Barker College The House System
Honor Non Honores
Mission An Anglican community inspiring every learner every experience every day
Vision To be a leader in Christian education that is characterised by a global vision that inspires hope
Values Commitment Compassion Courage Integrity Respect
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Introduction
Schools like Barker College are dynamic and living communities. We cherish our past and daily are nourished by our strong sense of heritage. From time to time, however, we respond to the changing needs of our students by refining practices and strengthening the things that work well. With the dawn of full coeducation at Barker in 2020, we stand at such an hour. We seek to honour our past whilst we also look far into our future.
system enabled students to adopt a more “pre-tertiary” approach to their education, whilst still enjoying the high level of pastoral support from a trusted adult mentor.
It was under the leadership of the School’s 5th Headmaster, Mr John Dewes, that Barker College first established a system of Houses for pastoral care and competitions. Although the School commenced in 1890, Houses were not introduced until 1959 and they have flourished in the School ever since that time. Barker’s Houses are an important part of our community life and have provided students an opportunity to build connections with one another.
When the School announced the transition to full coeducation in 2016, groups of teaching and non-teaching staff were asked to give advice about aspects of Barker life that might be affected by this decision. The Pastoral Care Review Group recommended that the pastoral connections between Middle School and Senior School be strengthened, whilst still allowing students to enjoy a “fresh start” in the Senior Years. Furthermore, the Review Group recommended that the numbers within Middle School Houses be reduced to ensure that each student can access individual care from the pastoral care team.
With the advent of coeducation in the Senior School in 1975, older students moved from Houses to the Tutor system. This has been a successful part of the Senior School experience for over four decades and has offered all students the opportunity for a “fresh start” in the Senior Years. The Tutor
To implement these recommendations, from 2019 the School will establish 8 additional Houses in the Middle School. These sixteen Houses will continue into the Senior School, which will enable Year 10 students to enjoy access to the House community but in an age-appropriate manner.
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John Gordon Dewes Headmaster 1958 - 1963
In the Senior School, the Heads of House will be known as Tutor-House, thus ensuring a direct link with the Tutor System established in 1975 by Mr Trevor McCaskill, our 6th Headmaster. In early 2018, the School Council adopted the names of distinguished female Barker community members for our new Houses (Year 7 to 12). Joining our existing eight Secondary School House names, the list of sixteen individuals captures a strong sense of the cultural distinctives that collectively makes us Barker College. This booklet describes the Secondary School House Names and opens the way to a very exciting future at the School. Under the leadership of the Director of Wellbeing and Heads of Middle and Senior Schools, a revitalised Pastoral Care Team is being prepared to meet the emerging challenges of the increasingly complex world in which we seek our students to thrive.
As the writer of the Proverbs says, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.� (Prov 22:6). Our prayer is that we may be worthy of such an inspiring challenge at Barker.
Phillip Heath AM Head of Barker College
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Introduction
This is an exciting time to be part of the Barker Community. We have the opportunity to develop a new iteration of pastoral care that can embrace a new generation, one that builds on the strengths of the systems in place, but is also geared to meeting the needs of today’s students with their particular challenges and capacities. An effective pastoral care system provides many opportunities to provide structures and supports that may act as a defence against declining mental health and improve student engagement. Research suggests that there are four key outcomes of effective pastoral care: health and wellbeing, resilience, academic care, and the building of human and social capital (Cross, Lester and Barnes 2014, ‘‘Next practice’ for pastoral care and student wellbeing in schools’, AHISA, 12 March 2014). It is our belief that a well organised and structured House system, where every child is known and valued by multiple adults, can go some way to addressing the needs of our young people, helping them to thrive.
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We have developed a Thriving Framework to assist our students to develop skills and capacities to cope with the stressors that we all face from time to time. Thriving at Barker stands on four pillars: Inquiry, Rhetoric, Gratitude and Service. The first two pillars refer to our cognitive or intellectual growth. The second two refer to wellbeing and resilience. We are enthusiastic about the possibilities that this brings for the future of Barker. Pastoral care should be part of the school’s rhythm. At Barker we are all Pastoral Carers; we teach, learn, guide, correct and care. It is central to what we do for every learner, every experience, every day.
