Reminiscences: Kenneth John Andrews (Teacher, 1932-1943 Headmaster, 1955-1963)

It is not my function as the ninth Headmaster of Sydney High School to talk about the school of 1988, for obvious reasons. Inevitably this lecture is about the School as I knew it, as an assistant master from 1932 to 1943, and as Headmaster, 1955 to 1963 - 21 years altogether, exactly half of my teaching career. It is about my memories of a great school that I came to know intimately, extensively, and with an enduring affection.

On that first day of term, 1932, as I walked into Mr Saxby's office to introduce myself, I was conscious of the fact that I knew nobody at this school, because I had come from a far away State which The Bulletin referred to disparagingly as "The Speck". Mr Saxby welcomed me kindly (headmasters are always glad to have a staff vacancy filled!) and conducted me to the staffroom of that period - one big room for 33 teachers. There I was introduced to Harold Woodward, English and History Master, and the five men on his staff. For the next twelve years I was fortunate to be a member of that fraternity.

What were those first impressions of the staff, the School? Compared with other staffs I had known, it was older, more experienced, more professional, and entirely masculine. Both George Saxby and the Deputy Headmaster, Wally Moore, were near to retirement. To Harold Woodward I owed much for his friendship and kindly help. The other Subject Masters were Percy Hallett, Mathematics, Ralph Paynter, Classics, Percy Willmott, Science, and Frank Jones, Modern Languages.

From year to year there were few staff changes - never enough to undermine the stability and continuity of the teaching. The students lived up to the School's reputation for high endeavour in academic subjects and enthusiastic participation in sport and other school activities. To be a teacher at High was a very rewarding experience. Some staff members refused repeated offers of promotion because acceptance would require them to transfer to another school, usually in the country. Two of these were Percy Hallett and Edgar Bembrick, each of whom served with great distinction until retirement.

On my first day the Sportsmaster, Ted Patterson, asked me what sports duties I could undertake.

"I have never played Rugby," I replied, "but I have coached several cricket teams."

"Good!" he said, "You can take charge of the First Eleven. They play in the G. P. S. competition on Saturdays, all day, and always at the other school's ground. We have no ground of our own."

I must admit that I had reservations about this assignment, arising in part from my own schoolboy experiences. When Hobart High School was established in 1913, none of the independent schools would meet High School teams in sporting contests. I remember well going to the Domain ground for football practice and finding the Hutchins School team in possession of the ground. Practice proceeded, our team on one half of the ground and Hutchins on the other. When we asked our teacher to let us have a practice game with the Hutchins team, he said, "No, that is not allowed." And so I wondered how I and my team would get along with other G. P. S. teams, especially as we would always be guests on their grounds, never hosts at our own.

Of course these misgivings were groundless and were soon put to rest. Let me picture a scene that I still recall vividly. We were playing St Ignatius College at Riverview. Their coach, Father Connolly was a congenial companion. During the lunch break, I and my team, plus the two umpires, were ushered into the refectory and seated at a long table set for midday dinner. Boarders and teachers occupied the other tables. A waiter placed a huge joint of roast beef in front of me and, with a sinking heart, I looked at the carving knife and fork by my plate.

I have mentioned that sports encounters at that time always took place at the other school's ground. Sydney high School teams were always the guests. Sometimes I am sure the boys felt a little diffident, if not a trifle ashamed, to find themselves in this position. However the time was ripe for a change.

In 1925, Mr T. D. Mutch, Minister for Education, had announced at the O. B. U. dinner, that a new school would be built in Moore Park, provided that the Old Boys were prepared to assist in equipping the school and providing playing fields. It was fortunate that the leaders of the OBU at that time were two remarkable men: Robert Thomas McKay and Charles Adnam Fairland. The late Syd. Willsher wrote an account of their remarkable achievement in providing High with its own sports ground in Centennial Park. It was published in the Centenary History.

By the Autumn of 1932 a football field was ready for use in Centennial Park and a turf wicket had been laid down. The ground was first used for football on June 11, 1932, when High were at home for a match with the Armidale School. as the second half of the cricket competition loomed ahead, we were pleased to inform the G. P. S Cricket committee that in future our home matches would be played on our new ground in Centennial Park.

