The Scots College
For other schools with a similar name see Scots College.
| The Scots College | |
|---|---|
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| Utinam Patribus Nostris Digni Simus (Latin:"O that we may be worthy of our forefathers")[1] |
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| Established | 1893[2] |
| School Type | Independent, Single-sex, Day & Boarding |
| Denomination | Presbyterian |
| Slogan | "Establishing the individual, developing the leader"[3] |
| Key People | Dr Ian Lambert (Principal) Rev Dr Archibald Gilchrist (Founder) Rev. Conrad Nixon (Chaplain) Mr Simon Fraser (Chairman) |
| Location | Bellevue Hill, New South Wales, Australia  |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Enrolment | ~1600 (K–12)[4] |
| Employees | ~205[4] |
| Colours | Gold & Blue |
| Homepage | www.tsc.nsw.edu.au |
The Scots College is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys', located in Bellevue Hill, an eastern suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Established in 1896 at Brighton-Le-Sands,[1] Scots has a non-selective enrolment policy[5] and currently caters for approximately 1600 students from Kindergarten to Year 12, including 240 boarders from Years 6 to 12.[2] Student's attend Scots from all regions of the greater metropolitan area and New South Wales country regions.[4]
The college is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),[6] the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),[7] the Australian Boarding Schools' Association,[2] and is a founding member of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (AAGPS).[8]
History
The College was formed in 1893 by three men, the Rev Dr Archibald Gilchrist (formerly a solicitor), Rev Dr Wiliam Marcus "Dill" (Fighting Mac) Macky and Rev Arthur Aspinall. Gilchrist devised the school motto of "Utinam Patribus Nostris Digni Simus", which may be translated from Latin as "O that we may be worthy of our forefathers".
The Rev Arthur Aspinall, who became the first Principal, was minister to the Forbes Parish from 1874 to 1887. An educated man himself, with a love of learning, he
saw the need to educate the sons of the pastoralists of the area. His dream was for a
boarding school in Sydney to which these very isolated farming families could send their
children. Ms Lillyan MacDonald of the Church Records and Historical Society (
| “ | From Dr Prentis I have learnt that a Forbes influence has pervaded Scots College for more than a century through the sons of Forbes District farming families, especially the related families of Aspinall, Strahorn and Martel. (Personal communication) | ” |
The Presbyterian Church was not happy with the proposal to start the school. Rev Aspinall became the guarantor, advancing the capital required, while the possibility of starting the school was still a matter of bitter contention within the Church hierarchy. Thus Scots opened as a private enterprise. Once the school was established and functioning, the Church Assembly saw no reason to continue to oppose the idea of the school. In 1906 Rev Aspinall sold the college to the Church for seven thousand pounds and so it became part of the Presbyterian education system in New South Wales.
Lady Robinson's Beach
The College was originally established at Lady Robinson Beach, now renamed Brighton-Le-Sands, near the shores of Botany Bay. The initial school building was the modified, de-licenced New Brighton Hotel on The Grand Parade, near Bay Street. The renovations to the hotel were done by Rev Aspinall's brother, Albert Aspinall. The first Principal, the Rev Aspinall, remained in this position until his retirement in 1913. The school was officially opened 28 January 1893 by the Governor of New South Wales, the Rt. Hon. Victor Albert George, Earl of Jersey. Villiers Street, Rockdale was named in honour of this occasion. There were 25 boarders and ten day students.
The period when the school opened was a time of depression. The first few years for the school were difficult. There were 55 boys enrolled at the school when, in 1895, (soon after a racecourse had opened nearby) the school moved to its current location in Bellevue Hill.
Early days at Bellevue Hill
The school occupied St Killians, the former home of Judge Josephson. Before he retired
Rev Aspinall had added new buildings to the school and developed playing fields. The school was still surrounded by many areas of bushland which caught fire on hot
1914 to 1955
James Bee, a
Alexander Knox Anderson saw the Depression end only to be followed four years later by World War II. During World War II, the school and its student body relocated to a purpose-built campus at Bathurst, to the west of the Great Dividing Range. This was due to the proximity of the Bellevue Hill campus to the coast, and the fear of Japanese naval bombardment, a fear justified in May 1942 with the Japanese mini-sub attack on Sydney Harbour.
The Bathurst campus remained part of the school for a short period after the war, before splintering off and becoming the independent The Scots School, Bathurst.
1968
The 75th Anniversary celebrations were held 3-10 May. The 1200 students at the College and past students had much to celebrate for many former students had achieved success. In 1968 Dr Robert Naumann was Professor of Nuclear Physics at Princeton University in the United States of America. The Guest-of-Honour at the celebrations, the oldest known student in 1968, was Dr Ed Spark, a Dental Surgeon who had attended the school in 1894 at Lady Robinson Beach.
