The Waverlian Cover in 1936
Written, edited and distributed by the students, the Waverlian magazine was first published in 1931. It was issued once per term, containing wonderful stories of heroic (and not so successful) feats on the field and in the classroom. It also published exam results, as well as containing cartoons, school-boy humour and candid images of life as a Waverley College student.
A page from the Waverlian in 1936
The George William Rummery Music Scholarship is an initiative of the family of George Rummery, Class of 1986, whose life ended tragically in 1982 when he was in Year 8, and in whose memory a plaque can be found in the College Chapel.
George showed great musical talent, and for this reason the Scholarship is awarded to students of the College who display particular aptitude and interest in music. George’s family established a Scholarship Fund not long after his death, the capital of which is now sufficient to support an ongoing music scholarship in his name. The scholarship assists with music tuition fees and instrument hire on an ongoing basis for a student from Year 7 to 12, with one scholarship to be awarded annually.
Members of the Class of 1986 or any other year group who may wish to contribute to the George William Rummery Music Scholarship fund to further the study of music at the College are invited to contact the College via the Development Manager on 02 9369 0753.
The scholarship is awarded annually.
Waverley College joined the Associated Schools of NSW (better known as the CAS) in 1944. It was the sixth (and last) school to join the competition, which had been inaugurated in 1928. In the first year of membership, Waverley won the athletics; in 1948 our Morris Curotta became the first CAS Olympian. This image of the 1949 CAS 2nd XV illustrates the impact Waverley had on the CAS: Captain, coach and 5 members of this team came from Waverley.
‘With the compliments of TAA’ is one of two similar images we hold in the archives of a group of boys posing on the steps of a commercial jet – promotional material for the airline, and a wonderful aspect of school life captured for us. These boys were en route to Brisbane in May 1968 during the holiday break (only three terms back then!) for a friendly round of matches against their Queensland counterparts.
Michael Cleary AO (Wallaby, Waratah, Rabbitoh and Rooster) is one of our finest Old Boys. Michael, who attended Waverley College in the mid to late 1950s, is one of only a handful of sportsmen to have represented Australia in three different sports – Rugby Union, Rugby League and Athletics. He was also the State member for Coogee from 1974-1988 and served as a Minister in the NSW Wran Labor Government.
This image is an aerial view of the campus, taken in 1955. Looking towards the northwest with Salisbury St in the foreground, this image includes the houses Airmount (L) and Braidwood (adjacent to what is now the west wing of the quad) as well as the original school building (Conlon), which was completed in 1919 after a number of ‘modular’ extensions. The four-storey ‘west’ wing housed the boarders as well as the Brothers. The tennis courts and parade ground have given way to the swimming pool; the houses along Salisbury St have disappeared. Careful inspection reveals a group of boys – perhaps cadets – walking in a line just in front of the handball courts. One of the school buses is parked on the drive in front of Airmount, and The Grange is evident on the left.
The Waverley College Old Boys’ Union was formed in December 1908 by a large group of the first ex-students of the College under the patronage of Brother Conlon, an influential and highly regarded Headmaster of the school. The terms in which the formation is described in the Waverley Annual of 1908 reflect the close connections between the boys and their teachers, as well as the enthusiasm and delight felt towards the undertaking by all involved.
Waverley University Graduates in 1912
We received a right royal welcome from … Br Conlon. After affectionate greetings had been exchanged, business was proceeded with, and the motion to form the Union was enthusiastically received; after some discussion a comprehensive constitution was adopted and the first officers of the Union elected. For most of the positions the competition was very keen, as all the Old Boys were desirous of securing the honour of being one of the first officers of the Union.
WCA Series 10. Waverley College Annual, 1908 p.33
The 1909 Waverley Annual
Ed Brewer, Dan Sheehy and Frank Doyle, all of whom served in WWI, were members of the founding OBU Committee. Leo Duffy was WCOBU President in 1914, and served in WWI before returning to pursue a career in engineering. He and others such as Bede Kenny and Norbert Lyons retained their association with the school through active participation in the Old Boys’ Union on their return from the war.