Of course there were still difficulties to be overcome at that stage: there was no pavilion - the best we could do was to provide a tent for the teams; lunch was served at the school, and cars had to be provided to transport the teams there and back. Above all, the wicket had been hastily constructed and was not only very new but untested and unproved. The first match took place in October when we played St Ignatius College. During that game and the two which followed, the pitch played unevenly, the ball sometimes keeping low, sometimes rearing up dangerously. It was clear to me that the wicket was not going to improve with use. The upshot was that R. T. McKay and C. A. Fairland reluctantly agreed to my suggestion that the Curator of the Sydney Cricket Ground be asked to examine and report on the wicket. On his expert advice, one end of the wicket was dug up and relaid with the proper Toongabbie soil. This work was promptly carried out, but the wicket could not be ready for play until the Spring of 1933, and that meant that for the first half of the 1933 Competition, we had to revert to the old arrangement, playing all matches away from home.

I now return to the matter of my early impressions. For me it was a new experience to be teaching in a boys' school. What surprised me was that the 19th century educational philosophy of the separation of the sexes, so rigidly applied when the two schools were founded and located in the same building, still prevailed after 50 years! Although from 1928 the schools were reunited in one sense, the effective separation continued. The dividing fence marked a forbidden zone on each side - boys and girls forbidden to go within so many yards of the fence!

In 1936 the return of James Killip to High began a period of change and development, and not least among his initiatives were some minor breaches in that fence. The prefects of the schools met socially, and on special occasions groups from both schools combined in musical and dramatic productions, including an episode in a grand pageant staged to mark Australia's 150th Anniversary.

A few years later, the War exerted its influence in unexpected ways. When a call came to the staff for volunteers to spend the vacation working as wharf labourers, about half a dozen of us responded. For about a fortnight we signed on at the Cold Stores and loaded carcasses of mutton and sides of beef into railway trucks for transport to the dock. The cargo, we were told, was urgently needed in the United kingdom. At last the ship was fully loaded and we returned to our teaching duties to find that the staffroom was no longer a masculine preserve: two lady teachers had been appointed to the staff!

Many staff members of the Killip period later went on to take charge of high schools in N. S. W. - Graham Shaw became principal of Fort Street High, Maurice Lynch of Drummoyne High, Frank Jones of Canberra High, Merton Duncan of Taree High, Ray Caldwell of Corrimal High. Stuart Bilbe became a Secondary Inspector and Jack Clarke a university professor. I believe that every one of these men would join with me in paying tribute to James Killip who taught us so much during our years at Sydney high and in doing so, won our respect and admiration.

Tradition plays an important part in the life and practice of a school. By tradition I mean standards of achievement, accepted procedures, attitudes and ideals set by past example and adopted as worthy of preservation. Even so, a school lives in a changing society and must be subject to change - and it is as well that some traditions are changed too.

From the School's inception students evinced the desire and capacity to initiate and organise as they saw the need and the opportunity. This is especially evident in the spheres of sport and some other activities. Not until 1913 was the School Union established - the organisation which regulates, supervises and finances all such activities. in the absence of such a body, the boys played an active, often a leading role in providing opportunities for participation in sport. An outstanding example of student initiative is the annual Athletics Carnival, first organised in 1884 and thereafter held annually. For the 1900 carnival, the classics master, W. Crompton, suggested a motto or Latin tag suitable for inclusion on the printed program. It was "Extremos Pudeat Rediisse"[1] ( Let him be ashamed to come last). More or less by default, this tag came to be accepted as the official motto and was incorporated in the school badge. Shortly before the removal of the School to Moore Park, Saxby decided that the time was ripe to replace the old motto with a more appropriate one. He knew, of course, that the boys rendered it as "Last home lousy!" At his suggestion the School Union commissioned the secretary, Norman James, to design a new crest with a new motto. After considerable research Mr James designed the school badge as it is today. It was adopted by the Union in 1927 and it is usually accepted that the motto "Veritate et Virtute" was suggested by Mr Saxby.

On my return to Sydney High School in 1955, I, like Saxby, thought it was time to change some old practices. I noticed that on sports occasions most of the students of the other schools wore blazers, but very few High boys did. This was readily understandable because, apart from the chocolate and blue colours, the standard blazer had no pocket or emblem to identify the wearer with his school. only outstanding performers were qualified to wear a pocket and other merit awards as authorised by the School Union. Believing that every boy in the school should be able to wear the blazer with the school crest on the pocket, I asked the Union Committee to consider the proposal. The upshot was that a new pocket was designed and adopted as an essential part of the blazer. Special awards such as the Prefect's pocket, Sports pocket, etc had to be earned.

