Brighton Grammar School was founded on 14 February 1882, with eight male students. By 1890, 160 boys were in attendance. During the depression of the 1890s, students numbers declined rapidly.
Brighton Grammar School's first site was Temperly Lodge, located on Outer Crescent, north of Allee St. where the school's Urwin Centre for Learning currently stands. The School's second site, Pendennis on New St., was opened in 1886 when the school boasted near 160 pupils. In 1905, the Headmaster and founder purchased Rosstrevor, a large estate south of Allee St and its surrounding swampland. This land is now known as the Crowther Oval, sitting at the centre of the school. The oval was constructed by the help of “Old Boy engineers” who called upon “4000 loads of filling”[10] to produce the oval.
The school founder, George Henry Crowther was headmaster until his death in 1918. His son, LieutenantColonel Harry Arnold A. Crowther, subsequently assumed the role. Crowther retired in 1924, when Herbert E. Dixon took over.
Under Dixon, the school came near to bankruptcy, however was saved by incorporation under the auspices of the Church of England. In February 1927, the Governor-General Lord Stonehaven opened the present site of Brighton Grammar's Quadrangle. Dixon continued in expanding the school until his retirement in 1938.
Geoffrey G. Green was headmaster until sickness resulted in his resignation in 1942. His successor was Reverend Phillip St. John Wilson.
In 1958, Brighton Grammar joined the Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS), and soon after purchased grounds on the former Brighton Gas Company site, where "Wilson House", now the Junior School, was to be built to accommodate the growing student numbers. This site was "among Victoria’s most toxic sites" after an EPA report found remnants of industrial toxins and chemicals in the soil in 2016.[11] Under Wilson, the school's facilities grew, with the Tower Wing of the Quadrangle expanded, the first Annandale Pavilion constructed, and the Memorial Hall (where BGS’ library now stands) constructed.
With Wilson as Headmaster, enrolment continued to grow at a high rate. The number of boys reached 800 during the 1960s.
From 1967 to 1995, Robert Lancelot Rofe was headmaster. Rofe oversaw a large change in the school, with BGS’ facilities drastically expanded to accommodate an increasing number of students. Physical changes included the construction of the swimming pool at Wilson House, the Clive Crosby building (now the B-Hive[12]) the Zachariah Wing, Baddiley Building at Wilson House and the Robert Sanderson Centenary Hall. In addition to these, the R. L. Rofe Creative Arts Centre accommodating music, woodwork, art and design was constructed and named in the Headmaster's honour.
Michael Spencer Urwin was appointed headmaster at the beginning of 1996. He had previously held the position of deputy headmaster at Brisbane Grammar School, and began his term by implementing a curriculum review, a pastoral care system, and a program of modernisation. This also included community education opportunities in out of school hours in order to make the school more inclusive and less parochial. A new senior school library and resource centre, and specialist classroom facilities were built to upgrade facilities in the senior school as well as the middle school later on.
Urwin saw the purchase of the Girrawheen site north of Allee Street (now the Urwin Centre for Learning), the construction of the Atrium and Senior Library, and the resurfacing of the H.V. Mitchell and Junior ovals to synthetic. In 2011, under Urwin still, the Peter Toms Early Learning Centre was established, whilst construction began on the new middle school.
Enrolment sat at unprecedented level at Urwin's departure from Brighton Grammar, with 1262 boys on the roll at the period when Ross P. Featherston was appointed Headmaster of Brighton Grammar School.
So far, under Featherston, the school has undergone redevelopment, with improvements to the G.B. Robertson Hall at Wilson House, renovation of the Crosby Building into the B-Hive, complete reconstruction of the Annandale Pavilion, internal renovations to the Argyle Building, the Tower and Hancock Wings and the Junior School, as well as ambitious projects such as the Urwin Centre for Learning (opened 2014) and the upcoming Centre for Science, Creativity and Entrepreneurship turning soil in late 2022.
In 2022, BGS celebrated its 140th anniversary. The program BGS2032[13] was created by the school to mark where BGS would be at its 150th anniversary. Student enrolments reached a high of 1500 in 2023 leading to the introduction of two new Houses.[14]
In 2003, the Australian Government created the “Lighthouse Schools” program wherein 226 boys’ schools across Australia were selected as guiding institutions given data that boys were “significantly underperforming in key educational areas.” Brighton Grammar School received a $5,000 grant under the program to become a pivotal boys’ school.[16]
Crowther Centre for Learning and Innovation
The Crowther Centre for Learning and Innovation is an organisation run under the auspices of Brighton Grammar School to provide support services for the educational community.[17][18]
The Crowther Centre is part think-tank and research arm overseeing the collection and analysis of data to provide improved and informed decision-making processes.[19] The Head of the Crowther Centre is Dr Ray Swann.[20]
House system
Brighton Grammar School currently has eight houses: Armstrong (white), Crowther (yellow), Dixon (blue), Fairweather (orange), Hancock (green), Melville (grey), Rofe (purple) and School (red). Hancock was added in 1986, and Rofe was added in 2005 The newest two houses were added in 2023 (Fairweather and reinstated Melville).[14] In 1923 the original houses were Armstrong, Crowther, Dixon, Melville and School (for boarders).
