ARCHIVES RESEARCH GUIDE TO THE GEELONG COLLEGE

Modified on Thu, 09 Jan 2020 14:25 by Caroline Stok — Categorized as: Topic, Z Administration

Archives Research Guide to The Geelong College


1. Introduction

The Geelong College Heritage and Archives Collection was initially formalised in the early 1980s. In 2003, the College recognised the important cultural and heritage value of the Archive to the School and formally established the Archives and Heritage Service to acquire, organise, index, catalog, store, conserve and preserve the records and cultural heritage of the school. A key aim was also to improve visibility, usage and access.

With the appointment of a part-time Archivist the revitalisation and development of a more systematic and accessible collection moved closer to reality. Much of the success of the current Heritage and Archives Service is owed to the former Honorary Archivists - Reverend Ewen McLean - former Staff member and Chaplain, and Mr Bruce Jamieson - former Bursar with the College. They in turn built on the considerable research and heritage efforts of former staff members Bert Keith and Austin Gray.


2. Collection Strategy

The Geelong College Archive collects in five key areas:
• Records required to be held as non-current records for statutory, legal or administrative requirements as specifically described in 'The Geelong College Retention and Disposal Schedule'.
• Historic records and research information by or about The Geelong College.
• Biographical information about those associated with the College including students, ex-students, and staff but excluding parents of students.
• Creative works of the School (selectively collected)
• Realia specific to historic, cultural or biographical aspects of the School (selectively collected)

'Current' or 'active' records used in the normal operation of the School are not held within the Archive. Records may, in the future, be transferred to the Archive from current administrative use in accordance with 'The Geelong College Retention and Disposal Schedule' (Interim). The Retention and Disposal Schedule effectively describes the collecting scope of The Geelong College Archive.


3. Enquiries

Archivist: Caroline Stok
Telephone: 5226 3148 Email: caroline.stok@geelongcollege.vic.edu.au

Assistance with initial research is provided at no cost to students, staff and 'Old Collegians' although administrative expenses such as photocopying or reproduction of photos may be passed on. Initial enquiries, if brief, are provided at no cost to those outside the school community however a research fee will be charged for more extensive research. In general, collections are not available for browsing access and requests for sighting or access to materials must be directed to the College Archivist. Enquiries may be made during research hours without appointment. Access to records is subject to the College Privacy Policy and all relevant legislation including the Health Information Act.

All researchers are required to provide reasonable identification.
All non-published Student and Staff Records are closed to public access during the lifetime of the individual or for a minimum period of 50 years. Requests by former students for copies of their closed students records should be directed to the Principal's Office. Access may be enabled if the individual concerned has provided a written and verified authorisation to the College. Records and materials may also be further restricted in accordance with 'The Geelong College Retention and Disposal Schedule' or the following conditions related to individual records:

• Privacy and Confidentiality
• Condition of the material
• Conditions of Donation or Loan
• Storage arrangements
• Opening Hours
• Administrative or organisational arrangements.


4. Description of the Collection

The Geelong College Heritage and Archives Centre includes material in a wide variety of formats:

Images
• Paintings, photographs, prints, drawings, maps and plans.

Monographs
• College Histories
• Other published books of significance relating to the School, staff, students and ex- students.

Periodicals
• Material produced by the College, its staff and students including School Magazines, College Community publications and a range of in¬house handbooks and periodicals for staff, parents and students such as newsletters and bulletins.
Other Published material
• Specific event or activity material including menus, programs, brochures, posters
• College stationery

Records and transactions
• Meetings and Committees of the School and agencies associated with the School.
• Records of correspondence and activity relating to the administration of the School.
• Student Records.
• Personnel Records

Realia and Museum items

Audio, Video and Digital Media •
. Film and video
• Sound recordings including Audio cassettes, vinyl records and compact discs
• Digital media such as text and image files on DVD, CD and diskette.