There was another tradition which I believed had little relevance in a school with such a rich history of its own. Inter school sporting contests at that time involved a small proportion of students, much smaller than in the late fifties when improved facilities and additional fields became available at the McKay Grounds. However, participation in sport was available to all students by means of the House System and it is understandable that the houses were originally named GORDON, PARKES, REID, and WENTWORTH. But surely after seventy years there were Old Boys who had achieved distinction and had, by their efforts and devotion to the School, conferred great benefits upon the students of the fifties and upon generations to come. Again the School Union responded to my suggestion, and after careful consideration, the houses were renamed EEDY, FAIRLAND, McKAY and SAXBY.

I must now come back to that dividing fence. Like James Killip, I believed that the two schools would benefit from a closer relationship, but not a complete union. as the headmistress, Miss Preston, and her deputy, Miss Moore, held similar views, that way was open for change. In 1956 the production of the Mikado was a great success. From the two schools, actors, choirs, orchestras, teachers and stage hands combined in an enriching experience. Their efforts were supported by members of the two P & C Associations. Other combined dramatic presentations followed, including Smetana's the Bartered Bride and Tauber's Old Chelsea. In 1960 boys and girls presented Macbeth on the steps of the Anzac Memorial in Hyde Park as the opening function in Education Week. Our combined choirs participated in Choral Festivals and Combined High Schools' Concerts, and music and drama evenings were annual events at the School. End of term dances, supervised by members of the two parent bodies, were well attended by the students.

For many years the school canteen had been located in the basement and managed by a lessee. From year to year it was condemned by the Health Department, mainly on account of its unsuitable location. During 1958 many functions were organised to mark the 75th Anniversary of Sydney High School. Thinking to capitalise on these activities I asked the Department of Education to mark the historic occasion by building a new canteen. During the following year a site was chosen, plans were drawn, and construction began. I suggested to the P & C Association that a Canteen Committee be set up to manage the project with the help of a paid manager and voluntary helpers. Under this arrangement the canteen opened for business on August 1, 1960.

By the time of my return to High in 1955, good progress had been achieved in the development of the McKay Ground, but there was still scope for further improvements. The McKay Ground Committee, comprising representatives of the O. B. U., the P & C Association and the School Union, had two additional football fields in use and a third under preparation. During one single day, 80 volunteer workers built a post and rail fence around the Oval. In the following year a second storey was added to the Fairland Pavilion, in the main by voluntary labour. At last we had the extra accommodation and facilities needed to accommodate the twenty or more teams playing Saturday football.

Having read about the Honourable T. D. Mutch's decision to build a new school and his influence upon the events which followed, I was very impressed by the vision, administrative abilities and statesmanlike qualities of this man. It seemed appropriate to invite him to be guest speaker on the occasion of the official opening of the enlarged pavilion. For me that afternoon spent in Mr Mutch's company proved to be an enlightening and inspiring experience. During our discussions he told me how the new school building was planned and built. he envisaged a stately building dominating and enhancing the green expanse of the park. first he contacted the Chief Government Architect and asked him to have several of his best architects prepare plans for an outstanding school building in keeping with the magnificent site. In due course he was invited by the Chief Architect to call at his office and inspect about fifteen designs. he did not like any of them, he said! Returning to his office, he contacted the president of the architects' Institute and asked him to recommend an architect for the project. On being advised to enlist the service of L. C. McCredie, a practising architect, Mr Mutch commissioned him to prepare plans and specifications, but first McCredie was to consult with Mr Saxby regarding the accommodation he would require for his school. In the State archives I came across an Education Department minute date 25. 10. 1926, which recorded that P. W. Richardson's tender was accepted for the sum of £ 50,873.

A few years later, when a government architect showed me his plans for the Killip Wing, I wished for another McCredie, for when I suggested the new wing needed to harmonise architecturally with the main school, he argued that it would greatly increase the cost. Arched windows and a pitched roof were out of the question.

During my term of office many eminent people were invited to address the assembled school. one of the most memorable visits was that of the Governor-general, Field Marshal Sir William Slim. Several functions were being planned to mark the School's 75th Anniversary and, hoping that the Governor-General would consent to grace one of these with his distinguished presence, I wrote to him giving a brief account of the status of the School in the history of secondary education in Australia and invited him to be guest of honour at the O. B. U. Dinner, or in the Convocation in the Great Hall, or a special assembly of the students of the school. it was not a great surprise that he chose to visit the school and address the boys. as I accompanied His Excellency to the quadrangle where a guard of honour awaited him, he remarked that he had often driven past the school and admired the building and had wondered what it was like inside.

