Prince Alfred College – Wikipedia

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Independent, single-sex, day & boarding school in Kent Town, South Australia, Australia

The Main Building at Prince Alfred College, 2022.

Returning to shore at Head of the River, 2022.

Year 6 production of William-Shakespeare’s ‘The-Tempest’, 2022.
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Prince Alfred College (also referred to as PAC, Princes, or in sporting circles, The Reds)[3][4][5] is a private, independent, day and boarding school for boys, located on Dequetteville Terrace, Kent Town – near the centre of Adelaide, South Australia. Prince Alfred College was established in 1869 by the Methodist Church of Australasia, which amalgamated with other Protestant churches in 1977 to form the Uniting Church in Australia.

The school has enrolment of some 1,160 students from Reception to Year 12 (ages 2 to 18),[1] including some 151 boarders from years seven to twelve.[2] Prince Alfred College launched its own Early Learning Centre, Little Princes, in 1999, which was renamed Princes ELC in 2009, with a current enrolment of 260 students.[6]

History[edit]

Prince Alfred College was named after Prince Alfred during his visit to Adelaide in 1867. Alfred was one of the four sons of Queen Victoria and her husband Prince Albert. The school has attracted many royal visitors since its foundation, including Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1954.

The founders of PAC were determined that the religious traditions of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, should be indoctrinated in the school. Young Methodist men of the colony and PAC were encouraged to live disciplined, hard working and predominantly Christian lives, even though they were mocked facing society’s temptations.

The only female student to attend the school was Lilian Staple Mead, daughter of Baptist minister Silas Mead, in 1883-1884, in order to matriculate and enter University at a time when few schools were available for girls to do so.[7][8][9]

At one time, Princes was the only college in Adelaide to offer the IB Diploma at all three stages; the PYP and MYP are compulsory units of work for Preparatory and Middle school students, enabling its students to continue to complete the Diploma in year 11 and 12, or to be recognised nationally with the SACE.[10][11][12]

On Wednesday 18 April 2018, Elizabeth II’s son, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, visited Prince Alfred College, and participated in an unveiling a stone to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the College.[13] In 2019, Prince Alfred College celebrated its sesquicentenary 150th Anniversary.

List of headmasters[edit]

Campuses[edit]

The original school campus is in the Adelaide suburb of Kent Town. The school also owns two other campuses, one for outdoor education in Scott’s Creek, and the other in Point Turton named ‘Wambana’, developed specifically for boys to spend extended periods of time away from home to experience all of the responsibilities adults have to face like; cooking, cleaning, time management and food shopping.[16]

Kent Town[edit]

The original and main campus is located in Kent Town, approximately 2 km east of the Adelaide city centre. The land, originally leased by Dr Benjamin Archer Kent from 1840 to 1859, then bought by Charles Robin,[17] was bought at auction from Charles Robin for £2750 on 18 September 1865.[citation needed] However, it was not until 22 June 1969 that the college celebrated its inauguration, two years after the laying of the foundation stone by H.R.H. Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.[18][19]

A feature of the college is the Main Building, which was built in three sections. The central section was ready for use in 1869 and housed offices, teaching areas, a residence for the Headmaster, and accommodation for boarders, who have been an important aspect of the College’s history. The Waterhouse Wing (south) was added in 1877, and increased the boarding accommodation, as well as providing an assembly room, and a science laboratory. The Cotton Wing (north), added in 1881, further expanded boarding space and teaching areas. The science hall was opened in 1891, and the Main Building was completed in 1889. The cast-iron fence and railings around the front of the grounds were erected by 1905 by the NCP.[who?] The former residence of Alexander Dowie became the preparatory school in 1911.[18][19]

The school campus is divided by the main building, with the preparatory school on the Flinders Street (south) side of the school, and the middle and Senior schools on the Capper Street (north) side. Some of the facilities within the Kent Town Campus include:[20]

