Tales of Daring & Doing
A snapshot of inspirational people from the Wesley College Community who have led lives of daring and doing.
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Get In TouchStorry Walton (46-52)
Gallery of Honour inductee
old collegian


old collegian
Storry Walton (46-52)
Gallery of Honour inductee
In nearly all my professional life in media, the performing arts and teaching, my Wesleyan ‘daring’ and ‘doing’ found expression at the beginning of things, in nudging the boundaries, in experiment and change. I have known the nervy weeks, the sense of danger and possible failure – and the sheer exhilaration and joy of discovery.
But slowly, over the years, as I observed the exemplary lives of colleagues in diverse fields, I realised that the thing that Wesley taught me above all, was that all daring and all doing found its most profound and meaningful expression as a way of life when it was not solely about self, but also equally about others.
If I apply that experience to Wesley it is as if, lying powerfully unstated in our motto, there were always three more words: By daring and by doing and for others.
Expressed that way, it seems to me to be a timeless ideal – possibly of vital importance for the survival a decent society, as the world socially, economically and politically becomes more and more about selfhood and less about society, community and the body politic.
That is why, Headmaster, I so admire how you and your team are keeping alive this ethos at Wesley and in the wider community. Now, as an old boy of the nineteen hundreds, and in my eighties, I wish you all possible strength and support as you lead our young people into the next century of the School’s life.
May the next generations of Wesley boys and girls know and understand the ethos of daring wildly, doing joyfully, and giving selflessly, all wrapped up together, as a robust, innate, practical and beautiful thing.
I could not have known these lessons of life without the examples of my Wesley school- friends, (among them Peter Boyce, Doug Sturkey, John Dolling and here this evening Geoff Hadley, Bob Sumner, Bruce Francis), without the examples of my family, and without Wesley.
Headmaster, for Wesley’s huge part in that, and for the honour you have bestowed on me, I offer my profound and heartfelt thanks.
Dr Rod Kefford
Headmaster, 1984 - 1996
past headmaster


