Speech day and prize-giving, 13 December 1900

The Australian Star, 14 December 1900, p 6:

ULTIMO HIGH SCHOOL.

Distribution of Prizes.

The High School at Ultimo was en fete yesterday, the occasion being "speech day," and the presentation of the prizes, certificates, &c., awarded to pupils of the school in connection with the senior and junior public examinations. Mr. J. Perry, Minister for Public Instruction, presided, and presented the prizes. There was a large gathering of the scholars and their friends, including their mothers, sisters, cousins, and their aunts, so that the large hall on the first floor was comfortably filled. The proceedings were of a most enthusiastic character, as is usually the case on "speech day." The headmaster, Mr. J. Waterhouse, M.A., delivered a lengthy address, in which he reviewed the progress made during the past year, which was shown to have been most satisfactory. Among other matters he referred to the evil of smoking, and painted so vivid a picture of the various ills which laid in wait for the small boy who worships at the shrine of Lady Nicotine that many of the juveniles looked terribly depressed. A change came over them, however, and their enthusiasm broke out anew as the head master proceeded to dwell upon another evil, that of forcing students, pointing out that the burdens placed upon girl and boy students at the present time were almost too heavy to be borne. In conclusion, Mr. Waterhouse referred to the wonderful success which pupils of the school had attained in the senior and junior examinations, several scholarships and medals and honours having been won, and a very high average maintained. A pupil of the school had also won the first prize in connection with the Chamber of Commerce examinations.

The Minister for Public Instruction, after presenting the medals, certificates, and prizes, made a happy address, stating that he felt rather at sea in addressing an audience of boys, for, while giving them advice, he was apt to remember that he was a youngster himself once, and just as fond of, mischief as any of them. He had listened with much interest to the address delivered by the head master, but he had noticed that when he referred to smoking there was no cheering. He did not know whether that meant that the boys intended to give up smoking, or whether the boys were not quite in accord with the headmaster's remarks. All had cheered, however, when reference was made to the need for a gymnasium. He could not promise them a gymnasium, but would go carefully into the matter. As to the action of the University authorities in setting rather stiff papers, well, that was rather a compliment, and from what he had seen and heard he was satisfied that the pupils were equal to the task set them. He was glad indeed to notice the cordiality that evidently existed between the masters and pupils, and that the headmaster kept in touch with ex-students. He had been told that the vacation this year was too long — (cries of "No") — and that some of the boys were annoyed. (Laughter.) Speaking in a serious vein, the Minister urged the boys to remember that they should do their level best to keep up the reputation of their school at all times. Mr. Perry also indulged in a short homily on the smoking evil.

The Daily Telegraph, 14 December 1900, p 7:

They should not take up the habit of smoking, for although he liked to see a man sitting down smoking a pipe, there was nothing so disgusting as to see a brat of a boy behind a wall with a cigarette between his teeth. When in years to come they were "on their own," as it were, they might take to smoking, if they still fancied it.

[He wished those students who were leaving a prosperous career in the future.]

Following is the prize list:—

UNIVERSITY SENIOR EXAMINATIONS.

Passes.— Charles E. Weatherburn, Ancient history A, English A, French A, Latin A, arithmetic A, algebra A, geometry A, trigonometry A, mechanics A, physics A, M. E.; Alfred M. Levick, ancient history B, English A, French A, Latin A, arithmetic A, algebra A, geometry A, trigonometry A, mechanics B, physics A, M. E.; Reginald S. Bonney, French A, Latin B, German A, Greek C, arithmetic B, algebra B, geometry B, trigonometry B, mechanics C, M. E..

Medals.—John West medal and Graham prize medal for general proficiency, Charles E. Weatherburn; English, Charles E. Weatherburn; French, Alfred M. Levick, arithmetic, Alfred M. Levick; geometry, Charles E. Weatherburn; mechanics, Charles E. Weatherburn; physics, Charles E. Weatherburn. Prox. Acc.— French, Charles E. Weatherburn; algebra, Charles E. Weatherburn; geometry, Alfred M. Levick.

Medals gained: 7; prox. acc., 4. passes 19 A’s, 8 B’s, 2 C’s.

Matriculation Honors.— Aitken scholarship for general proficiency, O. A. A, Deithelm; Barker scholarship (No. 2) and Horner exhibition for mathematics, O. A. A. Deithelm and Charles E. Weatherburn equal.

Honors in individual subjects.—Latin (first class): O. A. A. Deithelm, Charles E. Weatherburn, A. M. Levick, Class 3: R. S. Bonney. German (first class); O. A. A. Deithelm and R. S. Bonney. French (first class): Alfred M. Levick, Charles D. Weatherburn, O. A. A. Deithelm, and R. S. Bonney. Mathematics (first class): Charles E. Weatherburn and O. A. A.Deithelm equal, Alfred Manning Levick, Class 3: R. S. Bonney. Deithelm Weatherburn, and Levick obtained first-class honors in all subjects which they took up. Bonney obtained two firsts and two thirds.

JUNIOR

University prize for general proficiency: A Mottershead. English history: Medal, A Paul; prox. acc., L. Wallace, C. Walker, and George Tomlinson. Engllish: 1st, W. Porter; medal, A Paul. Latin: Prox. acc., G. Tomlinson. Arithmetic: Medal, L. Wallace; prox. acc., A. Paul, Algebra: Medal, A. Mottershead; prox. acc., W. Porter, C. Walker, F. Wellisch, A. Paul. Geometry: 1st, C. Walker; medal, A. Mottershead.

University prize, 5 medals, 9 prox. acc., W. Porter 1st in English 1900, C. Walker 1st in geometry 1900 —17 honors.

The passes averaged 6 21-25 subjects per head; 68; B’s, 59; C’s, 44. There were 16 matriculation passes.

[The proceedings terminated with cheers for the Queen, the Minster for Public Instruction, the headmaster and staff, and the visitors.]