The Southport School

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The Southport School
Image:Tss-logo2.jpg
Palmam qui meruit ferat.
Let him who deserves the palm of victory bear it.
Established 1901
School type Private/Independent
Church Affiliation Anglican
Headmaster Greg Wain
School Captain Brodie Cunningham
Location Southport, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
Enrolment approx. 1,000
Colours Maroon, Navy Blue, White
Homepage http://www.tss.qld.edu.au

The Southport School (TSS), founded 1901, is an all boys Anglican day and boarding school located on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

TSS is the only all boys boarding school on Gold Coast. TSS's sister all girls day and boarding school, St Hilda's, is situated approximately 5 kilometres away.

Contents

[edit] History

The founder and first Headmaster of the school, The Right Reverend Horace Henry Dixon was first given charge of Southport Church of England Parish. During his tenure, Reverend Dixon later gained approval from the Diocese of Brisbane to proceed with the establishment of the school.

With financial support from Hon. E.J. Stevens, (past member for Logan in Queensland Legislative Assembly) and R.S Berry (a Southport doctor at the time), a lease was obtained for the land and buildings. The buildings were completed prior to commissioning in 1901 and the first boarders A.A Markwell and Frank Taylor took up residence at The Southport High School, as it was then recognised.

In the formative years, TSS remained solely a boarding school and only gained the name The Southport School in 1913.

[edit] Academic Pursuit

The Southport School has had a history of solid academic performance. The school has produced several Rhodes Scholars, the last being Peter Annand in 1966. The School's headmaster, Greg Wain, attributed last years results to a "less academically inclined cohort" in 2005. In the weekly TSS newsletter on February 28 2006, he noted that the school had performed "better overall" with more OP4 - OP7 results than in recent years. There is an argument that the breadth of activities available reflects the School's philosophy of producing the Renaissance man rather than one-dimensional academics. Notwithstanding this, although the Southport School is Queensland's most expensive school, with 2006 fees from AU$7,420 to AU$12,276 a year, it did not rank in the top 100 Queensland schools academically in 2005, based on its OP results. The school points out that fact that its average OP went up and that its students receive university acceptance at roughly the same rate as schools with more top end results.

[edit] Co-Curricular

TSS has a reputation throughout the country for producing top level athletes including those mentioned below^. The school offers a wide range of sports beginning in term 1 with sailing, rowing, swimming and cricket. The School's position on the river gives rowers and sailors a distinct advantage as is attested to by the School's record at GPS Rowing and Sailing events and at other championships. Over the last three years the under 18 English swimming team has completed years 11 and 12 at TSS with each student paying full boarding fees.

In terms 2 and 3 boys may involve themselves in rugby, soccer or cross country running. The 3 or 4 home rugby matches a season draw large crowds with the final home game being the focal point of Old Boys Week.

In Term 3 and 4 the school undertakes basketball and tennis along with track and field events.

TSS also has a full time gymnastics squad who train all year for their GPS titles (held at TSS) in term 3. Students also may involve themselves in Debating in terms 1 and 2, and the TSS Speech and Variety Club through which they learn the skills of oral communication.

[edit] GPS Results 2006

Event Place
Rowing 1st (1st VIII)
Rugby 1st
Swimming 2nd
Basketball 2nd
Tennis 3rd
Debating 3rd
Gymnastics 3rd
Sailing 5th
Chess 5th (Equal)
Cross Country 7th
Soccer 8th (Equal)
Athletics 9th

[edit] Round Square

Internationally, over 30 secondary schools claim to be members of the Round Square association. TSS has been a member of Round Square for over seven years and in this time over thirty (30) students have experienced foreign exchange with other member schools.

[edit] Cadets

At the Southport School, Yr 9 students must join an Australian Defence Force Cadets organisation. The school intends, as of 2007, to make attendance of Cadets in year 10 compulsory as well. On October 30th 2006 The Southport School's army cadet unit celebrated its centenary. The event included a Parade, military demonstrations and activities. The parade was reviewed by Chief of Army, LtGen Peter Leahy, AO. There were also be many other high ranked officers attending, many of them TSS Oldboys. The Parade was commanded by the SUO of the schools cadet unit: CUO Thomas Usher.