The address was one to remember. He spoke to the boys in the same plain, pragmatic terms in which he had so often addressed his troops as they crowded round the jeep or gun carriage on which he stood. he spoke of the tremendous changes in the world in those seventy-five years - more energy, more power - and the greater responsibilities and dangers they would inevitably face in using these. They were lucky to have good homes, a good school and advantages far above millions of boys all over the world. Did they ever think they had not earned it all? They owed a debt to a great many people and soon they would be able to start paying it back, by doing their chosen work well, by devoting some of their leisure to the service of their fellows, and by serving their country in peace as in war. he urged them not to be afraid of hardship and a spice of danger. When they left school they would start paying their debt to parents, school and country, in service and adventure they would give good service. It was a splendid occasion for the boys, the distinguished guests and for me.

After the assembly, tea was served in the staffroom where members of the teaching staff and ladies of the Auxiliary were presented to His Excellency. Then, at his request, a group of prefects and other senior students were invited into the staffroom. As they grouped around him he questioned each about his choice of a career and hopes for the future. Eventually his military Aide came and stood by him. "Well, what is it?" he demanded. "Sir, your plane is waiting." The great man looked at the boys, at me, and then turning to his Aide, said "Let it wait!" He was obviously enjoying himself and stayed with us for another half hour.

In 1961 the Minister for education announced that the Wyndham Scheme would be introduced from the beginning of 1963. This decision presaged important changes in secondary education in N. S. W. of which the most important were the additional sixth year or Year 12 and the widening of the curriculum to include music and art as School Certificate subjects. it was obvious to me that the 1928 building would require significant structural alterations and that a new wing would be needed. I lost no time in preparing the necessary documents for a submission to the department of Education. Our greatest requirements were a new wing with accommodation for a library, science department, two staffrooms, classrooms and a textbook storage room. Some alterations to the main building would be required to accommodate art, music and technical classes.

Of course I had no idea how long we would have to wait for these additions. However, Lady Luck lent a hand, for the day after the submission was posted I received a call to confer with the appropriate officer in the department. At this meeting he informed me that for the year 1960-61 sufficient money was made available to carry out extensive additions to six schools. To date five building projects had already been approved - and a new wing at Sydney High would be the sixth!

Within a few weeks a government architect came to the school with his plans. In our discussions the only contentious issue was the layout of the library; the modifications of the plan which the librarian, Mrs Hornibrook and I believed essential for good management were made eventually, but only as the result of a deputation to the Minister of Education. In resolving this matter the president of the P&C Association, Mr Roy Wills, himself a builder, gave invaluable assistance.

From the very beginning of this project, I wanted the new building to be named Killip Wing, and was assured that this proposal had the full support of all concerned, including the education department. It was very gratifying for me to be able to visit Mr Killip with the plans and inform him of the honour we wished to confer upon him.

At the official opening on 4th October, 1963 a portrait of J. H. Killip by the artist Judy Cassab, was unveiled. It was donated by the Leaving certificate students as their parting gift to the School.

In 1947 the Ethel Killip Memorial prize, presented annually to the Dux of Fourth Year, was established by the P&C Ladies' Auxiliary in recognition of the work done by Mrs Killip in helping to found that organisation. The terms of this award directed that interest on an investment of £600 was to be used to finance the prize for a period of fifteen years, after which the capital sum was to be used for the benefit of the School, as decided by the Headmaster, Deputy Headmaster and President of the P&C Association. Fifteen years on, with the new library shortly to be occupied, the three officeholders designated for the purpose agreed to use the money available to establish an art collection to be called the Ethel Killip Memorial Collection. I have to admit that we had limited our thinking to reproductions of famous art works. The suggestion that we should buy Australian artists came from a parent who had two sons at the School. I refer to Mrs Kampfner, better known as Judy Cassab, who offered to purchase the paintings for the School. It was a very gracious and generous offer which we accepted gratefully.

In due course the collection, consisting of ten paintings by Australian artists, was installed in the Library. In the course of time the monetary value of the collection has greatly increased. For security reasons and in order to preserve its original purpose as a memorial, I hope that collection will stay permanently in the library.

One of the most cherished experiences of a headmaster of this great school is to enjoy the friendship and co-operation of so many members of the school family. Their enthusiasm and generous support have made the school a very special institution, richly endowed with material needs and with an enviable reputation for high endeavour and outstanding achievement in the field of education.