The Southport School (TSS), is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Southport, a suburb on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia.
Established in 1901 by The Right Reverend Horace Henry Dixon, TSS is the oldest Anglican boys' boarding school in Queensland and the only all-boys boarding school on the Gold Coast. The school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1305 students from Pre-school to Year 12, including 276 boarders from Years 7 to 12.
The school is affiliated with the Australian Boarding Schools Association (ABSA), the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA), Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ), and has been a member of the Great Public Schools' Association Inc (GPS) since 1920.
Video The Southport School
History
The Southport School was established in 1901 by The Rt Revd Horace Dixon. The land was originally owned by Benjamin and Ann Spendelove. The Spendelove family continued to make a contribution to the school providing boxing coaching for many years after. The first boarding houses (Delpratt, McKinley and Thorold) were established 1907 and 1908. The Southport School has the oldest school boat club in Queensland, having founded its boatshed in 1907.
Maps The Southport School
Headmasters
House system
As with most Australian schools, The Southport School utilises a house system. The Senior School is divided vertically into the twelve Houses: eight day boy Houses and four Boarding Houses. Whilst the Preparatory School is divided into four houses. The Senior Houses are:
The three original houses - Dellpratt, MicKinley and Thorold - were founded in 1909, 1909 and 1908, respectively. The inaugural house shield competition was held in 1910, won by MicKinley. The additional day houses were added in the 1970s and 1980s, and the fourth boarding house, Biddle, added in 1985. The most successful house in the House Shield competition has been Thorold House, achieving its 40th House Shield victory in 2014; MicKinley has won 31 house shields and Dellpratt 21 as of 2014.
Sport
[[File:StateLibQld 1 270493 Members of the Southport School cricket team, Gold Coast, c. 1912.jpg|thumb|right| School cricket team ca. 1912]]
TSS has a strong sporting tradition and over the years has produced many Australian and international athletes of note. The school currently offers the following activities to its students: basketball, chess, cricket, cross country, debating, football, gymnastics, rowing, rugby, swimming, sailing, tennis and track and field. TSS has been a member of the Great Public Schools' Association Inc (GPS) since 1920. The school has achieved many sporting premierships during its membership.
GPS Premierships (official GPS records):
- Rowing (20) 1918, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1930, 1931, 1933, 1953, 1954, 1958, 1959, 1970, 1978, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1991, 2000, 2006
- Cricket (19) 1920, 1923, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1982, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017
- Rugby (10) 1922, 1926, 1933, 1938, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017
- Tennis (8) 1921, 1924, 1926, 1930, 1934, 1956, 2000, 2001
- Gymnastics (7) 1935, 1936, 1962, 1963, 2008, 2009, 2010
- Swimming (8) 1922, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2016
- Athletics (5) 1918, 1919, 1922, 1929, 1933
- Sailing (5) 2002, 2003, 2014, 2015, 2016
- Soccer (3) 2012, 2013, 2014
- Basketball (2) 2009, 2012
- Cross Country (1) 1990
- Shooting (4) 1956, 1963, 1967, 1971 (suspended 1974)
Associated Schools Championships:
- Basketball 1980-81 (1979-1986)
- Soccer 1978, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1990 (1978-1991)
Notable alumni and members of the School community
The Old Southportonians Association (OSA) is the alumni organisation for Old Boys of the school. The OSA celebrated its 100 years as a recognised body in 2007.
Arts, Media and Sciences
- James Blundell - singer
- Sidney Cotton - inventor of the 'Sidcot' flight suit
- Ben Dark - television presenter, Getaway, Nine Network
- Sir Lorimer Dods - founder of the Children's Medical Research Institute
- Stewart Morris - singer, member of the Ten Tenors
- Paul Whittaker - Editor-in-Chief, The Australian
- Rod Young - news anchor for Seven Network
Education
- Ian Lambert - principal, The Scots College, Sydney
Business and politics
- Rob Borbidge - Premier of Queensland
- John Moore - former Federal Liberal Defence Minister
- Bill O'Chee - Queensland Senator
- Glenister Sheil - Queensland Senator
Military
- Lieutenant General Robert Harold Nimmo - head of UN Military Observer Group in Pakistan and India (1952-1966)
- General Sir Arthur MacDonald - Chief of Defence Force Staff (1977-1979)
- Vice Admiral Sir David Stevenson - Chief of Naval Staff (1973-1976)
Sport
Student exchange program
The Southport School is a member of Round Square and as such has an extensive network of partner schools with which it performs many student exchanges. TSS is involved in a Student Exchange Program with the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States and Collingwood School in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Pacific Cable Station
The Pacific Cable Station was relocated to the school in 1982. Largely untouched from its original form, the cable station is now a heritage listed building and serves as the school's music department.
See also
- Education in Australia
- List of boarding schools
- List of schools in Queensland
References
External links
- The Southport School website
Source of the article : Wikipedia