Melissa Brady Director of Coeducation Transition
A History of the House System at Barker Houses were first introduced to Barker in 1959 by Headmaster John Dewes. In his first report to Council as Headmaster (7 October 1958), Mr Dewes wrote that the house system needed to be introduced as a matter of urgency, with reasons in support of this given verbally but sadly not recorded. There is no further mention of Houses in this or subsequent Council meetings in 1958 or early 1959, suggesting that there were no special policies or directives given from Council as to how it must be done and the logistics were left up to Headmaster Dewes. Secondary School students were originally allocated a house based upon their address – one House for students from the North line and two houses for students from the North Shore line, dividing at Gordon. It was assumed that anyone outside of these areas was a boarder and therefore allocated to Carter or Plume. There is no record of how Houses were allocated once the demographics of the student population broadened in the late 1960s and 1970s. Minutes of the Management Committee and Council show that when a new house was created, the name was to be approved by Council. Permission was then sought from the individual, or the individual’s family should they be deceased. In his report presented at Speech Night in 1958, Headmaster Dewes expressed surprise that “all the 230 day boys come directly under the Head, with the best will in the world I would not feel able to give adequate pastoral care to such a large number…
Heads of House ‘will get to know each boy in the house and watch the many influences being brought to bear on him. They will encourage here, protect there, and generally supervise a boy’s growth. They will also deal with minor matters of discipline and, with the co-operation of form masters, see that the boys do their work well. However, I do want to stress that I am by no means abdicating and shall hope that my own concern for the boys as individuals will in no way diminish… Of course a by-product of this will be, if things go well and House loyalty develops, especially in sport, that boys will feel a greater sense of belonging and by giving more of themselves to the School, they will in turn get more from it.” Headmaster Trevor McCaskill recognised that key to the success of the House system was a manageable number of students per house, that being 70-80 students. Whenever the notion of a new House was presented to Council, it was always justified on the basis of keeping numbers within this limit. Until 1975, the concept of Senior or Middle Schools did not exist. Consequently, all students were part of a House group. The creation of a separate Senior School in 1975 resulted in the development of the Tutor system for pastoral care. New students arriving in the Senior School, whether boys or girls, were not allocated into a house. The House became irrelevant for continuing students. The names of Barker’s Houses reflect its history, with some Houses dating back almost 70 years. It is fitting that as we now add eight Houses to those that currently exist, the hopes of Headmasters Dewes and McCaskill are clearly visible and their legacy has been maintained.
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Andrew House
Established: 1965 Named after: William Peter Colvin Andrew Citation: Student 1902-1910, OBU Committee, OBU Secretary, OBU Treasurer, OBU Vice President, Council Member 1930-1945 House colour: Black House motto: Fortune favours the brave
William Andrew began his long association with Barker as a student in 1902. During his final year at School in 1910, he was Captain of the 1st XI Cricket team. Upon leaving Barker, William commenced work as a clerk. With the outbreak of World War I, he enlisted in the AIF, serving in France. He returned home in 1918 and continued with the militia. The outbreak of War in 1939 saw him promoted to Captain of the 18th Battalion and soon after, he was promoted to Adjutant, serving with the Second Division Headquarters until the conclusion of the War.
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William resumed his business career with the family firm, J. Andrew & Co, although his war service had seriously affected his health. William devoted much time and energy to the School, Old Boys Union (OBU) and Council. He was at various times Secretary, Treasurer, Committee member and Vice President of the OBU. He also served as an OBU representative on Council from 19301945.
Bowman House
Established: 2019 Named after: Mary, Lois, Kate (Kittie) and Lottchen (Lottie) Bowman Citation: Students 1891 House colour: Dark purple House motto: From one to all
When Rev. Henry Plume formally established Barker College in Kurrajong Heights in 1891, William and Charlotte Bowman and their family of five daughters were living in the area.
Apart from a rigorous program of study, the sisters were also expected to play Cricket on Saturdays and cut firewood in the winter. Sadly, the family left the district in 1892 and the sisters were unable to continue at Barker.
