Horton College

Horton College was a 19th-century boys boarding school at Mona Vale near Ross, Tasmania. It opened in 1855, founded by Captain Samuel Horton as a private Methodist school. It closed in 1894 but during its brief period it was considered an extremely prestigious school,^[1] counting many of the landed families of the period as students.^[2] Its first headmaster was John Manton, and for many years its motto was Nil sine magno labore. This was replaced by Perseverantia Palman Obtinebit. The school building itself was an impressive red brick structure, designed by William Archer^[3] and its ruins were listed on the Register of the National Estate from 1978.^[4]

The college fell into financial ruin following a great economic depression that hit the state in the 1890s and the college was forced to shut due to debts. The College Board of Trustees, owning the building but not the land (which was in trust from Captain Horton's estate), handed the entire property back to his nephew. For many years the nephews son lived in the school building but in 1917 he moved and the building was torn down to sell the materials. The bells from the building are still used by the Hutchins School, while other parts were used to build Horton Cottage and parts of what is now Scotch Oakburn College. The buildings entrance arch still stands.^[5]

Alumni

Noted students included;

• Members of the Archer family^[2]
• Kermode family^[2]
• Crowther family^[2]
• Albert Solomon - Premier of Tasmania^[2]
• Sir John Davies and Charles Davies, sons of the founder of the The Mercury^[2]
• William Henry Burgess, member of Tasmanian parliament^[2]
• William Lyne, Premier of New South Wales^[6]
• Arthur Groom, member of the Victorian parliament^[7]

External links

• Photo of the college in the LINC collection

References