Now a regular event, and a trip that many families consider routine, previous generations of Waverley boys – such as those of the 1950s – would have regarded a school trip to Canberra as a considerable event. For some, it was likely to have been their first trip away from Sydney. Travel times have improved, as have accommodation and sightseeing options. The trip undertaken in 1955 included an overnight stop on the way down and visits to what is now Old Parliament House, the Australian War Memorial (then less than 20 years old) and the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme. The group comprised members of the First XV (such a trip was not for everyone!); the team played against RMC Duntroon’s Second XV, as well as other schools. We wish the boys well as they experience Canberra.
Waverley College has embarked on the largest scale construction and refurbishment program in its history. A $23m project will result in new state-of-the-art facilities for the senior campus. Preliminary work in 2014 saw the relocation of the fourth-floor library from the East Wing to occupy the College Hall below the Chapel. Major works began in October 2014 on an expanded, high-profile heritage facade for the College on its Carrington Road frontage. The pool house will be impressively renovated to create a PDHPE Centre with offices, classrooms and changing-room facilities.
Waverley College Capital Works, Carrington Street
A re-conceived gymnasium/auditorium will transform school assemblies and performances, with additional retractable seating able to accommodate the entire school. A new stage will be accommodated in the southern wall of the gymnasium and to the north, on the site of what was the Birrell Street basketball court, a multi-story building will house the Technological and Applied Studies Centre (TAS). This new building will provide students with modern facilities in Industrial Technology, Hospitality, Food Technology and IT Software and Development. The building will be topped with a covered basketball court.
Waverley College Capital Works, Birrell Street
A masterplan for the senior campus envisions a central spine that will unite the campus from east to west, connecting the new TAS building and gym with the Centenary Quadrangle, Chapel and Library; the original school building will be transformed into a contemporary learning and resource centre and new Visual Arts facilities will be relocated to level four of the east wing to take advantage of spectacular views over the coastline.
Waverley College Old Boy, Massimo Luongo (Class of 2010) scored a fantastic goal as the Socceroos defeated South Korea 2-1 to record an historic victory in the final of the AFC Asian Cup.
Luongo was later named player of the tournament for his mature and commanding midfield display throughout the group stages and the finals, during which he set up and scored goals.
“What a moment!!!!” was the Twitter caption on the cheeky selfie he snapped during the official post-match presentation.
Luongo’s skillful turn and long-range shot almost won the game for the Socceroos in regular time, before South Korea’s star Son Heung Min scored just moments before the siren. James Troisi slotted home a deflection from goal keeper Kim Jin Hyeon to secure the win for the hosts in the first half of extra time.
Luongo attended the College from 2005 to 2010 and started to shine as a midfielder as early as 2007, when he made the First XI while still in Year 9. He was back in Sydney from England, where he was playing for Swindon Town football club in League One. He has since moved up to the The Champions League to play a starring role in the midfield for Queen’s Park Rangers.
In 1903, the Commonwealth passed an act of parliament that prescribed the terms under which the newly federated states would manage matters of defence. Based on this, and following a review of existing military facilities, structures and personnel by Lord Kitchener[i], two significant changes were introduced in 1911. The first was the establishment of the Royal Military College at Duntroon. The second was the introduction of a system of universal national training: boys aged 12 to 18 would train as cadets, and men aged 18 to 26 had to serve in the Citizen Military Forces.[ii]
Cadets ‘Passing Out’ in 1947
This heralded the establishment of the Waverley College Cadet Unit, which first came together in 1911. In the Waverley Annual of that year, Brother Conlon noted:
A new development in connection with our College this year has been the establishment of a Cadet Company amongst our pupils. We are indebted for this chiefly to the kindness of Captain Holborrow, to whom we return our sincere thanks. We also beg to thank Sergeant-Major Clayfield for the interest he has taken in, and the gentlemanly feeling he has manifested towards the Cadets.[iii]
The Unit grew quickly, but the increased interest in all things with a military association did not sit well with the entire community.
Cadets marching along Carrington Road in 1947
1866 is usually agreed upon as the foundation year of the Australian Cadet Corps, when St. Mark’s Collegiate School in Sydney moved to Parramatta with its Cadet Unit to become The King’s School.