  • Accommodation for approximately 140 boarding students
  • Classrooms
  • Computer Rooms
  • Science Laboratories
  • Frederic Chapple Library
  • The Preparatory Library
  • The Gerard Theatre
  • The Eric Freak Memorial Chapel
  • ANZAC Hall
  • Piper Pavilion
  • The John Dunning Sports Centre
  • RED Centre (Sports and Health Centre)
Eric Freak Memorial Chapel

Eric Freak Memorial Chapel was built in 1972 as a memorial to Eric Freak (1916–34, PAC 1929–33), an outstanding tennis player who succeeded in schoolboy championships and promised a brilliant career in the game before his premature death. The Chapel contains a number of instruments including a grand piano and an organ.[21]

ANZAC Hall

ANZAC Hall was relaunched in September 2010 after renovation works which turned it into a fully equipped theatre facility with audio and lighting capabilities. The building provides extensive facilities for music, drama, workshops, seminars and associated events. ANZAC Hall seats up to 800 people.[22] The hall is currently being redone and is due to open for the start of term 2.

Piper Pavilion

The Piper Pavilion, adjacent to ANZAC Hall, is a venue for exhibitions, trade shows, seminars, conferences, cocktail receptions and flow on events from ANZAC Hall.[23]

The John Dunning Sports Centre

The John Dunning Sports Centre is a facility for the preparatory school’s students. It seats approximately 700 people, and can also be used for hosting theatrical performances, art shows, luncheons, alumni events and presentation evenings.[24]

Sports Centre (RED Centre)

The Sports Centre is a flexible multi-purpose sporting and health facility, including a two court basketball stadium, an indoor swimming pool, change room facilities, squash courts, and a number of multi-purpose teaching and function spaces. It was redeveloped, and was completed in early 2013. It also houses a health and fitness studio.[25]

Scotts Creek Campus[edit]

Scotts Creek campus is the college’s Murray River retreat. The Scotts Creek Outdoor Centre is located near Morgan, approximately 165 km from Adelaide. It provides a mix of environmental education, adventure and personal development activities.[26]

Wambana Campus[edit]

Wambana Campus is an off school ground recreational camp. The primary purpose of Wambana is to foster growth by helping adolescent boys better manage the transition to adulthood through immersion in community, academic, spiritual and outdoor adventures.[16]

Wambana is a six-acre (approx. 2.5 hectares) property situated on the coast of southern Yorke Peninsula, bordering the township of Point Turton and rural farming land. Students and staff live in a small village in which residential accommodation and a classroom are clustered around a central meeting facility. The property consists of six accommodation buildings known as “Wardlis” (aboriginal word meaning “dwelling”). Wambana accommodates up to 32 students for five-week periods.[16]

Since its inception, the college has used a “House” system – all students belong to a House. It is the school’s aim that activities that are part of the House system continue to build the strong community feel that the founding fathers envisaged in 1869.

Over the course of each year, students participate in inter-house competitions for the Wesley Cup – competitions include swimming, athletics, rowing, chess, debating, music and drama performances, and year level lunchtime sports. The “Academic Effort” grades earned by students also contribute to the House points tally.

Currently, the PAC Houses are Taylor (Green), Cotton (Blue), Watsford (Orange) and Waterhouse (Yellow). At the time of the school’s centenary (1969), the houses were Bayly (Red), Cotton (Blue), Waterhouse (Yellow) and “School”; at that time all boarders were members of School House.

The houses play in competitions to see who wins the house cup (Wesley cup) and the spirit cup.

Prince Alfred College is a member of the Sports Association for Adelaide Schools (SAAS).

Rowing[edit]

College rowing team, 1891

Rowing began at PAC in 1883 and has played an important part in the school’s sporting culture since that time. The school has two boat houses, at West Lakes and by the Torrens Lake in the City of Adelaide’s parklands. The school employs a full-time Director of Rowing, (currently Mr. Will Maling). Although competition in local and national regattas forms an integral part of the rowing programme, the main event for each year is the Head of the River. The school won the Head of the River in 2012, 2013 and 2014, captained by Jack Kelly (2012), Nicholas Parletta (2013) & William Burfield (2014). These years marked the first time the college has won three consecutive titles at the event.

