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Wesley College, Perth

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This article is about the Wesley College in Perth, Western Australia. For other Wesley Colleges, see Wesley College.

Template:Infobox Aust school private

Wesley College, informally known as Wesley, is an independent, day and boarding school for boys and girls (Co-ed to Year 4 and boys only Years 5-12), situated in South Perth, a suburb of Perth, Western Australia.

The college is a Uniting Church school, which traces its origins back to 1923 when it was established by members of the Methodist Church which was founded by John Wesley.

Since its foundation, the college has been located on a 19 hectare riverside property, near the banks of the Swan River. The campus consists of a Junior School (Manning House) for Kindergarten to Year 4, a Middle School (Years 5 to 8) and a Senior School (Years 9 to 12), performing arts, sporting grounds and boarding facilities for 150 students.

Wesley College is affiliated with the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),[1] the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA),[2] the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),[3] the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia (AISWA),[4] and has been a member of the Public Schools Association (PSA) since 1952.[5]

Wesley's sister school is Penrhos College, Perth located in Como.

History

The foundation stone was laid by the Premier of Western Australia, Sir James Mitchell on November 11, 1922. This stone is still visible at the south-west corner of the original building, now known as the JF Ward Wing in honour of the school’s first headmaster.

The College began operation in February the following year, with an initial enrolment of 39 boys, and grew steadily in size. This evolution can be traced through the campus architecture which was first extended in 1925 with the construction of a general classroom block, now the RE Kefford Wing. A second storey was added to the original building in 1926, along with various verandahs and a weatherboard library, which have since been demolished.

In 1930, Mr JF Ward was succeeded as Headmaster by JL Rossiter. A number of new buildings were constructed in the 1930s, including the Headmaster’s Residence (now JS Maloney House), a dining hall, extra classrooms and a gymnasium (now the Hamer Wing). The College joined the Public Schools’ Association in 1952.

Dr Rossiter was succeeded as Headmaster in 1954 by Mr Norman Roy Collins. During Collins' 11 years' tenure, construction of the Lych Gate, Memorial Chapel (1960-61), the boat shed, the science block (1956, 1959), additional classrooms (1955, 1963) and the swimming pool (1963) were completed.

Wesley College in 1926

A new Headmaster, Mr Clive Hamer, was appointed in 1965 and served Wesley until 1983. During this period, Wesley took a lead role in the introduction of the Achievement Certificate in Western Australia (1969-71) and built the boarding houses of Cygnet and Tranby (1968-70), the HR Trenaman Library (1971), classrooms and balconies around the Jenkins Quadrangle (1972), the Collins Oval (1970) and the Joseph Green Centre (1973-78).

In 1977, Wesley came under the auspices of the Uniting Church which resulted from a joining of the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches. The first female students were enrolled in 1978 with the opening of a new Junior School on land acquired north of Swan Street.

Headmaster's Residence in 1950

Roderic Kefford served as the fifth Headmaster from 1984 to 1996 and continued the extensive curriculum changes associated with a broadening of upper secondary programs beyond university entry and the establishment of Wesley’s lower secondary structure. The RE Blanckensee Physical Education Centre was opened in 1987 and the original gymnasium was renovated to become the Hamer Wing classrooms. The Preparatory School was also extended towards Mill Point Road in 1994.

A site development plan was initiated by John Bednall who was Headmaster from October 1996 to July 2002. This resulted in the refurbishment of the Kefford Wing, the Ward Wing and the Science block, the opening of the Junior School (Manning House) (1999) and Middle School (2000).

In August 2003, David Gee was appointed Wesley’s seventh Headmaster. In 2005, the Design, Technology and Visual Arts Centre was opened at a cost of $AUD 4.5 million. In 2006, the Boarding House was refurbished at a cost of $2 million with bigger rooms and a new security link building.

In 2007, construction commenced on the school's biggest project - the $AUD 13 million refurbishment of the Joseph Green Centre. It was officially opened on the 9th May, 2008 during the school's 85th anniversary year.