Creative works (Selectively collected)
• Student and staff artwork (selective)
• Examples of curriculum work (selective)

5. Key Research Materials

The following is a brief and select list:

5.1 Indexes and Research Aids

• Enrolment Register 1871–1996
• Pegasus name Index Selective name Index to Pegasus to 1982. (Rev E McLean)
• Pegasus Epitome Selective subject Index to Pegasus to 1986.
• Subject File Selective compilation files on individuals and subjects
• Chronological Timeline of events at Geelong College 1861–2006 (Available on the website)
• Correspondence, Enquiry and Research File

5.2 Monographs

The College Histories provide valuable research information about the College and its history. Both the 'Jubilee' and 'Centenary' Histories contain student registers. These lists are not available on the website. Generally, the Centenary History is the first research point for information about pre 1961 students, events and activities.
• The Geelong College 1861-1961, 1961 (Centenary History - text also available on The College Heritage website. Includes a list of students from 1861 to 1961 with their major awards.)
• 'Geelong College: History, Register, and Records, 1911' (Jubilee History 1861-1911. Text also available on The College Heritage website)
• 'The Lives of Frank Rolland' by B R Keith (Adelaide: Rigby, 1967). Text also available on The College Heritage website.
• 'Directory of Old Collegians', 1996.
• Re-union Books, various 1972 to 2011.
• 'Old Geelong Collegians’ War Service 1939-1946'.
. 'Geelong Collegians' at the Great War' compiled by James Affleck. Some edited text available on the College Heritage website.
. 'Geelong Collegians' at the Second World War and Other Conflicts.' compiled by James Affleck.
. 'No Passngers and the Will to Win' by James Ferguson.
. 'Sic Itur Ad Astra: 150 Years of The Geelong College' by Helen Penrose. Text also available on the College website.
. 'History of the Old Geelong Collegians Association' by Geoff Nielson (Unpublished).

5.3 Periodicals

• 'Pegasus: The Journal of the Geelong College', 1909–current. (also available keyword searchable from 1909-2006). In the initial period 1909-1912 Pegasus was published in 4 editions, April, June, October and December. From 1913, 3 issues were published, sometimes varying & particularly so during the war years. By 1946 Pegasus was published twice a year and moved to an annual in 1972. For a period the Preparatory School published a separate Prep Pegasus. Pegasus includes pictorial material increasingly from the 1920’s onwards with articles about College developments, activities, students and staff.
• 'Ad Astra: The Geelong College Community Magazine', 1959–current. Irregular. Currently issued 2 times per year.
Usually between 2 to 3 issues per year. Also available from 1959–2002 in digital form. Ad Astra commenced as a brief newsletter and by the 1970’s had become a more comprehensive publication with considerable pictorial material aimed at the general College community.
• 'Albert Bell Club Newsletter' June, 1975–
• Annual and Principal’s Reports and Prize Lists, 1861–1907 Annual. See also Speech Day Reports. Digital images are available of all held Annual Reports from 1863 to 1908.
• 'Campbell House Newsletter'
• 'Chez Nous' (First sequence) Vol 2 No1-No12 19 June, 1940–5 Dec, 1940.
• 'Chez Nous' (Second sequence) Vol 1 No1-Vol VIII No12 26 July, 1946–13 Dec, 1949.
• 'The Collegian' Vol 1 No 1 17 Feb, 1882–Vol 1 No11 22 May, 1882.
• The College Parent, 1965-1968.
• Courses of study, 1977–current. Annual.
• Curriculum Guide Preparatory School.
• The Geelong College Handbook, 1977–current. Annual.
• Prospectus, 1908–current. Irregular.
• The Geelong College Principal’s Newsletter, 1979–current. (previously known as the The Geelong College Newsletter to 1994) Commenced with 4 issues per year, currently 3 issues.
• The Icarus: A Magazine of Geelong College April, 1961–Nov, 1965 Literary Magazine
• Monday Notices, 1979?–current. Weekly. Also known as Tutorial Notices to 23 Feb, 1998
• Preparatory School Bulletin, 1979–current.
• Preparatory School News 1921–1931, 1936, 1961–1968, 1972–1976. First known as Prep News
• Preparatory School Pegasus, 1981-1993
• Senior School Bulletin, 1979–current.
• Speech Day Reports, Annual
• Tardis: Geelong College Literary Magazine June, 1979–Oct, 1983
• Other one-off or short-lived irregular periodicals including: On the Spot,nd. Newsbag, 1960 Railway Review, 1961 1861: the Geelong college news magazine, 1967 The Standard Raiser, 1967 Pennink, 1968 Sic!, 1968 Warrinn, 1968 The Peak, 1969 Lizard, 1972 Otago, 1975 Library Newsletter to Staff, 1978 Fallacy, 1978 Mossgiel Matters Omnium Gatherum: Professional development Journal,1991 Ad Lib: Geelong College Student Magazine, 1994.