Armstrong House, 1923: Characterised by an albatross, Armstrong is represented by the colour white. It honours Miss Eva Armstrong, a sister-in-law of Dr Crowther, who was for many years the Matron of the school. In her days the School was a boarding school and Miss Armstrong and Mrs Crowther took a great personal interest in the welfare of the boys and were often seen in the kitchen making jams and jellies and ensuring that the boys were well fed.
Crowther House, 1923: Represented by a cannon and the colour gold. The name honours Dr Crowther, founder and Headmaster from 1882 until 1918. His second son Henry attended BGS from 1896 to 1905 and was Dux in his final year. He was Second Master to his father from 1913 and enlisted at the outbreak of WWI. He was a distinguished soldier rising to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He took over as Headmaster in 1919 after the death of Dr Crowther in December 1918.
Dixon House, 1923: Dixon is symbolised by a Duke and the colour light blue. Herbert E Dixon was the third Headmaster of the School. He first joined the staff in 1903, left in 1912, but returned when Dr Crowther died in 1918, serving as Acting Headmaster and then as Vice Principal until his appointment as Headmaster in 1924. In that year the School was taken over by the Brighton Grammar School Association. Under Mr Dixon's Headmastership, the Tower and Hancock Wings were built in 1927 and the Argyle Building, beside the Crowther Oval at Rosstrevor, was opened in 1932. He retired in 1938.
Fairweather House, 2024: Characterised by a fox and the colour orange. Mabel Fairweather was the longest-serving senior female BGS staff member and Head of the Junior School for 24 years (from 1939-1962). Under her stewardship, enrolments in the Junior School grew from 30 to 300 students. She was also a significant benefactor to BGS leaving a large portion of her estate to the School.
Hancock House, 1986: Hancock is represented by a cockerel and the colour green. Archdeacon Hancock was Vicar of St Andrew's, Brighton when the School was threatened with closure through lack of funds. Through his enthusiasm and untiring efforts, Brighton Grammar was bought from the Crowther family and the Brighton Grammar School Association was founded in 1924, thus establishing the School on its present foundation. Without Archdeacon Hancock, it is doubtful that the School would have survived
Melville House, 2024: Symbolised by a magician and the colour charcoal grey. Francis Balfour Melville was an exceptional BGS academic student from the class of 1908, who graduated from Cambridge and the University of Melbourne with First Class Honours. He served in WW1 and in 1921 returned to Brighton Grammar as Head of the Science Faculty; however, was tragically killed in a motor vehicle accident the following year. Melville was one of the original four Houses of 1923.
Rofe House, 2005: The House colour of purple represents Headmaster's Rofe trademark purple ink and has a raven as its symbol. The House honours Robert L Rofe AM, Headmaster from 1967 to 1995. Under his tireless leadership, School enrolments grew in number and stature. Many new buildings were constructed during his tenure including the Clive Crosby Building, the Centenary and Rosstrevor Halls, the Baddiley Building, the Creative Arts Building and the Gymnasium. The school became a competitive force in the APS, winning 18 APS premierships.
School House, 1929: Represented by a scorpion and the colour red. Until the closing of the boarding house at the end of 1954, School was the boarders' house. In 1955 boys from the other Houses were drafted into School House to ensure that the House remained active. Some of the senior boarders remained as BGS day boys and led the House during this period.
Brighton Grammar is a member of the Associated Public Schools of Victoria (APS), and partakes in various sporting competitions against its other members. Students from year 7–12 participate in sports on Saturday with training during the week. These sports include rowing, sailing, basketball, AFL, rugby, touch rugby, diving, cricket, soccer, hockey and swimming.
APS Premierships
Brighton Grammar has won the following APS premierships:[22]
Badminton – 2002
Cricket (6) – 1977, 1980, 1983, 1984, 2000, 2005
Cross Country (2) – 1996, 1997
Football (7) – 1975, 1992, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2022, 2024
Hockey – 1998
Rowing (3) – 1983, 2021, 2024
Rugby – 2024
Sailing – 2024
Soccer (4) – 1999, 2003, 2004, 2013
Tennis (4) – 1982, 2000, 2001, 2024
STEM
Formula 1 in Schools
Constellation F1 in Schools Team cars being scrutineered at the 2021(22) Australian National Finals. The cars later went on to claim fastest lap.
