From the Editors’ Desk: 8th Biennial Literature Festival

Amidst the hustle and bustle of students moving from one workshop to the next, exploring a poetic device one minute and juggling a literary trick the next, a small group of boys from Year 7 to Year 11 were busy jotting down notes for the official Festival publication ‘PostScript’.

Led by Dr Billy Stevenson in the English Department and Festival presenter Jack Lynch, the Postscript writers, editors and photographers covered events across both Stanmore Senior Campus and Wyvern during the 8th Biennial Literature Festival.

‘Black and White’ spoke to the PostScript boys to find out more their festival highlights and what took away from working ‘behind the scenes’. 

Who was your favourite speaker?

“My favourite author I had the opportunity to cover was Tristan Bancks, as he epitomises what I see as the future of literature. As we move forward with technology, authors will need to adapt their methods of content delivery and Tristan has more than achieved this. Using an amalgamation of online media including small games and videos to accompany his books, Tristan is able to greatly expand the audience that his ideas can reach, and from both covering his sessions and talking to him in conversation, it was exceptionally interesting to learn how he works with both his young sons and his publisher to produce these unconventional additions to his books” – Tom Barker (11/FL)

“My favourite author was Arnold Zable. His words evoked emotion from the crowd as he told many inspirational stories about overcoming challenges in his life. He demonstrated such a positive mindset, which is something I aspire to having” – Anton Lising (7/JN)

What did you like most about being an editor on the PostScript team?

“I liked the time pressure imparted by our deadlines. If anything, I think writing for PostScript improved my ability to write under pressure. I often found myself producing articles 20 minutes before a deadline. I created a false sense of desperation for myself, which spurred me on to meet the 2:30pm cutoff.” – Luke Canter (7/JN)

“I liked having the privilege of meeting many of the authors and being mentored by some of them. I also loved collaborating with a team” – Anton Lising (7/JN)

“Being a member of the Postscript was a great honour and it really helped develop my writing skills, as well as my communication ones. It was very beneficial being able to speak and listen to different authors and hearing and sharing stories with them. That would have to be the stand out of being apart of the team.” – Adi Apana (7/ME)

 What was the most challenging aspect of working on Postscript?

“The most challenging aspect was managing the excellent team of boys I had the opportunity of leading. While each was talented in their own right, encouraging them to work productively as a team while also pushing them to hammer out over 16 stories a day was a challenging but amazing experience!” – Tom Barker (11/FL)

“The most challenging aspect of working on PostScript was finding the motivation to write. On occasion, I’d become slightly complacent and get sidetracked during my no-coverage periods. Two of my seminars were close to or after the deadline, which resulted in unnecessarily tense and nerve wracking moments. Nevertheless, I found the whole experience enjoyable and would volunteer again without a doubt.” – Luke Canter (7/JN)

Michael Swordfish is back

Michael Swordfish is back for a return season at the Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP). It will be shown as a double bill production alongside Girls like that by Evan Placey.

Written by playwright Lachlan Philpott and inspired by the lives and concerns of Newington boys today, Michael Swordfish holds a special place for the Black and White cast and crew who have been involved in this production.

“It’s a privilege to share Michael Swordfish with an audience outside of the Newington community,” said Tim Kenzler (12/MO). Dan Steel (12/LE) agreed and said, “Putting on a play that is a raw and authentic look at the teenage experience is incredibly humbling and I’m really excited to share it with the public.”

On top of this, working at ATYP has given the boys a sense of what it’s like to work in the theatre industry and what it’s like to perform every day over an extended period.

Beginning this Thursday, 10 May, tickets to the season have already sold out. We wish the boys the best of luck for yet another season of Michael Swordfish. 

Meet the Press – Year 9 Sport Journalists Interview Upcoming Star

At the end of March, Mrs Naomi Tsvirko and Mr Troy Stanley’s elective Year 9 Sports Journalism classes held a mock press conference in the Old Boys Lecture Theatre with Old Boy Basketball superstar Makuach Maluach (ON 2016). While a student at Newington, Makuach had a distinguished Basketball career and in his final year was a member of the AAGPS Championship winning 1sts in addition to receiving a number of representative honours including playing as a member for the Australian team, the NSW Pacific Games team, the NSWCIS team and for the AAGPS Basketball 1sts team.

