Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School

Infobox Aust school
name = Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School


motto = _la. Ad Aspera Virtus
("Strength in Adversity")cite web|url = http://www.farreragri-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/Download%20Files/Handbook.pdf|title = 2007 Handbook |accessdate = 2007-10-10|year = 2007|format = PDF|work = School Information|publisher = Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School]
established = 1939
type = Selective, Single-sex, Public, Day and Boarding
principal = Mr. Steve Cavanagh
city = Calala
state = New South Wales
country = Australia flagicon|Australia
campus = convert|191|ha|acre|0 (Rural)cite web|url = http://www.boarding.org.au/site/school_detail.cfm?schID=133|title = Farrer Memorial Agricultural High Schools|accessdate = 2007-10-10|year = 2007|work = New South Wales Schools|publisher = Australian Boarding Schools Association]
enrolment = ~610 (7–12)
colours = Green, Gold and Rust color box|#008000color box|#FFD700color box|#B7410E
homepage = [http://www.farreragri-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/ www.farreragri-h.schools.nsw.edu.au]

Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School is an academically selective, day and boarding, Public high school for boys, located at Calala, a small suburb of Tamworth, in northern New South Wales, Australia. It is the only public agricultural high school for boys in Australia.cite web|url = http://www.farreragri-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/SchoolInfo/SchoolInfo.html|title = Principal's Welcome Message|accessdate = 2008-02-03|work = About Farrer |publisher = Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School]

Established in 1939, Farrer is unique in Australian education, being one of the few agricultural secondary schools catering for both boarding and day students. The school currently enrols approximately 610 students from Years 7 to 12, including 360 boarders, making it the third largest boarding school in the State. Being a public high School, tuition is free, and the school charges the lowest boarding fees in New South Wales.

While an emphasis is placed on the agricultural curriculum, but a broad curriculum is also on offer for students from rural NSW who do not wish to return to the land or gain employment in an agricultural field. Other areas of emphasis at Farrer include sport and student welfare.cite web|url = http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?section=showRecord&code=8111|title = Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School |accessdate = 2008-02-03|work = School Locator |publisher = NSW Public Schools]

Farrer embodies a conservative culture. School uniform is compulsory and is traditional in style, including blazer, tie and wide-brimmed hat. The school marches each week as part of the school assembly, and a prefect system is in place, playing an important role in the welfare and supervision of students.

History

Farrer Memorial High School was founded in 1939 as an agricultural high school for boarders, particularly those who are isolated and day students from the Tamworth region.

The school was named in memory of William James Farrer (1845–1906), a leading Australian agronomist and wheat breeder, best known for developing the "Federation" breed of wheat. His work led to significant increases in the Australian wheat crop for decades to come, and economic prosperity for the wheat industry.cite web |url= http://www.narsa.com.au/accguide/nsw-nonmem/farrer.pdf|title= Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School|accessdate= 2008-02-03 |year= 2007|format= PDF|work= Accommodation Guide|publisher= National Association for Rural Student Accommodation Inc ] cite encyclopedia| last = Wrigley| first = C.W. | encyclopedia =Australian Dictionary of Biography| title = Farrer, William James (1845 - 1906)| url = http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A080498b.htm| accessdate = 2008-02-03| edition = Online| year = 1981 | publisher = Melbourne University Press| volume = 8| location = Melbourne| pages = pp.471-473]

Campus

The Farrer campus is convert|140|ha|acre|0 in size, and is located on the outskirts of rural Tamworth, on prime Peel Valley farmland.

The schools facilities include computer rooms, TAS workshops, a 200 seat auditorium, Old Boys museum and multiple facilities to teach practical agriculture, such as a convert|170|ha|acre|0 farm, horticultural centre and piggery.cite web|url = http://www.farreragri-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/Farm/Farm.html|title = The Farm |accessdate = 2008-02-03| work = Farm |publisher = Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School] The Dairy Cattle, White Suffolk Flock and Angus stud are run as profitable business ventures, turning over in excess of AUD$140,000 at the Bull Sale in 2005.