[edit] The House System

In 1909 the house system was developed by Charles Thorold, in which students were divided into three separate houses, Delpratt, McKinley and Thorold, which were named after the respective Housemasters M.G Delpratt, J McKinley and C.C Thorold.

Since then there have been further additions with the dayboys being first placed in Walker House in the reign of John Day. Now day houses outnumber boarding houses 2:1. The boarding houses have still been a prominent force in the school with few day houses ever winning the overall interhouse competition (though this trend is declining with day houses Atkinson, Radcliffe and Walker winning in 04, 05 and 06 respectivly).

The division of students into houses was convenient for the purposes of inter-house sporting competition and the House Shield is the most coveted prize in the school. The system extends far beyond this though, and is used to instill the notion of brotherhood as is evident by the quote from Shakespeare's Henry V that takes pride of place at the front of the school dining hall, "We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers"

[edit] Senior School Day Houses

  • Atkinson
  • Kaiser
  • Maughan
  • Melbourne
  • Radcliffe
  • Surman
  • Turnock
  • Walker

[edit] Senior School Boarding Houses

  • Biddle
  • Delpratt
  • McKinley
  • Thorold

[edit] Junior School Day Houses

  • Dixon
  • Mitre
  • Musgrave
  • Shepherd

[edit] Junior School Boarding Houses

  • Rogers (not a competing house)

[edit] Headmasters of the School

  • Rt. Rev. Horace Henry Dixon (1901-1929)
  • Bertram George Lawrance (1930-1935)
  • Rev. Verney Lovett Johnstone (1936-1940)
  • John Norman Radcliffe (1941-1950)
  • Cecil Garton Pearce, OBE (1950-1971)
  • John Henry Day, AM (1972-1987)
  • Paul John McKeown, AM (1987)
  • Bruce Alexander Cook (1988-2003)
  • Greg Wain (2004-present)

[edit] Old Southportonians

[edit] The OSA

The Old Southportonians Association (OSA) is the alumni for old boys of the school. The OSA is celebrating its 100 years as a recognised body in 2007.

[edit] Notable Old Boys

[edit] Military

  • Lieutenant John Fraser (fought and died in Vietnam)
  • General Robert Harold Nimmo (Head of UN Military Observer Group in Pakistan & India 1952-1966)
  • Major Hugh Quinn (fought and died at the eponymous Quinn's Post at Gallipoli in 1915)

[edit] Business and Politics

  • Rob Borbidge (Former Premier of Queensland)
  • The Hon. John Moore (former Defence Minister)
  • Bill O'Chee (Former National Party Federal Senator)
  • Matthew Perrin (Former Managing Director of Billabong)
  • Glen Shiel (Former National Party Federal Senator)

[edit] Arts, Media and Sciences

[edit] Sport

[edit] See also


Members of The Great Public Schools Association of Queensland Inc., Queensland, Australia
Anglican Church Grammar School | Brisbane Boys' College | Brisbane Grammar School | Brisbane State High School | Ipswich Grammar School | St. Joseph's Nudgee College | St. Joseph's College, Gregory Terrace | The Southport School | Toowoomba Grammar School


Brisbane Metropolitan Members of The Anglican Schools Office, Queensland, Australia
Anglican Church Grammar School | Cannon Hill Anglican College | Canterbury College (Waterford) | Forest Lake College | Hillbrook Anglican School | St Aidan's Anglican Girls School | St Margaret's Anglican Girls School | St Paul's School | The Lakes College | The Springfield College | West Moreton Anglican College
Queensland Regional Members of The Anglican Schools Office, Queensland, Australia
All Saints Anglican School | Coomera Anglican College | Djarragun College | Fraser Coast Anglican College | Matthew Flinders Anglican College | St Andrew's Anglican College | St Hilda's School | St Luke's Anglican School | The Cathedral School | The Glennie School | The Southport School | The Toowoomba Preparatory School | Trinity Anglican School | Whitsunday Anglican School

[edit] References

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