Following this lead, in the 1870s, State schools in NSW set up Cadet Units, and both military drill and gymnastics were made compulsory elements of the school curriculum. The Cadet movement became popular in the eastern states of Australia and was financed by parents until the difficulties of the Depression in the 1890s.
Amongst Independent Schools, more and more Headmasters came to recognise the Cadet Corps as offering an excellent means of developing character, discipline, school spirit and leadership. No doubt the fear of war and the necessity of constant preparedness played a large part also in the popular support for the Corps in the 19th Century. This same fear prompted the restructuring of the Corps in the years prior to both world wars.
Approval for payment of all expenses in connection with annual camps was only given by the Federal Government in May of 1945, and the title of the Australian Cadet Corps was first adopted in 1951.
The Whitlam Government disbanded the Corps completely in 1975, but many schools continued with training at their own expense. The Corps was re-raised on 1st October 1976, when greater responsibility for the running of their Cadet Units was placed on schools and the community. At the same time, training activities were changed from the totally military emphasis of the early years to adventure type training.
The Unit at Waverley was raised in 1911, under the guidance of Waverley’s notable Headmaster, Brother P. A. Conlon. After being disbanded in 1929, the Unit was raised once again in 1941 with a strength of 55. Under Captain T. C. McMahon, growth was rapid and the Unit strength reached 345.
Until 1947, the Christian Brothers were not members of the Corps, but Brother F. D. Marzorini took command in 1948, establishing a strong tradition of Brothers who contributed so much to the Unit. Amongst these was Brother F.S. Farrell who was in command of the Unit for eleven years from 1957. By this time, the Unit had grown to one of the largest in Australia with nearly 400 cadets.
Waverley was one of the first schools in the State to be re-established when the Corps was reformed in 1976. The present Commanding Officer, Lt Colonel (AAC) P. R. Frost was appointed in 1977 to oversee the re-establishment. Support for the Waverley Unit is provided by our sponsor Army Unit, situated in Randwick, from which the Unit receives tenting, radios and transport when available.
The Unit celebrated the Centenary of its Foundation in 2011 with a ceremonial parade at Victoria Barracks. The Guest of honour on this occasion was General Sir Peter Cosgrove, former Adjutant of the Waverley College Cadet Unit, and former Chief of Defence. At the parade, General Cosgrove presented new flags to the unit that were donated by the Old Boys’ Union.
In 2014, all members of the Unit shared the pride of the occasion when General Cosgrove was appointed as the Governor General of Australia.
[i] Horatio Herbert Kitchener (1850-1916) was a British Field Marshall and colonial administrator who became British Secretary of State for War, and therefore a Cabinet Minister in 1914. He was responsible for the organisation of the British Army.
[ii] Australian War Memorial. See www.awm.gov.au/encyclopedia/conscription accessed 20 January 2014.
[iii] WCA Series 10 Waverley College Annual, 1911; p. 8.
In November 2014, Waverley’s Head of College, Ray Paxton, was appointed to the Edmund Rice National Leadership Team.
The EREA Leadership Team has the responsibility for oversight of the management of EREA Schools and Educational Entities across Australia. In addition to Ray Paxton, the group consists of:
Dr Wayne Tinsey (Executive Director)
Mr Peter Leuenberger (Deputy Executive Director)
Mr Chris Smith (National Director, Identity and Liberating Education)
Mr Geoff Doyle (National Director, Stewardship and Resources)
Mr Terry Roberts (Director, Regional Support – SA/WA)
Mr Jeff Croser (Director, Regional Support – NSW/ACT)
Mr Peter Chapman (Director, Regional Support – Qld)
Mr Paul Williams (Director, Regional Support – Vic/Tas)
Mr Dale Murray (National Director, Youth +)
Mrs Helen Bird (PA to the Executive Director)
Ms Catherine Greenley (Executive Administrator)
Mrs Christine O’Neill (Principal, St Thomas of Canterbury, Christchurch).
We would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora nation who are the traditional Custodians of the land on which Waverley College is located. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We are committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual connections to the land, waters, seas and sky and their rich contribution to society.
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