Intercol[edit]

Each sports team at Princes has an annual fixture against traditional longtime rivals Saint Peter’s College, known as the “Intercol” (Inter-collegiate). These are considered by the two colleges to be the most important games of the seasons, and the fiercely fought matches of the more popular sports draw big crowds of students and old scholars from both schools.[27] The Intercols have been played for over 100 years. At one time, the Australian rules football and the Cricket intercols were both played on Adelaide Oval. The Cricket Intercollegiate match has been competed since 1878. According to Richard Sproull[who?] this is “the oldest unbroken annual contest in the history of cricket” (Weekend Australian 5/6 December 1992).

Outdoor education[edit]

The Prince Alfred College Outdoor Education programme provides a variety of integrated activities designed to allow boys to face challenges beyond those possible in a suburban day school. Current activities are focused on the Scotts Creek Outdoor Centre at Morgan on the River Murray.

In 2008, the college opened its Wambana Campus at Point Turton on the Yorke Peninsula. Year 9 students spend 5 weeks at the new facility, learning field science and mathematics along with other subjects and life skills as well as community service.

Year 11 students undertake practical leadership training and are encouraged to nominate for trips to Nepal, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Kangaroo Island.

Notable alumni[edit]

See People educated at Prince Alfred College

Notable old scholars of Princes include:

Rhodes Scholars[edit]

The Rhodes Scholarship is a postgraduate scholarship for study at Oxford University. South Australian recipients[28] who attended PAC include:

Politics, public service and the law[edit]

  • Cory Bernardi (1969–), Senator for South Australia from 2006 to 2020
  • Harold Boas (1883–1980), Perth architect and town planner
  • Sir John Lavington Bonython (1875–1960), editor of The Advertiser, Lord Mayor of Adelaide (1927–1930)
  • Grant Chapman (1949–), Member for Division of Kingston (1975–1983) and Senator for South Australia (1988–2008)
  • David Combe (1943–), National Secretary of the Australian Labor Party from 1973 to 1981.
  • John Lancelot Cowan, Member for the District of Southern Districts (1949–1959) in the South Australian Legislative Council
  • Charles Glover (1870–1936), first Lord Mayor of the City of Adelaide (1919)
  • Lionel Logue, CVO (1880–1953), speech therapist who successfully treated King George VI’s stammer
  • Major-General Sir Newton Moore KCMG (1870–1936), eighth Premier of Western Australia, World War I general, member of the UK House of Commons
  • Sir Geoffrey Reed (1892–1970), judge in the Supreme Court of South Australia, first Director-General of ASIO
  • Nick Xenophon (1959–), South Australian Legislative Council member (1997–2008) and Senator for South Australia (2008–2017), leader of the SA-Best party.
  • Lyell McEwin (1897–1987), politician

Academia and education[edit]

Medicine and science[edit]

  • Herbert Basedow (1881–1933), Anthropologist, geologist, explorer, politician
  • Roger Brissenden (1962–) Deputy Director, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
  • Henry Brose (1890–1965), Physicist, translator, pathologist, biochemist, academic, Rhodes Scholar
  • Sir Raphael Cilento, medical practitioner and public health administrator
  • Sir John Burton Cleland, CBE (1878–1971), Naturalist, microbiologist, mycologist, ornithologist, Professor of Pathology
  • Henry Fry, DSO (1886–1959), Physician, anthropologist, Rhodes Scholar
  • Bill Griggs, AM, ASM, doctor
  • Brian Kenneth Hobbs (1937–2004), doctor
  • Howard Rayner (1896–1975), doctor
  • Con Stough – Professor of Psychology – Swinburne University
  • John Burnard West (1928– ), respiratory physiologist

Business[edit]

Military and defence[edit]

  • Major-General Sir Newton Moore KCMG (1870–1936), eighth Premier of Western Australia, World War I general, member of the UK House of Commons
  • John Alexander Raws, journalist and WW1 diarist, killed in action 23 August 1916 at Pozieres – no known grave[35]
  • Lieutenant Leonard Taplin, DFC, World War fighter ace, pioneer aerial photographer and aerial cartographer
  • Captain Hugo Vivian Hope Throssell, VC (1884–1933), soldier, farmer[36]