The boys asked Makuach a series of prepared questions about his Basketball journey at Newington as well as his future plans to attend university in the USA and play College Basketball. The boys in the ‘press gallery’ were keen to gather enough information to the take back to their news teams to mock up a news article. Zack McGeechan (9/PR), Thomas Maka (9/KL), Jack Haydon (9/PR), Quentin Lemoto (9/LE), Will Maley (9/KL), Harrison Henson (9/FL) and Peter Phillips (9/JN) collaborated on the following piece in The Newington Morning Herald.

Read it here.

Anzac Day 2017 – Re-dedicating Johnson Oval

One of the highlights of the Anzac Parade was the re-dedication of the Johnson Oval — named in memory of Gunner Jack Johnson (ON 1913) — as a war memorial a hundred years after his death in the First World War.

John ‘Jack’ Johnson attended Newington College from 1910 to 1913. A keen cricketer, rugby player, athlete and Cadet, he was described in The Newingtonian as ‘deservedly one of the most popular boys in the School … beloved by masters and boys alike.’ After enlisting in 1916 he served with the Artillery on the Western Front. He was severely wounded during a German bombardment of his battery’s position at Ypres and died on 23 October 1917.

Wishing to establish a perpetual memorial to their son, Jack’s parents funded the construction of a new oval, saying ‘it was just the kind of thing he would have delighted to see done.’ Previously a rough field, unsatisfactory for cricket or football matches, the construction involved extensive excavation, levelling and drainage works and provided the College with ‘a football area of full size’ for the first time. Jack’s parents also erected a brass memorial tablet in his memory, joining the others already on the walls of the Prescott Hall. These tablets now line the Chapel Walkway.

The College was honoured to have Jack’s niece, Dr Valerie Havyatt, and her sons Geoffrey and Warwick Havyatt, to represent Jack’s family for the re-dedication of the Johnson Oval. The formal act of re-dedication was the unveiling of a plaque by the Deputy Chairman of the College Council, his Honour Magistrate Greg Grogin (ON 1976). At a morning tea for guests after the Parade, the Headmaster, Dr Mulford, presented the plaque to Dr Havyatt. A fully weatherproofed version will be installed on the Johnson Scoreboard.

Jack Johnson was a member of the College’s Cadet Team who were the Commonwealth Champions in the 1912-13 Cadet Competitions. Each member of the team was presented with a gold medal at a parade at Newington in March 1914. Following the re-dedication ceremony, Dr Havyatt generously presented Jack’s medal to the College, received on our behalf by Major Rodney Wood, Commanding Officer of the Newington College Cadet Unit.

Dr Havyatt, with her sons, also honoured Jack Johnson’s memory by laying a wreath at the Memorial to the Dead and, after the Parade, placing a poppy by his name on the 1914–18 Honour Roll at the entrance to the Founders Building.

Finding Dr Havyatt and her family was a result of good fortune. Back in 2002, she visited the College and sent us a copy of an article that she had written about Jack. Re-discovering the article in the Archives this year, we were able to track down the family, despite changed contact details, thanks to a family tree attached to the article.

In many ways, Jack Johnson’s story epitomises the impact of the War on so many young men: keen to do his duty, despite the awful risks, his young life cut short by the cruel lottery of war. Unlike our other Fallen, however, Jack is remembered in a name that we use every day, now dedicated again a century later.

Lest we forget.

Mr David Roberts
College Archivist

Do you get Hayfever symptoms this time of the year?

I have seen plenty of boys with watery itchy eyes, runny itchy noses and sneezing since Term 2 began and there is no hay to be seen and it’s not spring!

Rhinitis is inflammation of the nose.

This allergy is commonly caused by sensitivity to pollens, dust mites, animal hair and moulds.

Some have a seasonal allergy to grass, tree or weed pollens. Others may have perennial allergic rhinitis which can affect them at any time of the year, usually from dust or animal hair. Give those blazers a good shake outdoors.

Remember:

• Asthma can be harder to control if you have hayfever.
• Food allergies do not cause hayfever.

The nose acts as a filter and an immune response occurs if you are allergic, causing inflammation of the lining of the nose and more mucus to be produced.

If the symptoms persist then talk to your Doctor. They may refer you to an Allergy Specialist for allergy testing.