The school's sporting facilities include a gymnasium, swimming pool, weights room, tennis courts, basketball courts, football fields and a cricket oval with practice nets. The school also makes use of the city's sporting facilities, including the synthetic hockey surface and athletics track.

Curriculum

Students at Farrer have the opportunity to undertake study in a number of areas from their School Certificate in Years 9 and 10, through to their Higher School Certificate (HSC) in Years 11 and 12. Some of these subject areas on offer include: Industrial Tech Metal, Industrial Tech Wood, Electronics, Information and Software Technology, Art, Music, Drama, Software Design and Development, Beef production, Sheep production, sport science and Journalism.cite web|url = http://www.farreragri-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/SchoolInfo/SubjectSelection/SubjectSelection.html |title = Subject Selection |accessdate = 2008-02-03| work = School Information |publisher = Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School]

Agricultural opportunities include Beef cattle, Sheep, Dairy cattle, Wool husbandry, Horticulture, Pig Production, EggGrowing, Dry land and Irrigated cropping.

Agriculture at Farrer is mandatory for years 7 to 10.

Notable alumni

Alumni of Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School are known as Old Boys, and may elect to join the school's alumni association, the Farrer Old Boys' Association. The Old Boys network totals approximately 4000 members across NSW, Australia and the world.cite web |url= http://www.farreragri-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/Downloads/PDF/Old%20boys%20Master%20Nov%2006c.pdf |title= Farrer Old Boys' Association 2006 Newsletter |accessdate= 2008-02-03 |year= 2006 |format= PDF|work= Old Boys |publisher= Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School ] Some notable Farrer Old Boys include: ;Academic
*Allan William Cripps – Pro Vice-Chancellor (Health) at Griffith University; Author of 230 published scientific paperscite encyclopedia| editor = Suzannah Pearce| encyclopedia = Who's Who in Australia Live!| title = CRIPPS Allan William| accessdate = 2007-10-10| date = 2006-11-17| year = 2007| publisher = Crown Content Pty Ltd| location = North Melbourne, Vic]
*Michael John Kilborn – Rhodes Scholar (1985)cite web|url= http://www.usyd.edu.au/registrar/rhodes/previous.shtml|title= NSW Rhodes Scholars 1904 - 2007|accessdate= 2007-08-02 |year= 2007|work= Rhodes Scholarships|publisher= The University of Sydney]
*Robert Henry Tufrey Smith AM – Chancellor of the University of Ballarat; Emeritus Professor at the University of New Englandcite encyclopedia| editor = Suzannah Pearce| encyclopedia = Who's Who in Australia Live!| title = SMITH Robert Henry Tufrey| accessdate = 2007-10-10| date = 2006-11-17| year = 2007| publisher = Crown Content Pty Ltd| location = North Melbourne, Vic]

;Business
*David Rodney Mazitelli – Principal of Mazitelli Pty Ltd; Commissioner, Tourism Western Australia; Board Member, Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre; Board Member, Perth Convention Bureau; Former Chairman of Australian Tourism Export Council; Former Executive Director of the Federal Department for Tourismcite encyclopedia| editor = Suzannah Pearce| encyclopedia = Who's Who in Australia Live!| title = MAZITELLI David Rodney| accessdate = 2007-10-10| date = 2006-11-17| year = 2007| publisher = Crown Content Pty Ltd| location = North Melbourne, Vic]
*Richard McPhail – Director of Gresham Partners Ltd; Former Director of The Franked Income Fund; Former Associate Director of Rothschild Australia Ltd; Former Treasurer of the Tattersalls Club (Sydney)cite encyclopedia| editor = Suzannah Pearce| encyclopedia = Who's Who in Australia Live!| title = McPHAIL Richard| accessdate = 2007-10-10| date = 2006-11-17| year = 2007| publisher = Crown Content Pty Ltd| location = North Melbourne, Vic]
*Geoffrey Lee Miller AO – Principal of GCM Strategic Services Pty Limited; Chair of Farmshed Ventures Pty Ltd, and Beeline Technologies Inc. (USA); Chair of the Board of Trustees of the International Food Policy Research Institute (Washington DC); Director of Agrilink, Agsystems Pty Ltd, and JEM Bonds Ltd; Chair of Value Added Wheat CRC Ltdcite encyclopedia| editor = Suzannah Pearce| encyclopedia = Who's Who in Australia Live!| title = MILLER (Geoff) Geoffrey Lee| accessdate = 2007-10-10| date = 2006-11-17| year = 2007| publisher = Crown Content Pty Ltd| location = North Melbourne, Vic]

