Dear Old Sydneians,

This will be my last President’s message. As many of you may have heard, I have stepped down as President of the OSU for 2024. I wish to congratulate Nick Manettas for stepping up to the role of President and wish him the very best of success. That being said, I am staying on the Committee to continue the good work the OSU Committee has done over the last couple of years.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members of the Committee that I have had the pleasure of working with over the last five years as President: Bill Dive, Peter Gibby, John Edwards, Craig Duly, David Ross, Nick Manettas, Jamie Miller, Cian Bowes, Bruce Marich, Dom Knight, Tom O’Neill, Andre Bressan and Rob Chiu. I am also very pleased to welcome new members to the Committee for 2024: Tim Lindley, Ethan Tsui, Tony Wakefield and Leon Shohmelian. I am proud to say that the Committee last year and this year moving forward represents the widest spread of Old Sydneians that we have had in my memory – a fantastic blend of old(er) and new, experience and enthusiasm. I am really excited about the year ahead.

Lastly, it is my parting pleasure to announce the 2024 OSU Scholar – Hugo Sharkey (V). From another outstanding crop of Form V boys, Hugo was chosen for his all-round attributes and passion – particularly in pioneering and setting up a working Sustainability Council within the Grammar community (including masters). Hugo exhibits that entrepreneurial flair that Grammar is famous for and was not just academically strong and exemplary on the sporting fields but a clearly passionate contributor to his community. Congratulations Hugo!

I would like to wish everyone the very best over the festive season – stay safe and reach out to your fellow Old Sydneians.

Walter MacCallum

The Annual OSU Golf Day was held on Wednesday 25 October at the Coast Golf Club.

During the late 1970s, Sydney Grammar School won three cricket premierships (1975,1976 and 1979) under the guidance of Michael Leete. In honour of Michael, on Saturday 7 October, members of the 1975 and 1979 teams played a 30 over match at Weigall. The 1979 team, captained by Finlay Crawford, scored 173 whilst the ‘1975ers’, with Phil Begg at the helm, fell 10 runs short of the target. Michael and his wife Helen watched the match and enjoyed catching up with all the ‘old’ boys at lunch. The two teams met afterwards for drinks and compared cricketing memories.

On Sunday 3 December, the Crocodiles (captained by Alexander Beale) faced off against the Alligators (captained by Daniel Baffsky) at Weigall. The ‘Gators’ comprised all the father/son combinations, while the ‘Crocs’ made up the rest – ensuring an even mix of the old and the new.

The Gators won the toss and batted first, scoring 146 off 30 overs. However, the Crocs proved too strong, chasing down the total with a couple of overs to spare. Here below is the list of players:

The GPS Lawn Bowls competition started in 1954 with Sydney Grammar School’s Old Boys last winning in 2019. All GPS schools (apart from Sydney Boys High school) are represented, and several CAS schools also participate now. They bowl the third Sunday in the month (May until November inclusive), commencing at 12:00pm at the Seaforth Bowling Club. The cost is $20, which covers a 21 end triples match, lunch (usually barbecue sausages on bread) and a raffle with Dan Murphy vouchers as prizes.

If you are interested in bowling for our Grammar Old Boys, please contact Godfrey Gay (0451 232 439 - gandrgay@gmail.com) or Grahame Goldberg (0419 014 190 - gandsgoldberg@auzmail.com.au

Lawn Bowler Geoff Green (OS 1949)

Music

It has been a very busy musical term with many different recitals and performances. The 2024 Term I Concert will take place on Thursday 14 March at 6:30pm in the John Vallance Hall.

Basketball

The Firsts and Seconds basketball teams have struggled during the early part of the season against very strong opposition. The younger age groups, however, have shown some strength with the under 14s being undefeated.

Cricket

The First XI and Second XI cricket teams have experienced mixed results during the early part of the season. They now look forward to the Tri-Grammar Series against Melbourne and Brisbane Grammar Schools, which will be held in Brisbane from 15 - 19 January 2024.

Rowing

The rowing crews have started well in their early practice trials and the Head of the River is scheduled for Saturday 16 March 2024.

