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North Sydney Boys High School

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Coordinates: 33°49′46″S 151°12′27″E / 33.82944°S 151.20750°E / -33.82944; 151.20750
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North Sydney Boys High School
Location
Map
Crows Nest
,
New South Wales

 Australia
Coordinates33°49′46″S 151°12′27″E / 33.82944°S 151.20750°E / -33.82944; 151.20750
Information
School typePublic, Selective, Single-sex Secondary School
MottoTemplate:Lang-la
(He conquers who conquers himself)
Established1912[1]
PrincipalRobyn Hughes
Grades7–12
Enrolment921[2]
Campus typeSuburban
Colour(s)Bismark, Coral & Gold
     
Websitewww.nsbhs.nsw.edu.au
North Sydney Boys High School front entrance

North Sydney Boys High School is an academically selective, public high school for boys, located at Crows Nest in Sydney, Australia. North Sydney Boys High School is known for its high academic performance in the HSC. In the 2011, 2012 and 2014 HSC, North Sydney Boys High School ranked 2nd in the state.[3]

History

North Sydney Boys began off site in temporary classes in 1912, as North Sydney Intermediate High School, which was located in Blue Street.[4] At the beginning of 1915, the new school on the corner of Falcon Street and Miller Street, Crows Nest was opened to 214 students.[4] The School chose the Falcon as its logo according to the location of the school on Falcon Street,[5] even going as far as to name its Old Boys Alumni "Old Falconians" in 1933.[6] After years of controversy, it has been decided to celebrate the centenary in 2012.[7][8]

The first headmaster was Nimrod Greenwood.[9] He had been headmaster of the North Sydney Superior School before the establishment of the High School and had 33 years of service as Headmaster of the two schools.[10] On his retirement in 1915, he was succeeded by C R Smith who had founded Newcastle High School and was to go to head Sydney High School in 1918. Smith was succeeded by the headmaster who had replaced him at Newcastle High School, William Williams, who guided the school for the next 13 years.[11] On his promotion to Inspector, Williams was succeeded also succeeded by the then Headmaster of Newcastle Boys High School, R F Harvey, in 1932; Harvey was head until his death in 1947.[12]

North Sydney Boys High School cigarette card, c.1920s

In 2010, outdoor education activities were outsourced to Optimum Experiences Outdoor Adventures.

Crows Nest campus

The campus of North Sydney Boys High School consists of a number of one- to three-story buildings on an irregular-shaped site over 2.53 hectares and situated on the south western corner of Falcon and Miller Streets, Crows Nest. It also borders residential and commercial retail properties on West Street and Falcon Street. There are a number of mature native and exotic trees with some shrubs. The built environment comprises classrooms, library, amenities, assembly hall, administration and gymnasium, various courtyards, playground areas, tennis courts, car parking, cricket practice nets and an open waste storage area.[13]: 3 

History

Construction began on the first building on the Crows Nest campus in 1913[13]: 4 [14] on contract by John Brown whose tender price was £7770 "on much the same lines" as North Sydney Girls High School, whose construction was then underway.[15] In August 1914, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that the "Girls' High School at North Sydney has been completed and occupied, while the buildings for the Boys' High School are being erected ... on the most modern lines, while the accommodation and fittings will be ample, and up to date."[16] By the end of December 1914, Sydney Morning Herald could report that the "Boys' High School at North Sydney is being erected by day labour at an estimated cost of £7900. It consists of a two-story brick building, with stone facings, and provides eight class rooms and staff rooms. The science and manual training rooms are detached."[17]

Around 1920 the site expanded and the Arts/TAS building dates from this time. In or about 1953 a library and administration block was erected. In or about 1968 science and classroom blocks were added. The gymnasium dates from about 1980.[13]: 4 

Recent building works

NSBHS J Block

North Sydney Boys High School is undergoing a major capital building program funded by the State and Federal Governments.[citation needed]

In DA1, completed in about 2003, the Keele Street Lawn area was acquired and refurbished. In DA2, completed in 2005, new tennis courts and other building works were carried out. A new building that includes music rehearsal spaces, visual art classrooms and design and technology workshops have been finished in term 4 of 2006 and students have moved into the new building, now named 'J Block'. A dedicated music computer lab is also available in the new building.[citation needed]

North Sydney Boys High School – AF Henry Hall interior

The school community also completed a major upgrade of the AF Henry Hall in 2005 including the addition of a mezzanine, new ceiling, lighting, stage, and stage curtains.[citation needed] In 2007–2009 six science labs were completely refurbished costing over $1million.[18]

In 2011, the School named the recently refurbished gymnasium in honour of Old Falconian John Treloar.[19]

Construction of a new library completed in the end of 2013, and begun being used by students in 2014.

