THE King's School has a proud history of fostering leadership qualities in boys.
Whether it be through academic study or more practical lessons in resilience and leadership that are best experienced on sporting fields or cadet corps camps, King's carefully entwines academic study and life experiences to provide boys with enriched opportunities to grasp and embrace the notion of leadership.
Throughout the 184-year history of Australia's oldest independent school, King's has had the great privilege of educating boy across a spectrum of backgrounds from not only across the nation but also the globe.
Crown princes to premiers, doctors and lawyers to thespians, King's counts a long list of leaders within its old boy community.
Now, on the centenary of Anzac and the landings at Gallipoli, The King's School will remember the ultimate demonstration of leadership, courage and sacrifice embodied by those Australians, including 98 "Kingsmen" who gave their lives at Gallipoli or during World War I defending the values we as a nation hold dear.
"As a nation, we are indebted to all those who defended our great nation and indeed our way of life," said acting headmaster Dr Andrew Parry.
"As a school, King's will pause to remember the courageous and selfless young men who paid the ultimate sacrifice forgoing their tomorrow for our today."
Among the 1500 boys currently enrolled at The King's School, nine are descendants of fallen King's servicemen, which makes the commemoration events even more poignant.
These students include:
- Lachlan Gay, Year 5, and Ted Simpson, Year 11, are descendants of Robert Leslie Dick Moxham, a gunner in the AIF 10th brigade, who received a shotgun wound to his jaw and died at Villers Brettoneaux, France, on July 4, 1918, and is buried on the Somme.
- Angus Arnott , Year 7, a descendant of Bruce Hardy Arnott, of biscuit fame, who became a private in the 2nd Light Horse Brigade in November, 1914.
He was promoted to captain, to be killed on August 18, 1917 and buried in Belgium. He was awarded the Croix de Guerre.
- William Bucknell, Year 7, a descendant of William Wentworth Bucknell, who served in the British Army and was killed in action on August 10, 1917 and buried in Belgium.
- James Prell, Year 10, a descendant of Charles William Prell, a driver in the 1st Division of the Ammunition Column, Australian Field Artillery, who died in France on October 8, 1917.
- Jeremy Barton, Year 11, a descendant of Brian Templar Barton, a lance corporal in the 6th Light Horse at Gallipoli who was invalided to Australia, and later killed in action in Palestine on December 3, 1917.
- Will Campbell, Year 11, a descendant of Norman Matthew Pearce, a Boer War veteran who was a lieutenant at Gallipoli, and killed in the Sinai desert in Egypt on July 29, 1916.
- Charles Rutledge, Year 7, and Max Meares, Year 11, are also descendants of diggers.
The King's School has planned events to honour a century of service and sacrifice.
These include a Centenary of Anzac ceremony on Friday, April 24 at 5pm in The King's School parade ground, and a Centenary of Anzac Service on Sunday, April 26 at 2pm in The King's School Chapel.
In time for Anzac, The King's School website has been updated to feature the events and profiles of all 98 Kingsmen who fell during World War I.
The King's School invites descendants of fallen King's diggers to attend the commemorative services.
Email community@kings.edu.au, or contact (02) 9683 8413.