A new Director of Rowing (Coaching) has recently been appointed. Mr Stephen Stewart is an Australian former national representative rower, a national champion, dual Olympian and an Olympic medal winner (in Athens 2004).

Tennis

The Firsts tennis team is very young, with two boys in Form I, one in Form II, two in Form III and one in Form IV. They have been competitive this term and are currently sitting in 6th position (out of eight). The Seconds also has a young Form II boy so the future of Grammar tennis looks very bright.

The 1963 60-year Reunion was held at Weigall Pavilion on Friday 3 November.

The Annual John Duffy Lunch was held at his favourite restaurant Doyles at Watsons Bay on Friday 10 November

(L-R) Vic Keller; Stuart Murray; David Raffan; Michael Soulos; David Ross; Tony Rourke; Bill Grose; Peter Moore; Richard Allsop; Tony Wehby; Peter Gibby; Jeff Keeler; Rex Chadwick; Greg Bray

The 2003 20-Year Reunion/ School Tour was held on Saturday 11 November

The 1950-54 Annual Lunch was held on Wednesday 15 November in the Alastair Mackerras Theatre

The 2013 10-Year Reunion was held on Saturday 18 November at the Phoenix Hotel in Woollahra

The 2018 5-Year Reunion was held on Saturday 25 November at the Bellevue Hotel in Woollahra

There were three Old Sydneian rowers in the University of Sydney Eight which beat Melbourne University on the Yarra River on Saturday 14 October. Congratulations to Ryan Gibson - stroke (OS 2020), Henry Blackwell (OS 2020) and Wyatt Batt (OS 2017). 

Thinking back to his time at Grammar, Andrew realises now how futile it is in some ways to try to change one’s spots. His interests were always in art and music, but it took four miserable years of law school before he summed up the courage to run off and join the ‘circus’. A new path eventually led to the education department at the Art Gallery of NSW. 

The turning point in his career was a visit to the immersive labs at UNSW ten years ago where what he saw in virtual reality was to him, as sci-fi author Arthur C Clarke might describe it, indistinguishable from magic. Even then virtual worlds were real and clearly in need of exploration, so off he went. A fellowship at UNSW followed where he was able to develop new skills in 3D visualisation and the rest, they say, is art history.

It’s a path that has ironically taken him across the real world. He spent a year in Istanbul and on the battlefields of Canakkale, and more recently three seasons in the trenches of an archaeological dig in Serbia, alongside Sydney Grammar School’s own Dr Alan Dearn. He has done fieldwork on the West Bank, virtual imaging of sites in Jerusalem, and spent weeks in the Pilbara Desert 3D mapping the earliest evidence of life on earth.

Andrew builds exhibitions for museums that use immersive technologies to help recreate the past and tell human stories. There’s a lot of hype around AI and the metaverse and he thinks that we should be wary of ‘tech evangelists’. These future technologies are powerful but problematic. He is convinced that it will be artists, writers and thinkers – and not the Zuckerbergs and Musks of the world – who solve the challenges they present.

Ned started as a work experience ‘kid’ at Triple M Radio in 2009 and has since gone on to forge a successful career in the Australian media. 

After five years at Triple M, including setting up the Triple M NRL Department as the inaugural Sports Director, Ned moved to the Nine Network to try his hand as an investigative journalist. It was quite a journey, leading him to work on the “Today Show” and then in the famous “Wide World of Sports Department”. There, Ned achieved some career highlights, including creating and establishing TV shows “Sports Sunday” and “100% Footy”, and leading the production team for Nine’s broadcasts of the 2019 and 2020 NRL Grand Finals. 

Ned started at 2GB radio in 2020 and is currently the Executive Producer of Drive with Chris O’Keefe, and the EP and anchor of 2GB’s weekly medical show “Healthy Living with Doctor Ross Walker”.

Away from work, Ned enjoys spending time with his wife Maddi and dog Flipper. 

He has fond memories of Sydney Grammar School and maintains many close friendships with other OS 2008 pupils. 