Entertainment, media and the arts[edit]

  • Sir John Ashton, OBE, ROI (1881–1963), Painter and Director of the National Art Gallery of New South Wales
  • Charles Baeyertz (1866–1943), publisher of The Triad, critic and broadcaster
  • Chris Bailey (1950–2013), bass guitarist with ARIA award-winning Australian Bands ‘The Angels’ and ‘GANGgajang’[37]
  • David Basheer, Association Football commentator and analyst on SBS
  • John Henry Chinner (1865–1933), caricaturist and PAC board member
  • Bob Francis (1939–2016), radio presenter, FIVEaa
  • Robert Hannaford, AM (1944–), portrait painter and sculptor
  • Ivor Hele (1912–1993), war artist and prolific portraitist
  • Sir Robert Helpmann, CBE (1909–1986), Ballet dancer, actor, director and choreographer
  • Graham Jenkin, poet, composer and historian
  • Hayley Lever (1876–1958), painter
  • Adam Liaw (1978–), lawyer and winner of 2010 MasterChef Australia
  • Rex Heading (1929–2010), the creator of Humphrey B. Bear whose show won two Logies; former managing director of Channel Nine[38]

Exploration[edit]

Sport[edit]

Cricket[edit]

[edit]

  • Edward Charles Atkins (1873-1966) Norwood (SA Premiers 1894), Sturt, West Perth (WA Premiers 1897), East Fremantle (WA)[40]
  • Zac Bailey (1999–) Brisbane Football Club 2018-
  • Kade Chandler (2000-) Melbourne Demons 2019-
  • Riley Bonner (1997–), Port Adelaide Football Club 2016-
  • Mitch Crowden (1999–) Fremantle Football Club 2018-2022 (42 Games, 15 Goals)
  • Peter Dalwood, Norwood, Fitzroy 1945 (7 Games, 12 Goals),[41] South Australia
  • Peter Darley (1944–) South Adelaide (206 games); premiership winners 1964, captain 1967–1969, 1971. 7 times best and fairest, leading goalkicker 1974
  • Rick Davies (1952–) South Australia (20 games, Captain 1980); SANFL: Sturt (317), South Adelaide (33); VFL: Hawthorn 1981 (20 Games, 37 Goals)
  • Sam Day (1992–), Gold Coast Suns 2011-
  • Aaron Francis (1997–), Essendon Football Club (35 Games, 6 Goals); Sydney Swans
  • George Hewett (1995–), Sydney Swans Football Club 2016-2021 (120 Games, 32 Goals); Carlton Blues 2022-
  • Wayne Jackson (1944–), CEO of the AFL (1996–2003)
  • Craig Kelly (1966–), Collingwood
  • Ed Lower (1987–), North Melbourne Kangaroos[42] 2006-2010 (42 Games, 16 Goals)[43]
  • Nick Lower (1987–), Port Adelaide 2006-2009 (20 Games, 0 Goals); Fremantle Dockers[42] 2011-2012 (22 Games, 9 Goals); Western Bulldogs 2013 (13 Games, 2 Goals) – Total (55 Games, 11 Goals)[44]
  • Rodney Maynard (1966–), Adelaide Crows
  • Ian McKay (1923–2010), North Adelaide (164 Games, 45 Goals, Captain 1948–1955); South Australia (14 Games, Captain 1950–1951); 1950 Magarey Medalist.
  • John Mossop (1959), Geelong 1979–1986 (134 Games, 87 Goals); North Melbourne 1987–1988 (37 Games, 15 Goals) – Total (171 Games, 102 Goals)
  • Kysaiah Pickett (2001-)- Melbourne Football Club 2020- ; AFL Premiership Player 2021
  • David Pittman (1969–), Adelaide Crows 1992-1999 (131 Games, 34 Goals);[45] 2x AFL Premiership Player 1997, 1998
  • Kym Russell (1968–), Collingwood Magpies 1991 (3 Games, 1 Goal)[46]
  • Scott Russell (1970–), Collingwood Magpies 1990-1998 (182 Games, 107 Goals); Sydney Swans 1999 (16 Games, 8 Goals) – Total (198 Games, 115 Goals);[47] AFL Premiership Player 1990
  • Harry Schoenberg (2001-)-Adelaide Football Club 2020-
  • Tom Sparrow (2000–) Melbourne Football Club 2019-; AFL Premiership Player 2021
  • Luke Tapscott (1991–), Melbourne Demons 2011-2014 (48 Games, 12 Goals)[48]
  • Jack Trengove (1991–), Melbourne Demons (86 Games, 39 Goals, 2010-2017), Captain of Melbourne FC (2012–2013), youngest Captain in VFL/AFL history
  • Bernie Vince (1985–), Adelaide Crows 2006-2013 (129 Games, 80 Goals) Melbourne Demons 2014–2018 (100 Games, 33 Goals) – Total (229 Games, 113 Goals)
  • Jack Viney (1994–), Melbourne Demons 2013- Co-Captain (2017-2019); AFL Premiership Player 2021
  • Tim Weatherald (1977–) Sturt and Norwood Football Club (SANFL), Magarey Medallist 2002[49]

