In School and Out - The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946) - 19 Jul 1941 (original) (raw)

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Sat 19 Jul 1941 - The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946)
Page 39 - In School and Out

LAUNCESTON CHURCH GRAMMAR, THE OLDEST SCHOOL IN AUSTRALIA. G. O. FISHER, captain of the school and stroke of the crew, leads the Scotch ruck at the throw-in from the boundary. J. IRVINE, THE SCOTCH COLLEGE CAPTAIN, races ahead of the pack in front of the- Wesley goaf. Help

LAUNCESTON CHURCH GRAMMAR, THE OLDEST SCHOOL IN AUSTRALIA.

ONE feature of the arrangement

whereby public school football

matches are played on Saturday is

the falling off in attendance. The

average old boy has his own pursuits

on Saturday afternoon. He has rac

ing or golf or tennis to engage his at

tention, and does not willingly give up

his usual habit. It is remarkable that

I was at the Scotch and Wesley

match, and was amazed at the few

beys there. It certainly was a cold,

bleak afternoon, and there was a heavy

shower just about the time for leaving

for the match, and there is no cover

at the Wesley ground. Even so, it

was most extraordinary that there

were not more there. The support of

your fellows is most important, and

the teams have a right to expect that

the boys of the* school should turn

Melburaians* Record Score

Melbourne Grammar School put up

the amazing score of 43 goals 21 be

hinds (279 points) against Geelong

College, who kicked 4 goals 5 behinds

(29 points). The match was at Gee

long, where there was a gusty wind.

The Melburnians have adapted them

selves to the "throw-ball" game, which

they have developed along most scien

G. O. FISHER, captain of the school

and stroke of the crew, leads the

Scotch ruck at the throw-in from

tific lines. They threw the ball about

with remarkable skill, and shone at

all points. In the first and third quar

ters, with the wind, the College man

aged to score, but when against it

they could make no headway.

There were many fine players in the

dark blue jerseys, and the best, I

think, was Wenzel, a most cool and

calculating centre man, who did every

thing well; Wilson, a clever rover, who

kicked 11 goals; D. Cordner, a strong

ruck man, who kicked 7 goals; Peter

Adams, the captain, who played well

at centre half-forward and kicked 5

gcals; Levey (vice-captain), centre

half-back; Peter Grimwade, back;

Russell, ruck; and Rout, half-for

ward, were the best of an even team.

For Geelong Collegfe, who were clearly

overmatched, the captain, M. Soutar

(half-back), Murdoch (half-forward),

Russell (ruck), a son of Eric Russell,

the champion hurdler and high jum

per; Kelsall and: Charles (on the

The previous public school record

has stood since 1911, when Wesley

kicked 32 gcals 20 behinds (220 points)

Scotch College carried too many guns

for Wesley and won by 18-23 (131

points) to 7-7 (49 points). The game

was played at Wesley, where the oval

has been enlarged. It was a bitter cold

day, with a gusty wind and sleety

showers, the conditions being all

against good football. With the wind

in the first quarter, Wesley, kicking

very accurately, scored 5 goals before

they got a behind, but thenceforward

Scotch, playing very strongly, took

charge, and never looked like being

Jack Irvine, the Scotch captain,

showed great . cleverness as rover, and

he was well supported by G. Fisher

(ruck and forward); Jack Fraser (5

gcals), centre half-forward; Painter, a

strong follower and forward from Ben

digo, who also kicked 5 goals; Mel

ville (back), a grandson of John Mel

ville, who played in the first interstate

match in 1876, and son of A. H. Mel

ville, the old Scotch collegian; Clark

(half-back), and Keith Fraser (back).

For Wesley I liked Bedford, the full

back, who cleared his goal well; Fraser

(a plucky half-back), Greenhill (half

back), Baldwin (centre), Ferguson

(roving and half-forward), and New

ton and Cooke (forward). The Wesley

team is young, but it showed grit

The wind swept across the plains at

Ccrio, and conditions for the match

Geelong Grammar v. Xavier were

mcst uncomfortable.. The Geelong boys

were too strong for the Xavier lads,

"and won by 16-20 (116 points) to

7-16 (58 points). The throw-ball

game favours the clever, nippy play

ers skirting the ruck, and the Geelong

J. IRVINE, THE SCOTCH COLLEGE CAPTAIN, races ahead of the pack

in front of the- Wesley goaf.

rover, McGregor, was in his element.

