When Newington College was founded in 1863 the role of a College Council was undertaken by the Educational Committee of the NSW Conference of the Wesleyan Methodist Church. We are told that a separate Council was formed in the first term of 1866 with the Chairman of the Education Committee and strong advocate for the establishment of the College, Reverend Stephen Rabone, ‘in the Chair’. 

A volume in the College archives contains the minutes of the Council’s early meetings, starting with a meeting on 6 April 1866. It is not certain if this was the very first meeting of the new Council as the minutes give no indication of such a significant event but instead just get straight down to business. Possibly there were one or two earlier meetings, the records of which are lost. Equally, it may be that the new Council seamlessly carried on the work of the Education Committee with no perceived need for fanfare.

The meeting took place in the Vestry of the York Street Chapel. The College was still at Silverwater at this time and it is not surprising that a more convenient location for members was used.

Comprising just half a page of neat handwriting, there were only two agenda items albeit important ones. The first concerned the quest for a long-term home for the College. A subcommittee, comprising the College President, Rev. Joseph Horner Fletcher, and three lay members of the Council, was appointed ‘to enquire on what terms Elswick might be purchased for the purposes of the Collegiate Institution’. ‘Elswick’ referred to the Elswick Estate, a grand estate bounded by Parramatta Road and Norton, Marion and Elswick Streets in Leichhardt. This possibility was pursued by the Council into the following year, but had to be abandoned for lack of funds.

The second agenda item involved a decision not to renew the contract of the ‘Head Master’ Thomas Johnston (spelled ‘Johnson’ in the minutes) beyond the end of the year. (At this time, the Head Master was subordinate to the College’s President.) During 1865, Johnston had been dissatisfied with his employment conditions — he wanted a fifty per cent pay rise and better furniture in his room — and had exchanged acrimonious correspondence with the Education Committee. The Committee had determined to dispense with his services but a truce had been reached and he got the refurnishing. Clearly the new Council did not wish to risk further discontent. At the same meeting it resolved to place advertisements in the papers, resulting in a decision in July to appoint George Metcalfe from Melbourne Grammar School.

Mr David Roberts
College Archivist