Our journey from 1923 to 2023.

Wesley College was founded in 1923 as a boarding school for boys. It was named after John Wesley, co-founder of the Methodist Church.

Reverend John Wesley, recognised as the founder of Methodism, which in Australia became one of the three Christian communities that formed the Uniting Church in Australia in 1977, was committed to engaging the people of his day in theological and religious endeavour, capable of changing the lives of people and the nature of the society in which they lived.

At the time of Wesley’s death in 1791 it is estimated that more than one third of the entire population of England and Wales were known as “Methodists”, the followers of Wesley’s “method” of commitment to faith, education and the betterment of the human condition.

On 13 February 1923, the College, then Wesley Boys’ College, opens its doors. The original building, now known as the J.F. Ward Building, was not quite finished, with boarders arriving to realise they must put together their beds. Classes for the 38 foundation students commenced, many of them boarders and sons of settlers from the agricultural districts East of Perth.

The College planning committee showed great foresight in choosing the inner-city site bounded by Angelo Street, Coode Street and the sand ridge above Swan Street, now incorporated within the present site.

From our inception, Wesley has boasted a strong sporting history and found immense pride in its sporting teams.

In 1926, the first Old Boys vs School football game was held, followed by dinner and a meeting. It was decided then to form an association, known as the Old Wesley Collegian’s Association.

The journey through our first decade.

The first houses are established, Hardey, Mofflin and Walton, named after prominent West Australian Methodists.

The inaugural Headmaster was Mr John Fredrick Ward OBE, who remained until his resignation in 1929.

“We are making traditions… One what we build in these first few years will depend the character of the school that is to be” – J.F. Ward, speech day, 13 December 1923

School theatrical productions scaled new heights of professionalism in the late 1930s, owing to an unusually large concentration of talent in the upper secondary school.

Productions of plays such as The Merchant of Venice in 1932, The Mikado in 1936, Helen in 1937, HMS Pinafore in 1938 and Goodbye, Mr Chips in 1939 were first presented at the school, and then at the city’s Assembly Hall.

There was no immediate impact on the routine and regime of school life in Australia, however co-curricular activities quickly developed from sport and drama to more relevant pursuits, such as Cadets and Ambulance Corps.

Old Collegian, Ric Throssell, remembers the news breaking at Wesley “in a flurry of distant excitement”, with boarders jostling around the singular copy of the newspaper for the latest military reports, instead of rural or sports news.

By the end of 1940, several staff and 90 students had enlisted, and during that year the first Old Collegian casualty was reported.

The second decade of Wesley College.

G Ferguson, R Collins, V Cooper, E Nottage, H Williams, D Dunbar, H Trenaman, R Gamble, T Cohen, B Hanton, M Le Souef, J Rossiter in 1934.

Dr James Leonard Rossiter was Headmaster of Wesley College from 1930 to 1952. Rossiter’s daughter, Nancy, was the first girl to attend Wesley, from 1940 – 1945. His son, Roger Rossiter, was Wesley’s first Rhodes Scholar in 1935.

He drove a period of immense growth at the College, coined ‘The Rush to Distinction’ with one Old Collegian, Strelley Hardey, depicting it justly; “It was just push, push, push!”

In his Speech Day address on 12 December 1934, Rossiter spoke to the leaving collegians:

To those leaving, my earnest desire is that you may prove your good citizenship both in the process of earning a livingand in the art of living itself -in work and in leisure- in the bigger world you are to enter, but remember that good citizenship begins at home:

“Self Reverence, Self Knowledge, Self Control, these three alone lead life to sovereign power.”

Your duty to God and your duty to your neighbour depend upon the ” you ” in ” your.”

Do you know the lines written on ” Myself ”?

I have to live with myself, and so I want to be fit for myself to know.

I want to be able as days go by, always to look myself in the eye.

1 don’t want to look at myself and know that I’m bluster and bluff and empty show.

Whatever happens, I should want to be aelf-respecting and conscience free.

