Archives

Ms Yasmin McDonald Archives

Bruce Baxter

Bruce Baxter (OSC 1957) donated textiles, photographs, letters and books, including a Scotch tie pin, kilt pin, thistle pin, Cadet cap and Pipe Band brooch with an inlaid stone. The 1954 images feature the Pipe Band at an Anzac ceremony, Bruce playing the pipes in full kilted regalia and a portrait of him as a 16-year-old student. The donated booklets included a 1954 royal visit programme, fees booklet, song page and Junior School concert card invitation. Letters relating to registration acceptance, enrolment and the fete were also donated. A character reference letter, written by Headmaster Maxwell Keys on 16 December 1957, states that Bruce is of an excellent character. At the time, character reference letters were essential documents for leavers to take to employment and university entrance interviews.

Gary Cotterell

Gary Cotterell (OSC 1956) donated two photographs, including an early 1900’s photograph of Guy Taylor (OSC 1904) taken at the Clarke and Son Photography Studio in Perth. Guy is pictured in his Cadet Officer regalia during his final years at the College, with the image most likely taken in his leaving year. The second hand-printed image depicts the 1919 Football Team XVIII, featuring Gary’s father Sydney Vavasoush Cotterell (OSC 1920).

John Booth

John Booth (OSC 1957) donated an extraordinary collection of photographs and books from his time at Scotch. This comprehensive collection features large black and white prints of the 1954 and 1956 Athletics Team, 1955–57 First Football Teams, 1956 Air Training Corps and Navy Sea Cadet officer display, 1956 and 1957 First Cricket Teams, 1956 Prefects, 1957 Adelaide Football Tour and 1957 Boarders Librarians. Old Scotch Collegians (all 1957 graduates) Stuart Munroe, Alton Jackson, Bill Robertson, Neville Davis, Patrick Moore and Harvey Barnett are featured. John also donated a very old photograph of the 1923 Rowing Crew IV, featuring Gavin MacRae (Tom) Bunning (OSC 1927) (cox), Cliff Gregson (OSC 1923) (stroke), Henry (James) Branch (OSC 1925) (2), Howard Reilly (OSC 1923) (3) and Melville Sheppard (OSC 1924) (bow).

Top: 1954 Athletics Team Middle: 1957 Cricket First XI Team Bottom: 1956 Football VIII Team’s PSA match against Guildford Grammar School

Glenys Dickinson

Glenys Dickinson donated a 1920’s photograph of Gertrude Murray, former Music Teacher at the College, and mother to Arthur Murray (OSC 1911), Glenys’ grandfather and greatgrandmother, respectively. Glenys also gifted a 1925 school prospectus, given to Gertrude as a staff member.

Far left: Geoffrey Guy Taylor (OSC 1904) in his Cadet uniform Left: Former Music Teacher Gertrude Murray, c.1890s

Jill Griffiths

Jill Griffiths generously donated a range of objects, including books, uniforms and photographs belonging to her father David Stewart (OSC 1938). David’s images feature close friends Wharton Gaze (OSC 1940), Kenneth (OSC 1940) and his brother Frank Sounness (OSC 1939) posing on the top oval in blazers and wide-legged cream slacks. Lunchtime scenes of Senior School buildings with easterly glances offer the viewer a sense of congregational spaces outside the classroom. The 1938 images depict the newly completed fence lining Shenton Road, the senior dormitory and an incredible view of David and his fellow First VIII winning the Head of the River with thousands of Western Australian spectators cheering on. Seven antiquarian books dated from 1926 were donated, featuring the curriculum of the day – Mathematics, Chemistry, Science, Trigonometry and Physics – along with David’s blazer and Colours braid for Shooting and Rowing.

1938 Rowing First VIII Crew winning the Head of the River

Peter Larsen

Peter Larsen (OSC 1975) donated his burgundy woollen school blazer and grey winter suit, which he wore during his College days between 1972–75.

Robert Lilley

Robert Lilley (OSC 1996) donated textiles from his time at the College, including a school jumper, caps, football jersey and school jacket featuring the Scotch College crest.

Allen MacKinnon

Allen McKinnon (OSC 1963) donated 13 Reporter editions from his schooling years, from 1959–68, and editions of The Raven from the mid-1990s, along with a PSA historical booklet. Allen also donated Scotch College centenary programme and dinner booklet invitation, dated June 1997.

