Speech day and prize-giving, 16 December 1887

The Daily Telegraph, 17 December 1887, p 5:

SPEECH DAYS.

SYDNEY HIGH SCHOOL.

Mr. Jas. Inglis, Minister for Education, distributed the prizes at the Sydney High School yesterday, when the class rooms, thronged with interested visitors, presented an unusually animated scene.

Mr. J. Coates, headmaster, and the teaching staff may be fairly congratulated upon the flourishing state of affairs disclosed by the headmaster's report, in which, after explaining that as the report of the two inspectors who had lately examined the school would shortly be tabled by the Minister for Education in Parliament there would be no need to give details of the year's work, Mr. Coates continued:—

I may, however, state that our numbers are steadily increasing every year, and during the last quarter we had an enrolment of 260 boys. In connection with the public examinations at the University we have fully maintained our position. At the matriculation examination last March we sent up 11 candidates, all of whom were successful, five obtaining honors in mathematics, two (G. Saxby and A. Stewart) being placed in the first class. At the senior examination held in September last all our candidates (seven) were successful. Two (D. Coghill and N. Mackenzie) passed in the maximum number (10) of subjects, and G. E. Smith was awarded the University medals for geometrical and perspective drawing and physiology. At the junior examination held at the same time, although we had some failures, we passed a greater number of candidates than any other school (37.) J. G. MacLaren was our most successful candidate, passing first-class in the maximum number of subjects and being proxime accessit for the University medal in French. S. H. Barraclough was also successful in obtaining the University medal for physics, and speaking generally, our results at these public competitions were a decided advance on the previous year. As this school is intended to form a connecting link between the primary schools and the University, and as pupils from primary schools are encouraged by small scholarships to come here, I think it is absolutely necessary that our most deserving boys should be assisted to some extent by the department in their career through the University, and I gladly recognise the assistance which has already been granted by the University authorities to some of our students, who otherwise would not have been able to enjoy the advantages of the University course. I have pointed out in my former report how limited is our accommodation here and how imperfect are our educational appliances, and it is only necessary now for me to say that we have nearly 500 pupils in regular attendance to clearly show that we are heavily handicapped in the work and organisation of the Sydney High School. The Minister of Public Instruction is aware of this, and I am glad to say has expressed a desire give us a suitable building.

The report concluded by referring to the rifle, football and cricket clubs, and to the High School paper, the Chronicle, as being all fairly successful, and by gratefully acknowledging the zeal and energy of the teaching staff.

Mr. Inglis, before distributing the prizes, said that on that occasion he should depart from the usual course, and instead of addressing the pupils as dear boys, in view of the position they were all soon to take as members of the community address them as fellow-citizens. After briefly and forcibly impressing upon them the necessity of preserving a high ideal of the duties of citizenship, and reminding them that alone of the nations the Anglo-Saxon race had solved the problem of self-government, he bade them remember that they would soon be called upon to take the position of future rulers and wielders of the destinies of this great nation. He congratulated the school heartily on its success at the late University examinations, and expressed also his entire satisfaction at the report presented to him by the departmental inspectors. The increased attendance showed that the public were becoming alive to the importance of a higher education; and he regretted that the present low financial state of the country prevented him promising the increased accommodation which appeared so necessary. In reference to the suggestion that aid should be given to the most deserving boys in prosecuting their studies at the University, the Minister urged that a strong appeal should be made to our wealthy citizens. It was their duty and privilege, he said, to found bursaries and give the necessary help to poor and promising boys.

The following is the prize and honor list:—

Latin Prose (Handicap). — R. Craig, F. W. Doak. Physical Science. — Senior division, G. E. Smith; junior division, J. Ferguson. German. — R. Craig.

University Senior Examination.— Gold medal for most successful candidate, D. M. Coghill; silver medal for second most successful candidate, N. G. M'Kenzie; University medal for geometrical drawing, G. E. Smith; University medal for physiology, G. E. Smith; English, D. M. Coghill; classics, C. H. Cooke; mathematics, C. E. Elliott.

University Junior Examination.— Silver medal to most successful candidate, J. M'Laren; prize to most successful candidate, J. Waldron; University medal for physical science, S. Barraclough ; French (proxime accessit), J. M'Laren English, H. K. Williams; Latin and French, S. Drummond; mathematics, G. Diamond.

HONOR LIST.

Sixth Form.— F. W. Doak (captain), F. Firth, P. J. Pratt.

5A.— H. K. Williams (dux), G. F. Diamond, S. Corbett.

5B. — J. Ferguson (dux), A. G. Zeitler, R. Dolby.

5C.— H. A. Smith (dux), P. A. Guilick, R. Hart.

4A.— Hopkins (dux), W. Taylor, Suttor

4B.— H. Dixon (dux, W. Hagerty, G. Taylor.

Remove.— H. A. Cook (dux), T. Leafe, E. Bloomfield.

3A. — S. Hall (dux), O. Nickleas, P. Judd.

3B.— A. Jago (dux), L. Flatau, J. Flatau.

See also: The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 December 1887, p 8.