Jottings

Neal Townley retires

Mr Neal Townley was employed by Dr Ralph Townsend in 1991 for one term as a Commerce and Economics master. This temporary appointment ended up becoming a distinguished thirty-three year career when Neal decided to retire at the end of Term I 2024. During his teaching career, he also taught in the United Kingdom at Langley Park School for Girls and Eton College. He visited the London School of Economics on numerous occasions.

Over the years Neal taught Economics, Geography and Asian Studies. He was active in the School’s sport programme, coaching the First XI football team for ten years, winning the GPS competitions twice in his tenure. He also coached basketball and was the taekwondo co-director for five years.

Neal set up Ceteris Paribus which was a popular extension to the economics curriculum for many years. He ran the Australian Business Challenge and was a senior HSC marker in Economics. He has worn many hats during his time at College Street, including being a Housemaster, Subject Master Economics, Geography master and Tutor. He is well respected by boys, staff and parents.

As Dr Townsend said in 1992: “I cannot speak highly enough of him. He has proved to be an inspirational teacher, well-organised, efficient, courteous, cheerful, co-operative… He is a remarkable man…”

Neal holds the record for the master taking the most sport tours at the School.

We wish him well in his retirement.

The Cook Up with Adam Liaw

Aditya Paul (I) was fortunate enough to be invited to appear on Adam Liaw’s popular cooking programme on SBS. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience of chatting with Adam and preparing a butter chicken dish, which was enjoyed by all present, including Aditya’s family. The programme aired on Monday 6 May on SBS Food Channel 33.

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Photo credit: Jiwon Kim @jiwonkaeshoots

Photo credit: Soumi Mukhopadhyay

A rare honour from The University of Sydney

In May 2024, Patrick Cahill (OS 2019) graduated from The University of Sydney with a Bachelor’s degree in Science/Advanced Studies with Honours. The university also awarded him the University Medal for Applied Mathematics – an outstanding achievement.

His Honours thesis was entitled Who’s Going to Win? Modelling Elections with an Adapted Hegselmann-Krause Model and Data Assimilation. He used the mathematics of physics and magnets to model the opinions of voters and political parties in Australia and used statistics and polling data to forecast Australian elections

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Edgecliff Artist-In-Residence

Edgecliff Preparatory School was honoured to have Mr Billy Maynard as the first ever architect to wear the mantle of Artist-In-Residence. Mr Maynard spoke to the boys about the relationship between nature and architecture, as well as the principles of architectural detailing. By using historical examples of architects that have been inspired by natural phenomena in their designs, the boys were exposed to the work of great architects.

These lessons of history were then applied through physical model making. Each boy designed and constructed his own scale model, with the design reflecting both his creativity and the newly discovered architectural projects.

There was a tremendous response to the project, with pupils creating beautiful, experimental buildings incorporating generous double-height voids, huge pivoting doors, sun towers, organic facades, walls that move, floating staircases and adventurous structural designs. Maynard guided the pupils as their designs came to life, challenging the boys to think about the many aspects that require consideration when planning and creating a building.

The models were displayed together at Edgecliff Day in a work titled Urban Village.

World premiere drama at St Ives

In August, St Ives Preparatory School proudly presented the world premiere of Red, a fresh take on Little Red Riding Hood. Directed and written by Mr Tonya Grelis, with music arrangement by Mr Brendan Collins and lyrics by Mr Simon Germaine, this production combined music, immersive sets, and stunning costumes for an unforgettable experience.

Nearly seventy-five boys participated as cast, musicians, and crew, putting in months of hard work during rehearsals. The performances were outstanding, with the boys delivering with professionalism, confidence and energy. The audience was captivated by the superb acting, dancing, music, lighting and visual effects.

Special thanks to the dedicated team of staff and parents who made this production possible. Red was a truly memorable event that showcased the incredible talent and commitment of everyone involved.

Ms Melanie Wheatley

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Photo credit: Australian Science Innovations

Physics Olympiad

The Australian Science Olympiads (ASO) is a staged science enrichment programme for highly motivated students in Australian high schools.

The programme covers four separate disciplines: Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental Science, and Physics. Houlai Zhou (V) started his Physics Olympiad journey by sitting the ASO Examination in July 2023 before being selected to attend ASO Summer School in January 2024, held at the Australian National University. He went on to represent Australia at the Asian Physics Olympiad in Malaysia where he won a gold medal. Houlai was selected to represent Australia at the 2024 International Physics Olympiad. Unfortunately the five-pupil team were not able to travel to Iran or compete.

