North Sydney Boys High School

North Sydney Boys High School
Latin: Vincit qui se vincit
He conquers who conquers himself
Location
Crows Nest, New South Wales, Australia
Information
School type Public, Selective, Single-sex Secondary School
Established 1912[1]
Principal Robyn Hughes[2]
Deputy Principals George Rezcallah and
Andrew Mitchell (Relieving)
Grades 7-12
Enrolment ~928[3]
Campus type Suburban
Colour(s) Bismark, Coral & Gold
              
Website

North Sydney Boys High School is an academically selective, public high school for boys, located at Crows Nest in Sydney, Australia.

Contents

History

North Sydney Boys began off site in temporary classes in 1912. At the end of 1914, 89 boys transferred to the permanent home on the corner of Falcon Street and Miller Street, Crows Nest. The School chose the Falcon as its logo according to the location of the school on Falcon Street,[4] even going as far as to name its Old Boys Alumni "Old Falconians" in 1933.[5] After years of controversy, it has been decided to celebrate the centenary in 2012.[6][7].

The first headmaster was Nimrod Greenwood.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[11]

Curriculum

The school has a history of academic excellence prompting Sir James Darling, Headmaster of Geelong Grammar School, to reflect that "North Sydney is the equal of, if not better than, any private school in Australia".[12] He was referring to a 'golden era' in the 1950s and 60s when school's students set numerous records in the published results of the old NSW Leaving Certificate.[12]

North Sydney still performs well in Higher School Certificate results today. In 2011, the Sydney Morning Herald ranked North Sydney Boys High School 2nd in the state.[2] It had the 3rd largest number of recipients of the Premier's 'All Rounders' Award in the state and 2nd highest percentage.[2]

In 2009, it fell out of the top 10 and was placed 14th by The Sydney Morning Herald in its HSC performance list which was topped for the 14th consecutive year by James Ruse Agricultural High School[13] but made a return to the top 10 in 2010 in a list again topped by James Ruse Agricultural High School.[14]

In 2004 it had the 6th highest number of recipients of the Premier's 'All Rounders' Award in the state.[15] According to The Daily Telegraph's Local Top 120 Schools, North Sydney Boys High School was ranked 3rd in the 2003 HSC, with 41 students achieving a University Admissions Index (UAI) of 99 or higher.[16][17]

Crows Nest campus

The campus of North Sydney Boys High School consists of a number of one to three storey 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.[18]:3

History

Construction began on the first building on the Crows Nest campus in 1913[18]:4[19] 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.[20] 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."[21] 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."[22]

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.[18]:4

Recent building works

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

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.

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. In 2007 - 2009 six science labs were completely refurbished costing over $1million.[23]

In 2011, the School named the recently refurbished gymnasium in honour of Old Falconian John Treloar.[24]

The school is now planning for an extension and complete refurbishment to the current library with building due to commence in 2012. Plans for the upgrading of outdoor recreation spaces has also begun.

Notable alumni

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".[25]

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.[26]

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 2011-02-13. http://www.nsbhs.nsw.edu.au/. Retrieved 2009-12-17. 
  2. ^ a b c Andrew Stevenson and Jen Rosenberg, "Private schools all but vanquished from top 10 list", The Sydney Morning Herald, 15 December 2011, p 1 via factiva.com accessed 15 December 2011 and online.
  3. ^ "North Sydney Boys High School". School Locator. NSW Public Schools. Archived from the original on 2011-02-13. http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?section=showRecord&code=8132. Retrieved 2010-12-10. 
  4. ^ North Sydney Council, "North Sydney's Heritage Walk 15" accessed 16 December 2011.
  5. ^ "OLD FALCONIANS.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 7. 17 June 1933. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28029244. Retrieved 17 August 2011. 
  6. ^ "Falconia". Old Falconians’ Union Journal (41). March 2009. 
  7. ^ 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."
  8. ^ Storey, H. M. (Henry Mackintosh) (ca. 1962). History of North Sydney High School 1912-1962. Crows Nest, New South Wales: North Sydney Boys' High School. p. 2-13. 
  9. ^ "MR. NIMROD GREENWOOD.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 15. 25 September 1925. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16244845. Retrieved 17 August 2011. 
  10. ^ "HEADMASTER RETIRES.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 10. 2 May 1932. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16859990. Retrieved 17 August 2011. 
  11. ^ "HEADMASTER DEAD.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 5. 4 August 1947. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18041140. Retrieved 17 August 2011. 
  12. ^ a b 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."
  13. ^ Anna Patty and Heath Gilmore, "School still top of class", The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 December 2009, p 1 via factiva.com accessed 16 December 2001.
  14. ^ Anna Patty, "Catholic and state schools add to HSC all-rounders", The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 December 2010, p 3 via factiva.com accessed 16 December 2001. "James Ruse 96, Baulkham Hills High 54, Sydney Grammar 50, North Sydney Girls High 50, Sydney Boys High 39, Sydney Girls High 39, North Sydney Boys High 36".
  15. ^ Kelly Burke, "Class act: HSC results the best yet", The Sydney Morning Herald, 18 December 2004, p 5 via factiva.com accessed 16 December 2011. The School ranked behind 1. James Ruse Agricultural High School, 2. North Sydney Girls High School, 3. Baulkham Hills High School, 4. Sydney Girls High School and 5. Sydney Grammar School.
  16. ^ 2003 HSC Information and Results, The Falcon 2004: North Sydney Boys High School Annual Magazine, 2004.
  17. ^ "Local Top schools", Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 20 December 2003, p 22 via factiva.com accessed 16 December 2011.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "Buildings and works. Progress of the trade.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 12. 1 April 1913. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28124098. 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." 
  20. ^ "GENERAL NOTES.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 12. 29 July 1913. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28123399. Retrieved 16 December 2011. 
  21. ^ "BUILDINGS AND WORKS. PROGRESS OF THE TRADES.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 10. 18 August 1914. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article15530426. Retrieved 16 December 2011. 
  22. ^ "BUILDINGS AND WORKS.". The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954) (NSW: National Library of Australia): p. 4. 29 December 1914. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article28113114. Retrieved 16 December 2011. 
  23. ^ North Sydney Boys High School - Science Laboratory Upgrade, Axis Constructions (NSW) accessed 15 December 2011.
  24. ^ "Team of the week" (Sport items), The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 December 2011, p 20, via factiva.com accessed 15 December 2011.
  25. ^ "The Old Falconians’ Union" (PHP). Communities. North Sydney Boys High School. 2006. http://www.nsbhs.nsw.edu.au/communities/ofu.php. Retrieved 2007-09-25. 
  26. ^ 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.

External links