Bednall controversy

During 2002 it was alleged that John Bednall, the headmaster at the time, had accessed child pornography on the internet. The College Council recommended to Bednall that he resign, which shortly after he did. Criminal charges were laid against him but later withdrawn[6] and Bednall subsequently sued Wesley for wrongful termination with this claim later being struck out.[7]

Campus

Aerial View of Wesley College Campus and Swan River

The School is based primarily on its nineteen hectare campus on Coode Street in South Perth which comprises each of the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools.

Building developments

The first stage of the school's current masterplan saw the $13 million refurbishment of the Joseph Green Centre as a performing arts and function facility, completed in May 2008. The second stage will see refurbishment of the Ward and Kefford Wings of the Senior School ($2m) and the Old Boys' Memorial Chapel ($1.5 million.)

Wesley College Uniform

Student life

Wesley's students have produced a regular newspaper, The Wesley Inquirer, since 2007. The Old Wesley Collegians Association offers a scholarship to a year 11 student, who has a father or grandfather who attended the college, based on sporting, academic and citizenship , both within Wesley and the wider community. The college offers three scholarships a year to indigenous students from rural and regional areas of Western Australia.

Traditions

The Wesley war cry is used for victories in sporting and other school events. The traditional Wesley send-off is used to "send off" students involved in major sporting events, and entails the introduction of participants accompanied by students stomping their feet on the wooden floor of the Joseph Green Centre. When a well-respected or prominent Wesley teacher retires from the School, a Guard of Honour is made on the Jenkins Quad.

House System

Wesley College has eight houses in the senior school and six in the junior school. Each house is named in honour of individuals who have had an association with the school, including A H Dickinson, one of the founders of the school and Joseph Hardy, one of the first Methodists to settle in Western Australia. The eight senior school houses compete for the Klem Cup, named in honour of the first student enrolled at the college.

Sport

Wesley has been a member of the Public Schools Association (PSA) since 1952, within which it competes in inter-school sports. Recent successes include the winning of the interschool swimming for three consecutive years, rowing's Head of River in 2001 and more recently, cricket's Darlot Cup in 2006.

In 2003, Matt Barber, an athletics coach at the college resigned amid concerns that he had given year 12 students performance enhancing drugs.[8]

In 2006 Wesley won its third successive PSA inter-school swimming carnival after winning in 2004, 2005 and coming runner up in 2003. Prior to this, previous headmaster Mr John Bednall was stated Wesley would "never win the Inters swimming if nothing changed."[citation needed]

Wesley Sports Club

Wesley's sporting facilities on the South Perth Campus can be used by members of the Wesley Sports Club and the general public. Formed for members of the local South Perth Community, and the College's students, the club operates the PE Centre including swimming classes, weights training, yoga and other programs.

Notable alumni

Rhodes Scholars
Sporting

Several alumni of the school have become professional sportsmen. The R.E. Blanckensee Physical Education Centre contains a Hall of Fame showcasing over 160 of Wesley's finest sporting old boys. These include:

Politicians
Academic Leaders
Arts/Media

See also

References

  • Boyce, Peter John (2001). Honest and Unsullied Days; A History of Wesley College Perth. Inglewood, Western Australia: Victor Publishing. ISBN 0957782926.
  1. ^ "JSHAA Western Australia Directory of Members". Western Australia Branch. 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-27. {{cite web}}: Text "PublisherJunior School Heads' Association of Australia" ignored (help)
  2. ^ "Wesley College". Schools. Australian Boarding Schools' Association. 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-27.
  3. ^ "AHISA Schools". Western Australia. Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia. 2007. Retrieved 2007-12-27. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference AISWA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Intro was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ The Age, Friday April 2, 2004
  7. ^ Supreme Court of Western Australia - Judgement 24 May 2005
  8. ^ Coach quits in school tablet storm
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