elitist. For example, in his biography of Sir John Forrest, Frank Crowley described the school's values throughout the 1870s as "a heady compound of social snobbery, laissez-faire capitalism, sentimental royalism, patriotic Anglicanism, benevolent imperialism and racial superiority."[2]

Collectable cigarette card featuring the Hale colours and crest, c.1920s.

In contemporary social commentary, for example Professor Mark Peel's study of class and schooling in Australia, Hale School was identified as one of the most rigorous and selective schools for boys[3]. In recent times equity concerns have been addressed by a scholarship program, including the first full boarding scholarships in Western Australia for indigenous students.[4]

The school was initially known as "Bishop Hale's Collegiate School", and later as "The High School". It has since been renamed "Hale School" in honour of its founder, and reconstituted under the Hale School Act (1876) of the Parliament of Western Australia.[5]

Bishop Hale's Collegiate School was designed by Richard Roach Jewell in 1858 and is situated on St Georges Terrace. The buildings eventually became known as The Cloisters. In 1914, the School moved to a more spacious site at Havelock Street, West Perth, opposite the Parliament of Western Australia. Finally, in 1961, the school relocated to its current 480 000 m² premises in Wembley Downs.

Hale School and the Australian Defence Force

Hale School has also been important in the history of the Australian Defence Force.[6] Former students have served in all conflicts since the Boer War with many having distinguished military careers. Air Marshall Sir Valston Hancock DFC served as Air Chief Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force, and Sir Colin Hannah assumed the same office.[7] A Memorial Grove at Wembley Downs honours these men with 120 plaques and a sculpture with an 'eternal flame' theme. The great hall of the School has also been named Memorial Hall. The Hale School Museum contains important military and civilian records relating to the School and the state of Western Australia. A small Museum display is also located at the Old Hale School, now the Constitutional Centre of Western Australia, on Havelock Street, West Perth.

Headmasters

Hale School 150th Birthday Sesquicentenary Logo
Period Details
1858 – 1863 Canon George Hallett Sweeting
1864 Acting Headmaster – Mr. John Bussell
1864 – 1869 Rev. FT Taylor
1869 – 1872 Rev. FA Hare
1872 – 1878 Col. EW Haynes
1878 – 1882 Rev. D Davies
1882 – 1888 Mr. T Beuttler
1888 – 1889 Mr. R Gee
1889 – 1914 Mr. FC Faulkner
1915 – 1928 Mr. MA Wilson
1929 – 1931 Mr. PR Le Couteur
1931 – 1946 Mr. MA Buntine
1940 – 1943 Acting Headmaster – Mr. C Hadley
1946 – 1960 Mr. VS Murphy
1960 – 1965 Mr. JR Prince
1966 Acting Headmaster – Mr. L Drake
1967 – 1988 Dr. KG Tregonning
1989 – 2002 Dr. John Inverarity
2003 – Present Mr. SG Meade

Campus

Hale School’s campus is a 48 hectare site located in Wembley Downs. The administration building, Memorial Hall (including the redfoot youth theatre), Tom Hoar Dining Hall, Stowe Drama Centre, Forrest Library, Chapel of St Mark, cafeteria, clothing store, IT department and Old Haleians' Boardroom are all located on the south west corner of the campus near the main entrance.

General classrooms ('A-block' & 'B-block'), science laboratories and classrooms ('S-block') and mathematics classrooms ('N-block') are all located opposite the main sports oval - Craig Oval, which sits in the centre of the campus. The now defunct 'L-block' is also located in this area as it was the former location of the English department, until they moved to the new 'F-block'. This building is currently being refurbished to integrate with the new Middle School being built nearby. The new classroom building ('F-block') located in the new Teaching and Learning precinct houses the English, History and Languages departments.

The Peter Wright Technology Building, which houses the Design and Technology Workshop as well as Computer and Design Suites sits adjacent to the Doug Poake Pool. Also adjacent to the swimming pool is the art complex, gymnasium and change-rooms.

The John Inverarity Music and Drama Centre is located on the western side of the campus facing Unwin Avenue. This building separates the Senior School from the Junior School which is located on the north west corner of the campus, along with the junior Boarding Residence - Brine House. The senior Boarding House is located on the eastern side of the campus while the sports playing fields occupy the north east.

Forrest Library

The new Teaching and Learning precinct on the site of the old boarding houses near the south entrance to the campus was officially opened on 1st July 2009. The main feature of this project, a new Library Resource Centre includes a dedicated Year 12 study area and Gifted and Talented and Curriculum Support rooms facing a central courtyard. Beneath the library is a new clothing store, IT department and Old Haleians' Boardroom.

While the library was open for student use from the commencement of the 2009 school year, the official opening ceremony was not held until 1st July 2009, when it was offically opened by Andrew Forrest and unveiled as The Forrest Library.

Also included in this precinct is a new cafeteria with internal and external seating opposite the library and a new Teaching and Learning building. The classroom block ('F-block') consists of 17 teaching spaces for History, English and languages, as well as two language oral work rooms and new office space for teaching staff. Another important feature is a set-down and pick-up road that runs from a new 50-bay carpark adjacent to the chapel, along the front of the classroom block, past the Library undercroft, before rejoining the main drive.

