the history of Sydney’s iconic

city school

St Andrew’s is one of Sydney’s oldest schools a place steeped in the heritage of the city. Independent, Anglican and coeducational, it has grown significantly since its beginnings in 1885. With a strong pastoral care programme and an international focus, St Andrew’s makes full use of its dynamic city surrounds to ensure all students from K-12 receive an engaging educational experience. There is no typical St Andrew’s student – in fact we attract families from all over Sydney and beyond, bringing them together at our lively city campus. This is a place where an excursion begins at the front doors.

Our Cathedral beginnings

With its majestic sandstone front façade, and its high gothic interior arches which stem to the lofty blue and vermillion embellished rooftop, St Andrew’s Cathedral has become an integral part of Sydney’s rich cityscape. Designed by renowned colonial architect, Edmund Blacket, the Cathedral emerged in the mid-1800s, inspired by English Anglican architecture.

By 1885, Bishop Barry (the 3rd Bishop of Sydney) identified a need to provide the young male choristers who performed in the daily services with “a high-class, free education based on Church principles, in addition to a musical training”. Thus, St Andrew’s Cathedral School, nicknamed by locals as ‘the Choir School’ was born; two small, humble classrooms on Pitt Street housing a mere 27 boys. Enrolment remained steady at this modest number until in 1941. It was then that the school began to expand dramatically, educating up to 700 students from Years 3 to 12.

As time progressed the choral school developed into an inimitable learning environment. St Andrew’s prescribed to the philosophy of ‘whole person’ education by recognising that scholastic excellence encompassed more than grades. Students were the first in the Commonwealth to take up fencing as a sport; they boxed and swam, engaged in prayer and meditation at Chapter House services, toured the country as Choristers and were, in 1958, paid an exclusive visit by the first reigning monarch to visit Australia, Queen Elizabeth II.

Changing but still the same

“The School is really going somewhere. When people tell me that St Andrew’s is a modern school I take pride in telling them that we are 114 years old. We have evolved from those almost humble beginnings, over a century ago, to where we are now. This amazing journey that we have been on could not have existed without two things: the ability to change and the bravery not to forget our past and our tradition.” – Alex Shain former School Captain, graduation speech of 1999

As a school in the very heart of Sydney’s vibrant CBD, a willingness to change and keep in step with a dynamic and progressive society has been essential to ensure our continued success. In 1999 the Senior College of St Andrew’s, one of the oldest all-boy schools in the country, opened its doors to girls for the first time in 114 years. It was a radical move that made it the only coeducational city school at the time.

Since then St Andrew’s has introduced coeducation across its entire school, from Kindergarten to Year 12. There have been significant changes in buildings – our current two campuses include St Andrew’s House and the nearby Bishop Barry Centre, tailored to the learning needs of our Senior College. In 2007 the school introduced Gawura, a ‘school within a school’ for primary-

aged Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who reside within the inner city precinct. With a deliberate focus on literacy and numeracy, it maintains strong connections to Sydney’s Indigenous community and a tight network of support from families.

“If the future can maintain the faith, courage and loyalty of the past, and if the vision and faith of all those who have built up the traditions of our School over the past years can remain undiminished, then this School will move steadily onwards to fulfill the destiny for which, under God, it was founded.” – Reverend Cannon Newth, previous Head of School

“The introduction of coeducation was an exciting and transformational time. I believe coeducation enhanced our school’s diversity and dramatically improved our learning experience. St Andrew’s was a bigger and better place as a result”– Christopher Whittaker, OA 2005

St Andrew’s Cathedral School Sydney Square, Sydney NSW 2000

phone +61 2 9286 9500fax +61 2 9286 9550 email info@sacs.nsw.edu.au

www.sacs.nsw.edu.au

A walk back through timeshows that St Andrew’s hasembraced social changes whilestill retaining the Christianvalues of nurturing and justiceat its core.

2015: St Andrew’s celebrates 130 years of city education.

2014: Junior School expands to fill the entirety of Level 7, SAH

2010: St Andrew’s celebrates125 years since its foundationand welcomes its 14th Head ofSchool, Dr John Collier.

2009: St Andrew’s introducesthe International BaccalaureateProgramme.

2008: St Andrew’s becomesfully coeducational fromKindergarten to Year 12.

2007: In support of StAndrew’s commitment to theFirst Australians, Gawura, ourAboriginal and Torres StraitIslander Campus opens.

2005: Our Junior Schoolexpands with the introduction of Kindergarten to Year 2 classes.

1999: Girls join the School for the first time, in the Senior College (Years 10-12)

1998: St Andrew’s Oval andother sporting facilities atSydney University becomehome game and traininggrounds for our students.

1995: Mr Phillip Heath, the 13th Head of School, is appointed and oversees many significant developments in his 14 years of tenure. In recognition of his leadership the Phillip Heath Scholarship Fund is set up after he departs in 2009.

1992: The Bishop Barry CentreSenior College campus opens in Druitt Street.

1984: The Kirrikee OutdoorEducation Programmecommences with the purchaseof 88 hectares of land inPenrose Forest in the SouthernHighlands.

1979: Dr Alan Beavis, a formerpupil of the School, isappointed as the 12th Head ofSchool where he serves until1995.

1976: After 13 different homessince 1885, the School opens the newly-built St Andrew’sHouse in Sydney Square.

1967: The academic programme expands to allow students to graduate from School in Year 12 and complete their HSC.

1941: The 11th Headmaster, the Reverend (later Canon) Melville Cooper Newth, is appointed by Archbishop Mowill. CanonNewth served as Headmasterfor 38 years and in four differentlocations.

1929: The School firstmakes use of St Paul’sOval at Sydney University,which it continues to use forthe next 20 years. Prior to this,sport had been played in theSydney Domain.

1900: By 1900 St Andrew’s is a small School of around 50boys. Classes are taught in avariety of church halls aroundthe City.

1885: St Andrew’s CathedralSchool opens on 14 July, 1885, in the St Andrew’s Schoolroom in Pitt Street. The School was founded by Bishop Alfred Barry. It was established to provide the Cathedral choristers with a high-class education based on Church principles, in addition to their musical training. From the first group of 27 students, 22 of the boys were Choristers. Cathedral Choristers received free education and other boys were charged a sum of 3 guineas.

Bishop Barry advocated aneducation which was liberaland included the humanitiesand subjects of technical andcultural value, and scientificinterest. The syllabus of theSchool offered tuition inDivinity, Greek, Latin, French,Music and Sports.

SACS timeline