Hurlstone Agricultural High School

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Hurlstone Agricultural High School (abbreviated HAHS) is a partially selective agricultural secondary school for students from years 7 to 12 in Glenfield, New South Wales, Australia. It is the oldest government boarding school in New South Wales (NSW).^[1]

As of 2004, the New South Wales Department of Education and Training (DET) regards the school as "partially selective". The school was previously regarded as selective.^[2] The school is unique in that it is the state's only public partially selective and agricultural school that also includes a coeducational boarding school. It was also the first public boarding school in NSW. The 1.2 km² campus is dominated by its operational farm and includes sporting facilities and student accommodation. As it is a NSW public school, it is also participates in sporting events, in particular, Rugby Union and Hockey.

The school has a good academic record, but has attracted controversy in recent years over allegations of financial mismanagement and bullying of staff.^[3]

[edit] History

Hurlstone was established as a boys-only school in 1907 in Hurlstone Park, approximately ten kilometres south west of Sydney, at the present site of Trinity Grammar School. Girls weren't accepted until around the 1970s. The original owner of the land was a teacher, John Kinloch, one of the first graduates of the University of Sydney. He named the land 'Hurlstone Estate', after his mother's maiden name, with the aim of setting up his own school on it.

In those days, most students completed their schooling after primary school and students at 'Hurlstone Agricultural Continuation School' (as it was known at the time) studied there for only two years. In 1926, the school moved to its present site in Glenfield, approximately 42 km south west of Sydney (between Liverpool and Campbelltown) and serviced by the Main Southern Railway. By then, its student numbers had grown from 30 (in 1907) to 148. The school supported government policy to promote productivity in the agricultural sector through the training of boys in all aspects of agricultural sciences and farm management.

For a brief period in the 1940s, it was known as 'Macarthur Agricultural High School', in honour of woolgrower John Macarthur. However, the school soon reverted to its previous name.

The school was a boys' school till 1979, when it became co-educational. ^[4]

[edit] Principals

Hurlstone has had 12 principals:

George Longmuir, the school's longest serving principal, was, as cited by former principal Michael Kidd, "undoubtedly [the school's] most colourful". In the 1931 Harvester, he stated in his editorial that: "Team spirit counts. The team before the player; that is the thing. The school before the pupil, the state before the citizen." Similarly, he later stated in the 1934 Harvester that "Not till we have imbibed the spirit of the school, not till the ideas behind our school motto—Work and Service—has become the driving force of our daily activities are we really ourselves."

[edit] Population

Enrolment in the school is dependent on examinations of Year 6 students from across the state. New students coming in later grades have to sit a similar exam.

The student population of about 960 is divided between boarder students (who reside on the school grounds and originate mainly from country NSW), and day students (who commute mostly from the south western Sydney region). The boarder-day student ratio is roughly 1:3. For sporting and accommodation purposes the school is divided into four houses: Farrer (red), Macarthur (yellow), Wentworth (blue) and [Lachlan] Macquarie (green).

[edit] Campus

The Hurlstone Campus covers the area from Glenfield railway station, along Roy Watts Road and extends to sections of Quarter Sessions Road near the Hume Highway. Some of the day students travel by train to their homes. The main entrance to the school is located on Roy Watts Road, although many students enter from the Horne Park gate at Glenfield station. The school is serviced by the East Hills, South and Cumberland train lines.

Hurlstone features a fully functional farm and a commercial dairy. Livestock on the farm include: Beef and dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, chickens, Boer Goats, alpacas and peacocks.

The school's swimming pool is located next to the boarding school, and is used for swimming carnivals, school sports and recreational purposes.

Clarke House is a heritage listed building which houses a Hurlstone memorabilia museum.

On Roy Watts Road past the boarding school there is a memorial forest with trees planted in the shape of a cross. The memorial forest is where the Anzac Day and Remembrance day ceremonies are held.

[edit] Traditions

The school motto is Pro Patria, a latin phrase which can be translated variously as For Country, For Fatherland, or For Native Land. The school organises an annual Country Fair on the last Saturday in August, involving student families across the state. There is also a school warcry and an annual rugby match between the Year 12 boarders and day students, and old Boys and First Grade Rugby. Another Tradition includes 'detagging' the new year sevens. Students from higher grades will attempt to tear off the tag on the back of the tie from the winter uniform. Although only known by Hurlstonians, it is widely practised inside the schools.

[edit] Extracurricular activities

The school allows students to engage in both co-curricular and extracurricular activities. Students can join certain clubs which promote these activities. Some groups are fairly unique to public schools within the district. These include the Cadet corps, Interact and Rural Youth. Sport is an important part of extracurricular life at Hurlstone.

[edit] Notable alumni

Academic

• Dr Lester Hiatt, Visiting Professor of Australian Studies at Harvard 1990-91; (p. 727 Who's Who in Australia 1995)
• Professor Ross Street, Personal Chair in Mathematics at Macquarie University;
• Roy Watts, AO - Former Director-General NSW Agriculture
• Gareth White - featured on Nerds FC series 2 and represented Australia in the 2002 International Mathematics Olympiad
• Elle Wenban - State debator 2006

Politics and law

• John Kerin - politician, former Treasurer of Australia
• Mark Latham - politician, former Leader of Australian Labor Party^[3]
• Jim Lees - former Commissioner of the New South Wales Police

Military

• Sir William Keys Kt AC MC, National Secretary of RSL; (p. 619 Who's Who in Australia 1977)
• John Hurst Edmondson VC - soldier in World War II; the Hurlstone school hall is named in his honour.
• Andrew Sims - Brigadier General, served in Pakistan and East Timor.

Arts and Media

• Toby Allen - singer
• Phil Burton - singer^[3]
• Peter Moore - author
• Kate Ritchie - actress
• Andrew Tierney - singer
• Michael Tierney - singer
• Subby Valentine - comedian
• Andrew Spalding - featured on Australian Idol and X Factor
• Dan O'Connor - Top 12 of 2004 Australian Idol and actor
• Margaret Tierney - former Miss Australia (1995)
• Som Guan - featured on Nerds FC series 1
• Amanda Yeo - youngest ever Short and Sweet Wildcard winner 2007

Sport

• David Lyons - rugby union player, Wallabies^[3]

[edit] See also

• List of Government schools in New South Wales
• List of selective high schools in New South Wales
• List of boarding schools

[edit] External links

• Hurlstone Agricultural High School website
• Hurlstone Agricultural High School Alumni website
• NSW Department of Education and Training: Hurlstone Agricultural High School
• [1] Hurlstone Classrooms-Wikimapia

[edit] References