Common treatments are: 

• Corticosteroid nasal sprays which have very low dose steroids and are very effective if used correctly. They need to be used regularly and for a period of time. 
• Antihistamines – non-drowsy, are useful to control sneezing and itching and need only be used when symptoms are present.
• Allergy eye drops are effective for watery itchy eyes.
• Decongestant sprays and tablets should only be used for a few days. They dry the nose and can cause problems if used long term. The tablets should not be taken by someone with high blood pressure.
• Saline nasal rinses are a natural product and help relieve symptoms. You can make your own solution using 5g of salt in 500ml of cool boiled water.
• Immunotherapy may be recommended where the person is exposed regularly to small doses of the allergen to help build tolerance. This is done under the care of an Allergy Specialist.

Click here to see a sample treatment plan

Complications include:

• Sleep disturbance
• Poor concentration
• Snoring
• Ear and sinus infections.

Sister Margaret Bates
College Nurse

Shave for a Cure

Winter might not be the ideal time to get your hair shorn off, but if it’s for a worthy cause, then why not.

Newington’s ‘bald beauties’ braved the crowds on Tuesday 4 April in the annual Shave for a Cure event in support of the Leukemia Foundation.

This year’s headcount included 40 Year 12 boys, Mr Gary Maxwell, Mr Stewart McCarroll and Miss Rukevwe Bateren. All in all, Newington raised more than $21,000.

Well done boys!

Centre for Ethics 2017 opens with A. C. Grayling

The humanities are the key to cultivating our ability to think critically, to question and to evaluate the world around us said Professor A. C. Grayling at the first Centre for Ethics lecture for 2017. 

Professor of Philosophy and Master of the New College of the Humanities, London, A. C. Grayling emphasised the importance of the Humanities in a climate where the study of STEM is championed for its future job prospects. “You are not only your job,” argued Professor Grayling, “You are also a neighbour, a voter, a traveller, a lover — the humanities nourish all those other dimensions of us.”

He explained that as we find it harder to foresee the future with increasingly rapid advances in technology, the Humanities are all the more important. “We can’t prepare students for what we don’t know. We can prepare them to be thinkers, learners, sharp critical evaluators,” he said.

Professor Grayling added that because the internet has opened up such an expansive range of information, “the primary task of education today should be to teach people how to evaluate information.”

He went on to explain how reading literature and philosophy exposes students to a range of ways of thinking and encourages them to critically examine the assumptions, beliefs and ethical constructs that they live by. “Literature is like a thousand windows into other lives, other experiences, other ways that things can be — to read is to gaze into many other ideas and possibilities.

“All great Literature has running through it a golden thread of philosophical insight,” Professor Grayling said.

He also explained that the humanities allow us to use the history of the past to make informed decisions that will affect the future, as after all “we are the creators of the future.”

At the next Centre for Ethics lecture, the College will welcome Australian cartoonist, writer, painter, philosopher and poet, Mr Michael Leunig. To reserve a place contact Newington College reception on 02 9568 9333 or email contact@newington.nsw.edu.au.

Curiosity – a necessity in developing understanding

Psalm 143:5 ‘…I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.’

The focus within the weekly chapel services throughout Term 2 is to address some of the questions that the students have about God, eternity and living a purposeful life. At the start of Term 1, all students were given the opportunity to pose questions that they have in regard to spiritual matters and what they want to know about God.

The response was quite strong with hundreds of forms completed, where boys asked questions such as;

• ‘Is God tolerant or intolerant?’
• ‘Why do so many bad things happen in the world today?’
• ‘What does God do for us/me?’
• ‘If God is real, why are there still wars that take place?’
• ‘How does God watch over us?’
• ‘How do I properly discover God?’
• ‘Has God ever made mistakes?’
• ‘Why would God allow children to develop brain cancer?’
• ‘Where exactly is God?’

To me, such questions reveal a heightened level of curiosity amongst the student body and a strong desire to seek an understanding of complex issues. To some of us, there might be a ready response to such questions, while others might choose to place these into the ‘too hard’ basket or leave them for another day. It is our desire here at Newington to engage in discussion about spiritual matters, in an attempt to broaden our understanding within the community beyond what each of us have already experienced.

In the Bible, Jesus often refrained from providing concrete answers to the questions that were presented to him. When people asked Jesus a question, often he gave them a question back. He liked to share his thoughts through parables that required his audience to go away and figure out the answer for themselves. I think this is a really significant thing to understand regarding how we learn from God. It’s not about waiting for answers, but rather, daring to follow the questions God stirs in our hearts. Jesus showed us that not only is it okay to question who God is — what his nature is, how he operates, and how he thinks of us — but a necessary step in developing our understanding of God.

