Oxley College (Burradoo)
The Oxley College is an independent non-denominational co-educational primary and secondary day school, located in Burradoo, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia.
| Oxley College | |
|---|---|
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| Location | |
  Oxley College Location in New South Wales | |
Burradoo, Southern Highlands, New South Wales Australia | |
| Coordinates | 34°29′56″S 150°23′29″E |
| Information | |
| Type | Independent co-educational primary and secondary day school |
| Motto | Latin: Patientia et Fortitudine (Patience and Fortitude) |
| Denomination | Non-denominational Christianity |
| Established | 1983 |
| Educational authority | New South Wales Department of Education |
| Chairman | Dr Stephen Barnett |
| Head of College | Jenny Ethell |
| Deputy Head – Pastoral | Mark Case |
| Deputy Head – Academic | Kathryn Cunich |
| Employees | ~50 |
| Years | K-12 |
| Enrolment | c. 800[1] (2019) |
| Colour(s) | Blue and gold |
| Affiliations | Independent Schools Association |
| Website | www |
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The school takes its name from the early Australian explorer John Oxley and nestles at the foot of a hill named after him. His descendants gave permission for his family crest to be used as the basis of the College crest.
History
The College first opened to students in 1983, with an initial enrolment of 234 fro students in Year 7 to Year 12. In 2012 enrolments were opened for Kindergarten through to Year 6, in addition to the existing secondary school years.
Head of College
The following individuals have served as Head of College, or precedent titles:
| Ordinal | Officeholder | Term start | Term end | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Wright | 1983 | 1994 | 10–11 years | |
| 2 | Christopher Welsh | 1995 | 2007 | 11–12 years | |
| 3 | Grant Williamson | 2008 | 2014 | 5–6 years | |
| 4 | Michael Parker | 2014 | 2018 | 3–4 years | |
| 5 | Jenny Ethell | January 2019 | incumbent | 1 year, 228 days | [2] |
Houses
Oxley College has six houses named after notable Australians: Dobell (the green house) Durack (the purple house), Florey (the yellow house), Mawson (the blue house), Monash (the red house), and Oodgeroo (the orange house). All houses have multiple tutor groups (a form of homeroom) compiled of years 7-12 and compete against each other in music, drama, public speaking, cross country, athletic and swimming carnivals. In addition there are three Kindergarten to Year 6 houses: Chisholm (the white house), Flynn (the yellow house) and Walton (the royal blue house).
As of 2020, the current leading senior house is Dobell. As of 2020, the current leading junior house is Chisholm.
Notable alumni
- Al Kanaar – Australian rugby union player
- Melanie Tait – author of The Vegemite Tales, Fat Chance: My Big Fat Gastric Band Adventure, The Appleton Ladies Potato Race; and ABC Radio presenter
Sport
Oxley College regularly competes in ISA sport, including cricket, hockey, touch football, basketball, equesterian, rugby and netball amongst others. They compete across NSW, most notably with their rival school Chevalier College.
References
- Australian School Choice- NSW Schools (accessed:24-04-2006)
- https://www.oxley.nsw.edu.au/about/staff/
Further reading
- Emery, L. 2006. A Lovingly Woven Tapestry: Oxley College, Bowral. Oxley College, Burradoo.