International exchange students

Five exchange students from across the globe were hosted by Form IV in Term III. Alma and Violette joined us for twelve weeks from the Ecole Alsacienne in Paris, as part of our ongoing relationship with that school. Three other students were welcomed as part of our inaugural exchanges with partner schools in Florence and Xi’an: Corso joined to us for eight weeks from the Liceo Classico Galileo in Florence, and Hank and YoYo joined us from the Kang Chiao International School in Xi’an.

They have been hosted by Jonas Kappelmann, Emile Gybels, Antonio Thillainathan, Ian Bierer and Matthew Wong respectively and all have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We also welcomed sixteen Italian students from the Istituto Liceo Russell-Newton in Florence into Forms IV and V as part of our short-term programme. Buon soggiorno!

Pictured L-R: back row; Alma, Violette, Ian and Matthew and front row; Emile, Jonas, YoYo, Hank, Antonio and Corso

Lawrence Campbell Oratory Competition

In Term II 2024, Hugo Sharkey (VI) participated in the esteemed Lawrence Campbell Oratory Competition. This longstanding public speaking event features one representative speaker from each of the GPS and CAS schools. Each participant faces the formidable challenge of delivering an eight minute speech on an unseen topic with only fifteen minutes to prepare.

Hugo’s topic was “the superfluous, a very necessary thing.” In his speech, he eloquently argued the significance of remembering and learning from our shared history, asserting that reflecting on the past is far from superfluous. Hugo’s performance earned him second place, and he was praised by the adjudicators for his natural and confident speaking style and his strong connection to the topic. Congratulations to Hugo on this outstanding achievement.

Ross Gittins honoured

Nicholas Chang (VI) and Dylan Evans-Huinink (VI) attended an evening at the University of Sydney to commemorate 50 years of Economics journalism by Mr Ross Gittins. The evening featured a speech by the NSW Treasurer, The Hon. Daniel Mookhey MLC, and a number of Gittins’ colleagues who each covered a decade of his news reporting.

Pictured: Ross Gittins (fourth from the left) is pictured with Nicholas Chang (VI) and Dylan Evans-Huinink (VI), Mr P Corkin and The Hon. Daniel Mookhey MLC (far right)
Photo Credit: The University of Sydney

Australian Geography Competition

In May this year all boys studying Geography participated in the 2024 Australian Geography Competition. Over 54,000 pupils from 600 schools across Australia participated. Oliver Yu (I) finished first in Australia, while Samuel Lesnie-James (II) and Christopher Sevastos (IV) finished equal first in Australia in their respective years.

Pictured L-R: Christopher Sevastos (IV), Samuel Lesnie- James (II) and Oliver Yu (I)

Economics Olympiad

Michael Hirschhorn (VI) represented Australia in the Australasian Economics Olympiad. The competition was organised by the University of New South Wales. The teams visited both the Reserve Bank of Australia and the NSW Treasury and presented a policy case study. Michael’s team, representing Australia, secured third place and was awarded bronze medals.

Pictured: Michael Hirschhorn (VI) on far right

Tommaso Favino Literary Competition

Under the auspices of the Dante Alighieri Society of Sydney, each year the Tommaso Favino Literary Competition takes place. In 2023, the theme was Il viaggio: cos’é per te? (What does travel represent to you?). The competition is open to pupils of Italian language currently enrolled in a school, university, community language school or in a cultural institution in the Sydney area. Participants can submit an essay, a poem, a piece of creative work (fiction) or a video in Italian.

Many pupils studying Italian participated and six of our boys from Form V and Form VI 2024 were awarded prizes for their entries at an awards ceremony in April of this year. Miles Hopper and Conrad Liu (both V) were awarded equal second, Jackson Chan (V) and Silvio Piccardi (VI) achieved equal third, and Leonardo Zannier (V) and Raphael Carrasco (VI) received an honourable mention.

The judges awarded the prizes based on linguistic merit and creativity. Congratulations to all prize winners on their achievements.

Form I geography excursion

Eighty-nine Form I boys studying Geography and the concept of liveability attended a fieldwork day in Glebe. Guided by their masters and staff from Observatory Hill Environmental Education Centre, the boys visited the Tramsheds, Harold Park and Bicentennial Park. They learnt various fieldwork techniques, such as observation, water testing and field sketches. The boys also had fun working in groups in the afternoon to design a plan to transform White Bay Power Station precinct into a liveable place.

Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award

Congratulations to Samadhi Patradoon, Benedict Da Cruz and Elliot Banks (all OS 2023), who received their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award from Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales. The boys were commended at Sydney Olympic Stadium for their dedication to a variety of sports, skills, voluntary work, and outdoor expeditions over the course of several years, demonstrating a growing sense of independence. Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Congratulations to Samadhi Patradoon, Benedict Da Cruz and Elliot Banks (all OS 2023), who received their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award from Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Governor of New South Wales.