Rev Geordie Barham
College Chaplain

Perth Glory Q&A

Barely over the jet lag after their European Football Tour, Newington Football boys gathered in Old Boys Lecture Theatre with their esteemed leader, Director of Football Mr Brian McCarthy, for a special Q&A session with three Perth Glory players, Diego Castro, Andy Keogh and Richard Garcia. Set up like a press conference, the players took the hot seat as boys from the audience asked questions regarding everything from coaching and prep to the difference between Football in Australia and Football in Europe.

With all three players coming from incredibly different backgrounds – Diego from Spain, Andy from Ireland and Richard from Australia – each player provided some interesting comments about how they came to be where they are.

Richard, who is originally from Western Australia and went on to play for West Ham United said that the difference between young players in Australia versus players in Europe is small at the age of 12,13 and 14, but this changes drastically at 15 and onwards.

“Over there you have players like Diego, but he’s not the only one. There are a couple more thousand players out there like him.

“We’re kind of in a bubble because over there it is the number one sport and everyone plays it so the competition is a lot more fierce and with more competition people grow and get better and with that comes a lot more players.

“They have more history with the sport, it’s in their blood, so they are not finding it at 10 and 11, they are finding it at 2.”

However despite the differences in culture, the intelligence of the individual to take what is worthwhile from each game, each setting and each piece of instruction from the coach is pivotal to improvement and success.

Likewise, in answer to a question about what each of them would do if they were down one, two or three points in a game, they said that the mental strength of the whole team, not just the star power of one or two players is what can get you through a tough situation.

Lots of food for thought for our New Football boys to take into the season ahead. 

Good luck!

Year 12 Retreat

To finish off a busy Term 1, the Year 12 Retreat was a welcome break for many Senior boys. It is a special occasion for all boys in Year 12 to reflect and explore their personal goals and concerns in a open environment.

Boys left for retreat on Wednesday, 5 April and spent three days sharing life experiences with each other and their mentors. In addition, the boys were given tools and strategies to assist them with the challenges they will face for the remainder of Year 12, in particular for stressful times before and during assessments and exams.

The aim of the retreat is to help each boy learn about his individual strengths and to understand how to build on them.

Sport Report

AFL

AFL returned to Newington with the first game for our mixed team of Year 9 and Year 10 boys resulting in a win against Barker College 10–3. Under the guidance of Rev Geordie Barham the boys are showing plenty of skill and determination on ball. The boys will be keen to test themselves this weekend against The Shore School after a round two bye.

Athletics

Newington 400m runner Tyrell Villania-Small (11/MO) has been selected to represent Australia at the Oceania Athletics Championship in Fiji in June. Tyrell qualified from his run at the National Championships.

We would also like to acknowledge sprinter James Roach (11/MA) who has been chosen for the  NSW Athletics Targeted Talented Program for 2017.

Badminton

This weekend and the following will see Newington play The King’s School in a series of singles and doubles matches. The Newington Badminton program consists of 35 boys, many of whom are new to the sport. We wish all boys the very best over the next two weekends

College Physiotherapy

With strong pre-season programs completed and some great participation numbers across all sports available this term, everyone at College Physiotherapy would like to wish all teams the best of luck for the season!

As always we are here to help all students, staff and the greater Newington community whenever required for on site injury management, rehabilitation and return to sport performance co-ordination. Both Joe Zhang and Tom Donaldson will be working in the clinic Monday–Thursday afternoons of which you can book in online through our SPACES home page (see clinic hours below). Around the grounds on game day we will have Joe covering Rugby and are happy to announce that Patrick Farhatt has returned from his post as the Head Physiotherapist of the Indian Cricket team, to ensure all things Football and other competing sports are well looked after.

Clinic hours:

Monday 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM (incl. Rugby clinic) – Joe Zhang

Tuesday 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM  – Tom Donaldson

Wednesday 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Joe Zhang

Thursday 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM (incl. Rugby clinic)  – Joe Zhang

Cross Country

The 2017 Cross Country season is in full swing with all boys training hard during the week preparing for the races on Saturdays. The Newington Invitational was held in superb conditions on 6 May at Sydney Park. We thank the Cross Country Support Group for their efforts on the day.