past headmaster
Dr Rod Kefford
Headmaster, 1984 - 1996
Change was the watchword for the WA educational community as well as for Wesley in the mid-1980s. Major educational reviews were conducted of the entire WA education system by former federal education minister Kim Beazley Snr, and by Murdoch Professor of Education Barry McGaw that revolutionised curricula, student assessment, end-of-school accreditation and patterns of school organisation. Labor Education Minister Bob Pearce oversaw these enormous changes across the state; and the strong, agile senior staff team Clive Hamer had built stood beside me as we faced the challenges of change. By daring and by doing, we seized the opportunity to make Wesley fit for purpose as a school in the closing decades of the last century.
Alongside these external changes in the shape of schooling, the College Chaplaincy also stood at the centre of what changed, as a daring new model was adopted under the leadership of Rev Don Dowling, later joined by Rev Andrew Syme as the College Deputy Head. Chaplaincy intentionally expanded beyond the Chapel and Christian Studies classes to the sportsfield, the boarding house, the quadrangle and the Staff Common Room, as both Rev Dowling and Rev Syme engaged with and supported staff and students across the breadth and length of the school’s busy life.
In his last year, a School Review initiated by Clive Hamer had recognised that pastoral and academic care at Wesley needed to be strengthened, so that the fundamental importance of the link between students’ wellbeing and their academic progress be better recognised. Houses became agencies of pastoral and academic care, nurturing a sense of belonging as well as encouraging each student to be engaged in their learning and to recognise there was support alongside them to assist them to resolve problems and conflicts affecting their schoolwork. The number of Houses was doubled; and Heads of Houses engaged in shared professional learning, under such wise leadership as that provided by Rev Stuart Taylor, Director of the Bloxham Project in the UK. Classroom teachers became primary pastoral carers in their classroom teaching and House Tutors supporting academic work and personal development. For students with special needs too, specialist staff were engaged to offer supplementary and focused teaching. Three severely hearing-impaired boys were enrolled, one as a boarder, to access mainstream schooling for the first time and to participate fully in school life.
The School Review also identified a need to upgrade facilities for teaching and learning. In the 80s and early 90s, the Blanckensee Gymnasium provided vastly improved opportunities for high-quality PE teaching and learning, as well as for games. The Science Building and Library received a makeover, as did teaching areas for Design and Technology, Visual Arts and Music. In part, this was a necessary response to the 1986 McGaw Report’s recommendations that schools diversify their programs to include students who were otherwise less likely to complete Year 12. Wesley’s range of existing non-TEE courses was broadened and strengthened, contributing to McGaw’s new Year 12 Certificate as a credible and valued alternative to TEE programs. Wesley embraced this opportunity better to meet the needs of a considerable number of students.
Diversification of the curriculum required a rethinking of the nature of classroom learning and recognition of the the importance of positive classroom relationships in promoting effective learning. In the early 1990s, secondary Heads of academic departments engaged with then Deputy David Scott to rethink assessment strategies encouraging boys to accept responsibility for their own learning and performance. Innovative pedagogy introduced by teachers in many disciplines were accompanied by carefully planned integration of new educational technologies into classroom learning under the leadership of Bob Seinor.
The Prep School also benefited from investment in new facilities – in teaching spaces and a new Library, as well as an Early Learning Centre for pre-school aged students. The Boarding Houses were revamped in response to rising parent and student expectations regarding the nature and standard of residential accommodation, and in the late 80s a number of international students brought diversity to the boarding community as well as to College life.
The importance of quality facilities for co-curricular programs was also recognised in new tennis courts along with refurbished ovals at Coode St and Collins Oval. Rossiter was reoriented and returfed following the building of the Gymnasium, and off-campus, rowing equipment and the shed enjoyed refitting and extensive replacement. A succession of new Music staff broadened and enriched the co-curricular Music program for instrumentalists and choirs, providing more opportunities for performance. Joint musical theatre productions with Penrhos also became regular fixtures in the calendar.
Resourcing this continuing expansion in the broad Wesley curriculum placed heavy demand the wise stewardship of long-serving Bursar John Maloney found ways of funding Wesley’s provision of new courses and new facilities. His daring initiative in suggesting Wesley establish its Endowment Fund enabled School Councils of the day and into the new century to do – enabling the school to provide educational opportunities and experiences to equip its young people to lead and serve the wider community in the new millennium.
Through the 80s and early 90s, the Wesley Community also accepted the need to dare in order to do. The P and F, the Mothers’ Auxiliary, Wesleyana and the OWCA were all engaged and supportive as the school dared and did.
Amid all the change, Wesley boys – and the Prep School girls – remained faithful to the school’s traditions, going about their business in that characteristically understated way that is the Wesley way – modestly and humbly doing what they could to make a difference for others. Wesley boys and girls, and former students, continue to make their mark by doing all the good they can, by all the means they can, in all the ways they can, in all the places they can, at all the times they can, for all the people they can, for as long as ever they can.
Their continuing daring and doing – as men and women for others – is Wesley’s hundred-year legacy to the state and the nation.
Lachlan and Connor Fitzgerald
Old Collegians, College Captains and brothers
past college captains


Lachlan and Connor Fitzgerald discuss their time at the College.
past college captains
Lachlan and Connor Fitzgerald
Old Collegians, College Captains and brothers
Lachlan Fitzgerald (13-18) and Connor Fitzgerald (14-20) discuss life at Wesley and the privilege of being College Captain.
J F Ward
Headmaster, 1923 - 1929
past headmaster


past headmaster
J F Ward
Headmaster, 1923 - 1929
John Frederick Ward was born on 20 July 1883 at Newton, Lancashire, England, son of John Ward, master butcher, and his wife Mary Ann, née Russel. The family migrated to Adelaide in 1886.
In 1923, at just forty years old, he was appointed foundation Headmaster of Wesley College, Perth. Respected for his learning, he believed in a classical base for education and aimed to produce fine Methodist gentlemen.
Ward, his wife Winifred and their three children travelled to Perth by train from Adelaide. The Headmaster had been assured that his flat in the north wing of Wesley’s new building would be ready for immediate occupancy on arrival, but this was not to be. The carpenters had not completed their works and there was an absence of bedding and furniture.
Within the first few weeks, Ward got to work cleaning up the still unfinished campus, appointed numerous staff, sourced a delivery of sporting gear from Wesley Melbourne, and decided the first school colours – black and gold stripes on a green backing. The adoption of school colours was the first important step towards creating a distinctive College identity and culture.
Throughout Ward’s tenure as Headmaster, he taught every form in the school and tried his hand at almost every subject. In 1930, after 7 years as Headmaster of Wesley College, Ward secured the position as Headmaster of Prince Alfred College, and returned to Adelaide.
Ward’s two daughters felt that their father’s happiest and most fulfilling year were those spent at Wesley.
‘At around 9’o clock a hand bell was rung to call both boarders and day-boys to assembly in one of the two new classrooms. There the complement of thirty-eight were welcomed by a tall, upright, bespectacled man of authority who assured them that, though they might be meeting in less than ideal conditions, they and he were about to make history.
For on this first day of the 1923 school year in Western Australia, Wesley Boys’ College had begun its working life. The man of authority, John Frederick Ward, was probably more conscious than any of his young charges of the significance of their being ‘present at the creation’. He also proved to be an admirably suited headmaster to preside over it.’
Excerpt from Honest & Unsullied Days, A History of Wesley College, Perth by Peter John Boyce
Kim Le Souef (57-61-62)
Nephew of Mildred Manning
old collegian




