PHILIP FAMILY
Five consecutive generations of the Philip Family have attended the Geelong College. Captain John Philip and his wife Margaret (nee Robertson) arrived in Melbourne on the 20 January 1847 with their two children Elizabeth and Thomas. They had left London on the 2 September 1846, the journey lasting 139 days. Like his father before him Captain John had had a seafaring career as a ship's master.
John and Margaret’s second son, James Robertson Philip was born in Australia and was the first of the Philip boys to attend Geelong College in 1864 when the school was just three years young. Their third, fourth and fifth sons John, William and Alexander were all sent to the College together as a group in 1873. This presumably was for convenience, as their property 'Miga Lake' at Harrow must have been considered remote and a long distance to Geelong by horse and gig in those early days.
William Philip attended the school for two years from 1873 to 1875. He was awarded prizes for Geography, History, Latin and Scripture. He married Amelia Jane Hamilton after whose family the town of Hamilton is named. Together they had seven children, four sons and three daughters. All of their four sons attended Geelong College between 1900 and 1927. They were William Hamilton Philip, Hugh 'Gordon' Philip, Ernest John Philip and Norman Lawrence Philip.
Ernest John Philip attended the College from 1903 to 1908. In Ernest's final year of 1908, Geelong College joined the Associated Public Schools (APS) of Victoria. This was the first year the College competed in the APS Head of the River on the Upper Yarra Henley course. Ernest was in the School's first Head of the River crew in 1908. In those days there were only six APS schools participating in the Head of the River; Melbourne Grammar School, Scotch College, Geelong Grammar, Wesley College, Xavier College and The Geelong College. Scotch College, having won in 1907, went on to win the Head of the River again in 1908 with The Geelong College in their first attempt coming a creditable second and Xavier College in third place. The winning time was 4 minutes and 59 seconds. In 1908, Ernest was also in the College's first APS Athletics or Running team, as it was referred to in those days.
Ernest John Philip's only son, David William Philip, attended Geelong College from 1935 to 1940. On leaving the school he joined the Navy, doing his training at Rushcutters Bay and Bribie Island before serving on HMAS Nepal during the World War II. David was tragically killed in 1963 aged only 39 years. David Philip's four sons, John, Michael, Andrew and Robert, all attended Geelong College between the years 1968 and 1978.
John started at the Preparatory School as a boarder aged ten. At that time there were over seventy boarders at the Preparatory School. Andrew Philip was the outstanding sportsman of the family. In 1978 Andrew was Captain of Boats. He and his younger brother Robert were both in the 1978 Head of the River crew. While it is not common for brothers to be in Head of the River 1st VIII crews at the same time, it has occurred on quite a number of occasions at the College. Andrew was also a fine footballer and athlete.
In February 2002, John and Sue Philip's eldest daughter, Melanie Louise Philip, commenced at the College in Year 9 as a fifth generation Philip to board at the school. John and Margaret Philip could never have imagined all those years ago that they would have a great, great, great grand daughter at the College, carrying the same family name for five continuous and unbroken generations, from the family of their fourth son William.
Sons of John (1812-1881) and Margaret (nee Robertson, c1820-1909) PHILIP and their descendants who attended The Geelong College:
1. James Robertson PHILIP (1847-1905) enrolled 1864-
2. John PHILIP (1854-1916) enrolled 1873-
*William Swan PHILIP (1883-1963) enrolled 1900-
*Alexander Stuart PHILIP (1885-1953) enrolled 1900-1904
*James Duncan PHILIP (1889-1959) enrolled 1903-1908
*Edgar Thomas PHILIP (1894-1917) enrolled 1910-1913
*Miles Wallace PHILIP (1898-1932) enrolled 1913-1916
*Eric McMurrick PHILIP (1900-1991) enrolled 1913-1917
3. William PHILIP (1857-1933) enrolled 1873-75
*William Hamilton PHILIP (1884-1956) enrolled 1900-
*Hugh Gordon PHILIP (1886-1961) enrolled 1901-
**William Gordon PHILIP (1927-1966) enrolled 1934-1935
**Geoffrey Gordon Philip (1922-1995) enrolled 1934-1938
*Ernest John PHILIP (1890-1971) enrolled 1903-1908
**David William Philip (17/7/1923 - 1963) enrolled 1935-1940
***Sons John, Michael, Andrew and Robert all attended between 1968-1978
****John’s daughter Louise Philip started at College in 2002
*Norman Lawrence PHILIP (1908-1994) enrolled 1923-1927
4. Alexander PHILIP (1862-1938) enrolled 1873 & 1878
Five consecutive generations of the Philip Family have attended the Geelong College. Captain John Philip and his wife Margaret (nee Robertson) arrived in Melbourne on the 20 January 1847 with their two children Elizabeth and Thomas. They had left London on the 2 September 1846, the journey lasting 139 days. Like his father before him Captain John had had a seafaring career as a ship's master.