Plume persuaded the Bowmans that their four school-aged daughters would be better off at his school than being tutored at home. Thus, amongst the 18 pupils enrolled at Barker College in 1891, were the four Bowman sisters – Mary (aged 17), Lois (aged 15), Kittie (aged 13) and Lottie (aged 10).
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Boyce House
Established: 1959 Named after: The Hon. Francis Stewart Boyce KC MLC Citation: Founding Chair of Council 1919-1934 House colour: Light blue House motto: Aspire
Francis Boyce was educated at The King’s School, Parramatta, Sydney Grammar, Rugby School and the University of Sydney. He was admitted to the Bar in 1897, became an Acting District Court Judge in 1916 and appointed to the King’s Counsel in 1924. In 1932, he was appointed a Supreme Court Judge. Always interested in politics, Francis served in the NSW Government in various roles, including Honorary Secretary, Honorary Minister, Attorney General and Vice President of the Executive Council. In 1923, he was nominated to the Legislative Council.
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Outside of the Law and politics, Francis was a temperance advocate and a leading Freemason, being appointed the Grand Registrar of the United Grand Lodge of NSW (1917-1925) and Deputy Grand Master (19261927). He played a pivotal role in the purchase of Barker College by the Church of England and was the first Chair of the School Council, serving in this position from 1919 until 1934.
Butters House
Established: 1959 Named after: Sir John Henry Butters CMG MBE Citation: Chair of Council 1934-1946 House colour: Grey House motto: God will direct
John Butters was educated in England and came to Australia in 1909 as an engineer. In 1911 he was appointed Chief Engineer and Manager of what became known as the Great Lakes Hydro-Electric Scheme.
In 1924, John was employed as the Chair of the Federal Capital Commission, the authority was responsible for the early expansion of Canberra, the development of municipal activities and the control of private enterprise. He was knighted in 1927 for his work on the Commission.
John was awarded the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George for his work on this project.
John settled in Wahroonga in 1929 and commenced work as a Consultant Engineer. He was an active member of the community, serving on a diverse range of committees and boards, including the Council of Barker College (Chair 1935-1945) and the Macquarie Street Planning Committee (Chair 1935-1936). He gifted the Mint Gates to the School in 1937.
John served in World War I as part of the Staff Officer Engineers at the 6th Military District Headquarters in Hobart. In 1920, he was awarded an Order of the British Empire for his services to the War.
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Fear House
Established: 2019 Named after: Susan Erica Fear OAM Citation: Student 1979-1980 House colour: Orange House motto: Courageous soul
Susan Fear came to Barker from Abbotsleigh in 1979. During her time at the School, she gained Colours for Cricket and Hockey and was Co-Captain of both teams in 1980. She successfully completed her Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards and also participated in Swimming, Athletics, Tennis and Squash. She was both a Prefect and member of Student Council. It was during 1980, when Nawang Gombu, the first man to climb Mt Everest twice, spoke at Barker that Susan’s interest in mountaineering begun. Upon leaving school, Susan learnt to ski and began working for Australian Himalayan Expeditions as she dreamed of one day becoming a guide. In 1986, she spent time in New Zealand undertaking a mountaineering course and by the following year had climbed Mt Kenya and Mt Kilimanjaro. She travelled to Peru and Bolivia, working as a guide with World Expeditions and climbed five peaks in five weeks. From there she
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travelled to Nepal to climb Mera Peak, which was followed by leading the first Australian ascent of Makalu 2 in 1997. In 2003, Susan was the first Australian woman to conquer the north face of Mt Everest and was named Adventurer of the Year by the Australian Geographic Society. Susan was heavily involved in the Fred Hollows Foundation, and has an eye clinic named after her in Dhading Besi, Nepal. She was also an ambassador for the Australian Himalayan Foundation, and helped raise funds for the Australian Nepalese Medical Group. She was awarded an OAM in 2005 for services to mountaineering and the community, particularly through the Fred Hollows Foundation. She died in 2006 whilst descending from the summit of Mt Manaslu in the Himalayas. At her request, her body was not recovered. There is a plaque in her memory above the village of Bandipur, facing Mt Manaslu.