The John Inverarity Music and Drama Centre

File:Hale jimdc.JPG
John Inverarity Music and Drama Centre

The John Inverarity Music and Drama Centre comprises a large auditorium/theatre, backstage holding rooms, two main rehearsal studios, percussion and string studios, two large music teaching rooms and 19 music practice rooms. It was first opened for use in January 2001.

The centrepiece of the complex is the timber-lined recital auditorium which accommodates 353 patrons on stepped tiers with a flat performance area 17 m wide and 12 m deep. The auditorium design has been dictated by the requirements to have natural acoustics for music. This has been achieved through the use of a traditional ‘rectangular box’ design with a maximum ceiling height of 8 m. The auditorium can be tuned for different instruments and various music/drama performances to achieve desired acoustic qualities. This is accomplished by a system of moveable full-height wall reflectors, suspended ceiling reflectors and rotating wall panels with differing degrees of absorptive linings. The ceiling loft is mechanised with 27 variable speed automatic winch lines which give a great degree of flexibility for a range of shows.

Middle School

The construction of a new Middle School facility commenced in January 2009 for completion by the end of 2009. The Middle School site is located adjacent to Unwin Avenue, between the John Inverarity Music and Drama Centre and the Memorial Hall. This building will contain 16 classrooms for Year 7 and 8 students. The classrooms are on two levels and the Administration Offices are on a separate intermediate level which lines up with the main entrance on Unwin Avenue. In addition, the facility will incorporate one of the School's existing buildings ('L-block' classrooms) which will be refurbished as music, art and science classrooms for the Middle School. The new building replaces the 'C-block' classrooms and Senior School Library that previously occupied the site and were demolished in December 2008.[8] [9]

Sporting facilities

File:HS Shooting 1954.JPEG
Hale School Championship Rifle Team (1954), from the State Library of Western Australia History Archive

Hale School campus includes various sporting facilities, including:

  • an eight lane 50 metre swimming pool
  • a gymnasium, with basketball, badminton, volleyball, squash and rock climbing facilities.
  • Weights Room
  • Rowing Ergo Room
  • 16 tennis courts: 12 plexipave, 4 grass
  • 4 football fields
  • 4 plexipave outdoor basketball courts
  • 5 cricket ovals with turf wickets
  • 32 cricket practice wickets: both synthetic and turf
  • 4 soccer fields
  • Cross country tracks
  • 2 rugby fields
  • Track and field facilities
  • Aquaturf surface hockey field with clubrooms
  • 3 additional grass hockey ovals
  • a rowing fleet housed at Cygnet Hall on the Swan River (off campus).

Hale School has hosted important teams over the years, including the English Rugby Team on occasions, namely for training during the 2003 Rugby World Cup. The school hosted the English Cricket Academy, including international cricketers Michael Vaughan, Owais Shah, Stuart Broad, Rikki Clarke and Jon Lewis for nets sessions and practice matches, as seen on the front page of The West Australian on November 29, 2006.[10]

Hale also employs a number of high-profile coaches to lead and assist with their co-curricular program including: Paul Peos (former West Coast Eagle) coaching 1st XVIII football, Bobby Despotoviski (former Perth Glory player) coaching 1st XI soccer and Giles White (current assistant coach, Hampshire County Cricket) coaching 1st XI cricket.

Academic programs

Hale School has a comprehensive education program with major strengths in Literature and History, Science and Mathematics, Economics, Fine Arts, Sport and Information Technology.

Since 2000, Hale School has won five of the prestigious Beazley Medals, awarded to the student obtaining the highest marks in the state administered tertiary entrance examinations. Anthony Phillips won the Beazley Medal in 2000, followed by Antony Moser in 2001 who was followed by Dougal Maclaurin in 2003. Christopher Mofflin received the 2006 Beazley Medal[11], while Binu Jayawardena won the medal in 2008.[12]

Publications

Hale School most prominent publication is the school's official book, The Cygnet, which is released at the start of each year and includes about 250 pages of the previous year's major happenings, school photos and sports results. The school also publishes an alumni magazine, The Haleian, twice a year, usually around April and October.

House system

There are currently 10 houses at Hale Senior School. These include 8 day houses, and 2 boarding houses

  • Buntine - red (named after former headmaster Mr. MA Buntine)
  • Faulkner (boarding) - light green (named after former headmaster Mr. FC Faulkner)
  • Havelock - black and yellow striped
  • Haynes - yellow
  • Loton - navy blue and orange
  • Parry - navy blue (named after the Parry family who made a large donation to the school)
  • Riley - dark green
  • St Georges - red and white
  • Tregonning - maroon (named after former headmaster Dr. KG Tregonning)
  • Wilson (boarding) - blue (named after former headmaster Mr. MA Wilson)

Loton was changed from a boarding house to a day house in 2005, following the completion of the new boarding house. Prior to this Loton's colour was brown. Year 8 (and some year 7) boarders are housed in Brine House, which is located between the Junior School and the Music and Drama Centre, they are however also members of either Faulkner or Wilson houses.

