Hurlstone Agricultural High School
Encyclopedia
Hurlstone Agricultural High School (abbreviated HAHS) is an agricultural and selective
, co-educational, public high school
, located in Glenfield
, a south-western suburb
of Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia
. It is the oldest government boarding school
in New South Wales (NSW).
Hurlstone is unique in that it is the state's only public selective and agricultural school that also includes a coeducational boarding school. The 112 hectare campus includes an operational farm
, sporting facilities and student accommodation.
Hurlstone has been named the Macarthur region's best academic school, ranking 17th in the NSW top 200 list for the 2009 academic year. The school had 148 distinguished achievers, 13 on the state's top achievers' list, eight on the all-rounders' list and three students who topped the state in a course.
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
. 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 science
s and farm management.
For a brief period in the 1940s it was known as 'Macarthur Agricultural High School' in honour of woolgrower John Macarthur
, but it soon reverted to its previous name.
Hurlstone was a boys' school until 1979, when the decision was made to become co-educational.
Hurlstone has had 11 Principals:
Enrolment at 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 Macquarie
(green).
Hurlstone Agricultural High School is located on a single campus
, covering the area from Glenfield railway station
, along Roy Watts Road and extending to sections of Quarter Sessions Road near the Hume Highway
. 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, pig
s, chicken
s, boer goat
s, alpaca
s and peacocks.
The school's swimming pool is located adjacent 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.
As part of the 2008 mini-budget, the New South Wales Government declared 140 hectares of the school to be surplus to educational needs and the land will be sold in 2011.
, Interact and Rural Youth. Sport is an important part of extracurricular life at Hurlstone.
Other extracurricular activities at the school include the Environment Committee, School SRC, Boarder Council and EPIC. These groups help to improve the school in a number of ways from the environment to the entertainment sector.
Business
Entertainment, media and the arts
Military
Politics, public service and the law
Sport
Agriculture
Selective school (New South Wales)
Selective schools in New South Wales, Australia are government high schools operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, that have accepted their students based upon their academic merit...
, co-educational, public high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, located in Glenfield
Glenfield, New South Wales
Glenfield is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Glenfield is located 40 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the City of Campbelltown and the City of Liverpool...
, a south-western suburb
South-western Sydney
South-western Sydney is a general term which is used to describe the metropolitan area in south-west Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is part of the Greater Western Sydney area....
of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is the oldest government boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
in New South Wales (NSW).
Hurlstone is unique in that it is the state's only public selective and agricultural school that also includes a coeducational boarding school. The 112 hectare campus includes an operational farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
, sporting facilities and student accommodation.
Hurlstone has been named the Macarthur region's best academic school, ranking 17th in the NSW top 200 list for the 2009 academic year. The school had 148 distinguished achievers, 13 on the state's top achievers' list, eight on the all-rounders' list and three students who topped the state in a course.
History
Hurlstone Park, New South Wales
Hurlstone Park is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Hurlstone Park is located 10 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is mostly in the local government area of the City of Canterbury, and partly in the Municipality of...
, approximately ten kilometres south west of Sydney, at the present site of Trinity Grammar School
Trinity Grammar School, New South Wales
Trinity Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Sydney, Australia. The school's main campus is located in Summer Hill, with Preparatory Schools located in Strathfield and Lewisham...
. The original owner of the land was a teacher, John Kinloch, one of the first graduates of the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. 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
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
and Campbelltown
Campbelltown, New South Wales
Campbelltown is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campbelltown is located 51 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Campbelltown.- History :Campbelltown...
) and serviced by the Main Southern Railway
South railway line, Sydney
The South Line is a railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the CityRail suburban network...
. 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 science
Agricultural science
Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. -Agriculture and agricultural science:The two terms are often confused...
s and farm management.
For a brief period in the 1940s it was known as 'Macarthur Agricultural High School' in honour of woolgrower John Macarthur
John Macarthur (wool pioneer)
John Macarthur was a British army officer, entrepreneur, politician, architect and pioneer of settlement in Australia. Macarthur is recognised as the pioneer of the wool industry that was to boom in Australia in the early 19th century and become a trademark of the nation...
, but it soon reverted to its previous name.
Hurlstone was a boys' school until 1979, when the decision was made to become co-educational.
Principals
| Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|
| Frank McMullen | 1907 | 1916 |
| George Longmuir | 1917 | 1938 |
| Percival Hindmarsh | 1939 | 1945 |
| James McEwan King | 1946 | 1953 |
| Clarence G. James | 1954 | 1967 |
| Reginald W. Clarke | 1968 | 1978 |
| James F. White | 1979 | 1982 |
| G. K. Wilson | 1983 | 1987 |
| R. M. Kidd | 1988 | 2003 |
| John Norris | 2003 | 2010 |
| Kerrie A. Wratten | 2011 | present |
Population
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
House system
The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...
