Knox Grammar School

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Knox Grammar School

Motto: Virile Agitur 'The Manly Thing is being Done'
Established	1924
Type	Independent all-male secondary and primary
Headmaster	John Weeks
Chaplain	Rev Dr Gareth Clayton
Faculty	100
Students	1850
Grades	K–12
Location	Wahroonga, NSW Australia
Campus	20 acres
Colours	Black and Blue
Website	www.knox.nsw.edu.au

Knox Grammar School is a Uniting Church in Australia school located in Wahroonga in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1924 by the Presbyterian Church of Australia as an all-boys school named after John Knox, Knox has since grown, branching out into a large senior school of approximately 1300 students and a preparatory school of 500. It is one of six members of the Combined Associated Schools (CAS).

1 School motto
2 Headmasters
3 Facilities
4 List of buildings
5 Boarding
6 Other houses
7 Cadet unit (KGSACU)
8 Notable alumni: "Old Knox Grammarians"
9 See also
10 External links

[edit] School motto

Knox's school motto is a Latin phrase, "Virile Agitur", which has been translated by the Headmasters from the school as being "Act like a man" (Preparatory School), "The manly thing is being done" (Peter Crawley) or "Do the Manly Thing" (Dr Paterson).

Knox Mission Statement:

Knox Grammar School seeks to be an exemplary school developing, within a caring Christian environment, young men of Integrity, Wisdom, Compassion and Faith; men with a sure knowledge of who they are and how they should live.

Integral are the school's four cardinal values: Integrity, Wisdom, Compassion and Faith.

[edit] Headmasters

1924 - 1938: Mr. Neil MacNeil
1939 - 1952: Dr. William Bryden
1953 - 1955: Dr. John Mill Couper
1956 - 1968: Dr. T Ross McKenzie
1969 - 1998: Dr. Ian Paterson
1999 - 2003: Mr. Peter Crawley
2004 - Current: Mr. John Weeks

[edit] Current Headmaster John Weeks

John W Weeks became the seventh Headmaster of Knox Grammar School in 2004. Prior to this, he was the Founding Head of Hunter Grammar Valley School (1989-1996) and the fifth Head of The Illawarra Grammar School (1997-2003).

Weeks has been instrumental in the building of new facilities at the school, under the Knox 'Master Plan'. Under this program, the administrative arm of the school will be upgraded, new boarding houses constructed, air conditioning installed in most classrooms and upgrades undertaken to the Lawson Centre to include a new canteen, dining area and classrooms, known as KG1.

The HSC Acceleration program implemented by former Headmaster Peter Crawley has been scaled back to only include a select few from each year.

Mr Weeks has also established links with Macquarie University with the introduction of philosophy university courses undertaken by the school's gifted students in Year 11.

[edit] 1999 - 2003, Peter Crawley

Peter Crawley in 2001 implemented a school laptop programme. The Preparatory students no longer purchase the laptops but instead rent and store them at school.

Crawley also promoted acceleration of gifted students, and under his leadership the da Vinci programme was established to 'enrich gifted students' and included acceleration of HSC subjects for Year 10/11 students.

He extended the Knox intake to K-2 Students, and the K-2 Centre built under his guidance in the prep school includes some of the best teaching and technological resources in the state.

[edit] 1969 - 1998, Dr Ian Paterson

Dr Ian Paterson was Knox's longest-serving Headmaster. He resigned after 29 years in the job and was renowned for his strong personality and leadership.

Dr Paterson had a hand in all aspects of the school, directing the annual school musical, coaching sporting teams and occasionally teaching classes.

The Business Studies building, opened in 1998, was named The Paterson Centre for Ethics and Business Studies in light of his contribution to the school.

Many students, past and present, remember the 'Paterson Era' with great fondness, often regarding this as Knox's 'Golden Age'. The last students who had Paterson as Headmaster, the students of Year 1, 1998, will graduate Year 12 in 2009.

[edit] Facilities

Knox's senior campus boasts a sports facility with an indoor pool, gymnasium, squash and weights rooms, music and drama centres, three boarding houses with a fourth on the Preparatory School campus located nearby, also in Wahroonga. Knox owns several major sporting fields including one on-campus at the Senior School, two on-campus at the Prep School, and two off-campus in Warrawee and neighbouring North Turramurra.

Each classroom is equipped with a digital projector and each student has a laptop with wireless internet access. In addition to its extensive academic and sporting programmes, the school offers many extra curricular activities including music with several large ensembles and orchestras, drama, debating, public speaking, chess, science clubs, and Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme, as well as maintaining the largest secondary school cadet corps in Australia.

[edit] List of buildings

Main Building
The John Williams Memorial Hall
Paterson Centre for Ethics and Business Studies (PC)
Montgomery Building (MO)
Science Building (S)
Tutorial Building (T)
McKenzie Building (MK)
Reid Industrial Arts Building (R)
Visual Arts Building (A)
Music Centre (MC)
Drama Centre
Lawson Centre (LC) - school gym
Chapel
Demountable Buildings (D)

KG1 (under construction - completed 2007)

[edit] Boarding

Knox Grammar School provides boarding facilities for over 150 boarders. Boarding facilities have been available since the school's opening, in 1924. The current Directors of Boarding are Mr and Mrs Bob Anderson with Mr and Mrs Norrie Cannon on long service leave for 2006.