Geoff McMullen

Geoff McMullen (OSC 1956) donated 60 photographs from a breathtaking album created in the mid-1950s during his final years at school. The collection comprises never before seen photographs of Geoff and his friends throughout the senior campus, including classes run by Peter Cowan, Ray Gamble, Mr A L Jenkinson, Mr Crocket, Don Thomas, Mr Gray, Mr McLeod, Mr B Massey, Mr Dry, Mr Ruse, Mr W Dancer and Mr A W Mac Murchie, as well as the school fete, South West bike tour and boxing matches, surrounded by collegiate spectators on the top oval. The carefully crafted images capture Geoff’s natural talent as a photographer, offering glimpses into the daily running of College.

A set of mischievous photographs feature Form 6A students making their way to Wesley College to return their re-fashioned flag. The 1956 Reporter documents: “There was the midnight flag raising after the football disaster, also the ‘Inters’. In some strange manner, known only to the men of 6A, the Wesley flag disappeared just before the mile event. It was next sighted fluttering with the Scotch pennant from the verandah of Peter Butterworth’s (OSC 1956) house”. The blackboard of 6A states: ‘Who did this? We don’t know’, written in chalk next to the hanging flag. Antics of the great flag heist are well documented at every stage, with a concluding image of it dressed up with a Scotch-crested pin and tie surrounded by the many smiling faces of Form 6A.

Head of Rowing Grant Ford with Brad McMeikan (OSC 1976) donating his grandfather William McMeikan’s (OSC 1915) handmade oar

A 1915 letter by an unknown boarder

Brad McMeikan

Brad McMeikan donated a handmade rowing oar belonging to his grandfather William McMeikan (OSC 1915). The oar, hand-painted in maroon and gold, features William’s weight and position in the crew, school crest and states: “Challenge Eight Crew Race, Second Rower 9st 6lbs, W R B McMeikan, Scotch College Winners, Eight 1915”.

Peter Munro

Peter Munro, father to the late Allan Munro (OSC 1970), donated geological rock samples that he collected on a geological expedition to Marble Bar. Included in the donation is a rock specimen collected by Glen Munro (OSC 1973) from the base of the Yarra River when Glen was the Senior Construction Engineer of the Melbourne Underground Tunnel Project. The donations will be added to the Scotch College Geological Collection.

Keith Parnell

Keith Parnell (OSC 1970) donated photographs from his time at the College. The images feature the 1970 First XI Hockey Team, 1970 Pipe Band, 1970 Second IV Rowing Crew, 1970 Athletics Team and students performing in the 1967 production of The Crucible.

Walter and Elisabeth Pidgeon

Walter (OSC 1956) and Elisabeth Pidgeon donated six videos highlighting 1990’s Pipe Band displays, featuring their sons Cameron (OSC 1991) and Andrew (OSC 1993). Their accompanying textile donation includes a tartan kilt, belonging to Andrew, and a knitted woollen football jersey belonging to Walter, who played matches between 1954–56. A 1955 PSA Head of the River programme was also donated, along with a very old letter written by an unknown boarder named Jack. Addressed to his mother, the 1915 handwritten ink quill letter asks about home and talks about Masters enlisting in World War I, as well as reporting on class, sporting matches and the happenings at the Boarding House. Jack signs off with a loving statement “I remain your loving son Jack”. The letter has been handed down in the Pidgeon family, and likely belonged to Nanna Eve Pidgeon, mother to Bob (OSC 1955) and Walter, who had many friends with sons at the College.

Peter Plaisted

Peter Plaisted (OSC1963) donated two antiquarian books from 1928 and 1936, respectively. The first book, English Composition by E E Kitchener, belonged to Old Scotch Collegian J C Bartlett (OSC 1933) and was signed by Headmaster P C Anderson. The book had a second life, handed down to Ernest (Jack) Matson (OSC 1939). Surprisingly, after a second glance inside the front cover, a wonderful portrait of Ernest is revealed. He is featured in his new winter school uniform out the front of M Block. This amusing photograph of Ernest was most likely placed there to eliminate any loss or misplacement of the book, as he has firmly written his name ‘Jack Matson (B.A.)’ and school next to the photograph. The second book, Mr Midshipman Easy by Captain Marryat, was awarded to J Bartlett in 1928 for general proficiency. The book contains wonderful illustrations throughout by Charles Pears.

Roy Stall

Roy Stall donated five photographs of teachers and students at the Moray campsite in Dwellingup from the mid-1980s. Roy remembers at the time all that was built was a large corrugated tin shed. Before accommodation was built, students slept in “hootchies which they had to rig up and dig trenches around to prevent the ingress of rainwater around their tents”.