: Farrer
William Farrer
William James Farrer was a leading Australian agronomist and plant breeder. Farrer is best remembered as the originator of the "Federation" strain of wheat, distributed in 1903...
(red), Macarthur
John Macarthur (wool pioneer)
John Macarthur was a British army officer, entrepreneur, politician, architect and pioneer of settlement in Australia. Macarthur is recognised as the pioneer of the wool industry that was to boom in Australia in the early 19th century and become a trademark of the nation...
(yellow), Wentworth
William Wentworth
William Charles Wentworth was an Australian poet, explorer, journalist and politician, and one of the leading figures of early colonial New South Wales...
(blue) and Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
(green).
Campus
Campus
A campus is traditionally the land on which a college or university and related institutional buildings are situated. Usually a campus includes libraries, lecture halls, residence halls and park-like settings...
, covering the area from Glenfield railway station
Glenfield railway station, Sydney
Glenfield railway station is an important junction station serving the small Sydney suburb of Glenfield. To the north of the station is a junction between the Main South line and the East Hills Line. To the south, a junction between the Main South and South West lines will be constructed. The...
, along Roy Watts Road and extending to sections of Quarter Sessions Road near the Hume Highway
Hume Highway
The Hume Highway/Hume Freeway is one of Australia's major inter-city highways, running for 880 km between Sydney and Melbourne. It is part of the Auslink National Network and is a vital link for road freight to transport goods to and from the two cities as well as serving Albury-Wodonga and...
. The school is serviced by the East Hills, South
South railway line, Sydney
The South Line is a railway line in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and is part of the CityRail suburban network...
and Cumberland train lines.
Hurlstone features a fully functional farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
and a commercial dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
. Livestock on the farm include: Beef and dairy cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
, sheep, pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s, chicken
Chicken
The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
s, boer goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s, alpaca
Alpaca
An alpaca is a domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance.Alpacas are kept in herds that graze on the level heights of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, Ecuador, and northern Chile at an altitude of to above sea level, throughout the year...
s and peacocks.
The school's swimming pool is located adjacent 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.
As part of the 2008 mini-budget, the New South Wales Government declared 140 hectares of the school to be surplus to educational needs and the land will be sold in 2011.
Extracurricular activities
The school provides opportunities for students to engage in both co-curricular and extracurricular activities. Students may participate in certain clubs which promote these activities. Some groups are fairly unique to public schools within the district, such as the Cadet corpsAustralian Army Cadets
The Australian Army Cadets is a youth organisation that is involved with progressive training of youths in military and adventurous activities. The programme has more than 19,000 Army Cadets between the ages of 12½ and 19 based in 236 units around Australia...
, Interact and Rural Youth. Sport is an important part of extracurricular life at Hurlstone.
Other extracurricular activities at the school include the Environment Committee, School SRC, Boarder Council and EPIC. These groups help to improve the school in a number of ways from the environment to the entertainment sector.
Notable alumni
Academic- Dr Lester Hiatt - Visiting Professor of Australian Studies at Harvard 1990-91;
- Professor Ross Street - Personal Chair in Mathematics at Macquarie University;
- Roy Watts, AO - Former Director-General NSW Agriculture
- Gareth White - featured on Nerds FCNerds FCNerds FC is an Australian television documentary featuring soccer. The first series of the show was aired as a lead-in for the 2006 FIFA World Cup on the Special Broadcasting Service network that featured coverage of the Australian national soccer team....
series 2 and represented Australia in the 2002 International Mathematics Olympiad - Ishraq Ahmed - Represented Australia in 2010 in the Asian Physics OlympiadAsian Physics OlympiadThe Asian Physics Olympiad is an annual physics competition for high school students from Asia and Oceania regions. It is one of the International Science Olympiads and is also the only regional competition in physics to date. The first APhO was hosted by Indonesia in 2000...
. - Giles Gardam - Represented Australia in 2008 in the Australian International Mathematics Olympiad. In July 2008, Giles Gardam represented Australia in the International Mathematics Olympiad in Madrid, Spain - achieving a silver medal.
Business
- Geoffrey Stooke OAM, Managing Director of Standard Wool Australia, Chairman of RugbyWA;
Entertainment, media and the arts
- Toby Allen - Singer for band Human Nature
- Phil BurtonPhil Burton.Phillip Andrew "Phil" Burton is a member of the Australian pop vocal band Human Nature with Toby Allen, Andrew Tierney and his brother Michael Tierney since 1989....
- Singer for band Human Nature - Michael Tierney - Singer for band Human Nature
- Andrew TierneyAndrew TierneyAndrew James Tierney is a member of Human Nature.Andrew and brother Mike are the main songwriters of the group, co-writing the singles, Got It Goin' On, Telling Everybody, Don't Say Goodbye, Whisper Your Name, Be There With You, When We Were Young , Always Be With You and Don't Come Back...
