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Knox Grammar School is an independent Uniting Church day and boarding school for boys, officially located in Wahroonga, with the majority of its campus situated in the neighbourin…
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Investigate this subjectKnox Grammar School is an independent Uniting Church day and boarding school for boys, officially located in Wahroonga, with the majority of its campus situated in the neighbouring suburb of Warrawee, on Sydney's Upper North Shore, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1924 by the Presbyterian Church of Australia as an all-boys school named after John Knox.
Knox Grammar School is an independent Uniting Church day and boarding school for boys, officially located in Wahroonga, with the majority of its campus situated in the neighbouring suburb of Warrawee, on Sydney's Upper North Shore, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1924 by the Presbyterian Church of Australia as an all-boys school named after John Knox. The school has since grown, branching out into a large Senior School and a Preparatory School, enrolling approximately 3,345 students. The school also caters for approximately 210 boarding students from Years 7 to 12.
Knox is affiliated with the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), and is a founding member of the Combined Associated Schools (CAS).
Knox Grammar School was established on Sydney's North Shore in 1924, by the Presbyterian Church. The school was named after John Knox, the 16th century Scottish reformer, who planned a network of schools in every church parish.
Knox opened as a Presbyterian Boys' School after founding members John Gilmore, William McIlrath, Robert Gillespie and Andrew Reid purchased the original property, 'Earlston', as the first school building. Now the Gillespie Heritage House, 'Earlston' was previously owned by Sir Charles Mackellar, was designed by architects Spain & Cosh, and built in 1908 for W. Moses Esq., Warrawee.
The school was officially opened by the Hon. Sir George Fuller KCMG, Premier of New South Wales, on 5 February 1924. Under the founding headmaster Neil MacNeil, a Rhodes Scholar, Knox grew rapidly and survived the Great Depression. From 1924 to 1939 when MacNeil's time as headmaster ended the school's enrolment had risen from 28 to 300 students.
The first Headmaster of Knox was Neil MacNeil, a Rhodes scholar from Victoria. During his time as Headmaster, Knox grew in academic achievement and the campus and facilities were expanded. MacNeil guided Knox through the Great Depression which started during the initial founding years of the school. When the school opened, only 28 students attended Knox, by the end of Neil MacNeil's time as Headmaster in 1939, the amount of students had risen to over 300.
In 1939, William Bryden FRSE (1904–1992) took over the role of headmaster. As World War II broke out, around 370 Old Knox Grammarians served in the armed forces. 53 of them lost their lives and are now commemorated in the John Williams Memorial Hall, the School Chapel, the Old Students' War Memorial, and the original Science Building. The school's Pipe Band was established during Bryden's period as headmaster.
John Mill Couper, a Scot, became headmaster in 1953. Couper focused on broadening the School's education, with attention to music and art, however, problems culminated in Couper's departure from a divided Knox in 1955.
Dr John Couper succeed Bryden as the third Headmaster of Knox. Couper built on the school's concept of education, paying attention to the performing arts and creative arts of the school. During his time as headmaster, Dr. Couper was able to develop the house system into what it is seen as today.
T. Ross McKenzie, former head of Brisbane Boys' College, replaced Couper.
Dr. Ian Paterson was the fifth headmaster of Knox Grammar School and has been the longest serving headmaster to date. During his time as headmaster he made many changes to the school including a new buildings: the Reid Industrial Arts Building, the Lawson Sports Centre, and the Music Centre. This greatly changed the school building it into what it is today.
Paterson improved the Creative Arts and Performing Arts areas of the school with the introduction of specialist teachers. He started outdoor education programs. During this period three teachers sexually abused students; these teachers were later convicted and it has been alleged that other teachers abused students. In 2015 Paterson told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that he had failed to protect students from abuse.
In 2018, Scott James, who was formerly the deputy headmaster, became Knox's eighth headmaster, succeeding John Weeks.
Knox Grammar School’s motto, Virile Agitur, is a Latin phrase that has traditionally been rendered in English as “Do the Manly Thing” (most common in the Preparatory School) or “The manly thing is being done.” The phrase draws the New Testament exhortation 1 Corinthians 16:13–14, where St Paul urges believers to “be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” and to “do everything in love.”
In the context of Knox’s founding by the Presbyterian Church in 1924, the motto was chosen to reflect a Christian ideal of disciplined, courageous manhood grounded in faith and service. The biblical underpinning connects the “manly thing” not only to masculinity or toughness, but to the Pauline call to live with integrity, courage and love in all aspects of life - academic, spiritual and communal - which continues to shape the school’s ethos today.
There are several locations throughout Sydney being part of Knox Grammar School, with the main two campus located in the suburb Wahroonga. The two main campuses are the Knox Grammar Senior School (Years 7 to 12), located on the railway side of the Pacific Highway, and the Knox Grammar Preparatory School (Years Kindergarten to 6), located on Billyard Avenue. The smallest campus is Wahroonga Preparatory School, a small co-educational school located next to Wahroonga Park.
Knox's senior campus includes the Great Hall and Aquatic Centre (opened August 2011), sports facility, gymnasium, squash and weights rooms, music and drama centres, two boarding houses (one opened September 2010) and the new performing arts academy (opened late 2019). Knox owns several major sporting fields including one on campus at the Senior School, two on campus at the Prep School, and t
Source: Knox Grammar School (CC BY-SA)
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