old collegian
Kim Le Souef (57-61-62)
Nephew of Mildred Manning
Wesley College was always much more to me than just a good high school.
It has a number of amazing of students and many inspiring teachers. The Wesley ethos is one of building good citizens in an atmosphere of encouragement. I made some great friends there. Friendships that have lasted to this day.
For me, there is also the family connection. My aunt Mildred Manning taught Biology and Physiology at the College for 53 years and my mother, Thelse, taught Languages. I still remember quite a lot of my German! My son attended Wesley and his daughter has just started in Pre-Kindergarten. This is a long association!
My Aunt Millie drove her car, a 1929 Plymouth Chrysler, who she affectionately called Dudley, to the school every day until 1958, frequently giving lifts to staff and students. Mildred’s brother took Dudley to his farm in 1959 and in 1962 he was given to me as I have a passion for old cars. Now, 61 years on I am still caring for him which gives me a very close association with Wesley and to my family.
Dr Nick Coatsworth (85-95)
Infectious diseases physician, health administrator and public policy expert
old collegian


old collegian
Dr Nick Coatsworth (85-95)
Infectious diseases physician, health administrator and public policy expert
Narrow escapes tend to focus the mind on how precious life is. On my last day at Wesley, a small group of my close friends and I drove around Perth to our favourite haunts. We were celebrating in style, in the cramped confines of Matt Van Leeuwen’s 1956 Morris – a truly legendary first car – but one without seatbelts.
Gunning it through an amber light on St George’s and Barrack, another driver ran a red and the next thing I remembered I was sitting on the footpath, blood streaming from a nasty injury to the forehead. Later as I had my head stitched by a young doctor in Royal Perth Emergency I realised that medicine was the career for me.
Since then, I’ve had transformational experiences working for Medecins Sans Frontières in the Congo and the Darfur region of Sudan. I lived in Darwin with a young family, visiting indigenous communities and understanding just how wide the gap in health outcomes is for aboriginal Australians. I led a team of Australian doctors and nurses to the Philippines to run a field hospital after one of the worst weather disasters of the 21st century.
Apart from MSF, which I’d wanted to do since year 10 French class at Wesley, none of it has been particularly planned. And without knowing it, my story has been crafted by the Wesley motto, by daring and by doing. When one lives by that motto and the ethos of service to the community embodied by John Wesley, well, opportunities just tend to come your way.
A few years ago, I was honoured to speak with incoming scholarship students, as I too was a lucky recipient of a Wesley scholarship. My message to students was to not forget the experiences that Wesley teaches you – often they’ll come in useful down the track.
Wesley has changed a lot and for the better in its 100 years. Last year I saw the year 8’s walking along the Esplanade and I asked one of the teacher’s what they were up to – they were out of the classroom for a whole term, learning more about who they are, and critically, learning the importance of service. When I recently learned that the Wesley community is daring to complete 100 acts of community service during 2023, the College’s Centenary, I thought – now that’s a school I’d like to go to.
Patsy Russell-Lane
Wesleyana Club President, John Wesley Medal winner
wesleyana