The boys were commended at Sydney Olympic Stadium for their dedication to a variety of sports, skills, voluntary work, and outdoor expeditions over the course of several years, demonstrating a growing sense of independence.

Pictured L-R:Samadhi Patradoon, Benedict Da Cruz and Elliot Banks (all OS 2023)

Italian Education Awards

The Gruppo dell’Amicizia in memoria di Enrica Inglese is an organisation formed to promote the Italian language and culture in Australia. As part of achieving this aim, a competition is held for senior secondary school pupils to write an essay in Italian, based on a nominated theme.

The essay topic this year was: “The war in Ukraine and the many other wars in the world pose many reflections and many questions. While more than half of the world’s population suffers from hunger, billions are spent on the manufacture of weapons of war, including some that, if used, would have devastating effects on the entire planet. In your opinion, what should rulers do to eliminate wars so that the whole world can enjoy the well-being that only peace can give?”

Antonio Thillainathan (IV) was awarded First Prize for his sensitive, thoughtful and mature submission. Antonio reports “my entry was essentially a direct plea to the world leaders to stop the violence and wars in the world and to think and to communicate, as the valuable resources spent in war could be used for better things, like helping the economy of their country. I used an example like that stated in the question of Putin invading Russia and killing civilians with the sole purpose of appearing powerful. I finished with a plea to the leaders, imploring them to use their power for good, to better the world instead of bringing war.”

Pictured: James McDonough-Smith (Year 5) and Theo Percossi (Year 4)

St Ives boys making a splash

We are thrilled to celebrate the recent achievements of James McDonough-Smith (Year 5) and Theo Percossi (Year 4) at the SSA National Swimming and Diving Championships.

James was crowned the 2024 National Champion in both the 50m and 100m backstroke and played a key role in the victorious 4x50m freestyle relay team. He also earned an impressive fourth place in both the 50m and 100m freestyle events.

Meanwhile, Theo delivered outstanding performances in diving, securing third place in the springboard event and narrowly missing a podium finish in the knockout event. Congratulations to both boys on an exceptional year of competition!

Mr Brett Townley-Jones

NSW Premier’s Harmony Dinner

Aditya Paul (I) was a member of the NSW Federation of Community Language Schools Choir, which performed at NSW Premier’s Harmony Dinner. This multicultural event was held at the International Convention Centre Sydney. Aditya was invited to join the choir after undergoing a rigorous audition process. Guests and dignitaries who attended the event praised Aditya for his singing, and he had a wonderful conversation with the Hon. Prue Car, the Deputy Premier.

Sydney Organ Festival

As part of the Sydney Organ Festival’s opening concert, Eason Zhuo (III) and Tiger Han (II) performed in the Great Hall of the University of Sydney playing the renowned Rudolf von Beckerath Organ. This spectacular instrument has more than 4000 pipes and is recognised as one of Australia’s finest pipe organs, making it a wonderful experience for the boys.

Organ masterclass

Olivier Latry, one of the world’s most celebrated organists and organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, held a Masterclass at the Sydney Opera House for advanced organ students from across the country. Jerry Yu (V) was fortunate to be one of the participants and had the thrilling experience of performing on the Grand Organ in the Concert Hall.

Australian sailing representative

Aaveer Patil-Chaudhari (Year 6) from Edgecliff Preparatory School is an avid sailor who has recently participated in two international sailing regattas, one in Helsinki, Finland and the other in Tallinn, Estonia. He competed against 170 highly experienced sailors aged between 11 and 15, gaining a valuable insight into the European sailing programmes. Through his sailing performances, Aveer has now been selected to represent Australia in the Australian Sailing Team’s Senior Development Squad. Aveer will travel to Thailand where he will compete in the national regatta.

Public speaking award

Congratulations to Aditya Paul (I) who competed in the state final of the Junior Secondary Speaking Award. In his prepared speech, Aditya spoke on the importance of environmental sustainability. In his impromptu speech, he spoke on the issue of improving outcomes for Aboriginal Australians.

Swimming Champion

Xavier Hsu (Year 5) from Edgecliff competed in the 2024 Australian School Sports Games and won gold in three events. Having taken up competitive swimming just two years ago, Xavier had an incredible meet and was named Australian Champion, in the 11 years for 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke and the 200m medley relay. An amazing achievement.

Big Band at Lazybones

Lazybones Lounge Restaurant and Bar was the venue for a Big Band performance as part of the Tuesday Night Jazz Orchestra’s Education Series. By all reports, the band sounded fabulous.