Brighton Grammar participates in the Formula 1 in Schools challenge annually. They have advanced to the National Final for this competition five times, with the following teams:
2017: Blue Tongue Racing (Development Class)
2020: Tasman 6 (the first F1 in Schools partner team between Australia and New Zealand) (Professional Class)
2020(21): Constellation Racing (Professional Class)
2021(22): Constellation (Professional Class, as with 2020(21))
2021(22): Livewire (Development Class)
2022(23): Phantom Racing (Professional Class)
2022(23): Lunar Racing (Development Class)
In 2022, Brighton Grammar School's F1 in Schools teams, Constellation and LiveWire both advanced to the 2023 AramcoF1 in Schools World Finals. This was the first occasion within Australia that one school sent two category class teams to the World Finals. Thus, Brighton Grammar School has advanced to the World Final for this competition with Constellation.
The team recorded a 17th place finish at the school's first outing at the World Finals, with the 8th quickest car of 68 competitors. This presents a stable platform for BGS F1 to build upon.
iDesign
Brighton Grammar School runs the iDesign program in Year 8, a competition where students are encouraged to design and pitch new products to the cohort. There are finalists and a winner chosen from the competitors, with the most recent being:
2023: Monty B – Crowther for Men
2022: Nate W – Refurbished Cricket Bats
2021: Ben R – Solar Sun Tracker
2020: James T – Vision Impaired Rubik's Cube
2019: Jenson G – Digest'a Bowls
2018: Jordan S – Mindfulness Pod
Music
Brighton Grammar has a rich music program, with several orchestras, ensembles, and choirs, including:
Secondary Strings Orchestra
Senior Big Band
Corelli String Orchestra
Senior Choir (Years 9-12)
Senior Guitar Orchestra
Cello Choir
Flute Ensemble
Meliora Voices Choir (Years 7–8)
Ten Tonners
Guitar Ensemble
(List incomplete)
In 2023, Brighton Grammar alongside sister school Firbank Grammar hosted the "Spring Rhapsody" concert at the Melbourne Recital Centre, marking a return to large-scale concerts for the school following COVID-19. This occasion featured many combined ensembles from both BGS and FGS.
Student abuse and staff misconduct cases
Brighton Grammar School has been the object of several physical and sexual abuse cases reported by students between 1965 and 2024[23][24][25] and is currently under investigation as part of a large-scale inquest into patterns of student abuse at more than 180 Victorian schools. Brighton Grammar School is currently the subject of at least twelve claims of sexual abuse, the most of any school in the Greater Melbourne area within the scope of the investigation.[26]
Brighton Grammar staffer Cameron Tweeddale Smith was charged with 51 counts of sexual abuse against least eight students between 2003 and 2008.[27] Smith was a volunteer with St John Ambulance Victoria and established a program at the school teaching first aid and conducting medical examinations on the students. Smith was convicted in 2010 after pleading guilty and sentenced to over five years in jail.[28]
Two teachers have been arrested and charged for possession of child pornography while employed by the school: History and Humanities teacher John Hewitt in 2008[29][30] and Primary school teacher George Iliakis in 2009.[31][32][33] Iliakis pled guilty to the charges, including possession and creation of over 16,000 images and videos, in 2010 and was sentenced to four years in jail.[34][35]
Alumni of Brighton Grammar School are commonly referred to as Old Boys or Old Grammarians and may elect to join the schools' alumni association, the Old Brighton Grammarians' Society (OBGS).[36] Some notable Old Brighton Grammarians include:
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^ ab"Fast Facts". About. Brighton Grammar School. 2008. Archived from the original on 18 August 2008. Retrieved 22 August 2008.
^"International Members". HMC Schools. The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Archived from the original on 15 March 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2008.
^"Professional Development". Victorian Branch. Junior School Heads Association of Australia. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
^"Victoria". AHISA Schools. Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia. April 2007. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
^"Schools". Victoria. Australian Anglican Schools Network. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
^"Governance". Board. IBSC. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
^"Sir Lionel Hooke Award"(PDF). Awards. The Institution of Engineering and Technology SA & NT Local Network. 2007. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2 September 2007. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
^Suzannah Pearce, ed. (17 November 2006). "DOVE Barry Robert, His Hon. Judge". Who's Who in Australia Live!. North Melbourne, Vic: Crown Content Pty Ltd.
^"Appendix 2: Contributors". Upholding the Australian Constitution. The Samuel Griffith Society. Vol. 15. Adelaide: The Samuel Griffith Society. 2003. Archived from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
^Browne, G (8 June 2004). "Tovell, Raymond Walter". re-member. Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 18 October 2007.
^Suzannah Pearce, ed. (17 November 2006). "McINTYRE John Charles, Rt Rev.". Who's Who in Australia Live!. North Melbourne, Vic: Crown Content Pty Ltd.