There are also 4 houses in Hale Junior School.

  • Davy - Dark Green
  • Turnbull - Blue
  • Rosier - Yellow
  • Walker - Red

Notable alumni

File:HS Prefects 1953.JPEG
Hale School Prefects (1953), from the State Library of Western Australia History Archive

A leaver of Hale School is called an Old Haleian.

Premiers
Governors and Flag Officers
Judicial Officers
  • Sir Stephen Henry Parker, Chief Justice of Western Australia
  • George Leake CMG QC, at different times, Attorney-General, Crown Solicitor and Director of Public Prosecutions for Western Australia
  • Thomas Davy KC, Rhodes Scholar, Attorney-General of Western Australia
  • Septimus Burt QC, Attorney General of Western Australia, prominent landholder of 590,000 acres (2,400 km2) on the Ashburton River
  • Sir Walter Hartwell James KCMG KC, Attorney General of Western Australia
  • Justice Robert Nicholson AO, Judge of the Federal Court of Australia
  • Peter Panegyres AM, Crown Solicitor for Western Australia
  • Christian Porter, current Attorney General of Western Australia
  • Judge Stephen Scott, Judge of the District Court of Western Australia
Diplomatic Officers
  • Sir Ransley Victor Garland, Former Australian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Former Australian Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs
  • Sir Edward Wittenoom, French Consul General for Western Australia, President of the Western Australian Legislative Counsel.
  • Sir Walter Hartwell James KCMG KC, Agent-General for Western Australia in London
  • William Hassell AM, Agent General for Western Australia in London, Counsel General for Germany in Western Australia
  • David Irvine AO, Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea (1996-1999) and Australian Ambassador to China and concurrently Ambassador to Mongolia and North Korea (2000-2003)
Civil Servants
  • David Irvine AO, Director General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service
  • Tony Nutt, Director of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, past Chief of Staff to Prime Minister John Howard
Regional Leaders
Business Leaders
Medical Officers
Authors and Artists
Musicians
Sportsmen
Federal Parliamentarians
Lord Mayors
  • Olympic Length 8 Lane Pool
    Olympic Length 8 Lane Pool
  • Chapel
    Chapel
  • Memorial Grove and eternal flame sculpture
    Memorial Grove and eternal flame sculpture
  • Senior Boarding House
    Senior Boarding House
  • The new Health Centre being constructed next to the senior boarding house (photo taken January 2007)
    The new Health Centre being constructed next to the senior boarding house (photo taken January 2007)
  • Artificial cricket nets. Turf nets are available in summer
    Artificial cricket nets. Turf nets are available in summer
  • Plexipave tennis and basketball courts
    Plexipave tennis and basketball courts
  • Craig Oval (1st football & cricket team ground)
    Craig Oval (1st football & cricket team ground)

References

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference AISWA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Frank Crowley, Big John Forrest, University of Western Australia Press (2000)
  3. ^ Professor M Peel, 'Who Went Where: the Schooling of the Australian Elite', Melbourne University History Research Series no. 1. Melbourne Melbourne University Press (1992), p 103 and following
  4. ^ http://www.hale.wa.edu.au/Enrolment/Pages/Scholarships.aspx
  5. ^ Hale School Act (1876) (WA), see especially the Preamble "Whereas it is expedient to make provision for the establishment of a High School for the purpose of giving to Boys an education similar to that given in the Grammar and advanced schools in the other Australasian Colonies..."
  6. ^ See generally, William Edger, Veldt to Vietnam: Halians at War (2001)
  7. ^ Liddell Hart Centre for the 20th century, 120 Haleians lost their lives in the Boer War, World War I, World War II and Korean War. See generally, William Edger, Veldt to Vietnam: Halians at War (2001)
  8. ^ Hale School, FAQ - Middle School Development http://www.hale.wa.edu.au/Development/Documents/Middle%20School%20-%20Frequently%20Asked%20Questions%20FINAL.pdf
  9. ^ City of Stirling, Minutes - Council Meeting 16 December 2008 (pg 53) http://www.stirling.wa.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/71ABBAB2-C609-42AB-A23F-A79538BC3E3E/0/CouncilMinutes16December2008.pdf
  10. ^ November 29, 2006, Western Australian Newspapers Limited, page 1 http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=14&ContentID=14972
  11. ^ "Christopher Mofflin, 17, of Hale School at Wembley Downs, northwest of Perth, has won the 2006 Beazley Medal for the best result in the Tertiary Entrance Examination, with a score of 98.69." The Australian Newspaper (Online) 31 December 2006
  12. ^ "Globe-trotting TV star wins Beazley Medal" The Sunday Times (Online) 4 January 2008 http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24868527-2761,00.html
  13. ^ "Peter M'Callum Dowding". Appointment of Senior Counsel by the Hon David K Malcolm AC CitWA Chief Justice of Western Australia. Supreme Court of Western Australia. 2002-11-13. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
  14. ^ Andrew Main 'Twiggy Richest Aussie on Share Surge' The Australian Newspaper (online) http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22982139-643,00.html

See also

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