2015 Senior Boarding Prefect Matt Hardman (11/MA) interviewed Boarding House Master Mr Mark Oliphant leading up to his departure. Having been with Edmund Webb Boarding House for three years Mr Oliphant and his family have truly made a mark on the lives of many boys who have boarded at Newington. Here, Mr Oliphant recounts both his time at Edmund Webb and the challenges for the future.

Matt: Mr Oliphant, you are leaving Sydney and Newington College to take on the Director of Boarding role at a school in Brisbane. Can you tell us what prompted the move?

Mark: My wife, Carla and I are from Queensland and it was always our intention to eventually move back there to be closer to our families. As you know, we have two sons and it will be great for them to get to know their grandparents.

Matt: What do you foresee as being the greatest challenges of your new role?

Mark: Getting to know the boarders at my new school. There are 180 boarders at the school and it will be important to get to know them, their parents and where they are from. At Newington, I know each boarder, his parents, his local guardian, where they are from, their interests as well as their teachers. It’s crucial.

Matt: What will you miss the most about Newington and the boarders here?

Mark: Having grown up in country Queensland, Sydney was a huge change for us when we moved here. We will miss the proximity that Stanmore has to all that Sydney has to offer. For example, it is not far to the city, the beaches or the best ice cream in the world, at ‘Cow and Moon’. Carla will miss the shopping but it has been great for me to experience “big city” living. As a person it has exposed me to more people who I wouldn’t have otherwise ever known. I think we will miss the people at Newington more than anything. I will miss all of you guys (boarders) as well as the exceptional staff that work in the House and at College.

Matt: What makes the staff so exceptional here compared to other places where you have worked?

Mark: They are dedicated beyond belief! All of the boarding staff go above and beyond their minimum hours each week. Not a night goes by that I don’t see Mr Lever or Mr van Asperen working with the boys on their Maths or English. Mr Norman gets out and plays touch footy or football or basketball each night just before prep and supervises the boys in the Design and Technology laboratories whenever they need to do extra work on projects. Coach Nottage makes sure that our boarders’ appearances are up to standard each day and drives the big bus whenever we go on an outing. I cannot say enough about their skills at turning boys into men of substance.

Mr Troy Stanley who is replacing me next year has a background in boarding and excellent foundations in pastoral care at the College. Whilst my focus has always been on structure, routine and discipline during my time as House Master, he has already floated a number of great ideas with me in regards to building strong relationships between all of the boys in the House. I am looking forward to hearing of the continued success of Edmund Webb House.

Matt: Where do you see boarding at Newington in the future?

Mark: Regardless of its size in the future, Newington will continue to have a strong representation of boarders from a range of cultural backgrounds. We are so lucky that we get to know boys from the Middle East, Africa, Europe and South-East Asia, as well as country New South Wales and metropolitan Sydney. I’m sure we will continue to grow the relationships that we have built in these areas for many years to come.

One particular growth area for boarding is the number of from metropolitan Sydney boys who come from the Sutherland Shire, the Western Suburbs and the Northern Beaches. Increasing commute times along with an increase in the workload and co-curricular commitments has meant that many Sydney families are now looking at boarding as an option in the Senior years.

When parents consider household expenditure on items such as food, electricity, internet and travel, boarding becomes an attractive option. In many ways, parents are then able to focus on their careers during the week and having quality family time during the holidays and on weekends.

Outside of continuing to build multiple generations of Newington boarding families we will also integrate a boarding specific pastoral care program. With the amount of research going into the psychology of young men, we are now in a great position to build on our six character traits of Newington Boarders by dealing specifically with issues that young men face as they progress through school.

Matt: Do you think little Tom (Mark’s 2 year old son) will miss us?

Mark: Yes. Tom loves going down into the House and spending time with you guys. It is important that all boys know the families of the boarding House staff. It helps to build a sense of community and I am sure that Mr Gill and Mr Stanley’s families will be heavily involved next year. I know that their children will enjoy spending time with the boarders, whether it be playing backyard cricket or going swimming.

Matt: Thank you for your time Mr Oliphant. From all of us at Edmund Webb Boarding House, we wish you the very best for the future and please come and visit us soon.