Subsequent history
In 1979, a fire gutted most of the school's Main Building, resulting in a major reconstruction and renovation of school facilities.
In 1988, the school opened its outdoor education campus, 'Glengarry', in the Kangaroo Valley. Attending Glengarry is compulsory for all Year 9 boys, who live on-site in one of four dorms for six months. The year group is split into two intakes, that attend in terms 1 and 2, and terms 3 and 4 respectively.
Glengarry has faced controversy due to it's potentially hazardous outdoor curriculum. It has had a total of two fatalities, both occurring to Scots College students during Parent/Son hikes. [9]
Most of the Council members are elected by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Australia in New South Wales.
Facilities
The campus consists of three ovals (Kirkland Oval; Fairfax Oval, which is used primarily by the Pipes and Drums as a parade ground, and Scots Main), four general class buildings and due to new classrooms to the Prep there are now 12 portable classrooms, five boarding houses, a 25m Swimming pool, a gymnasium, grandstands, tennis courts, basketball courts (indoor and outdoor) and the school amphitheatre.
The general class buildings are the Centenary Centre (Music, languages, and economics/business), the
Senior Studies Block (Science, PDHPE and
Mathematics), Scots Main (English,
Religious Studies, Design and
Technology, Visual Arts) and the Stevenson Building (Stevenson
The Stevenson Building also houses the Year 12 Common room, the Black Watch Tuckshop-Cafe, the Prefects' Room, the College Shop, and the school's two main function rooms (the Founders' Room and the Old Boys' Union Room). Scots Main houses the Auditorium and main school administration, whilst the Centenary Centre contains the school's primary Lecture room, the Coote Theatre and various music facilities and musical instruments.
The college quadrangle has recently finished reconstruction to provide additional change rooms and wheelchair accessible facilities such as an elevator for the Main Building. A new Mathematics/Science building is under planning and completion is expected at around Easter 2008. In 2007 the new "Ginahgulla" classrooms were completed. These classrooms house years five and six located at the Senior campus, Victoria Rd.
The Pipes & Drums Band
As a testament to its Scottish heritage, the school has a well-known pipe band: The Scots College Pipes & Drums Band, established in 1900. The original band consisted of five members - boys who had joined the cadets as pipers. There are now over 230 boys in the band, making it the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. In 1931 the band was granted permission to wear the tartan of the Black Watch regiment. The band's royal patron was formerly the Queen Mother. Traditionally, the Scots Pipes and Drums Band leads the annual ANZAC Day parade through Sydney. At the 2006 Australian Pipe band Championships, the Drum Corps won the Juvenile Drum Corp title, and the band as a whole earned a respectable third place. These results are the Band's best placings at a National Championships.
Scots.NET
In 2000, Scots introduced Scots.NET, a set of dynamically controlled sites allowing students to access resources and research materials online, on the college's latest twin ISDN connection.
Scots.NET now also incorporates all day-to-day school administration functions, including rolls, detentions, homework merits and demerits, behavioural reports, school report releases, discipline records, subject
selection, student timetables, assessment marks, attendance records, subject resources, SCOOGLE (an advanced subject forum server
based on a combination of Open Source course management technologies, allowing students and
teachers to communicate easily online and transfer documents and information), and software not usually available at home. In
addition to student accounts, Scots.NET also features parental accounts. These allow students' parents to gain access to school
publications (such as the The Clansman newsletter, which has recently ceased to appear
in any but electronic form; academic and pastoral reports; assessment marks; academic documentation; school publications; and so
forth. A feature of Scots.NET is that students and parents are able to access Scots.NET from any computer with
As part of this shift towards electronic learning, Scots has digital projectors, speaker systems and DVD/VCR systems in the majority of its classrooms and halls, in order to better facilitate media presentations by staff and students.
 Scots College |
 Scots College |
House System
As with most Australian schools, The Scots College utilises a house system. Scots has 13 student houses, of which 5 are boarding houses. Each year the houses participate in multiple academic and sporting competitions, spread across the school year, and are awarded points according to their placings. This point system determines the winner of the House Championship each year (announced at a final assembly). The day boy houses contain between 90 and 95 students each, whilst the boarding houses have between 50 and 65 apiece.
Day Boy Houses
In addition to the boarding houses, the school has 8 day boy houses- James Bee, Fraser, Anderson, Macky, Bruce, Armstrong, Gilchrist and Brandt. They are listed here by age:
- James Bee House is one of the two oldest day boy houses, formed in 1936 and named after Mr. James Bee, headmaster for twenty years (1914-1934). The house badge is based on his initials. In recent years, James Bee has consistently come second to Gilchrist House, with the exception of 2002 in which it secured the House Championship over its traditional rival. James Bee House has "Red Nose Day" as its charity and has raised well over $30000 for this worthwhile charity over the last 4 years. Colours: Black. Motto: Opera Optima ("Best Effort").
