Sandy Phillips

Sandy Phillips
Born	30 April 1879 Sydney Australia
Died	29 June 1962 (aged 83) Sydney Australia
Nationality	Australian
Education	Newington College University of Sydney University of New England
Occupation	Co-Headmaster Mowbray House School Headmaster Sydney Grammar School
Spouse(s)	Elfrida Caroline (née Allen)
Parent(s)	Rev James Phillips

Frederick George (Sandy) Phillips (30 April 1879 – 29 June 1962) was the second Australian-born headmaster of Sydney Grammar School.^[1]

Early life

Sandy Phillips was born in Tamworth, New South Wales, the son of a Methodist Minister. He attended Newington College (1894-1898) ^[2] where he became known as 'little Sandy' as his brother was 'big Sandy'. The nickname Sandy followed him through life.^[3] He entered the arts faculty of the University of Sydney in 1899 and was awarded first class honours in English on his graduation.^[4]

Teaching career

Phillips began his teaching career as a schoolmaster in 1902 under the headship of Albert Bythesea Weigall. In 1904 he travelled to Europe to study history, education and language at the Universities of Berlin Leipzig Paris. He returned to Sydney Grammar and was the senior English master until 1914.^[5]

Mowbray House School

In 1914 Phillips left Sydney Grammar and became co-headmaster with Lance Bavin of the private Mowbray House School in Chatswood, New South Wales. Bavin had been at Newington as a student with Phillips and had opened Mowbray House, as Chatswood Preparatory School, in 1906. Whilst at Chatswood he studied again and was awarded a Master of Arts from Sydney University in 1920.^[6] Phillips remained at Mowbray house until his return to Sydney Grammar in 1924.^[7]

Headmaster

In 1940, after eight years as Master of the Lower School, Phillips was appointed as the sixth Headmaster of Sydney Grammar School.^[8] On his appointment he was 61 and the war years were difficult for the school. Sir Victor Windeyer said of his term of office: "The Headmaster wisely and modestly considered that his task was to preserve the heritage of the past so far as he could, so that on it his successor might build. He saw the need for changes and developments in the School to meet the challenge of change outside; but these, he felt should be begun by those who would carry on." ^[9] He had been an inspirational teacher and had substantially improved the cultural life of the school even for a student like Max Dupain who was not scholastically inclined; "Thanks to my English sixth form master, Sandy Phillips, I learned to love Shakespeare".^[10]

Marriage

In 1908, Phillips married Elfrida Caroline Allen in Petersham, New South Wales.^[11] She was the daughter of Martha Jane (née Holdsworth) and the Rev William Allen (1847-1919), a prominent evangelical and ecumenical spokesman who served as chairman of the New South Wales Congregational Union. Born in Victoria, she attended Methodist Ladies College, Burwood,^[12] after the family moved to Sydney. Her siblings included Prof Leslie Holdsworth Allen (1879-1964) and Sir Carleton Allen (1887-1966).^[13] A son, Leigh Holdsworth Allen Phillips, was born in 1911.^[14] Elfrida Phillips died in Sydney in 1960.^[15]

References

1. Turney, C. (Clifford); Sydney Grammar School (1989), Grammar : a history of the Sydney Grammar School 1819–1988, Sydney Grammar School in association with Allen & Unwin, ISBN 978-0-04-910115-9 pp 388
2. Newington College Register of Past Students 1863–1998 (Syd, 1999) pp 156
3. A.S. Sams, 'Farewell to FGP' The Australian Teacher (Syd, 1962) pp 2-6
4. Alumni Sidneienses Retrieved 16 July 2013.
5. Turney, C. (Clifford); Sydney Grammar School (1989), Grammar : a history of the Sydney Grammar School 1819–1988, Sydney Grammar School in association with Allen & Unwin, ISBN 978-0-04-910115-9 pp 202-203
6. Alumni Sidneienses Retrieved 16 July 2013.
7. Phillips, F. G. (Frederick George) (1957), School is out, Angus and Robertson, retrieved 16 July 2013
8. "SYDNEY GRAMMAR SCHOOL.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 23 July 1940. p. 6. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
9. The Sydneian, No. 349, December 1962, pp 11
10. Max Dupain Modernist Retrieved 16 July 2013.
11. BDMs – NSW Marriages 16 July 2013.
12. "METHODIST OLD GIRLS' DANCE.". The Sydney Morning Herald (National Library of Australia). 26 June 1929. p. 8. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
13. Australian Dictionary of Biography Retrieved 16 July 2013.
14. BDMs – NSW Births 16 July 2013.
15. BDMs – NSW Deaths 16 July 2013.