Notable alumni

Main article: List of Old Falconians

Former students of North Sydney Boys High School are known as 'Old Boys' or 'Old Falconians', and may elect to join the schools' alumni association, known as the 'Old Falconians’ Union' (OFU). The Union was founded over seventy-five years ago as a way to "promote goodwill fellowship amongst former students of and to provide financial and other support to the School".[20]

In 2010 The Age reported that North Sydney Boys High School alumni ranked equal seventh among Australian secondary school alumni based on the number of alumni who had received a "top" Order of Australia honour behind Scotch College, Melbourne, Geelong Grammar School, Sydney Boys High School, Fort Street High School, Perth Modern School, St Peter's College, Adelaide; equal in rank with Melbourne Grammar School, and The King's School, Parramatta; but ahead of Launceston Grammar School, Melbourne High School, Wesley College, Melbourne and Xavier College.[21]

Sir James Darling, Headmaster of Geelong Grammar School, paid a tribute to the school in 1988 in the following terms: ".... Melbourne High, North Sydney High, are just as good or better than any private school." [22]

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ "North Sydney Boys High School". A Selective School of Excellence. North Sydney Boys High School. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "North Sydney Boys High School". School Locator. NSW Public Schools. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Better Education, "Better Education HSC Ranking " accessed 18 January 2013.
  4. ^ a b Kearns, P. B. (November 1962). "Fifty Years of Progress (1912-1962)" (PDF). The Falcon. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  5. ^ North Sydney Council, "North Sydney's Heritage Walk 15" accessed 16 December 2011.
  6. ^ "OLD FALCONIANS". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 17 June 1933. p. 7. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  7. ^ "Falconia". Old Falconians’ Union Journal (41). March 2009.
  8. ^ Boel Eriksson, "Historian solves age-old argument : School's History Dates Back to 1912", Mosman & Lower North Shore Daily (News Limited), 1 December 2011, p 21 via factiva.com accessed 15 December 2011. "After spending countless hours sorting out the Crows Nest school's archive and viewing State Records NSW material, Ms Eberhard is confident the school was officially founded in 1912. Some argued it was 1915, when students moved to the current Falcon St site, and a piece of stonework at the school inscribed ``1913 remains a mystery."
  9. ^ Storey, H. M. (Henry Mackintosh) (c. 1962). History of North Sydney High School 1912-1962. Crows Nest, New South Wales: North Sydney Boys' High School. pp. 2–13.
  10. ^ "MR. NIMROD GREENWOOD". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 25 September 1925. p. 15. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  11. ^ "HEADMASTER RETIRES". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 2 May 1932. p. 10. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  12. ^ "HEADMASTER DEAD". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 4 August 1947. p. 5. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  13. ^ a b c Lisa Chan, "Report to the General Manager, North Sydney Council" (North Sydney Boys High School, 127 Falcon Street, Crows Nest DA457/03/2), 23 May 2006 accessed 16 December 2011.
  14. ^ "Buildings and works. Progress of the trade". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 1 April 1913. p. 12. Retrieved 16 December 2011. A High School for boys is to be erected at North Sydney, on a site in Falcon-street, but the details of this scheme are not yet complete.
  15. ^ "GENERAL NOTES". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 29 July 1913. p. 12. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  16. ^ "BUILDINGS AND WORKS. PROGRESS OF THE TRADES". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 18 August 1914. p. 10. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  17. ^ "BUILDINGS AND WORKS". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 29 December 1914. p. 4. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  18. ^ North Sydney Boys High School – Science Laboratory Upgrade, Axis Constructions (NSW) accessed 15 December 2011.
  19. ^ "Team of the week" (Sport items), The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 December 2011, p 20, via factiva.com accessed 15 December 2011.
  20. ^ "The Old Falconians' Union" (PHP). Communities. North Sydney Boys High School. 2006. Retrieved 25 September 2007.
  21. ^ Jewel Topsfield, "Ties that bind prove a private education has its awards", The Age, 4 December 2010, p 11 (Table accompanying article) via factiva.com accessed 29 November 2011.
  22. ^ Janet Hawley, "The Man Who Taught The Tycoons", The Sydney Morning Herald (Good Weekend supplement), 19 Nov 1988, p 80+. Hawley quotes Darling as saying "The school needs to have a soul of its own and that can only be preserved by Old Boy associations, father-to-son associations, and a few Mr Chips and assistant masters who are prepared to make the school their life. There is no earthly reason why the State school system cannot do all that, if it wanted to. Sadly, only the selective high schools had enough clout to do it – Melbourne High, North Sydney High, are just as good or better than any private school."

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