;Entertainment, media and the arts
*Arthur Blanch – Golden Guitar winning Country music singer; Inducted into the Country Music Roll of Renowncite web |url= http://www.acmf.org.au/ror/arthurblanch.html |title= Arthur Blanch |accessdate= 2008-02-03 |year= 2001 |work= Australasian Country Music Roll of Renown |publisher= Australian Country Music Foundation]
*Elsen James Price – Principal double bass/electric bassist in the New South Wales Police Concert Band; Joining in 2008 at age 19 to the competitive position.
*Pixie Jenkins – Musician; Golden Guitar winning fiddlercite web |url= http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2008/01/20/1200764078648.html |title= Three Questions: Pixie Jenkins |accessdate= 2008-02-03 |date= 2008-01-21 |work= "Sydney can turn on the waterworks" |publisher= Sydney Morning Herald ]
*Stuart Maunder – Director of Opera Australiacite news| first = Stuart| last = Maunder| title = Not quite saving the Queen| url = http://www.artshub.com.au/au/news.asp?sId=95779| work = News, Analysis and Comment| publisher = Arts Hub Australia| date = 2006-06-16| accessdate = 2008-02-03]
*Bill Admans – Editor & Visual Effects Artist - Film & TVcite web |url = http://www.genarts.com/story-fotokem.html |title= Sapphire Brings Finesse to FotoKem| publisher= Genarts| accessdate = 2008-08-08cite web |url = http://us.vdc.imdb.com/name/nm1297177/ |title = IMDB - Bill Admans| publisher = IMDB| accessdate = 2008-08-08cite web |url = http://www.avid.com/resources/articles/050417_trialbyjury.pdf | title = Trial By Jury Puts New Law & Oorder into Post| publisher = Film & Video| date = 05-2005| accessdate 2008-08-08]

;Medicine and science
*Dr Michael Kilborn – Specialist cardiologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital; Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Sydneyand now works at a top medical magazine in London ;Politics, public service and the law
*Mark Coulton – Politician; Member for Parkes (National Party); Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Ageing and the Voluntary Sectorcite web|url= http://nsw.nationals.org.au/html/parkes.cfm|title= Mark Coulton |accessdate= 2008-02-03 |year= 2007 |work= Meet the Federal Team |publisher= The Nationals]
*Tony Windsor – Politician; Independent member of the House of Representatives, representing the Division of New England

;Sport
*George Barton – Olympic shooter
*Geoff Chapman – Rugby Union player (Wallabies); Horse trainer
*Tom Learoyd-Lahrs – Rugby league player for the Brisbane Broncos and Canberra Raiders
*Matthew Smith – Hockey bronze medallist at the Atlanta Olympics
*Richard Swain – Rugby league player for the Hunter Mariners, Melbourne Storm, Brisbane Broncos and the New Zealand national side
*Alan Tongue – Rugby league player; Current captain of the Canberra Raiders
*Peter Worsley – Paralympic Rifle Shooter (Atlanta, Sydney and Athens)cite web|url= http://www.orange.nsw.gov.au/go/our-city/virtual-museums/sporting-hall-of-fame/shooting/peter-worsley |title= Peter Worsley |accessdate= 2008-02-03|work= Sporting Hall of Fame |publisher= Orange City Council]

References

See also

* List of Government schools in New South Wales
* List of selective high schools in New South Wales
* List of boarding schools
*Schools in Tamworth, New South Wales

External links

* [http://www.farreragri-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/ Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School website]
* [http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/summaryschool.php?selectOption=8111 NSW Department of Education and Training: Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School]
* [http://www.farina.com.au/aerial06.html Aerial Perspective]