From the Archives: Origin stories of our prizes and awards

The colony of Sydney in the nineteenth century saw the growing demand for ‘universal’ education. But, as learned by the fate of Sydney College and its closure in 1850, this relied on the effective financial backing by the government of the day.

In 1854, a petition was presented to the Legislative Council, signed by 315 people from varied and important branches of the community, including Sydney College founders Professors Woolley and Pell, and business and legal heavyweights John Fairfax, Sir Edward Knox, Sir James Martin and Sir George Wigram Allen.

When Sydney Grammar School was established, the Trustees agreed to provide a broad curriculum comprising of classical and modern subjects, but in which the former was to occupy an important place, similar to prominent English schools of the time. The Modern School was intended for those boys who did not wish to enter the University or the professions but rather ‘mercantile pursuits’ and was naturally appealing to a lot of parents in the commercial sector who wanted their sons to be taught useful subjects. The subjects suitable for careers “of a more scientific character” at this time proved to be Mathematics, German and History. However, the Modern department did not flourish during this period, and by 1860 there were only six boys enrolled on this side of the School.

Described as one of the “most enterprising Trustees” of the School, Sir Edward Knox, supported by another Trustee, moved an amendment to grade the School on mathematical and classical bases, place the mathematical studies under the sole direction of the leading master and emphasise the need for ‘cordial cooperation’ between the masters. As a result, he also supported to permit Stephens to withdraw his resignation.

In response to the pool of applicants for the headmastership at Grammar following Stephens’ resignation, Knox declined to act and resigned as a Trustee because of the manner in which they had effectively dismissed Stephens from office without a solid finding over the period of his very public inquest.

Pictured: Page from the Trustee Minute Books 1855–1875, outlining that a letter was received from Headmaster WJ Stephens in reference to withdrawing his resignation until the conclusion of the enquiry, moved by Trustees Knox and Deas-Thompson, with other trustees Morehead, a’Beckett, Allen and Pell present, 25 June 1866. SGS Archives collection

Pictured: The Honourable Edward Knox of Edgecliff c. 1984, photograph by J Hubert Newman. Courtesy of State Library of NSW

Sir Edward Knox first made a name for himself in the business community by making money from real estate and as the director of the Commercial Banking Co. of Sydney from 1845 (now known as NAB). Knox then bought a distillery and began planting sugar cane on inner-city land and setting up mills and an initial refinery in Sydney from 1855. Since then and to this day, his company Colonial Sugar Refining Company (CSR) has provided Australia with sugar, employing thousands of Australians and generating millions in revenue.

Knox was recognised as a highly successful businessman by taking actions such as discouraging competition with company take-overs and fostering internal efficiency. With wise judgement of world sugar markets, he maintained relationships with overseas representatives and kept well-informed of technical developments in refining and milling. With a genuine interest in his employees, he established one of the first staff provident funds and rarely had industrial trouble, despite the dangerous nature of this type of manual work. Refineries were established in other Australian colonies and New Zealand, and mills were built to crush cane from independent farmers in New South Wales, Queensland and later Fiji. In 1880 he handed over the general management of the company to his second son Edward, but remained chairman until his death in 1901.

Pictured: Sir George Wigram Allen, Speaker n.d. [Signed] J Roarty from album of portraits collected by John William Richard Clarke, c.1866–1909. Courtesy of the Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW.

The Wigram Allen Prize was first given annually to the ‘best boy on the Modern side of the School’, and was to complement the Knox Prize on the Classical side. As The Sydneian stated in 1886, “it is not an improvement prize, but will be given to the absolutely best boy, provided he has won three first classes in the yearly examinations, one of which must be for English”. These prizes were given as a result of a bequest of 200 pounds received in 1886 under the will of Sir George Wigram Allen. This singular prize was later converted to two prizes for excellence in Mathematics and Natural Science in 1896, when these subjects became more broadly accepted in the curriculum.

Allen was educated at Sydney College from 1835 to 1842 under Headmaster WT Cape. Five years after finishing school he became a solicitor, entering into partnership with his father George Allen. George Allen was a leading citizen of his day, being the first person to complete full legal training in Australia and helped found Sydney Public Free Grammar School with LH Halloran in 1825.

The Allens’ successful legal business is the oldest in Australia, continuing uninterrupted since 1822 and has always had at least one member of the family as a partner. Since AM Hemsley joined in 1894 it has been known as Allen, Allen & Hemsley. Like George, Wigram was a director of many companies across a range of industries, including mining, transport and insurance. Notably, he was a director of the Bank of New South Wales (now known as Westpac Bank) and the Australian Gas Light Company (now AGL), both of which were founded by his father.

G Wigram Allen was a NSW magistrate, mayor and member of parliament, appointed to the Legislative Council and represented (the) Glebe in the Legislative Assembly from 1869–1882. He was elected speaker in 1875– 1882 and knighted in 1877 for his services, being appointed KCMG in 1884. In 1880 Sir George Wigram Allen and Lady Allen helped found the Sydney Hospital for Sick Children (now The Children’s Hospital at Westmead).

Being a very strong advocate for education like his father, Allen became an elected Trustee of Sydney Grammar School (1857–1875). Then as Speaker of Legislative Assembly he was made an official School Trustee between 1875 and 1882. Allen was then Vice-Chairman (1871–1879), Chairman in 1881 and once more an elected Trustee from 1883 to 1885, until his death. Furthermore, he replaced his father on the University of Sydney Senate in 1878, where he served until 1885.

Pictured: Grammar rowers training at the Boatshed in Gladesville with the AGL gasworks at Mortlake in the background, photo by Max Dupain, 1967