- Singer for band Human Nature - Ania Stepien - Actress on CybergirlCybergirlCybergirl is an Australian children's television series that first screened on Network Ten in Australia. The 26 episode series was created by Jonathan M. Shiff, whose previous series include the BAFTA-award-winning Ocean Girl. Cybergirl has also screened on ABC1 on 6:00am, Thursday and on other...
- Peter MoorePeter Moore (travel author)Peter Moore is an Australian travel writer.Moore, who was born in Sydney, claims to have visited 99 countries. He currently lives with his wife and daughter in London...
- Author - Dan O'Connor - Top 12 of 2004 Australian Idol and actor
- Kate RitchieKate RitchieKatherine "Kate" Ritchie is an Australian actress, best known for her long-running role as Sally Fletcher on the television soap opera Home and Away. She played the character for 20 years from 1988–2008...
- Actress and Radio Personality - Margaret Tierney - Former Miss AustraliaMiss AustraliaMiss Australia is the title for the winner of the Miss Australia Quest/Awards, which ran from 1954 until 2000, when the last Miss Australia was named....
(1995) - Subby ValentineSubby ValentineSubby Valentine is an Australian comedian and radio presenter. Valentine came to prominence in 1997 after winning Raw Comedy, a national competition for new comic talent. He has since worked as a writer and performer for radio, free-to-air television and pay TV.Valentine mastered his trade on the...
- Comedian - Amanda Yeo - Youngest ever Short and SweetShort and SweetShort+Sweet is a multi-form arts platform presenting festivals in theatre, dance, music-theatre and cabaret across Australia and Asia...
Wildcard winner 2007
Military
- Mark BinskinMark BinskinAir Marshal Mark Donald Binskin AO is a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, currently serving as Vice Chief of the Defence Force. He previously served as Chief of Air Force from 2008 until 2011.-Early life:...
- Currently Air Vice Marshal and to be Chief of the Air Force and Air MarshalAir MarshalAir marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
on 4 July 2008 - John Hurst EdmondsonJohn Hurst EdmondsonJohn Hurst Edmondson VC was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.-Early life:...
VCVictoria CrossThe Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
- Soldier in World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
; the Hurlstone school hall is named in his honour - Sir William Keys Kt AC MC - National Secretary of RSL
- Andrew Sims - Brigadier General, served in Pakistan and East Timor
Politics, public service and the law
- John KerinJohn KerinJohn Charles Kerin, AM is an Australian economist and former Australian Labor Party politician.-Career in politics:...
- Politician, former Treasurer of AustraliaTreasurer of AustraliaThe Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. He is the head of the Department of the Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in the economic policy of the government... - Dr Dick Klugman, Member for federal seat of Prospect 1969 - 1990, Co-founder of NSW Council for Civil Liberties;
- Mark LathamMark LathamMark William Latham , an author and former Australian politician, was leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2003 to January 2005....
- Politician, former Leader of the Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor PartyThe Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... - Jim LeesJim LeesJames Travers "Jim" Lees QPM was the Commissioner of the New South Wales Police from 1979 to 1981.Jim Lees was born in 1919 at Hornsby and went on to attend the Hurlstone Agricultural High School...
- Former Commissioner of the New South Wales PoliceNew South Wales PoliceThe New South Wales Police Force is the primary law enforcement agency in the State of New South Wales, Australia. It is an agency of the Government of New South Wales within the New South Wales Ministry for Police...
Sport
- David LyonsDavid LyonsDavid Lyons plays Number Eight for the Wallabies.-Playing career:From his debut in 2000 Lyons played 83 consecutive games for Waratahs, a record for Australian players. His run ended when a knee injury forced him to miss the start of the 2007 season...
- rugby union player, Wallabies - Melanie Wells - Hockey player and the co-captain of Olympic team, HockeyroosHockeyroosThe Australia women's national field hockey team are Australia's national women's hockey team.Having played their first game in 1914,they are one of Australia’s most successful sporting teams, boasting three Olympic Gold...
- Scott KnellerScott KnellerScott Kneller is an Australian freestyle skier. He represented Australia at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Competing in the ski cross, he came seventh. He came second in his 1/8 final, and then in his 1/4 final to qualify for the semifinals. In each race there are four competitors and the...
- Freestyle Skier and competed in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics
Agriculture
- David LoweDavid Lowe (winemaker)David Lowe is an Australian winemaker who has held various wine industry positions, including President of the New South Wales Wine Industry Association; Vice President of the Winemakers' Federation of Australia; member of the strategic NSW Ministers' Wine Advisory Council, and was previously...
- Winemaker & owner, Lowe Wines, President NSW Wine Industry, Vice President Australian Winemakers Federation - Charles MeltonCharles Melton WinesCharles Melton Wines is an Australian winery based in Tanunda, within the Barossa Valley wine region of South Australia.-History:Charles Melton was first introduced to winemaking as a career at Hurlstone Agricultural High School....
- Winemaker.
See also
- List of Government schools in New South Wales
- List of selective high schools in New South Wales
- List of boarding schools
- List of Victoria Crosses by School