Gilmore - traditionally the Junior Boarding House, accommodating boarders from years 5-8. Rev J.J. Gilmore was a founder of the school and long-serving member of the council (1923-1947).
Gillespie (Maroon) - the original school house and is named for Robert Gillespie, a founder and benefactor of the school, and chairman of the school council (1923-1945). It was later converted into a Boarding House, today accommodating boarders from year 9.
MacNeil (Black) - originally an expansion to Gillespie House, completed to add room to the new school. It is named for Neil MacNeil, the first Headmaster of the school (1924-1938). Today, it accommodates boarders from year 10.
Ewan - a Prep School Boarding House, named for the wife of Dr Armstrong, the house's former owner. It is a heritage-listed building, dating back to the late 1890s. After significant expansion, it now houses the senior boarders, years 11 and 12.

[edit] Other houses

Other than the boarding houses, all Knox boys are put into day houses that have their own locker areas in the school.

Adamson (Dark Green) - John Adamson - a long-serving chairman of the school council.
Angus (Brown) - Rev Samuel Angus - a Professor of Theology at Sydney University and former member of the school council.
Bryden (Grey) - Dr William Bryden - the second Headmaster of the school (1939-1953). Also known as the cultural house.
McIlrath (Dark Blue) - William McIlrath - a founder and benefactor of the school and a long-serving council member (1923-1955). His widow contributed 50,000 pounds for the construction of the school chapel in 1960, which contains a Baroque organ by Ronald Sharp.
McKenzie (Orange). Dr Ross McKenzie - fourth Headmaster of the school (1956-1969).
Montgomery (Lime Green) - Ross Montgomery - a council member (1953-1970) and benefactor of the school. His major gifts included the Montgomery Building and Gilmore House.
Murdoch (Red) - AM Murdoch - a long-serving school council member (from 1938) and chairman (1955-1969).
Reid (Yellow) - Andrew Reid - a founder and benefactor of the school. A business leader, sole proprietor of James Hardie in 1912, he made many financial contributions to the school; he also built the Margaret Reid Home for Crippled Children in St. Ives, in memory of his late wife.
Sinclair (Purple) - George Sinclair - a school council member (from 1944) and chairman (1952-1955).
Turnbull (Light Blue) - Alex Turnbull - a founding member of the school council, serving 1923-47, and an elder at St Margaret's Church in nearby Turramurra.

[edit] Cadet unit (KGSACU)

Knox Grammar School has an Australian Army Cadet Unit, the KGSACU. It comprises approximately 650 members (660 as of May 2006), ranging from Recruit Cadets to Cadet Under Officers in senior positions from the Senior Under Officer to individual Platoon Commanders. It is considered the largest Army Cadet Unit in Australia, and is often cited as the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. Cadet participation is compulsory from Term 4, Year 8, through to the end of Term 3, Year 9. From then on, boys may optionally continue cadets, and promotion opportunities become available.

The Cadet Unit participates in Bivouac at the end of Term 1, an Annual Field Exercise (or AFX) between at the end of Term 2, and Promotions Course in June and September each year. Additionally, the KGSACU holds parades for the Old Knox Grammarians Association (OKGA), an ANZAC parade to commemorate ANZAC Day (though often, due to school hoidays, not on the day itself), and a Passing Out Parade at the end of the cadet year to farewell the Year 12s leaving the unit.

The KGSCU is batallion strength, and is divided into several companies, platoons and sections Each company consists of three platoons, except for Headquaters Company, which has eight platoons.

A Company, for continuing cadets who are trained in advanced infantry tactics and outdoor skills.

B, C, D and E Company, for recruits and their rank.

Headquarters Company, consisting of the Quartermaster's Platoon, Medical Platoon, Signals Platoon, Administration Platoon, Reconnaissance Platoon, Training Platoon, Pioneer Platoon, and Operations Platoon.

Quartermaster’s Platoon controls the stores and supplies for the unit. Medical Platoon is charged with the medical welfare of the cadets. Signals Platoon operate the UnitNet - The unit communications network. Administration Platoon control the documentation and registration of all members of the unit. Training Platoon create the training programs for all cadets in the unit. Pioneer Platoon operate the rock climbing and abseiling equipment for the unit. Operations Platoon plan the two exercises, Bivouac and AFX. Reconnaissance Platoon are highly trained members of the unit who are the cadet version of the Australian Army Special Forces. They act as the 'enemy' to A, B, C, D and E company on two exercises, while attempting to interrupt Headquarters Company functions.

[edit] Notable alumni: "Old Knox Grammarians"

Former Students of Knox are known as "Old Knox Grammarians". For a list of notable "Old Knox Grammarians", see List of notable Old Knox Grammarians

[edit] See also

List of Non-Government schools in New South Wales

[edit] External links

Knox Grammar School website

Google Maps views

Senior School Senior school visible mid-left, Gillespie fields visible upper right
Prep School Centre of picture
Curugal Fields, North Turrumurra Centre of picture
Gillespie Fields Centre of Picture, Senior School visible bottom left

v • d • e

Members of the Combined Associated Schools, Sydney, Australia

Barker College • Cranbrook School • Knox Grammar School • St Aloysius' College • Trinity Grammar School • Waverley College

Uniting Church in Australia Schools

Former Presbyterian Church of Australia Schools

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