Brighton Grammar School

Brighton Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day school for boys, located in Brighton, a south-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Brighton Grammar School
Brighton Grammar School Logo
Address
90 Outer Crescent Brighton , Victoria 3186 Australia
Coordinates	37°54′18″S 144°59′45″E
Information
Type	Independent, day
Motto	Latin: Meliora Sequamur (Let us keep pursuing better things)
Denomination	Anglican
Established	1882[1]
Founder	Dr George Henry Crowther
Sister school	Firbank Grammar School
Chairperson	Peter Ickeringill
Headmaster	Ross F Featherston
Chaplain	Fr Chester Lord (acting)
Employees	250[2]
Key people	Dr Rachel Horton (Head of Secondary School) Peter Tellefson (Head of Junior School) Dr Ray Swann (Head of Crowther Centre)
Gender	Boys
Enrolment	1,400
Campus size	single campus, 3 hectares (7.4 acres)[3]
Colour(s)	Red and blue
Slogan	Transforming the way to teach boys
Website	www.brightongrammar.vic.edu.au

Founded in 1882 by George Henry Crowther, Brighton Grammar has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for over 1,400 students from the Early Learning Centre (ELC) to Year 12.[2] The majority of students are drawn from the City of Bayside and surrounding suburbs of Brighton, East Brighton, Elsternwick, Hampton, Sandringham, Beaumaris and Black Rock.

The school is affiliated with a number of associations including the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference,[4] the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA),[5] the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),[6] the Australian Anglican Schools Network,[7] and the Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS).[8]

History

Brighton Grammar School was founded on 14 February 1882, with eight male students. By 1890, 160 boys were in attendance. During the depression of the 1890s, students numbers declined rapidly. The school founder, George Henry Crowther was headmaster until his death in 1918. His son, Lieutenant Colonel Harry Arnold A. Crowther, subsequently assumed the role. Crowther retired in 1924, when Herbert E. Dixon took over. Dixon expanded the school until his retirement in 1938. Geoffrey G. Green was headmaster until 1942. His successor was Phillip St. John Wilson.

In 1958, Brighton Grammar joined the Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS), and soon after purchased grounds on the former Brighton Gas Company site, where "Wilson House", now the Junior School, was to be built to accommodate the growing student numbers. The number of boys reached 800 during the 1960s. From 1967 to 1995, Robert Lancelot Rofe was headmaster. He oversaw a period where some new buildings were erected.

Michael Spencer Urwin was appointed headmaster at the beginning of 1996. He had previously held the position of deputy headmaster at Brisbane Grammar School, and began his term by implementing a curriculum review, a pastoral care system, and a program of modernisation. This also included community education opportunities in out of school hours in order to make the school more inclusive and less parochial. A new senior school library and resource centre, and specialist classroom facilities have been built to upgrade facilities in the senior school as well as the middle school later on.

Affiliations

Brighton Grammar School has a close sister school relationship with Firbank Girls' Grammar School, an independent Anglican school for girls. Students of the two schools participate in a range of co-educational activities together.[9] The school also maintains a close relationship with St Andrew's Anglican Church, Brighton.

Crowther Centre for Learning and Innovation

The Crowther Centre for Learning and Innovation is an organisation run under the auspices of Brighton Grammar School to provide support services for the educational community.[10][11]

House system

Brighton Grammar School has six houses: Armstrong (white), Crowther (yellow), Dixon (blue), Hancock (green), Rofe (purple) and School (red). In the 1930s the houses were: Chichester, Ireland, Marshall, Pelham, Smith and Willett, of which Marshall was exclusively for boarders.

Extracurricular activities

Sport

Brighton Grammar is a member of the Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS), and partakes in various sporting competitions against its other members.

APS Premierships

Brighton Grammar has won the following APS premierships:[12]

• Badminton - 2002
• Cricket (6) - 1977, 1980, 1983, 1984, 2000, 2005
• Cross Country (2) - 1996, 1997
• Football (5) - 1975, 1992, 2014, 2015, 2016
• Hockey - 1998
• Rowing - 1983
• Soccer (4) - 1999, 2003, 2004, 2013
• Tennis (2) - 2000, 2001

Notable alumni

Alumni of Brighton Grammar School are commonly referred to as Old Boys or Old Grammarians and may elect to join the schools' alumni association, the Old Brighton Grammarians' Society (OBGS).[13] Some notable Old Brighton Grammarians include:

Architecture, engineering and technology

• John Leopold Denman- member of dynasty of architects
• Sir Lionel Hooke – Pioneer in radio; Wireless operator in Ernest Shackleton's Imperial Antarctic Expedition; Engineer[14]

Business

• Sam Walsh AO – Chief Executive Officer of Rio Tinto Group.
• Doug Warbrick - co-founder of Rip Curl.
• Andrew Bassat - co-founder of SEEK.
• Paul Bassat - co-founder of SEEK.

Entertainment, media and the arts

• Neil Douglas MBE – Environmental artist; Conservationist; Author[15]
• Charlie Pickering – Host, The 7pm Project

Medical

• Professor Ian Meredith AM – Interventional Cardiologist, Director of MonashHeart, Professor of Cardiology at Monash University
• Brad McKay – Doctor, author and television personality
• Lieutenant Colonel James Joachim Nicholas M.B.B.S., M.D. - VFL footballer, killed in action in World War I.