5.4 Other Publications

Ephemeral publications vary in their informational content and these are only acquired selectively. Some music or drama programs containing extensive listings of students and parts played enable matching with photographs. Some APS Head of the River and Inter-House programs are annotated with names, placings and times.
• Head of the River Programs
• APS & Inter-House Athletics Programs
• Foundation Concert Programs
• Drama Programs including Glee Club 1935-1952
• Menus – Old Collegians, Valedictory Dinners, Head of the River
• Post and Christmas Cards
• Chapel Services and Carols by Candlelight Programs
• Stationery including Record Books, Strip Calendars
• School Calendars
• Prospectuses
• Advertising and Open Day material
• Stationery (examples of stationery used by The Geelong College)

5.5 Images

Digital images of most 'First' Sporting Teams, Glee Club casts and programs, Museum Items, Awards, Plaques, Memorial Boards, Buildings, and selected documents are currently held and available on request. Much of this material is accessible in a low-resolution format through the Heritage Website.

Photographic material dates from the 1870’s with isolated surviving photos of various activities and events. Cadet and shooting photographs are strongly represented around the turn of the century and through the 1950s.
Pictorial material increases from 1909 onwards with a number of privately donated albums from the 1920’s. Sporting photographs are comparatively well represented with a high likelihood of locating named first teams particularly rowing. Individual years may not be well represented.
Holdings become more extensive in the 1990’s with an increase in the number and variety of informal photographs. Much of this recent material relates to the Ad Astra and Pegasus publishing cycle. Held Items include:
• School Student Team and Group Photographs (Extensive but Incomplete holdings)
• School Student House Photographs (Extensive but Incomplete holdings)
• School Staff Photographs ¬Individual and group (Incomplete holdings)
• School Activities – (Includes extensive material Exploration Society)
• School Student photographs such as Prefects; Whole of Year 12; Whole of School.
• Informal Photographs (Generally relates to 1980’s and 1990’s & includes large amount of unidentified material)
• Old Collegians and School Councillors (some held)
• Paintings The most significant series of paintings are of College Chairmen and Principals in the Dining Hall. Other notables are distributed in other locations around the College.
• Plans of buildings (More recent plans are held by McGlashan Everist)
• Posters (Primarily Head of the River)

5.6 Sound and Visual Recordings

This material remains restricted although digital copies of most items are held.
• Audio interviews with notable College individuals
• 8 mm & 16 mm film (including Ramblers Guild & Exploration Society expeditions)
• Video

5.7 Records and Transactions

Few records of transactions are held from prior to the 1960’s. See The Geelong College Retention and Disposal Schedule for future records acquisition. Current administrative records are not available for research. Items include:
• Geelong College Council Minutes 1861-1863/4; 1908–1919; 1920–1990 Recent minutes - confidential & restricted
• Geelong College Enrolment Register 1871-1990
• Student Personal Files 1962 – Restricted Access
• Staff Personal Files Restricted Access
• Student Exam Results 1909–1964
• Personal Papers – George Logie Smith
• Personal Papers - Wettenhall
• Minutes House of Guilds, 1946–1979
• Minutes of General games committee, 1912-1934
• Football Committee Minutes, 1912-1926
• Old Collegians Association Minutes. Various reunion records, correspondence and card files
• Presbyterian Fellowship Australia – Geelong College Minutes 1949–1970 incomplete.
The range of other discontinuous, isolated or sporadic holdings include: Sports Committee, Library & Debating Society, Boat Club Committee, Senior School Parents association.

5.8 Newspaper Cuttings

• Various collections and albums including cricket and general items.

5.9 Museum Materials & Realia

Digital images of most of these items are available.
• Sporting trophies and cups Extensive holdings
• War memorabilia Limited holdings associated with significant Old Collegians.
• Crockery Extensive holdings of crockery used at the College and sale items.
• Clothing Primarily recent origin material. Includes example school and cadet uniforms, ties, hats, caps, kilts.
• Signage. Selected significant signage.
• Memorabilia associated with key individuals. Limited holdings.
• Selected old equipment, sporting or cultural material (mainly for exhibition purposes)
• College specific, identified or branded material including cufflinks, tiepins, flags, bags.
• In situ heritage items. Includes such items as the bell of the ship 'Otago', oars, entrance gates, plaques, in situ memorial and honour boards. See digital image collection.

5.10 Creative Material

Little significant material is currently held. Items currently held include:
• Principal’s Art Prizes 1995-2006.