North Adelaide Grammar School

North Adelaide Grammar School, later Whinham College was a private school operated in North Adelaide, South Australia by John Whinham (3 August 1803 – 13 March 1886) and his family.

History

John Whinham

The founder of the school was born at Sharperton, Northumberland, and when very young displayed a thirst for knowledge and an aptitude for mathematics. He was tutored by a Roman Catholic clergyman, and at age 19 while acting as an assistant teacher qualified for entry to the University of Dublin, but family illnesses kept him in England, and in 1823 he took to teaching, and opened a school in Ovingham, near Newcastle upon Tyne. He was very successful there, and he received offers from Newcastle to move there, but chose to remain in Ovingham, where he married and became the father of six daughters and two sons. He became quite well off financially, but lost most of his savings in the economic downturn of 1848–1849. The family emigrated to Australia on the Athenian, and arrived in Adelaide, by way of Melbourne, in 1852. He had intended to start afresh as a farmer, but must have had second thoughts as he accepted an appointment as mathematics master at St. Peter's College, which he left after a few months to open his own school in North Adelaide, first at the Salem chapel, then at Goode's store in Kermode Street,^[1] finally at new premises at the corner of Ward and Jeffcott Streets, which later became Australian Lutheran College. It started small but rapidly grew, and for many years was one of the largest private boarding and day schools in Australia.^[2]

There is a reference to him losing his fortune a second time, which has yet to be explained. His youngest daughter died in 1882 and he retired shortly after, handing over management of the school to David, his eldest son. The school was then renamed "Whinham College" in his honour. In October 1881, his old scholars presented him with an oil portrait of himself painted by Andrew MacCormac.

Less than two years later, David died as the result of an accident, and John was forced to resume management duties; he himself died less than two years later.

Robert Whinham

Son Robert and a sister were teaching at the School in 1863^[3] and he was described as "second master" in 1864.

He made headlines when he pulled a prank on an old friend, which a third party objected to and informed the police. The incident became a court case and cause célèbre.^[4]

In 1882 John Whinham, nearly 80 years old, formally retired from teaching and management of the school, handing over the management duties to his son Robert. His rule was cut short however, when he was thrown from his horse at North Adelaide when returning from the city on 24 October 1884. It is likely that the reins, which had been broken early that day, had been inexpertly repaired and broke again. The horse, David's favourite, was a skittish animal and without both reins was uncontrollable, and taking alarm at some small thing threw him sideways, breaking his spine when he hit the ground. He died that evening.^[5]

David was well known as an elocutionist, probably encouraged by his mother, and was frequently called upon to perform public recitations.

William Whinham

William (1842-1925) was John Whinham's eldest son; he sailed out to Australia with the family but had only intermittent involvement with the school.

Around 1876 he founded the township, later suburb, of Ovingham.

He purchased Benara station, near Mount Gambier around 1874 and sold it to Captain R. Gardiner six years later at a substantial profit.^[6]

He was elected to the House of Assembly seat of Victoria made vacant by the resignation of G. C. Hawker in June 1883. He was not a candidate for the general election in 1884.

In 1883 he and W. McEllister embarked on an ambitious speculation in the wheat market. They offered farmers 10s. per acre advance on half the farmer's wheat crop. This amounted to some £16,500 on 33,000 acres. Anticipating cornering the market, they purchased 5000 bales of wheat bags and chartered 20 or 30 clipper ships to carry the harvest to Europe^[7] and employed 44 inspectors to assess the qualifying farms. The outcome, rather than a profit, was a loss of some £14,000.^[8]

With the death of his brother Robert in 1884, William Whinham assumed management of the school, but after a few years returned to his business interests. He lived a very secluded life in later years; he had married late in life and his wife predeceased him by about twelve years. He had a hip injury which meant he could only get about with the aid of crutches.

George Newman

George Gough Newman, B.A. (ca.1862 – 30 May 1929) George was a student at Grote Street Model School^[9] and North Adelaide Grammar School, matriculated in Adelaide, passed through the Teachers' College and was appointed assistant master at Hindmarsh school. He gained his B.A. from London University, then served as master for two years at St. Peter's College. He was appointed headmaster of Whinham College in 1894^[10] under a board of management, and took over the lease of the school in 1895. The University School of North Adelaide was merged with Whinham College in 1896^[11]

In mid-1898 Newman was charged with indecent assault against a 14-year old student in late 1897. The case came before the Supreme Court; Newman was defended by J. H. Symon Q.C., who demonstrated that the boy was unable to recall dates of the alleged incidents, or even of the date the school broke up. The judge, Mr. Justice Bundey, directed the jury to acquit.^[12] Around the same time he was declared bankrupt; he blamed impatience of creditors.^[11] That was the last year the school operated. Newman was the author of a large number of educational booklets.^[13]

Whinham family

• John Whinham (3 August 1803 – 13 March 1886) was married to Mary, née Bedlington, (ca.1811 – 4 September 1891)

• William Whinham (ca.1842 – 5 September 1925), teacher and pastoralist, founded the suburb of Ovingham, South Australia, and was member for Electoral district of Victoria 1883–1884. He is reported to have married late in life, and she died around 1913,^[14] though details are elusive.
• Robert Whinham (ca.1847 – 24 October 1884)
• eldest daughter Jane Whinham ( – 21 January 1908) married J.W. Parsons (died 14 December 1900) of Nairne on 5 April 1877, later lived at Whinham Street, Fitzroy
• second daughter Isabella Whinham (ca.1838 – 24 August 1931) married Walter B.T. Andrews (ca.1824 – 5 April 1899) on 8 July 1858. Andrews was killed in a railway crossing accident at Upper Sturt.
• third daughter Mary Whinham ( – 19 October 1901) married John Harrison Packard (1847 – 11 August 1929) on 8 April 1874
• fourth daughter Annie Whinham married T.W. Harris on 30 September 1875
• youngest daughter Margaret Emily Whinham ( – 22 May 1882)

They lived at Ovingham House, Buxton Street, North Adelaide

Notable students

• Harold Boas town planner and architect in Western Australia
• John Ragless Brookman (from They Built South Australia)
• Edmund Sidney Clark (from They Built South Australia)
• Alfred Rutter Clarke stockbroker and investor
• James Cowan politician
• John Millard Dunn organist
• John Henry Osborn Eaton (from They Built South Australia)
• Harry Congreve Evans journalist and editor
• Arthur John Green (from They Built South Australia)
• O. P. Heggie film and theatre actor.
• Arthur Charles Jeston Richardson cyclist and mining engineer
• William Benjamin Rounsevell politician
• Alfred Sandover hardware merchant
• Henry Sparks businessman
• Edward Vardon politician
• Ebenezer Ward politician and journalist
• Arthur Wellington Ware brewer, publican and Mayor of Adelaide
• Sir Reginald Victor Wilson businessman and politician.
• Walter James Young businessman

References