Hill House
Established: 2019 Named after: Evelyn Hill Citation: Tutored for her matriculation examinations by Plume 1890 House colour: Magenta House motto: Strength lies in difference
In late 1889, Rev. Henry Plume advertised for pupils to tutor in the rectory of St. Stephen’s Church, Kurrajong. Of the five pupils tutored by Plume in 1890, Evelyn Hill secured a sound matriculation pass. Evelyn’s success, along with that of his other four pupils, encouraged Plume to formally establish Barker College in 1891. Evelyn commenced her studies at the University of Sydney in 1891, making her one of the first female students to attend university.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in April 1895, and went on to teach at St Hellier’s and St Catherine’s. In 1901 she moved to Perth, where she established a Ladies College, and although her marriage to John Darker in 1906 brought an end to her teaching, she maintained a life-long interest in education. Evelyn was heavily involved in the University of Western Australia and a foundation member of the Western Australian Association of University Women.
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Holt House
Established: 1979 Named after: Judge Henry Thomas Eulert Holt CBE Citation: Student 1911-1913, OBU Committee Member, OBU Vice President, Member of Council 1931-1962 House colour: Dark green House motto: Faith brings victory
Henry Holt was educated at Sydney Preparatory School, Charterhouse School and from 1911-1913 was a student at Barker. During his final year at the School, he was awarded Cricket colours and was a Prefect. In 1914, he commenced a BA at Sydney University whilst working as an Articulated Clerk. In 1915, Henry enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery, serving in Gallipoli, where he was seriously wounded. Once recovered, he went on to serve in Sinai, Egypt and France. He returned to Australia in 1919 with the rank of Captain.
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Henry resumed his university studies and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1921, followed by LLB in 1924. He was called to the Bar in 1925 and was appointed to the District Court Bench in 1939. He was awarded a CBE in 1965. Henry maintained a close interest in the life of the School, and was an active member of the Old Boys Union, serving as a Committee Member and Vice President. He also served on the Council of Barker College for over 30 years (1931-1962).
Mackenzie House
Established: 2019 Named after: Mary Mackenzie Citation: Inaugural BCMA President 1926, mother of Farquhar (1919) and John (1922) House colour: Pale green House motto: Together we are one
In 1924, Mary Mackenzie established a committee of Barker mothers to raise funds for a pavilion next to the new Memorial Oval.
Since this time, the BCMA-BCPA has worked tirelessly to not only foster friendships within the Barker community but to also provide facilities and equipment for all Barker students to enjoy.
This committee organised the School’s first two fetes, in 1924 and 1925, with the events being so successful that the Pavilion was constructed debt free. This inspired the formation of the BCMA in 1926 and at the inaugural meeting, Mary Mackenzie was unanimously elected President.
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May House
Established: 2019 Named after: Dr Jennifer Ann May AM Citation: Student 1978-1979 House colour: Olive green House motto: Dare to know
Jenny May (nee Judges) came to Barker in 1978 and fully involved herself in the life of the School. She participated in Sport, Duke of Edinburgh, Debating and Choir, whilst also undertaking a number of community service initiatives. She was a Prefect in her final year and won the Economics prize. Having lived and worked as a GP in the New England area since 1984, Jenny has made an important contribution to the health and wellbeing of regional communities. As Director of the Department of Rural Health at the University of Newcastle, she strives to improve the health of rural Australians through advocacy and research. Her recent research focuses on recruitment and retention of the rural medical workforce, and she plays a significant role in developing the next generation of health care professionals by training and mentoring young doctors and students.
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Jenny advises governments on rural health issues, and is part of the National Advisory Group on Alcohol and Other Drugs and the National Medical Training Advisory Network. She is past Chair of the National Rural Health Alliance and Chair of the female doctors group of the Rural Doctors Association of Australia. She was named Telstra Rural Doctors Association of Australia Rural Doctor of the Year 2014. In 2016, she received an AM in the General Division for significant service to community health in rural and regional areas, as a general practitioner, to professional medical groups and to education.