- Armstrong House was formed in 1936 as a day boy house. It is named after Dr. G. Armstrong, a founding College Councillor and Deputy College Chairman. Its crest is the College's rampant lion and the letter A in gold on a red background. Colours: Red and Gold. Motto: Striving for Excellence.
- Anderson House was formed in 1947, and named after Mr. A.K. Anderson, Headmaster from 1935 to 1955. The crest is based on the New South Wales floral emblem, the Waratah. Colours: Yellow, Red and White. Motto: Truth, Courage, Compassion.
- Brandt House was also formed in 1947. It is named for Rev. D.F. Brandt, Chairman of the College Council from 1927 to 1936. The house crest displays four sections displaying a castle, the lion rampant, an open book and the house initials. Colours: Royal Blue.
- Gilchrist House was formed in 1986. It was named after the Rev. Dr. A. Gilchrist, one of the most influential College Founders. In recent years, Gilchrist has been consistent winner of the House Championship (excepting a 2002 victory to James Bee). The badge and motto are based on those of the Gilchrist Clan. Colours: Red, Green and White. Motto: Fortis et Fidus ("Brave and Faithful")
- Bruce House was formed in 1986 and named after Rev. Dr. D. Bruce (Chairman of the College Council from 1902 to 1905.
The house selected a new badge in 1991, based on the belt that traditionally surrounds
Scottish clan badges with the College's rampant lion in the centre. Colours: Royal Blue and White. Motto: Strength and Unity. - Fraser House was also formed in 1986. It was named after Mr H.J. Fraser, Chairman of the College Council from 1969 to 1977. The crest and motto are based on those of the Fraser clan, with the buck's head in the centre. Colours: Light Green and White. Motto: Je Suis Pret ("I'm Ready!")
- Macky House, like Bruce, Fraser and Gilchrist, was founded in 1986. It was named after Rev. Dr. W.M.D. Macky, one of the founders and the first Chairman of the College Council (1893-1901). The open book and sword-bearing arm of the crest are based on the house motto. Colours: Blue, Green and White. Motto: With Strong Arm and Mind.
School Principals
- Rev Arthur Aspinall (1892-1913)
- James Bee (1914-1934)
- Alexander Knox Anderson (1935-1955)
- A. E. McLucas (1955-1967)
- Guthrie Wilson (1967-c1979)
- Graeme Renney (c1979-1993)[1]
- Dr Robert Iles (1993-2006)
- Dr Ian Lambert (2007-Present)
Notable Alumni
Former Students of The Scots College are known as Old Boys, or alternatively 'Old Scotsmen'. For notable Alumni of Scots, see List of notable Old Boys of The Scots College (Sydney).
Associated schools
There are currently only three other Presbyterian schools in New South Wales:
- Scots' sister school, the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney in Croydon
- The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale
- The Scots School, Bathurst
References
- Andrew, Phillipa A (1997) Built To Last: the stories of John and Thomas Aspinall and their descendants. Privately Published.
- ISBN/ISSN 0 646 34463 3: available in the library of The Society of Australian Genealogists, Sydney, State Library of New South Wales and in the library of The Scots College.
- Church Records and Historical Society (Uniting Church of Australia, NSW Synod), Parramatta
- Garrett, J and Farr, L W (1964) Camden College: A Centenary History
- Geeves, Phillip and Jervis, J (1986) Rockdale: its beginning and development Revised Edition
- Historical Society of New South Wales
- Joy, William (29 April 1968) Daily Telegraph, Sydney: "How three fighting Scots founded a great school" (commemorating the 75th anniversary of the school)-includes photo of Rev Aspinall and his wife
- Munro May (1961) In Old Aspinall's Day
- Prentis, Malcolm A Biographical Register of Presbyterian Ministers in NSW, 1866-1885, Church Heritage Vol 6 No3
- Prentis, M and Sherrington, G (1994) History of Scots College
- White, C A The Challenge of the Years Plate 29 "The Scots College"
See also
- List of Non-Government schools in New South Wales
- List of boarding schools
- History of Brighton-le-Sands, New South Wales
- List of pipe bands
External links
- The Scots College website
- ScotsCricket.com.au, the Scots cricket website
- AAGPS Website
- Students nearly beaten to death: SMH April 12 2006
| Members of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales, Australia |
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| Newington College · Shore School · St Ignatius' College · St Joseph's College · Sydney Boys High School · Sydney Grammar School · The Armidale School · The King's School · The Scots College |
| Presbyterian Church of Australia Schools |
|---|
| Belgrave Heights Christian School • Covenant College, Canberra • Fairholme College • King's College, Warrnambool • Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney • Presbyterian Ladies' College, Armidale • Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne • St. Andrew's Christian College • Scotch College, Melbourne • The Scots College • The Scots School, Bathurst |
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