Let each then remember his old motto -and be not dreamers only but doers also, daring noble deeds.

A generation of College leaders, our Prefects, from 1943 to 1952.

Despite not achieving admittance into the Public Schools’ Association (PSA) until 1952, Wesley has a long and successful sporting history, playing off for various Cups against a range of schools, including Christ Church Grammar School and Perth Modern School.

The third decade of Wesley College.

From 1953 to 1962, our fourth decade.

Since membership into the Public Schools’ Association was granted in 1952, Wesley launched onto the scene.

We had multiple victories, including the Darlot Cup in 1953, 1955 and 1957, the Alcock Shield in  1953, 1955 and 1956, The Ray House Cup (Hockey) in 1959, 1960 and 1962, and the Dr KG Tregonning Cup (Swimming) in  1958.

When the College Council approved the concept of an old boy’s memorial chapel in July 1946, the old boy fraternity set about raising the money for its completion.

It was a hard slog in difficult times, but by 1960 the Old Wesley Collegians’ Association had raised sufficient funds to start construction. With the official opening on 19 February 1961, the College finally had its Chapel. The 28,000 pounds raised by past students was seen to fully discharge their “debt of honour” to families of Old Collegians who had fallen in the World War.

By the late 1970s, the landscape of the College had changed following the completion of a minor building spree.

In 1956 the Science Centre was completed, followed by the Boat Shed at the bottom of Coode Street, additional three classrooms were built (later named Kefford Wing), and the College Council had acquired enough land along Swan Street to commence plans for a separate preparatory school building.

The College’s Olympic sized pool was opened by Old Collegian Hon. CD Nalder on 27 April 1963.

In 1964, additions to Kefford Wing were made, building six new classrooms over two levels.

Allingham Pavillion, overlooking Rossiter Oval, was completed in late 1964. Assemblies were held in this pavilion until the completion of the Joseph Green Centre in 1974.

Our fifth decade, from 1963 to 1972.

MILDRED MANNING BSc, MBE (nee LE SOUEF)

A woman in a male world, a staff member at Wesley for more than 53 years

Mildred Le Souef grew up in the environs of Perth Zoo, her father Colonel E A Le Souef having been the first Director.  She gained her BSc from UWA at a time when few women attended university and soon embarked on an illustrious career teaching biology and physiology, initially at PLC and then joining Wesley, an all-boys school, in May 1923.  She went on to complete nearly 54 years teaching biology and related subjects to several generations of Wesley boys.  “Millie” as she became known won the hearts of the boys and of the predominantly male staff with whom she worked.  With her cars, Ernestine the Buick and later Dudley the Plymouth Chrysler, she was always ready to help staff and students in any way possible at any time.

In addressing the school community at Speech Night 1972 she attributed her long tenure at Wesley to “marvellous colleagues and the boys themselves who tend to keep one young”.  She acknowledged that the early years, especially, were not easy; funding the new school was difficult, the Great Depression coming within its first decade and WWII soon after.  Mildred, along with her male colleagues, felt the strain of being short staffed and maintaining a boarding school while under fear of invasion and while coping with the anguish of the rising death toll.

Mildred remained active in professional circles throughout her teaching career and the awarding of the MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours in 1964 is testimony to her contribution to the teaching of biological subjects in Western Australia.

The College has recognised Mildred Manning’s contribution in a number of ways but possibly none brought her greater pleasure than the naming of the new biology laboratory in her honour in 1963 and more recently the Mildred Manning Science Centre in 2018.

1968 marked the completion of two new Boarding House dormitories, Cygnet and Tranby.

Students as young as Year 1 we welcomed to Wesley with the opening of the Prep School.

Our journey from 1973 to 1982.

Media Studies, Woodwork, Art, Manual Art and more became subject options for students.

Building began in 1985 of the long-awaited Physical Education Centre. Allingham Pavillion was demolished to provide a site. The new building was opened on 21 April 1987, commemorating the name of Council chairman, Bob Blanckensee.