The Junior team placed 1st, the Intermediate team 2nd and the Seniors 5th

Final results can be found on the following link:

AAGPS Cross Country Results

Well done to all boys, and thank you to all families for their contribution on the day.

Rowing

Year 11 student Harry Crouch (11/JN) has been selected to represent Australia at the World Junior Rowing Championships, to be held in Trakai, Lithuania in August 2017. Harry was selected to row in the two seat of the U19 Men’s Quad Scull. The crew is made up of four rowers from Sydney.

To make this feat more remarkable, in the two weeks leading into the selection regatta, Harry effectively trained on his own, as he went home to Condobolin for the holidays, many miles from the nearest rowing club or coaches. Harry had to travel considerable distances in order to row each day.

We commend Harry on this achievement and we wish him all the best with the hard training that he will do through the winter in preparation for the World Championships.

Rugby Knowledge and Wisdom Required

Each home weekend Newington hosts 25-30 games of Rugby, all requiring a referee. If you are am ex-player, ex-coach or believe you have the ability to manage a free flowing game of schoolboy rugby then we would love to hear from you. All expressions of interest can be forwarded to Mr Rod Bosman rbosman@newington.nsw.edu.au

Football’s Iberian Odyssey through Spain and Portugal

The 2017 European Football Tour finally took flight on 8 April, after months of planning, agonising and “dreaming”. Thirty students from Years 8–11 gathered at Kingsford International Airport and were warmly wished “bon voyage” by parents and families. Thereafter, a veritable football and cultural feast unfolded as we sped onwards to the jewel of Catalonia, Barcelona.

A whirlwind day and a half in this spectacular city was punctuated with wonders of the modern and ancient worlds including: La Sagrada Familia, the multifarious Gaudi creations, the Gothic quarter, Montjuic and of course the iconic, world renowned Camp Nou stadium and Museum tour. The boys faces were aglow with wonderment as they gazed out on to the 100,000 capacity cauldron that plays host to the greatest club side in Europe and the planet’s No.1 football star, Lionel Messi. This was their first taste of football on our Iberian odyssey and the extraordinary numbers of visiting tourists to this sporting mecca gave the boys exactly the message intended, “You are in the home of football”.

The “magical mystery tour” rolled quickly into the magnificent waterside capital of Portugal, Lisbon. What a marvellous city Lisbon is with its white, yellow, peach and bright coloured houses illuminating every vantage point, day and night. Passing by Sporting Lisbon’s stadium got the boys to their feet, and the drive to our Hotel Aldeia base took in the 25 Abril suspension bridge, a direct replica of the Golden Gate, with the majestic Cristo Rei statue striding above the landscape akin to Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. Breathtaking scenery embraces the river Tagus.          

Our footballing sessions in the Caixa Training Campus, Benfica’s headquarters for player development from 1st team down encapsulated why the tour was advertised. Through the wonderful personalities of Diogo and Vasco, the boys were held spellbound by the brilliance, humour, clarity and energy of the two Benfica Academy coaches. In addition our four goalkeepers, Michael, Tom, Jonty and Joon Tae were given outstanding guidance from goalkeeping coach Joao. The quality of the sessions with Diogo emphasising “behaviours” were something the boys would not experience “down under”. To our boys immense credit, the coaches ( and Gullivers Sports Travel liaison people “Inspire Sport”) all spoke glowingly of the boys attitude, concentration, application and manners, characteristics that are not as common as you would like to think, they proffered.

The boys were taken on a walking tour by our in-house travel guru, Mr Verco and we enjoyed the old cobbled streets of the Alfama district culminating in a climactic roof top view over the old city, once under Moorish influence with Sao Jorge Castle a reminder of that era. While in Lisbon the boys were treated to a walking tour of the famous navigators monuments, Prince Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama, et al as we strolled along the promenades of Bellem Tower, the Navigators Tribute Monument and Jeronimos Monastery. Topping all of that was our tour of the famous Benfica stadium, Estadio da Luz and a beautiful meal in the best seat in the stadium, capped off by a pitch side visit and an introduction to the 3–4 live Golden Eagles used on match days by the club, still known as the “Eagles” (also the “Reds” and El Glorioso).