Military

• William Grant CMG, DSO and Bar, VD – Soldier and commander of the 4th Light Horse Brigade at the Battle of Beersheba
• Lt. Col C. T. C. de Crespigny,[16] later distinguished medico
• Major, later Air Vice Marshal H. V. C. de Crespigny CB, DFC, MC, Croix de Guerre

Politics, public service and the law

• Sir Stanley Argyle KBE – Former Premier of Victoria; Member (Nationalist) for the seat of Toorak[17]
• Barry Robert Dove – Judge of the County Court of Victoria[18]
• The Honourable Justice Kim Hargrave – Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal
• Peter Reith – Australian politician (Liberal); Minister Howard Government 1996–2003; Member for the seat of Flinders[19]
• Michael Rozenes QC – Chief judge of the County Court of Victoria
• Raymond Walter Tovell – Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly (Liberal) for Brighton[20]
• Charles Wheeler – Master of the Supreme Court of Victoria

Religion

• John Charles McIntyre – Former Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Gippsland, Victoria; Recipient of the Centenary Medal 2003 (also attended Fort Street High School)[21]

Sport

• Dylan Alcott – Paralympian
• Travis Brooks – Olympic hockey player
• Louis Butler (footballer) – AFL Footballer
• Warwick Capper – AFL footballer
• Josh Clayton – AFL footballer
• Andrew Cooper – Olympic rower
• Chris Dawes – AFL footballer
• Jayden Hunt – AFL footballer
• Ben Jacobs AFL footballer
• Josh Kelly- AFL footballer
• Andrew Lauterstein – Olympic swimmer
• Matthew Lloyd – Olympic cyclist
• Mat McBriar – American football player
• William C. McClelland – doctor, VFL footballer and Victorian Football League President[22]
• Andrew McGrath AFL footballer
• Gary Minihan – Olympian, Commonwealth Medal Winner, Australian Record Holder (since 1984)
• Christian Salem – AFL footballer
• Albert Thurgood – VFL footballer
• Will Thursfield – AFL footballer
• Matthew Warnock – AFL footballer
• Robert Warnock – AFL footballer
• Jack Watts – AFL footballer, No.1 Draft pick 2008
• David Wittey – AFL footballer
• Nathan Murphy – AFL footballer
• Max Stroud - Sports Analyst, Channel 7
• Will Pucovski- cricketer

See also

• List of schools in Victoria

References

1. "Brighton Grammar School". Find a School. Association of Independent Schools of Victoria. 2007. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
2. "Fast Facts". About. Brighton Grammar School. 2008. Archived from the original on 18 August 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
3. "Brighton Grammar School Fast Facts". Archived from the original on 14 February 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
4. "International Members". HMC Schools. The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Archived from the original on 15 March 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2008.
5. "Professional Development". Victorian Branch. Junior School Heads Association of Australia. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
6. "Victoria". AHISA Schools. Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia. April 2007. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
7. "Schools". Victoria. Australian Anglican Schools Network. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
8. "Conclusions and further research" (PDF). Publications. The Australian Political Studies Association. p. 45. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
9. "Firbank Grammar School". About. Brighton Grammar School. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
10. "Mobile Learning Devices:Changing Pedagogy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
11. "Reading with the iPad - the Difference makes a Difference" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2013.
12. "Boys' Premierships – APS Sport". Retrieved 4 August 2020.
13. "About the OBGS – Community for Life". About Us. Old Brighton Grammarians' Society. 2008. Archived from the original on 19 July 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
14. "Sir Lionel Hooke Award" (PDF). Awards. The Institution of Engineering and Technology SA & NT Local Network. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
15. Jones, Philip (30 October 2003). "Bush lover and a law unto himself". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
16. "About Local People". Brighton Southern Cross. Victoria, Australia. 16 June 1917. p. 2. Retrieved 27 September 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
17. Browne, G (8 June 2004). "Argyle, Sir Stanley Seymour". re-member. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
18. Suzannah Pearce, ed. (17 November 2006). "DOVE Barry Robert, His Hon. Judge". Who's Who in Australia Live!. North Melbourne, Vic: Crown Content Pty Ltd.
19. "Appendix 2: Contributors". Upholding the Australian Constitution. The Samuel Griffith Society. 15. Adelaide: The Samuel Griffith Society. 2003. Archived from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
20. Browne, G (8 June 2004). "Tovell, Raymond Walter". re-member. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
21. Suzannah Pearce, ed. (17 November 2006). "McINTYRE John Charles, Rt Rev.". Who's Who in Australia Live!. North Melbourne, Vic: Crown Content Pty Ltd.
22. "William Caldwell McClelland". Historic Interments. Brighton Cemetery. 15 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.

External links

• Official website
• Crowther Centre for Learning and Innovation
• Old Brighton Grammarians
• George Henry Crowther (1854-1918) Gravesite at the Brighton General Cemetery (Vic)