[edit]

Rowing[edit]

  • Dr. Matthew Bolt (1986–), former Australian Under 23 Rower, stroke of the 2011 Bronze medal winning South Australian Kings Cup crew, member of 2012 Bronze medal winning Kings Cup crew, former Captain of Adelaide University Boat Club
  • Alexander Hill (1993–), Current Australian Rowing Team member, Olympic Silver Medallist (Rio 2016) M4-, World Cup Medallist, Australian Under 23 Rower, 2011/2012 Bronze medal winning Kings Cup crew member, former Under 19 World Champion[citation needed]
  • Brian Richardson (1948–), former Olympic Rower, Montreal 1976 and Moscow 1980[citation needed]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b “Prince Alfred College”. Chaplaincy. Uniting Church South Australia. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  2. ^ a b “Prince Alfred College”. Schools – South Australia. Australian Boarding Staff Association. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2008.
  3. ^ Jenkinson, Gary (21 March 2007). “Princes set for – showdown”. Messenger – Eastern Courier. Adelaide, South Australia. p. 54.
  4. ^ “Prince Alfred’s knockout win”. Messenger – Eastern Courier. Adelaide, South Australia. 9 April 2008. p. 46.
  5. ^ Blake, Martin (7 May 2009). “Sporting life”. The Age. Melbourne, Australia. p. 12.
  6. ^ “Prince Alfred College; First steps in a quality education; Advertising Feature; Kindergarten sets new standards”. The Advertiser. Adelaide, South Australia. 7 August 1999. p. A24.
  7. ^ “PAC Chronicle 2019” (PDF). Prince Alfred College. 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  8. ^ Proceedings of the Parliament of South Australia. Parliament of South Australia. 1884. p. 6.
  9. ^ Walker, John (October 2009). “‘A Holy Liberty in the Lord’? South Australian Baptists and Female Gender Roles, circa 1870 to 1940″ (PDF). Pacific Journal of Baptist Research. 5 (2): 3962.
  10. ^ Vlach, Anna (5 January 2007). “Boys show they too can be perfect”. The Advertiser. Adelaide, South Australia. p. 7.
  11. ^ Heggen, Belinda; Pengelley, Jill (14 January 2002). “Paul’s almost perfect”. The Advertiser. Adelaide, South Australia. p. 8.
  12. ^ Goodfellow, Nhada (17 February 2003). “Students with the world at their feet”. The Advertiser. Adelaide, South Australia. p. 11.
  13. ^ “News”. Prince Alfred College.
  14. ^ R. M. Gibbs (1990). “Ward, John Frederick (1883–1954)”. Australian Dictionary of Biography. MUP.
  15. ^ “Stephen Codrington”. Biography. Stephen Codrington – The Website. Retrieved 6 August 2022.
  16. ^ a b c Wambana Campus, Prince Alfred College
  17. ^ “Kent Town’s history”. Preserve Kent Town Association. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2012.
  18. ^ a b “History”. Prince Alfred College. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012.
  19. ^ a b “Kent Town Historical Walks”. City of Norwood, Payneham and St Peters.
  20. ^ Kent Town Campus, Prince Alfred College
  21. ^ Eric Freak Memorial Chapel, Prince Alfred College
  22. ^ ANZAC Hall Specifications Archived 10 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Prince Alfred College
  23. ^ Piper Pavilion, Prince Alfred College
