| Camberwell Grammar School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Canterbury, Victoria, Australia | |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent, Single-sex, Day school |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Established | 1886 |
| Headmaster | Dr. Paul G Hicks |
| Enrolment | ~1,600 (P-12)[1] |
| Colour(s) | Gold, Navy Blue & Pale Blue |
| Website | www.cgs.vic.edu.au |
Camberwell Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day school for boys, located in Canterbury, an eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Camberwell Church of England Grammar School was founded in 1886. In its early years, the school was housed at a number of sites in and around the suburb of Camberwell, Victoria. It has occupied its present site on Mont Albert Road on Canterbury's Golden Mile, since 1935. In 2011, it celebrated the 125th year anniversary of its establishment in 1886.
The school currently has around 1600 students. The school is divided into three sections – Junior School (Prep – Year 5), Middle School (Year 6 – Year 8) and Senior School (Year 9 – Year 12).
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In 1886, Arthur B. Taylor, B.A, began the school in the Sunday School of St. John's Church of England on Burke Road, Camberwell, and the following year moved to Fermanagh Road, Prospect Hill, where there were about a hundred students.
In July 1891 the school was purchased by Mr. Alfred S. Hall, M.A., in partnership with Mr W.A. Gosman, and in 1896, when the number dropped to approximately 35 boys, it was transferred back to St John's Sunday School.
Twelve years later in 1908, a move was made to site which had been purchased in Burke Road where the school was to remain until 1934. It was during these years that the school was to take on the nature that the school is today. In 1924, suggestions were put forward that the school be converted from a private school to a 'Public School', and the following year at a public meeting in the Camberwell Town Hall, it was announced that a Provincial Council had been formed. this Council decided to take over the school from Mr. Hall, and on 3 May 1927, at a service at St. Mark's Church, the school was declared a 'Church of England Public School'.
At the end of 1926, mr. hall retired and was succeeded as Headmaster by Dr. M.A. Buntine, who was later to become Headmaster of Geelong College. He left the school in 1931 to go to Western Australia as Headmaster of Hale School, and was succeeded by Mr. H.L. Tonkin.
In 1934 the School Council purchased 'Roystead' for the sum of £ 12,500, and Camberwell Grammar School moved to its present site. With the help of the late Sir William Angliss, the building which used to house the Middle School and Administration was completed and was ready for occupation at the beginning of 1935. A preparatory school at the front of the property was opened a year later in 1936. This building, subsequently added to, remained a classroom block until its demolition in 2006.
In 1949 the late Mr. H.L. Tonkin retired as Headmaster, and was succeeded as Headmaster by Mr. M. Searle, who was appointed from England. At the end of 1954, Mr. Seal resigned his position was Headmaster, and was succeeded by the Reverend T.H. Timpson. Under his direction, the school made rapid progress, especially in terms of buildings and numbers of students. In 1957, the Parents' Association, under the leadership of Mr. Alec Hannah, and with the assistance of the old Boys, raised the necessary funds to commence the building of the Memorial Hall, and in February 1958 this building was opened and dedicated.
In 1958 also, the adjoining property known as 'Tara' was purchased, and three Preparatory School classrooms were built. The following year the H.L. Tonkin Science Block was begun and the ground floor, consisting of three science laboratories, were opened in April 1960. Additional Preparatory School classrooms, the B.L. Bath Wing, a Council Room and kitchen for the Memorial hall were added in 1961.
In 1962 a second floor was added to the H.L. Tonkin Memorial Building. the E.D. Romcke Memorial Library and two geography classrooms were erected a year later.
Other changes included the building of the buttery, an annex to the school tuck shop which served as a dining hall or common room for senior boys. In addition, land adjoining Blackburn Lake was acquired for future expansion, and a lease of scrubland named 'Bambara', near Broadford, was granted by the Forestry Commission. this was to provide a camp site where groups of boys may learn the benefits of community and country living.
1966 was a year of change, where Mr. Timpson resigned after guiding the school through a decade of expansion; he was succeeded by Mr. A.P.D. Dyer, formerly Headmaster of Ballarat College. During the year the classroom known as the T.H. Thimpson Wing was officially opened, and the property known as 'Highton' at the eastern end of the school was purchased to be used as a music school, the Rye family donating an impressive set of gates at the entrance to the property. About the same time, a new, large attractive kitchen-dining/ recreation hall was built at Bambara after a fire destroyed the original building.
Since 1966, new developments at Camberwell have included the building of new change rooms and toilets, the erection of an observatory, new tennis courts and a new Junior Science laboratory. the new L.W. Weickhardt Library and Resources Centre was opened in 1971. Other renovations included a new Junior School change room and projection box in Assembly Hall.
During the Christmas holidays at the end of 1971, the top floor of Roystead was considerably altered. besides the remodeling of two classrooms, a larger art room and senior study room were set up.
During 1973, the large 2-acre (8,100 m2) property 'Kingussie' at 43 Mont Albert Road was purchased for the School's long-term project.
By the start of 1974, alterations to Junior School to increase the size of the classrooms were fully completed, and in February, the long waited David Dyer Physical Education Centre was opened. This complex includes a heated pool, basketball/ volleyball courts, weights training and trampoline areas and a large multi-purpose room.
During 1974–1975, the Junior School alterations were completed and the tuck shop and Buttery both considerably increased in size and facilities.
The year 1976 marked the 90th anniversary of the School's foundation and the year was celebrated by past and present members of the School community. The two principal functions were the Old Boys' Dinner, held in Memorial Hall, and the Dinner for parents and friends at the Hilton, both most memorable occasions.
Kingussie was opened at the commencement of the year as an Asian Studies Centre for students and the community generally. the only noteworthy physical attention during 1976 was the interior reconstruction of part of 'Tara', to provide a small but effective Prep School library.
In early 1977, with the assistance of the Parents' Association, a computer was installed in the main administration building. It served the twofold purpose of giving students practical experience in programming, and of greatly increasing the efficiency of the school accounts department. Consequently, extensions to the limited office space were made.
At the end of 1977, the old Grade 6 classrooms near the Physical Education centre wan renovated to provide two areas for year 5 classes, and two new learning areas for Year 6 were erected between the site of the old gymnasium and the existing Junior school wing. This wing, in recognition of his long service to the school, first as Council Member then as Chairman, has been named the Cannon W. Holt Wing.
During 1978 part of the old Outer Circle Railway cutting near Canterbury Road was filled and a playing field prepared. In an historic venture Canterbury Girls' Secondary College shares this facility with Camberwell Grammar, and the local community is able to use it outside school hours. Work progressed during 1979 and landscaping was completed early in 1980. The area is called 'Shenley Ground', to commemorate Camberwell's first permanent settlers and the former railway station at the southern end of the field.
In 1979 the History Rooms facing Mont Albert Road were named the 'Romcke History Rooms', the original building used mainly for senior humanities and commerce, the 'Alfred Hall Building', the administration and Junior School section, the William Angliss Building', and the former Council Room, the 'P.W. Robinson Council Room'.
Early in the year a work area for the Commerce Department was erected above what was then the Deputy Headmaster's office, the Staff Common Room in Roystead was enlarged and refurbished, and both the Art and Craft room were extensively improved.
During 1980 the sixteen and a half acres in Lake Road, Blackburn, bought by the school in 1963 for the purpose of building a Junior School, were sold to the Nunawading City Council. Shortly afterwards 'Norge', 10 Barnsbury Road, was acquired.
In 2004, the HR MacDonald Library block replaced the old library block and in 2005, the middle school building was upgraded with the new installment of the William Angliss building.
The school plans to build a new senior school building, which should be completed by 2013.
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