John and Margaret’s second son, James Robertson Philip was born in Australia and was the first of the Philip boys to attend Geelong College in 1864 when the school was just three years young. Their third, fourth and fifth sons John, William and Alexander were all sent to the College together as a group in 1873. This presumably was for convenience, as their property 'Miga Lake' at Harrow must have been considered remote and a long distance to Geelong by horse and gig in those early days.
Six Generations of the Philip Family.
Ernest John Philip attended the College from 1903 to 1908. In Ernest's final year of 1908, Geelong College joined the Associated Public Schools (APS) of Victoria. This was the first year the College competed in the APS Head of the River on the Upper Yarra Henley course. Ernest was in the School's first Head of the River crew in 1908. In those days there were only six APS schools participating in the Head of the River; Melbourne Grammar School, Scotch College, Geelong Grammar, Wesley College, Xavier College and The Geelong College. Scotch College, having won in 1907, went on to win the Head of the River again in 1908 with The Geelong College in their first attempt coming a creditable second and Xavier College in third place. The winning time was 4 minutes and 59 seconds. In 1908, Ernest was also in the College's first APS Athletics or Running team, as it was referred to in those days.
Ernest John Philip's only son, David William Philip, attended Geelong College from 1935 to 1940. On leaving the school he joined the Navy, doing his training at Rushcutters Bay and Bribie Island before serving on HMAS Nepal during the World War II. David was tragically killed in 1963 aged only 39 years. David Philip's four sons, John, Michael, Andrew and Robert, all attended Geelong College between the years 1968 and 1978.
John started at the Preparatory School as a boarder aged ten. At that time there were over seventy boarders at the Preparatory School. Andrew Philip was the outstanding sportsman of the family. In 1978 Andrew was Captain of Boats. He and his younger brother Robert were both in the 1978 Head of the River crew. While it is not common for brothers to be in Head of the River 1st VIII crews at the same time, it has occurred on quite a number of occasions at the College. Andrew was also a fine footballer and athlete.
In February 2002, John and Sue Philip's eldest daughter, Melanie Louise Philip, commenced at the College in Year 9 as a fifth generation Philip to board at the school. John and Margaret Philip could never have imagined all those years ago that they would have a great, great, great grand daughter at the College, carrying the same family name for five continuous and unbroken generations, from the family of their fourth son William.
Sons of John (1812-1881) and Margaret (nee Robertson, c1820-1909) PHILIP and their descendants who attended The Geelong College:
1. James Robertson PHILIP (1847-1905) enrolled 1864-
2. John PHILIP (1854-1916) enrolled 1873-
*William Swan PHILIP (1883-1963) enrolled 1900-
*Alexander Stuart PHILIP (1885-1953) enrolled 1900-1904
*James Duncan PHILIP (1889-1959) enrolled 1903-1908
*Edgar Thomas PHILIP (1894-1917) enrolled 1910-1913
*Miles Wallace PHILIP (1898-1932) enrolled 1913-1916
*Eric McMurrick PHILIP (1900-1991) enrolled 1913-1917
3. William PHILIP (1857-1933) enrolled 1873-75
*William Hamilton PHILIP (1884-1956) enrolled 1900-
*Hugh Gordon PHILIP (1886-1961) enrolled 1901-
**William Gordon PHILIP (1927-1966) enrolled 1934-1935
**Geoffrey Gordon Philip (1922-1995) enrolled 1934-1938
*Ernest John PHILIP (1890-1971) enrolled 1903-1908
**David William Philip (17/7/1923 - 1963) enrolled 1935-1940
***Sons John, Michael, Andrew and Robert all attended between 1968-1978
****John’s daughter Louise Philip started at College in 2002
*Norman Lawrence PHILIP (1908-1994) enrolled 1923-1927
4. Alexander PHILIP (1862-1938) enrolled 1873 & 1878