Chinese exchange

Ian Bierer and Matthew Wong (both IV) enjoyed a three-week exchange at Kang Chiao International School Xi’an in the city of Xi’an in northern China. The boys were well looked after by their “host brothers” and really enjoyed the food and attending the classes in a distinctively different cultural environment.

Australian Percussion Eisteddfod

On Sunday 4 August, Edgecliff’s ‘Ionisation’ group competed in the B Grade percussion section of the Australian Percussion Eisteddfod.

A National competition celebrating its 25th anniversary, the ensemble of eleven boys, directed by Iain Scotland, received a well- Australian Percussion Eisteddfod deserved Bronze award. The boys enjoyed competing at this high level, listening to other ensembles, and hearing new repertoire of varying styles. It was a valuable experience for all, and we acknowledge Mr Iain Scotland for his efforts and commitment in preparing the boys so well for this performance opportunity.

Tuckwell Scholarship recipient

Zack Winslow (VI) has been awarded a Tuckwell Scholarship at the Australian National University. He begins there in 2025 and joins a select group of talented and motivated pupils from all over Australia.

Zack is looking forward to exploring the many opportunities available at the ANU and expressed his appreciation for all at Grammar who helped him achieve this wonderful privilege. “I was fortunate enough to have some wonderful teachers at Grammar, from Kindergarten to Form VI, who inspired my love of learning. I especially want to thank my Tutor Mr Tony Gill and my Housemaster Mr Jason Slater for their support and guidance over the past six years. I am also grateful for my parents and sister for their love and encouragement to keep chasing my dreams, and my amazing friends whose energy and enthusiasm always adds colour and excitement to my life.”

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St Ives Athletics making a mark

It has been another amazing milestone for our athletics programme at St Ives. Commencing with the School Athletics Carnival, boys displayed their talents across the different events.

Many boys qualified for the IPSHA and CIS Carnivals. At CIS, both relay teams did extremely well, with the junior team qualifying for State and setting a new CIS record, while the senior team narrowly missed out by one place.

At State, the junior relay team finished second. Edmund Chen (Year 3) also placed fifth in the U9 100m, and I competed in both the high jump and long jump against national champions. This is an amazing experience that I look forward to each year. Jayden Chong (Year 6)

Pictured L-R: The successful junior relay team; Rhys Cleavely-Millwood, Thomas Lawrance, Paddy Cranna (all Year 4) and Edmund Chen (Year 3)

Reconciliation week

In celebration of Reconciliation week, the boys at Edgecliff created topographical landscapes inspired by the art of the Yolngu people from north-east Arnhem Land. They were given the choice to take inspiration from the miny’tji (clan designs) of either the Yirritja or Dhuwa moieties. Out of respect, they were not allowed to copy the designs and instead had to think about how to protect their sacred meanings by only bringing in certain graphic elements.

For context, the boys looked at some of the earliest commissions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art in the Art Gallery of NSW. They explored the different techniques and materials employed by Indigenous artists to protect the sacred dimension of their work and make it appropriate for non-Indigenous audiences.

A selection of the boys’ works was presented at Edgecliff’s Reconciliation Week Assembly with special guest speaker, Susan Moylan-Coombs, founding director of the Gaimaragal Group.

Pictured: Susan Moylan-Coombs and artworks by Ned Berkelouw (Year 5) and Nicholas Kostakis (Year 6)

Grammar’s first Linguistic Olympians

A team of four Form V boys (James Fifield, Matthew Gu, Tyson Lieu and Conrad Liu) have become the School’s first linguistic Olympians. The boys competed at the 21st International Linguistic Olympiad in Brasilia, Brazil. They participated in both a three-hour team event and a gruelling six-hour individual examination.

Tyson Lieu received a Gold medal for coming fifth overall in the individual competition. He was also recognised for having the equal best solution to one of the problems; an outstanding achievement at this international level. All boys were outstanding ambassadors for the School and Australia and enjoyed the experience immensely.

Pictured L-R: Tyson Lieu, James Fifield, Conrad Liu, Matthew Gu

Pictured: Malakai King and Tom Collins (both VI)

Chinese Bridge proficiency competition

On Sunday 12 May, Tom Collins and Malakai King (both VI) participated in the NSW preliminary round of the 17th annual ‘Chinese Bridge’ proficiency competition for high school pupils.

After sitting a general knowledge test about China, Tom and Malakai each gave a three-minute speech in Chinese on the topic ‘Fly high with Chinese’. Tom performed the traditional Chinese folk song Autumn Harvest on the piccolo, and Malakai sang The Moon Represents My Heart, a famous Chinese song released in 1973.

