Westminster School, Adelaide

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Westminster School is located at Marion, South Australia, 12km south of the capital, Adelaide.

Founded as a Methodist Day and Boarding School for boys, the school was opened by the Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, in 1961 and is named after Westminster School in London.

The foundation Headmaster, Douglas Forder, presided over an initial enrolment of 143 students with a staff of seven. The school became coeducational in 1978, and there are presently over one thousand students and a teaching staff of 106.

Subsequent principals have been Michael Murray (1977 - 1993) and David Hone (1994 -1998), with the principal since 1999 being Bradley Fenner.

[edit] Major buildings

The Sir Shirley Jeffries Memorial Chapel was opened in 1967. Located in the central entanceway between the Preparatory and Senior Schools, the chapel commemmorates a former South Australian Minister of Education, Sir Shirley Jeffries, who was one of the early benefactors and supporters of the school.

The Michael Murray Centre for the Performing Arts is a multi purpose theatre opened in 1988 by the Headmaster of Westminster School, London, Mr.D.M. Summerscale. The School's second Headmaster, Michael Murray, was a keen supporter of the arts during his tenure at Westminster.

The Cloisters, between the 100 and 200 blocks, opened in 1991, and involved the creation of wide arched verandahs, a brick staircase, fountain and lawn area reminiscent of English public school design.

The Sports and Swimming Centre, was opened in 2003 by the exiled King Constantine II of Greece. Occupying the site of the former gymnasium, the Centre comprises an eight lane half size Olympic Pool, training pool, two full size basketball courts, rock climbing wall and a weights area. A multi purpose meeting room, The David Jarman Room, due for completion in 2007, is an upper floor area within the Centre with a balcony overlooking the main oval.

[edit] Houses

Students at Westminster are organised into Houses, with appointed Heads of House responsible for the pastoral care of students within their House. Weekly meetings of each House provide a forum for students to discuss issues of the day, whilst sporting competition between Houses is a long established tradition.

The present Houses in the Senior School, named primarily after early benefactors of the School, are Carter, Clark, Dunstan, Fereday, Forder, Fricker, Heaslip, Jeffries, Kelly and Woollacott. In the Preparatory School, the Houses follow a more English theme and are named Abbey, Charter, Crown, Mace, Wesley and Wyvern.