A Message From The Rector

By RIchard Hall | Posted: Friday June 9, 2017

This week we awarded our Summer Blues. This is a special assembly and one that is steeped in tradition.

As a bit of a project I have been trying to find out just who, in our school's long history has the most number of Blues. The 'OB's tradition' is that it is Mr Andrew Swan, one of our teachers. Now Andrew was Head Prefect in 1977 (apologies Andrew, but I had to be factually correct!), and I understand a very talented young man in a range of areas. But he is also extremely modest and evasive as to how many Blues he actually had.

Thomas Wardhaugh (2012) and Samuel Wardhaugh (2016) I know are equal on twelve, so at the moment they are in the lead. If anyone knows of any other old boy who has more than twelve, I would love to hear from them.

The reason I mention it is because Nicholas Pryde was awarded his eleventh Blue in this assembly. Closely following him are George Gray and Max Chu on ten . Today we award Blues for academic, cultural and sport.  In Mr Swan's time I believe it was just for sport, but to be in double figures speaks to both the talent and the tenacity of these young men. Dan Ryan  was awarded three Blues, in Athletics, Tennis and Touch and Charlie Marsh was awarded two Blues, in Athletics and Touch, another tremendous feat. Charlie's father Russell (1985) was awarded a Blue for Athletics. 

These sorts of stories, I think, are really important to the history of our school.