Homebush Grammar School was an independent non-denominational day school for boys located in Albert Road Strathfield, New South Wales. At the time Albert Road was listed as being in Homebush hence the name of the school.
History The school was founded in 1892 and ran until 1914 with the school site being sold in 1915 for residential development. The principal and proprietor of the school was W.B. Scott who was a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin. Scott had earlier been assistant principal to David Joseph SlyBruce Mitchell, 'Sly, Joseph David (1844–1934)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/sly-joseph-david-4593/text7549, published first in hardcopy 1976, accessed online 16 October 2024. when in 1888 he opened Eton College in Homebush.Eton College Homebush Retrieved 14 October 2024. That school closed in 1892 when Sly voluntarily became a bankrupt.Bruce Mitchell, 'Sly, Joseph David (1844–1934)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/sly-joseph-david-4593/text7549, published first in hardcopy 1976, accessed online 14 October 2024. On its foundation the second master of Homebush Grammar was J. H. Smairl B.A., a graduate of the University of Sydney. After being awarded a Master of Arts by Sydney University he became headmaster. When Homebush Grammar School closed Smairl was appointed an English and history teacher at Sydney Boys High School. In 1929 a portrait of Joseph Henry Smairl (1864-1937) was painted by Alfred Ernest MacDonald and was hung in the Archibald Prize exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.J.H. Smairl Portrait Retrieved 11 November 2024. The following year the portrait was donated by his former pupils to Sydney High and still hangs in the stairwell at that selective high School.The Weekly Newsletter Retrieved 11 November 2024. For many years a part time master at Homebush Grammar was Antonio Dattilo Rubbo who taught art at many other independent schools in Sydney. Although Homebush Grammar was a non-denominational school it had strong links to the Congregational churches in the Inner Western Suburbs of Sydney given many of its pupils belonged to that church. Trinity Congregational Church and Strathfield and Hombush Congregational ChurchesStrathfield Homebush Congregational Churches Retrieved 21 November. and ministers George Littlemore and Walter Cunliffe Jones often presided at special events such as end of year speech nights. In 1900, even after the schools enrolment had risen to over 60 boys, speech night at the end of the year was held in the school hall. That year the guest of honour who distributed the prizes was George Reid who later became the 4th Prime Mister of Australia. In later years speech night was held in the hall at the Burwood School of Arts.School of Arts Hall Retrieved 21 November 2024.
Student cohort Homebush Grammar School acted as a feeder school for more historic and established Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales such as Sydney Grammar School and Newington College. Students attending the school came from wealthy and well known families who lived in Burwood, Strathfield and Homebush. Members of the Street family, an Australian dynasty of men and women renowned in vice-regal, legal and political circles attended the school. The sons of tobacco merchants George Frederick TodmanDictionary of Sydney Retrieved 19 November 2024. and Wilheim von der Heyde, a mayor of Strathfield, lived in mansions on Albert RoadAlbert Road Strathfield Retrieved 19 November 2024. and their sons were enrolled at Homebush Grammar. After his marriage in 1900 Samuel Hordern, scion of the retailing Hordern family, lived at Tuxedo in Albert Road Strathfield.Tuxedo Strathfield Hordern's sons, and those of his sister Jane Walford, attended the school. The sons of Charles Hoskins, the wealthy steel and iron industrialist, including his sons and Wiesener grandsons attended Homebush Grammar when the family lived in a grand estate on The Boulevarde, Strathfield. Cecil Hoskins and all his brothers later attended Newington College. Grandchildren of David Jones who established the Sydney department store David Jones attended the school including all the sons of Edward Lloyd Jones Snr. After attending Homebush Grammar Eric Lloyd Jones attended Sydney Grammar before being awarded a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney. He went on to be involved in the management of David Jones but at 38 left the family business to play tennis at Wimbledon and lost his money, wife and good name in the process.Don't Laugh: Keeping the Joneses Up Retrieved 18 November 2024.
Homebush Grammar closed before Australia entered World War I but former students that are known to have enlisted for active service and died include Leslie Arndell, Kenneth Jackson and Frank Uther. Private Leslie Reading Arndell, who attended Homebush Grammar and Newington College, was the son of Andrew and Amelia Arndell of Verona at 27 Coventry Road StrathfieldVerona Strathfield Heritage Retrieved 11 November 2024. and he was killed in action at Bullecourt France on 3 May 1917.Virtual War Memrial Retrieved 11 November 2024. Lance Corporal Kenneth Jackson, who attended Homebush Grammar and Newington College, was the son of Frederick and Jessie Jackson of The Glen at St MarysPenrith Penrith Local History Retrieved 12 November 2025. and was killed in action at Gallipoli on 28 April 1915.Vierual War Memorial Retrieved 12 November 2024. Gunner Frank Uther, who attended Homebush Grammar and Sydney Grammar schools, was the son of Henry and Caroline Uther of Marlborough at 94-96 Burlington Road HomebushMarlborough Strathfield Heritage Retrieved 11 November 2024. and he died of wounds in Belgium 18 October 1917.Virtual War Memorial Retrieved 11 November 2024.
Notable alumni Sir Norman GreggPaul A. L. Lancaster, 'Gregg, Sir Norman McAlister (1892–1966)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/gregg-sir-norman-mcalister-10362/text18351, published first in hardcopy 1996, accessed online 14 October 2024. Sir Cecil HoskinsGeorge Parsons, 'Hoskins, Sir Cecil Harold (1889–1971)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hoskins-sir-cecil-harold-7072/text11639, published first in hardcopy 1983, accessed online 14 October 2024. Sir Charles Lloyd JonesRuth Thompson, 'Jones, Sir Charles Lloyd (1878–1958)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/jones-sir-charles-lloyd-6869/text11901, published first in hardcopy 1983, accessed online 14 October 2024. Sir Kenneth StreetJ. M. Bennett, 'Street, Sir Kenneth Whistler (1890–1972)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/street-sir-kenneth-whistler-11790/text21091, published first in hardcopy 2002, accessed online 14 October 2024.
Notable teachers Antonio Dattilo RubboCarmel Oakley, 'Rubbo, Antonio Salvatore Dattilo (1870–1955)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/rubbo-antonio-salvatore-dattilo-8291/text14531, published first in hardcopy 1988, accessed online 14 October 2024.
Strathfield Grammar School After the death of Sir Philip Sydney Jones in 1918 his property Llandilo on the Boulevarde Strathfield was subdivided and a group of residents headed by Frank Wheaton, a minister of the Congregational Church, bought the house and converted it into Strathfield Grammar School. In 1926 it became part of Trinity Grammar School. Later Llandilo became the preparatory school of Trinity.Llandilo Strathfield Retrieved 19 November 20244.
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