He roved with ability, and kicked 5

goals. Hare (4 goals), Austin (3 goals),

Bristowe (2 goals), Gilder, and Wilson

backed him up well. For Xavier Laird

(3 goals), Kiernan, Davidson, Schro

der. Manly, Brien, and Meagher played

Ivanhce and Caulfield played splen

did football in their match at Caul

field, the standard being the best I

have seen in the competition this year.

Ivanhoe continued its run of success

by winning by 9-19 to 8-8, but

missed many opportunities. I was

much impressed by the play of the

Ivanhoe full back, T. Barker. He is

strong, and showed sound -judgment

in coining out from goal. Another boy

who showed good form was Russell

Downs, a son of the old Carlton playpr

"Tommy" Downs. Lee, the centre half

forward, who, of course, is "Dicky,"

earned fame in the Victorian State

school interstate team last'year, but

he was suffering from a boil on the

neck. Swain, the captain, who was in*

clined to call fen: the ball too much;

Backhouse, who kicked 4 goals; and

Retallack were the best of the others.

The Ivanhoe vice-captain, Russell

Smith, a son of the old Northcote cap

tain, Harry Smith, was away owing to

injury. M. J. Benson, the sportsmaster,

will be remembered as a Northcote

and Collingwood player. This was the

first time Ivanhoe has won at Caul

field. For Caulfield Britten (capt.),

Smith, and Denney (5 goals) did best.

The other- games were one-sided.

Trinity, in defeating Malvern by 14

14 to 9-8, gained its first win for the

y?ar. Carey (13-13) defeated Cam

berwell (8-12), and Brighton (11

overwhelmed Haileybury (2-7).

Australia's Oldest School

Launceston Grammar School, estab

lished in 1846, has the distinction of

being the oldest Australian school with

a continuous record. The King's

School, Parramatta, is the senior by a

few years, but after a successful open

ing was closed for a while. Each owes

its foundation to Bishop Broughton,

the first Australian bishop, who, on

May 14, 1838, attended a preliminary

meeting in Launceston. called for the

purpose of establishing a school. There

had been schools in Tasmania before

that. The Rev. Charles Price, whose

son. Mr.. Charles Price, is a very old

Melburnian, conducted a grammar

school where the Price Memorial Hall

now stands. Mr. William Hawkes, one

of the benefactors of the Launceston

Grammar School, conducted another at

Franklin Village, and the Rev. Plow

Kane, who was the first head master

of the Church Grammar School, had

a boarding school at Rostella, East

There was a feeling that there

should be a school on the lines of the

English public schools, and it was to

further this that the meeting to which

I have referred was called. The Gov

ernment granted the land on which

the old school building stood, and a

sum of £500 was raised. Gradually

the fund grew, and finally, on July 1',

1846, the Launceston Grammar School

Several distinguished men have filled

the head master's chair. The Rev.

Plow Kane fl846-1860), subsequently

well known in Victoria, and was in

charge of the 7 churches in the Brigh

ton and East Brighton areas, was the

first head master. He was succeeded

by Rev. F. W. Quilter (1860-1863), of

Lincoln College, Oxford; Rev. W. A:

Brooke (1864-1871), of Trinity Hall,

Cambridge; Rev. W. H. Savigny, M.A.,

Cantab. (1871-1885); Rev. A. H.

Champion (1885-1895); Rev. C. G.

Wilkinson (1895-1918); ftr. H. Gil

lett (co-principal 1895-1915); - Mr.

Frank Shann (co-principal 1915-1917),

now head master of Trinity Grammar

School; Rev. J. W. Bethune (1918

1928); Mr. F. R. Adams (1929-1935);

and Mr. N. H. Roff, who was appointed

in 1935, and is now on. active service,

the senior master, Mr. tt. V. Jones,

Launceston Grammar School has .a

long and honourable record, and many*

Tasmanian readers look back on their

School life with pleasure and profit.