Our trip to see Benfica play (as well as pay homage to Benfica’s Greatest ever player, Eusebio) against Maritimo in the Primeira Liga was a memory literally “from heaven” as the boys, part of a 60,000 attendance, took in the spine tingling atmosphere, eagles flying all around the stadium, and the cacophonous singing which was in full voice long before the match. The brilliance of Jonas and Rafa in particular took their breath away and the sheer passion and fervour of the Portuguese fans was something all the boys had never witnessed before. Needless to say all the players and staff of Newington were bedecked in Benfica scarves and even joined in the local fans’ sing along, as our Lisbon guide, Tiago had given us some elementary lessons. It was an evening of sheer football bliss and transported all of us to a greater appreciation of the place of football in life in Portugal, as the attendance was so diverse – men and women, boys, girls, grandfathers, grandmothers religiously devoted to the red shirts of the Portugal club founded in 1904 by Cosme Damiao.

Our final day in Lisbon saw both our Junior and Senior teams take on an Elite International Benfica squad, composed of players from around the globe all on a month long training camp cum trial. Our Juniors were valiant in defeat while the Seniors had a great second half comeback eventually succumbing 5-3 but not after Christian Yamine (11/MO) and Indi Memak (11/MO) had reduced the arrears to 4-3 at one stage. Still a marvellous experience for the boys against boys from Portugal and beyond.

Our Portuguese leg of the tour came to an end as our coach wound its way through the low plains of southern Portugal (the Algarve) meandering in to the ancient city of Seville, as we stopped en route in beautiful rustic hotel for Sunday lunch. As our luck would transpire we secured tickets for the La Liga match, Real Betis v Eibar at Estadion Benito Villamarin. We timed our arrival to perfection on that very same evening as 38,000 people crammed into the historic stadium for a game of visceral passion as the green and white Betis supporters (“Betis” supporters are born, “Seville FC” supporters are made, they say) gave full vent to their frustrations and feelings, including their own coach as “a villain of the peace”. We arrived into the game in the first 30 seconds, desperately trying to locate our seats. Unfortunately our entrance curbed the view of the opening Betis goal from an irate Betis grandmother, and she admonished us fervently with her cane, a sure sign to the boys of the pressure cooker that Spanish football is to the local people.

Our three coaching sessions at the Esportiva “Antonio Puerta” Training Centre were really engaging and the boys learned in a different manner from Seville’s excellent group of coaches. Benfica have their own “way” and so do Sevilla.  Our city centre tour took in the famous Alcazar as well as Seville Cathedral and the sheer age of these jaw dropping marvels stunned the boys. The Moorish influence was particularly poignant in the Alacazar. A walk to Plaza Espana – “ the Venice of Seville” – and the superb panorama unveiled was a sensory sensation. A tour of the three times consecutive Europa League winning club’s Pijuan Ramon Sanchez stadium and museum conferred on the boys a startled sense of history as the 1890 founded “Los Blanquirrojos” (the Whites and Reds) emerged from the ashes of a community, as did many Spanish clubs.

Our final chapter in Seville saw us play the Academy’s U17 and U13 teams in what can only be described as “taking a Masters” from the Masters. The technical brilliance, superb movement, slide rule passing and cobra-like finishing from the Seville boys had to be seen to be believed. Sharing the pitch with some of Spain’s most talented young players will be a memory all the boys can all look back on and learn from. Truly there wasn’t a nutmeg or rabonna in sight, the simplicity, beauty and speed of their play is a level we must all aspire to in Australia.

An Iberian Airways flight to Valencia and onward to Valencia CF’s superb Esportiva Ciudad Complex for all teams heralded another heady coaching feast as Mr Jablonski joined in with the boys in some outstanding games challenging the players in “the Valencian Way”. A trip to the famed Mestalla Stadium and Museum, a walk in the City’s award winning Science and Arts architectural wonderland, and two games against local rural teams in an Old Masia setting enriched our experiences of Spain even further. Our Seniors recorded a fine 3–1 win while Oscar Swan (8/FL) and Oliver Smith (10/KL) scored in our 4–2 loss for the Juniors, a brilliant effort by the boys. After a final castle-bespeckled drive up the coastline to Barcelona, an exhausted but very happy Newington contingent made their way to a homeward Qatar Airways flight back to Sydney.

The memories, lessons, experiences, atmospheres, vistas, sensory delights and friendships will linger for a long time for all the boys and staff who were fortunate to “Discover what’s possible” when you make the most of such a tantalising opportunity.

