A very special Founders Day Thanksgiving service was held at 8.30am Tuesday, 16 July in Centenary Hall. With special guest, Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO, Governor of New South Wales attending, there was an air of pride, gratitude and excitement as the College Council, staff, parents, boys and our guests from Tupou College, Tonga stood to sing the national anthem. The Headmaster Dr David Mulford led the service with an official welcome, which was streamed live to Years 7 and 8 boys in the Chapel and Old Boys Lecture Theatre. The speech can be found on the Headmaster’s blog.

The College Chaplain, Rev. David Williams gave a stirring homily reflecting on the College’s legacy as a place of innovation and egalitarianism, which can be read here. Both Tupou College and Newington College musicians sang and played before the assembly, followed by Council Chairman, the Hon. Angus Talbot, inviting the Governor to address the assembled guests, dignitaries, boys and staff.

Her Excellency spoke about Newington’s earliest founders such as James Egan Moulton who choose to open a school based on strong Christian values that nurtured boys who would become men of the world to lead the nation in the realms of citizenship, academia, the arts and in sport. She also made particular mention of Newington’s unique tie with Tupou College and the importance of this tie today, as Australia moves into the Asia Pacific century. To read Prof. Bashir’s full speech, please click here.

Her Excellency Prof. Bashir then proceeded to formally open the Rae and Pyke Centres by unveiling a plaque.