Malakai was awarded a Certificate of Merit, and Tom achieved second place. Tom went on to compete in the National Final on Sunday 26 May and won a very laudable merit certificate for his performance.

Both boys enjoyed the experience of performing alongside other NSW pupils studying Chinese and are to be congratulated for their achievements.

Creative Confluences workshop

Form V and VI Drama pupils participated with peers at the Creative Confluences workshop run by Drama NSW in partnership with Force Majeure (Sydney).

It was a great learning experience for all, and it helped the Form VI boys get ready to jump into their group devised process work.

Mathematics Quad Challenge

Big School was abuzz for the Grammar Mathematics Quad Challenge in September with twenty-six teams engaging in some competitive (and energetic) Maths. Congratulations to Team 9 on their win!

Happy 167th Birthday, Grammar

At 9am on 3 August 1857, Sydney Grammar School opened to pupils. The following account of the opening day is quoted from The Sydneian Centenary edition 1957, no. 338.

“The boy arriving at his new School would have his name entered in clear copper plate handwriting in the Liber Nominum. Then, awed probably by the sight of masters in their degree hoods, the pupils were submitted to the nineteenth century version of the IQ test – individual questions on Latin and Greek tenses and English grammar. That was all for the first day.”

Australian Junior Volleyball Championships

Success continues to flow for the Old Sydneians of Grammar’s Volleyball Club as two of our alumni represented New South Wales in the U23 Premiers division at the Australian Junior Volleyball Championships in Adelaide. Mr Sam Cleary (OS 2019) played in the team and Mr Chris Todd (OS 2002) was Men’s Head Coach. They succeeded in winning the gold medal after defeating Victoria 3-0.

Anzac Day Writing Competition

Mason Gharebpour (Year 6) from Edgecliff embraced the challenge of entering Woollahra Municipal Council’s Anzac Day Writing Competition. His impressive piece, ‘A Valour Sacrifice’, was awarded one of two Highly Commended awards by Cr Richard Shields (Mayor of Woollahra Council) at this year’s Anzac Day service. His eloquent submission is below.

A Valour Sacrifice

In the quiet basement of our house, a timeworn leather suitcase smothered in cobwebs holds stories of my great-grandfather’s journey in Gallipoli. I personally had never met him, but these faded photographs and vintage journals paint vivid images of this courageous man. With trembling hands, I cautiously turn over fragile pages of my great-grandfather’s war journal, with each page holding the weight of his legacy. My great-grandfather is my ultimate idol. He was a valiant soldier who fought for our country, our freedom, and for us.

A peculiar urge prompts me to reach more into the depths of this memory box. Amidst the trove of commemorative items, I find myself clutching a silver plaque, with great-grandpa’s name engraved in bold. As I run my fingers through the glimmering letters, a sense of pride disperses within me. Pride for my great-grandfather and for those who fought alongside him. I take a moment to appreciate their selfless sacrifice for the new generation. Though he is not present today, his spirit still lingers around in our house, and will do so forever.

Mum always tells us Anzac Day is not just any other ordinary day in the calendar; it is a day to honour the lives of those who have served, the blood and sweat of their significant contributions to our freedom. While engrossed in these sentimental photographs, I whisper a thank you to my great-grandfather. As he rests in peace, I pledge to remember him and those who stood before us.

Sydney Organ Competition

Eason Zhou, Shuichi Madina (both III) and Tiger Han (II) participated in the prestigious Sydney Organ Competition at St John’s Darlinghurst.

Congratulations to Eason who won First prize and Tiger who received Highly Commended.

Pictured L-R: Shuichi Madina (III), Tiger Han (II) and Eason Zhou (III)

Chinatown visit

In Term III, the Form II Chinese class went on a field trip to the Eight Chinese restaurant in Chinatown for a yum cha lunch. For many of the boys, it was their first experience with this unique cuisine and using chopsticks.

They enjoyed a variety of dishes accompanied by pots of freshly brewed Chinese green tea. The lunch was not only enjoyable but also a great opportunity for the boys to practise their Chinese.

The challenges of cross country

Cross country running is a sport that challenges boys both mentally and physically. It tests endurance and is an opportunity for boys to set and achieve personal goals, no matter what level they are at. It also offers a sense of camaraderie that encourages persistence. This photo taken during training run at the Domain dramatically captures all of those aspects.

Italian Short-Term Exchange

Sixteen boys from Form IV and V recently spent two weeks in Florence. They were immersed in a rich experience of Italian culture and were warmly hosted by pupils from Istituto Liceo Russell-Newton in Scandicci, who had previously visited Grammar in September.

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