The students of the 2017 Newington College European Football Tour were outstanding ambassadors for the College, for Sydney and indeed for Australia. A very special thank you to all the parents and families who supported the boys and made this happen. An extra special thank you to our superb, caring and engaging staff of Mr Potter, Mr Verco, Mr Summers and Mr Jablonski.

Sincere thanks to all at Gullivers Sports Travel and especially Orsi who knew no bounds in assisting, supporting and motivating us to make this marvellous tour a reality.

Mr Brian McCarthy
Director of Football

Update from Basketball

In the recent school holidays Matur Maluach (11/FL), Brandon Freire (11/PR) and Reed Nottage (11/LE) represented NSW Country at the Australian U18 Championships which were held in Townsville Queensland.

At the completion of the round games, the boys went up against Queensland South in the quarter finals where a 7 point victory insured a top four finish for NSW Country.

Congratulations to the boys for their great performance throughout the week.

Mr Rex Nottage
Director of Basketball

ONU 70 Club Lunch

Centenary Hall was buzzing with stories of the good old days from the members and guest of the Newington College 70 Club at the Annual Lunch held on Tuesday, 2 May.

The group started the day reminiscing in the Old Chapel with drinks and canapés to the tunes from “The Newtones” led by Gary Kingcott (ON 1957), Geoff Wilson (ON 1960), John Newton (ON 1951) and new member Rob Wild (ON 1965).

After a tour of the new Drama Centre and Tupou College Centre the group moved to the Centenary Hall where the chatter became louder and the stories became more colourful.

Rev Geordie Barham commenced the lunch with the “Breaking of Bread” Ceremony which has been introduced to the 70 Club formalities serving as an age old ceremony. The “Breaking of Bread” signifies the shared bond between kindred relationships and as the loaf of bread is passed around the table each person takes a piece and echo the words of the school motto ‘In Fide Scientiam’ – ‘to faith add knowledge’.

Chairman of the 70 Club, Gil Morgan (ON 1958) welcomed the members and guests that had travelled from far and wide to meet up for Newington Fellowship. Senior Prefect, Mitchell Long 2017 gave a speech evoking the Heritage of Newington and how he hopes one day that he will be attending a similar reunion lunch with classmates and continuing his fellowship.

Headmaster, Dr David Mulford kindly organised a musical operatic piece from Old Boy Leon Vitogiannis (ON 2016) that stirred the proud emotions of the Old Boys. Dr Mulford also presented a snapshot of the College Vision and where we are headed to in the future, all the Old Boys were suitably impressed that the College is in good hands.

Birthday wishes, stories from the past and rekindling friendships for the future is what the lunch is about and when it came to singing the College Song, Dear Newingtonia, very few members had to read the words. We look forward to seeing a return of all the members to the 20^th Anniversary 70 Club Lunch on Tuesday, 8 May 2018.

End of Season Rowing Dinner

The Newington College Rowing Association held their End of Season Rowing dinner with a more formal format for the 2016-2017 season.

Over 290 rowers, parents and guests attended the function held in Centenary Hall on Thursday, 27 April.

The night started with a ceremony to celebrate the christening of two boats, four seat christened – Nick Wainman (ON 1991) and eight seat christened for 1976 Olympian, Stuart Carter (ON 1976), a very special moment for Newington Rowing.

Throughout the night, the rowers were presented with awards ranging from Most Valuable Rower through to Most Improved Rower and the inaugural award of Academic Prize for the senior rower who continued to commit to their studies throughout the rowing season.

Alex Nichol (12/PR), Captain of Boats gave a heart-warming, yet raw speech about the pressures and success of being a Newington Rower that was very moving.

One of the ongoing Newington traditions is to recognise the rowers that have been a continuous member since commencing the sport in Year 7. The eight Year 12 rowers stood proudly on stage to collect their Continuous Rowing Medal and we look forward to increasing this number in future years as the boys develop their passion for Rowing.

The aim of the night was to celebrate the end of the Rowing season and the success Newington has had through the Head of the River and the various season regattas. Overall the night was deemed a success with money raised for the boat program through donations being contributed from Year 7 parents through to Old Boys that still have the passion for Rowing.

Thank you to the organising committee of Marty Nichols (ON 1987), Pip Bulbeck and Maria Rossi that brought the Rowing community together and will continue the annual dinner in this same format for next season. A special thanks goes to Director of Rowing, Mr Richard Roach for his highlights of the Rowing season and his in-depth presentation.

See you all on the water!