Pain House
Established: 1965 Named after: Rev. Canon Kenneth Wellesley Pain Citation: Chaplain 1933-1947, Member of Council 1933-1958 House colour: White House motto: Live and let live
Kenneth was educated at Caulfield Grammar School, Melbourne and at Queen’s College Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1913. In 1914, Kenneth enlisted with the Royal Field Artillery. He served in France and Macedonia and was severely wounded in the shoulder. He was mentioned in despatches in 1917 and returned to Australia in 1919.
Ordained in 1920, he was appointed Rector at St Andrew’s Strathfield, followed by St Paul’s Wahroonga. As the Rector of St Paul’s Wahroonga, he was also the Chaplain of Barker College and Abbotsleigh. This resulted in he and Headmaster William Leslie becoming good friends, with Kenneth being appointed to the Council of Barker College in 1933, a position he held until 1958.
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Stevens House
Established: 2019 Named after: Christine Stevens Citation: BCMA Committee Member 1972-1975; BCMA President 1974-1975; First female Council Member 1979-1983 House colour: Pale purple House motto: Remember where the victory lies, in the struggle not the prize
As the mother of three Barker students, Chris involved herself in the work of the BCMA, firstly as a member of the Committee (1972-1974) and then as President (1974-1975).
With the School becoming coeducational in 1975, it was recognised that school structures had to change in order to be more inclusive of women. Consequently, in 1979, Chris was appointed as the first female on the Council of Barker College.
During this time, the BCMA provided the Languages Laboratory and Clarke Road Tennis Courts and established the Second Hand Bookshop.
During her four year term, the Council sought to strengthen coeducation and set about purchasing neighbouring properties for future expansion.
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Sthalekar House
Established: 2019 Named after: Lisa Caprini Sthalekar Citation: Student 1996-1997, Middle School Seniors Role Model 2014 House colour: Gold House motto: Our best always
Lisa Sthalekar was born in India and was adopted at an early age from an orphanage in Pune. In 1994, Lisa was named the Female Junior Cricketer of the Year and was awarded the Player of the Series at the State Championships. Lisa arrived at Barker in 1996 from Cherrybrook Technology High School. During her time at the School, she was a member of the Girls 1st Cricket team and was awarded colours each year. In 1997 she captained the team and represented the School in the NSW U19 Cricket team. Late in the 1997-1998 season, Lisa made her domestic debut, which was followed by her one day international debut in mid-2001 and her test debut in mid-2003. In 2006, she captained the side for three one day international matches.
When she retired from professional Cricket in 2010, Lisa had played eight tests, 125 one day internationals and 54 Women’s Twenty20 Internationals, making her one of the most successful female Cricketers ever to represent Australia. She was the first woman to score over 1000 runs and take 100 wickets in one day internationals and was named the Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2007 and 2008. She currently works for Cricket NSW as the Program Manager for Female Programs and commentates for Cricket Australia (live streaming), Big Bash (Channel 10) and Wide World of Sports (Channel 9). Beyond Cricket, Lisa has a Bachelor of Arts majoring Psychology and Religious Studies from the University of Sydney and is heavily involved with the McGrath Foundation.
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Stone House
Established: 2019 Named after: Prof. Adrienne Sarah Ackary Stone Citation: Student 1985-1986 House colour: Teal House motto: The truth never perishes
Adrienne commenced at Barker in 1985, having come from Ascham. During her time at school, she played Cricket and Hockey and was involved in Drama. She served on the Editorial Committee of both the School Magazine and Sixth Form Magazine and was a member of the Archdale Cup Debating team. Always determined to be a barrister, Adrienne completed degrees in Arts (Philosophy) and Law from the University of New South Wales. She then worked in a law firm and as an associate for a High Court judge, which resulted in her becoming interested in constitutional law. She then took the opportunity to undertake postgraduate study at Columbia University, New York City, which resulted in her pursuing a career in academia.