Ross graduated from Sydney Grammar School without a clear idea of what he wanted to do, but grateful for the foundation to take on any opportunity that might arise. He moved to Canberra to study a Bachelor of Commerce/Law at ANU, but while doing so, worked in hospitality and fell in love with the industry. He was lucky to meet his partner, Dash, at one of these restaurants, along with their future business partner and executive chef. In 2018 they opened Pilot, a degustation restaurant in the northern suburbs of Canberra. Between the new business struggles and COVID, it was a difficult time, but they came out the other side, very grateful for the support of the community. They were able to open their second venue Such and Such in January 2023, and in October the restaurant was named ‘New Restaurant of the Year’ at the NSW/ACT Good Food awards.

Although he did not follow the most traditional Old Sydneian career, Ross felt that his experience at College Street helped establish the skills that allowed him to do what he loves. 

Sadly, many of our Old Sydneians have passed away in recent times, and the School sends condolences to friends and family.

Old Sydneians who have passed away since our last OSU Newsletter:

Colin McGregor (OS 1940), Dr Dennis Arnold (OS 1945), Malcolm Reid (OS 1946), William (Bill) Ridley Marshall (OS 1947), Thomas Symonds OAM (OS 1951) William (Bill) Densley (OS 1954), Dr Robert Wilson (OS 1954), Rod Vincent (OS 1957), Peter Kelly (OS 1959), David Jenkins (OS 1952), Peter Kelly (OS 1959), Charles Boag (OS 1960), Rob Killen (OS 1970), Gregory Smith (OS 1972).

The latest edition of SGS Magazine, Edition 17, Spring 2023 is available in an online electronic format here. 

A vast number of hard copy magazines are ‘returned to sender’ each time the School sends a new edition out to subscribers through the post. If you are regularly on the move and would prefer to receive the SGS Magazine online via email, or would no longer wish to receive a hard copy of the magazine via post, please kindly notify the Alumni Office on (02) 9332 5843 or alumni@sydgram.nsw.edu.au.

Pat Lyndon

Don't miss out on the filmed interview with Pat Lyndon (SGS staff 1979-2022) in the recent SGS Magazine.

You are able to view most editions of SGS Magazine anytime via the School’s website.  

The School’s Archives would appreciate some assistance from the Sydney Grammar School community in identifying the boys in the following 1956 photo.

Any information can be passed on via sgsarchives@sydgram.nsw.edu.au and please let us know whether you do not want your name to be acknowledged as a contributor in the next newsletter.

Many thanks to all the people, who tried to assist us with the rowing image. Hopefully, we have given you a chance to reminisce even though the photo was hiding in the July 1971 Sydneian as the Junior Eights 1971.

Special thanks to Tony Wimble (OS 1961), who reported that the rugby photo was taken by the afternoon Sun newspaper during a match at St Joseph’s Hunters Hill 30 July 1960. The SGS 8th XV defeated SJC 23-3 and Tony is holding the football.

Information on the Grammar Radio Club

One of our Friday Archives Duty boys, Ambrose Guild-Sahafi (II), has spent a lot of time researching the history of the Sydney Grammar School Radio Club, referencing archival Sydneian issues. 

It was founded by two Form V students in 1928, with the help of Mr Keeble, and there were about 34 members to start. Their first public broadcast was the 1928 Athletics Championships and Morse Code lessons were regularly held on Mondays. The Club’s history has been reported in a ‘patchy’ way since and it seems that it may have morphed into the CB Club in the late 1970s. Ambrose is wondering whether any Old Sydneians have some information to help him understand why and how the Radio Club waned over the years and whether it was associated with other clubs like the Astronomy Club.

In Gallant Company

Dr Philip Creagh’s (OS 1965-1966) book honouring the Old Sydneians who died in World War I is available, at a cost of $65 plus postage via the following link. This book includes short biographies of each Old Sydneian who didn’t make it home, comprising details of their school career, the circumstances in which they found themselves during the war and events leading to their untimely demise.

Old Sydneians’ Newsletter

Editor:

Mr Steve Gonski

smg@sydgram.nsw.edu.au

Alumni Office 

Ms Wendy Scotter
Ms Charlotte McColl

alumni@sydgram.nsw.edu.au

Publications Office

Ms Dimetra Skondras-Silva

publications@sydgram.nsw.edu.au