Our seventh decade and launch into the 1990s era.

Computing, Farm Management, Horticulture and Outdoor Education offered as subjects and courses during the 1980s.

The College’s farewell to it’s fourth Headmaster included a Chapel Service, dinner and the naming of the old gymnasium building, which had been classrooms for some time, into the Hamer Wing,

Dr Roderic Edward Kefford commenced his Headmastership in 1984.

The Middle School was completed in early 2000 and was officially opened in a colourful ceremony on 29 March 2000. Costing $3.5 million, the new building designed to allow the Middle School to be largely self-sufficient in teaching and learning facilities.

Several Old Collegians were invited to participate in the opening ceremony, providing a timely linkage with the College’s early history.

Our eighth decade, 1993 – 2002.

Images from the 2002 Western Wyvern, including student leaders with their Head of House.

The Green and Black Ball is a highlight for our Year 12 students every year. Take a look at how our Class of 2002 have suited up!

Respect, Integrity, Compassion, and Courage.

These powerful concepts were introduced in 2011 after discussion and consultation, with the mission to further engage Wesley’s vibrant, caring and connected community. There was a desire to sum up the nebulous idea of what it is to be a Wesleyan in a way that could be easily communicated.

The Moorditj Mob is Wesley College’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Program, launched in 2006. In the Noongar language, Moorditj means ‘great’, ‘strong’ or ‘excellent’ and fits well with what the College strives to achieve. The program is an important part of the College’s culture and fosters great pride within the Wesley community.

A look through our ninth decade, from 2003 – 2012.

Launched in 2006, Katitjin is a unique program at Wesley College where students are removed from the main campus to the Western Australian Rowing Club in the Perth CBD. The name comes from a Noongar term meaning ‘to listen and to learn’. Instead of daily classes, students learn to tap into their understanding of self, operate effectively in teams, and integrate as motivated and effective members of their communities.

Rites of Passage have always been a part of coming of age, the crucial journey from boy to man, but too often today we forego these life-affirming experiences in favour of pressure, stress, and an expectation that young members of their society move too quickly towards the demands of adulthood.

It was introduced as an innovative program, taking learning beyond the classroom into a range of challenging and inspirational environments. From the top of the Leeuwin main sail, to the wilds of Cape Range National Park or Morapioi Station, Katitjin has expanded into an important milestone stage for our students and is one of the highlights of their schooling.

The phrase ‘for others’ is one you’ll hear regularly at Wesley College. We believe that volunteering and other forms of service are vital elements in the education of students.

Wesley students raise around $85,000 every year for the community. This is part of our service learning – a holistic approach to building students’ character and teaching life skills. In fact, Wesley College is the world’s number one fundraiser for the Cancer Council’s Relay for Life event, having raised over $500,000 for the cause.

The Reconciliation Action Plan was officially launched on 29 July 2020.

Our vision for reconciliation is an Australia where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are recognised for their history and cultures, are celebrated for their knowledge and are able to pursue any opportunity they wish.

Education is a key part of this, and we are proud of our Moorditj Mob program and the scholarships we have available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Our tenth decade, 2013 – 2022.

Wesley College achieves outstanding results in all areas of academic endeavour thanks to a culture of high standards and a strong partnership between students, teachers and families. In the Senior School we offer students a choice of ATAR, General, Vocational Educational Training (VET), and workplace learning (INSTEP) pathways.

Our Class of 2022 achieved the College’s highest median ATAR result in our history, as well as many incredible individual accolades.

Daring wildly & doing joyfully & giving selflessly.

We’ve set the ambitious goal to have as many groups as possible within our community achieve 100 Acts of Service in our Centenary year.

Click here to find out more about how you can be involved.

A snapshot of inspirational people from the Wesley College Community who have led lives of daring and doing.

Enjoy these special tales of daring and doing.

Find out more about our exciting events here.