  24. ^ The John Dunning Sports Centre, Prince Alfred College
  25. ^ RED Centre Archived 1 February 2018 at the Wayback Machine, Prince Alfred College
  26. ^ Scotts Creek Campus, Prince Alfred College
  27. ^ Adelaide College Football, Gary Jenkinson. Retrieved 8/1/07
  28. ^ List of all South Australian recipients of The Rhodes Scholarship Archived 13 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine. (accessed:2007-06-18)
  29. ^ Emeritus Professor Garry Brown, princeton.edu
    Honors Faculty Members, May 2011, princeton.edu
  30. ^ Hugh Trevor-Roper Theodor Siegfried Dorsch, “The Wartime Journals”
  31. ^ Former Rhodes Scholar dies in Oxford, Adelaidean, Vol 7 No 2 (2 March 1998) pg.7
  32. ^ “Rhodes Scholar, Max Kirkby”. Prince Alfred College. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  33. ^ Tim Cooper Archived 28 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine, www.coopers.com.au
  34. ^ Glenn Cooper Archived 28 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine, www.coopers.com.au
  35. ^ “Hail and Farewell – Letters from Two Brothers Killed in France in 1916”, Ed. Margaret Young and Bill Gammage, Kangaroo Press 1995 ISBN 0-86417-707-0. Also “Records of an Australian Lieutenant 1915–16”, privately published.
  36. ^ Welborn, Suzanne (1990). “Throssell, Hugo Vivian Hope (1884–1933)”. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 12 (Online ed.). Melbourne: Melbourne University Press. pp. 223–224. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
  37. ^ McFarlane, Ian (1999). The encyclopedia of Australian Rock And Pop. Australia: Allen & Unwin. pp. 18, 242. ISBN 1-86448-768-2.
  38. ^ Creator of our best-loved bear, Rex Heading obituary, Sydney Morning Herald, 28 October 2010
    Obituary, www.adelaidenow.com.au, 15 January 2011
  39. ^ Bye, John T.; Carvalho Junior, Oldemar (1996). “The first recorded successful cross Backstairs Passage swim: research note [Andrew Martin’s swim is a unique entry in the annals of South Australian exploration.]”. South Australian Geographical Journal. 95 (1996): 70–74.
  40. ^ australianfootball.com player profile [1] and Norwood Football Club player profile [2]
  41. ^ “AFL Tables – Peter Dalwood – Stats – Statistics”.
  42. ^ a b Twins Ed and Nick Lower both attended St. Ignatius’ College, Adelaide prior to completing their education at PAC.
  43. ^ “AFL Tables – ed Lower – Stats – Statistics”.
  44. ^ “AFL Tables – Nick Lower – Stats – Statistics”.
  45. ^ “AFL Tables – David Pittman – Stats – Statistics”.
  46. ^ “AFL Tables – Kym Russell – Stats – Statistics”.
  47. ^ “AFL Tables – Scott Russell – Stats – Statistics”.
  48. ^ “AFL Tables – Luke Tapscott – Stats – Statistics”.
  49. ^ Memories for Sturt Football Club as Amrozi is sentenced Archived 10 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Ian Henschke, Stateline South Australia, Broadcast 8 August 2003. Retrieved 28 June 2007
  50. ^ http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/adelaideunited/players/John-95Hall/4800[dead link]

External links[edit]


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