Geelong College


The Geelong College is an Australian independent and co-educational, Christian day and boarding school located in Newtown, an inner-western suburb of Geelong, Victoria.
Established in 1861 by Alexander James Campbell, a Presbyterian minister, the Geelong College was formerly a school of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and is now operated in association with the Uniting Church in Australia but is not governed or managed by the church. The school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for over 1,200 students from kindergarten to Year 12, including around 100 boarding students from Years 7 to 12. The boarding students are accommodated in two boarding houses at the senior school campus: Mackie House for boys, Mossgiel House for girls.
The college is affiliated with the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia, the Junior School Heads Association of Australia, the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria, the Australian Boarding Schools Association, and has been a member of the Associated Public Schools of Victoria since 1908.

History

Following the closure of the first Geelong Grammar, Campbell established a committee to found a new Presbyterian school. On 8 July 1861, Geelong College was officially established. The school year later started with an enrolment of 62. George Morrison was appointed the first principal and three years later became the owner of the school. The school moved to its present location in 1871. The architects Alexander Davidson and George Henderson designed its main building.
In 1908, the college returned to the ownership of the Presbyterian Church of Australia and became a member of the Associated Public Schools of Victoria. St David's Presbyterian Church at the corner of Talbot St and Aphrasia St, Newtown is currently used by the School for religious services. Traditionally, the school used St George's Presbyterian Church on Latrobe Terrace for Presbyterian Services. Anglican services, when required, were provided at All Saints Church on Noble St. Presbyterian Services however, were transferred to St David’s Church in 1962. The Geelong College Chapel was dedicated on 8 March 1989 as the centre of the school's spiritual life. It was formerly the school’s House of Music, designed by Philip Hudson, built 1936 and opened in 1937.

Land was acquired in 1946 for a new preparatory campus, which did not open until 1960. This particular campus became co-educational in 1974, with co-education being extended to the senior campus in 1975. The college undertook an extensive redevelopment and refurbishment of the middle school, which is on the preparatory campus, in 2012.
In 2015, Principal Andrew Barr resigned after he was photographed watching adult pornography in his office.

Principals

PeriodPrincipal
1861-1898G. Morrison
1898-1909N. Morrison
1910-1914W. R. Bayly
1915-1919W. T. Price
1920-1945F. W. Rolland
1946-1960M. A. Buntine
1960-1975P. N. Thwaites
1976-1985S. P. Gebhardt
1986-1995A. P. Sheahan
1996-2012P. C. Turner
2013-2015A. M. Barr
2016-2025P. D. Miller
2025-presentS. Young

Campuses

Talbot Street, Newtown
  • Middle School – Years 4 to 8
Aberdeen Street, Newtown
  • Junior School – Kindergarten to Year 3
Minerva Road, Newtown
Cape Otway

House system

A house system operates at both the senior and middle schools. Each house is named after a significant person in the college's history. Sporting and music competitions are held between them each year.
HouseColourOrigin of nameYear founded
CalvertMaroonStanley B. Hamilton-Calvert, an Old Collegian, council member from 1908 to 1939 and council chairman 1921 Barwon; Renamed 1925
ColesPale blueSir Arthur Coles, co-founder of Coles Supermarkets, a major college benefactor, Old Collegian and council chairman 1975
KeithGreenBertram Robert Keith, Old Collegian, staff member, co-author and editor of the 1961 Geelong College Centenary History1981
McArthurBlackA. Norman McArthur, Old Collegian, council member and interim acting council chairman 1952
McLeanRedEwen Charles McLean, staff member 1940–78, first chaplain from 1954 and honorary archivist 1980
MorrisonBrownGeorge Morrison, founding principal from 1861 to 1898 and owner 1921
ShannonDark blueCharles Shannon, council member and chairman of council 1921
WettenhallGoldRoland R. Wettenhall, Old Collegian and council member 1975

At the middle school, there are four houses: Pegasus, Bellerophon, Minerva and Helicon, which meet for sporting events throughout each year. The house model is not used for pastoral care at this campus. The names of these houses originate from Roman mythology.

Curriculum

Geelong College offers its senior students the Victorian Certificate of Education.
YearRankMedian study scoreScores of 40+ Cohort size
2012463418.1276
2013493417.0254
2014583415.1234
2015463418.7280
2016533417.8263
2017493419.1243
2018653315.2230
2019633316.3246
2020853213.0254

Sport

Secondary students of the college participate in the summer, winter and spring seasons of the Associated Public Schools of Victoria /Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria sport competition. Choices offered for summer sports include badminton, cricket, softball, tennis and rowing. Winter sports include Australian rules football, netball, soccer and basketball. Students may also participate in a number of local competitions and the college is particularly known for rowing competitions.

APS and AGSV/APS premierships

Geelong College has won the following APS and AGSV/APS premierships:
Boys:
  • Cricket – 1946, 1947, 1963, 1979, 1982, 1995, 2011
  • Football – 1925, 1927, 1932, 1963, 1964, 2006
  • Rowing – 1936, 1944, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1976, 1990, 1993, 2000, 2001, 2003
Girls:
  • Athletics – 1995, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2005
  • Hockey – 1995, 1996
  • Netball – 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998
  • Rowing – 1981, 1982, 1983, 1989, 1992, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011
  • Tennis – 1995, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2005

    Geelong College Challenge

The Geelong College Challenge is a competition run by the college at the preparatory school campus in which government schools in the region can enter. The challenge started in 1993. Participating schools send in an entry based on the set theme, and the teams with the 16 best entries are accepted. These schools then form a team of four Year 6 students. On the weekend of the challenge, the teams participate in various challenges, which include art, music, drama, technology, information technology, physical education and mathematics challenges.

Notable alumni

of the school are known as Old Geelong Collegians and may elect to join the alumni association, the Old Geelong Collegians' Association. Some notable Old Geelong Collegians include:

Academic