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Adrienne is currently the Director of the Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies at Melbourne Law School, where she engages extensively with both government and non-government organisations. Her area of interest is constitutional law and constitutional theory, with a particular focus on freedom of expression. She is also the Australia Research Council Kathleen Fitzpatrick Laureate Fellow, investigating how constitutions, in their design and application, can unify while nurturing the diversity appropriate for a complex, modern society. Adrienne has taught in Law Schools in Australia, the United States and Canada, including in 2011, when she was Visiting Professor at Georgetown University Law Centre in Washington DC. She is a widely published author, and has delivered papers and lectures by invitation at numerous universities in Australia, North America Europe and China.
Wade House
Established: 1959 Named after: Dr Burton Gregory Wade Citation: Student 1905-1909, OBU Committee, OBU President 1932-1935 & 1939-1945, Chair of Council 1945-1960 House colour: Dark blue House motto: Work together
As a student, Burton Wade was heavily involved in the life of the School. He was awarded an Honours Cap for Rugby in 1909 and achieved Colours for both Cricket and Rugby. He was Prefect in 1908 and Senior Prefect in his final year. He went on to study a Bachelor of Medicine at Sydney University and upon graduation, Burton became a Resident Medical Officer at RPA. With the outbreak of World War I, Burton enlisted as a Medical Officer, sailing with the hospital ship Karoola in July 1915. By November however, he was suffering from rheumatic fever and deemed medically unfit. Burton therefore returned to Sydney and recommenced his residency at RPA.
In 1916, Burton began work as a GP, working in Wellington (NSW) and Roseville. In 1937, he opened a practice in Macquarie Street, specialising in Physical Medicine, a position he held until 1957. He was also the inaugural President of the Physiotherapists’ Registration Board, a lecturer in Physical Medicine at Sydney University and Australian Representative and Member of the Council of Physical Medicine. Burton was twice President of the OBU (1932-1935 & 1939-1945) and was Chair of the Council of Barker College from 1945-1960.
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Wailes House
Established: 1971 Named after: John Ekins Wailes OBE Citation: Student 1921-1925, OBU Secretary 1932 House colour: Yellow House motto: From hard work comes victory
John Wailes attended Barker from 1921 to 1925 and was the first day boy to be admitted to the office of Prefect. In his final year, he was a member of the 1st XV Rugby team. Winning a University Exhibition in 1925, he went onto Sydney University to study Law. Upon the completion of his studies, he commenced his 50 year career at the firm of Sly and Russell. John enlisted with the Australian Corps of Signals at the outbreak of World War II, serving in New Guinea and the Islands. He served with such distinction that he was awarded an OBE (Military Division) in 1946. Upon joining the Council of Barker College in 1950, he soon became Secretary and Treasurer. The School desperately needed to expand, but lacked the financial capital to do so. John’s extensive business contacts meant that the building program was soon financed.
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When he took over as Chair in 1960, the School was going through a crisis as a result of problems of leadership and a financial deficit that could not be met despite careful control of expenditure. Under John’s leadership, the Council appointed Trevor McCaskill as Head and decided to immediately, and considerably, increase the size of the School. These two crucial decisions led to the School being well managed and financially stable.
Wilson House
Established: 1979 Named after: Rev. Canon Bicton Wilson Citation: Student 1896-1899, Staff 19001901, OBU President 1912 House colour: Maroon House motto: God is my shield
Bicton Wilson was one of Barker’s earliest students and upon the completion of his schooling was appointed by Plume as a student teacher for two years. He then studied at Queen’s College Cambridge, graduating in 1904. It was at this time that Plume offered to sell Barker to Bicton, but he declined and went on to study at Wells’ Theological College.
At the conclusion of the War, Bicton took up the position of Rector in Longreach only to return to Newcastle in 1925. In 1926, he was appointed the first Head of Broughton School, a position he held for seven years. Bicton then served for a short while as the Rector of Aberdeen and for the last ten years of his life was the Rector at Scone.
Bicton returned to Australia in 1909, working in the Diocese of Newcastle. From 1914-1919, he served as a Chaplain with the AIF and is described by historian C.E.W. Bean as “…one of the best loved Chaplains of the AIF.” He was twice mentioned in despatches and was awarded a Military Cross.
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