Barker College
| Barker College | |
|---|---|
| File:Barker College School Crest.jpg | |
| Location | |
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| Information | |
| Type | Independent all-male (3-9), co-educational (10-12) |
| Motto | Honor Non Honores 'Seek honour above rewards' |
| Established | 1890 |
| Founder | Reverend Henry Plume |
| Headmaster | Dr Roderic Kefford |
| Faculty | 300 |
| Grades | 3–12 |
| Enrolment | 1979 |
| Campus | 19 acres |
| Colour(s) | Red and Blue |
| Affiliations | Anglican, CAS |
| Website | www.barker.nsw.edu.au |
Barker College is an Australian Anglican private school situated in Hornsby, New South Wales founded by The Reverend Henry Plume in 1890. One of the six Combined Associated Schools, it is an all boys school from Year 3 to Year 9. From Year 10 to Year 12, the school is co-educational. The College is part of the Association of Independent Schools of New South Wales and the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia.
Students must wear a uniform, and take part in sport during their weekends.
History
Barker College was founded by The Rev Henry Plume at Kurrajong Heights, in the Blue Mountains, in early 1890 with five pupils, and was named for Plume’s mentor and friend, The Right Reverend Frederic Barker, the second Bishop of Sydney. Early in 1895, Barker College moved to its present site in Hornsby and in 1919, ownership of the School was transferred to the Church of England. In 1975, the co-educational collegiate Senior School, for students in Years 11 and 12, was established. In 2000, Year 10 also became part of the Senior School, and girls are now able to enter Barker at Year 10 level.
Motto
The school motto "Honor Non Honores" translates to "Honour not Honours", roughly "Seek honour above rewards".
Co-education at Barker College
2006 marks the 30th anniversary of co-education at Barker College; that is, the introduction of a system of education in which young men and women attend the same institution and classes.
What began as a modest component of only 59 young women in 1976 has since grown to encompass 391 girls as of 2005.
Headmasters
- 1890 - 1905: Rev Henry Plume
- 1905 - 1929: Mr William Carter
- 1929 - 1932: Mr Arthur Thorold
- 1933 - 1957: Mr William Leslie
- 1958 - 1963: Mr John Dewes
- 1963 - 1986: Mr Trevor McCaskill
- 1986 - 1995: Mr Neil Tucker
- 1996 - current: Dr Roderick Kefford
Middle School Houses
- Andrew (black) - Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat: 'Fortune follows the brave'. Head of House: Mr G.J. Lancaster.
- Boyce (light blue) - Aspiro: 'Aspire'. Head of House: Mr R.J. Clezy.
- Butters (grey) - Diriget Deus: 'God will direct'. Head of House: Mr A.F. Payne.
- Holt (green) - Is Fidelis Vincit: 'Faith brings victory'. The house animal is a sheep. Head of House: Mr Kramer.J. Reid.
- Pain (white) - Vive Et Vivat: 'Live and let live'. Head of House: Mr G.B. Bayne.
- Wade (dark blue) - Labor In Unum: 'Work together'. Head of House: Mr L.F. Klein.
- Wailes (yellow) - Per Laborem Ad Victoriam: 'From hard work comes victory'. Head of House: Mr H.R. Stevenson.
- Wilson (maroon) - Deus Est Meum Scutum: 'God is my shield'. Head of House: Mr S.D. Solos
Co-Curricular activities
The school conducts many extra-curricular activities including, the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, cadets, drama and musical performances, chess, debating, mock trials, public speaking, mountain biking, skiing, equestrian and breeds its own cattle for competition in the Sydney Royal Easter Show. In 2004, 2005 and 2006 the Barker rugby 1st XV have won the Combined Associated Schools [CAS] title with three, back-to-back, undefeated seasons. The team also made the final of the Waratah Shield competition in 2005.
Barker has a large musical heritage, and has won numerous awards with its various choirs and bands in the City of Sydney Eisteddfod, National Band Championships and NSW Band Championships. The Concert Band was the top ranked school concert band in Australia from 1991-1997 under the guidance of Peter Walmsley.
Each year Barker puts on a musical involving year 10 and 11 students, though in the past students from all years 7-12 have participated. The musicals performed have been varied and represent both more traditional and contemporary productions. The most recent musicals, in order of most recent to least recent, are: Les Miserables (end of 2006), Chess, Grease, The Pirates of Penzance, Fame, Guys and Dolls, Sweet Charity and HMS Pinafore.
Cadets
Founded in 1899, the Barker College Cadet Unit (BCCU) is one of Australia's oldest cadet units and is currently one of Australia's largest, voluntary cadet units. The unit consists of four companies comprising those in school years 9 and 10 respectively and one company of female members and year 11 & 12 boys. A Pioneer Company also provides services for the unit through camp preparation, basic construction and logistics as well as instruction in related skills such as abseiling and pyrotechnics. Each company participates in at least one camp each year as well as a full-unit 'Annual Camp', generally held at the Australian Army Barracks at Singleton. Due to the school's refusal to disband the unit during the Defence Department's public relations disaster related to the Vietnam War, the unit is now one of the few in Australia to only receive only 'limited support' from the Department. The school does however utilise the services of volunteers, typically previous members as well as the school's teachers, to assist with events such as the camps.
After a lack of members in the late 1970s, the cadet marching band (renamed the Barker College Cadet Marching Band) was fully revived, with the drafting of all school cadets who could play a suitable instrument, in 1999 and participated in its first ANZAC Day Parade in 2000.
Famous alumni
Politics and law
- Philip Ruddock - MHR (Lib) former Immigration Minister; Commonwealth Attorney-General
- Peter Garrett - Midnight Oil frontman; MHR (ALP)
Business
- Bob Mansfield - former Telstra chairman and 5-time CEO.
- Richard Walsh - former head of ACP Magazines.
- Damien Murphy - Inventor of the "Colapsa-Crate", collapsible milk crate. Featured on "The New Inventors".
- Sandy Holloway - CEO of the Sydney Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (SOCOG)
Media, Entertainment and the Arts
- Mike Carlton - 2UE broadcaster of Mike Carlton Breakfast Show, weekdays 5:30am - 9am.
- Francesca Willis - Australian model.
- Chris Lilley, creator and writer of the popular 6-part series We Can Be Heroes, features on various other comedy programmes (Big Bite and others).
- Simon Fieldhouse - Artist.
- Chris Lilley, creator and writer of the 6-part series We Can Be Heroes, features on various other comedy programmes (Big Bite and others).
- Chris Russell, features as a judge on the ABC series the "New Inventors".
- Phillip Noyce, director of many feature films including "Rabbit-Proof Fence", "The Bone Collector" and "The Quiet American"
Sport
- Ben Darwin - former Wallaby.
- Glenn Eisenhauer - former Wallaby.
- Richard Harry - former Wallaby rugby union prop.
- Cameron Shepherd - former NSW Waratahs fullback, current Western Force fullback (rugby union) and recently earnt his starting debut for the Wallabies.
- Peter Taylor - former Australian Test and Limited Overs cricketer.
- Sue Fear - Famous Mountaineer - First Australian woman to climb Mount Everest. Recently passed away while climbing (June 2006).
- Mitchell Pearce - Sydney Roosters reserve grade half-back.
- David Hyde - One of Australia's premier adventurers.
- Tim Myers - Professional alpine freeride skiier, currently based at Mammoth Mountain, California.