wesleyana
Patsy Russell-Lane
Wesleyana Club President, John Wesley Medal winner
LIFELONG MEMORIES OF WESLEY COLLEGE
100 years, this wonderful College has remained an “Icon” on the same site in South Perth, albeit the Campus has grown considerably.
When I reflect on my memories of Wesley it takes me back to my childhood.
My childhood and early adult years were spent living in Norfolk Street only a few houses from the Angelo Street entrance which was, in the early days, a bitumen driveway lined on each side by majestic old Pine trees. These trees were a favoured nesting place for the magpies who carefully nurtured their babies each year.
The kindergarten I attended was held in the Swan Street Hall, on a suburban street which in those days was not part of the Wesley Campus. Our quickest route to Kindy was via Wesley College and I have very vivid memories of on many occasions, being “swooped” by the magpies as they endeavoured to protect their young and it instilled in me a fear of magpies, to this day.
Thinking back, Wesley College was on my radar most days of my early life, be it going to any of the shops in Angelo Street, attending the local dentist, riding my bike or walking to South Perth Primary School, to catching the bus to the city to work and, of course attending the old Gaiety Picture Theatre which was as much of an Icon as Wesley. I even remember very well, when employed at Southern Clinic, many a Boarder sitting in the waiting room with a teacher waiting to be attended to by one of our doctors, who had a close association with the College.
It really was a “faint accompli” that on our return from years living in the country, our son attended Wesley for his secondary education.
From the day our son commenced his education at Wesley I felt a strong attachment. It was a wonderful environment for him to learn and it was also very easy for me to form a connection with the College through the various support groups.
The Ladies Auxiliary was thriving with a strong membership and we held many memorable events. These events were well supported and enjoyed by all in attendance. They consisted of a yearly Welcome Luncheon for mothers of new students, Year Group Mothers Morning/Afternoon Teas, Fashion Parades, film mornings at The Cygnet Theatre and a yearly Chapel Service. Who would forget the bi- annual Wesley College Fete when the entire College community came together to work and raise funds for the College.
The P& Association members also worked diligently to benefit the College.
The Canteen relied on volunteers and fun and friendship was nurtured whilst preparing and serving lunch to the boys.
Through these connections lifelong friendships were made and are still lasting today.
This brings me to Wesleyana Club that originated with a group of mothers of Old Collegians who wished to keep a connection with the College, whilst fostering friendships, both old and new.
Many of these ladies remained involved in Wesleyana for many years and have been integral in keeping Wesleyana a part of the College since inception. Wesleyana proudly celebrates its 60th Anniversary in 2023 as the College celebrates 100 years,
My involvement with Wesleyana Club, in latter years as President, has been most rewarding as we watch our Club increase in membership. The current Head of College Mr Ross Barron and the Community Relations team, led by Community Relations Director Ms Mary Henry, have been instrumental in the growth of the Wesleyana Club. Their generous support of our meetings and events has been integral in our success.
I feel confident that our “unique” Club will thrive in future years, as students complete their Wesley education and their mothers take the opportunity to remain connected to the College through Wesleyana.
Wesley College remains a very important part of South Perth’s history, has always been there and will remain so into the future.
I find it difficult to ever imagine walking down Angelo Street and not looking upon the beautiful façade that makes up this grand old school.
Congratulations Wesley, you certainly have been responsible for the wonderful education and enrichment of so many lives over these 100 years.
Recognising her contributions to the College, Patsy was awarded one of two inaugural John Wesley Medals in 2023.
Sarah Hardey
founder and benefactor
founder



founder
Sarah Hardey
founder and benefactor
Traditionally, most boys’ schools from the 1900s would point to a male benefactor as a key figure in their foundation. But Wesley has never been traditional.
In fact, the College owes much to the generosity of Miss Sarah Hardey, who put forward a substantial amount of the money needed to buy the land on which Wesley now stands.
To give a little context, the Methodists of South Perth had been talking about establishing a school for over 60 years. However, every time the idea gained a little traction a new problem arose.
In 1918 an area of land had been identified – but a public appeal for donations had received a limited response. The opportunity to make progress was slipping away again, until Miss Hardey donated £200 – much more than any other individual.
Her generosity didn’t stop there.
With Wesley officially on the road to its foundation, Miss Hardey went a step further. She promised the College £800 (an amount in excess of $70,000 today) to establish two scholarships.
One scholarship was designed to assist the sons of Methodist ministers. The other was open to any Methodist boy.
Although the criteria of Wesley’s scholarships have evolved with time, the generosity of our donors has remained consistent with the kindness of the woman who started it all – the incomparable Sarah Hardey.
Steven Heathcote (77-79-81)
Ballet dancer, choreographer and Ballet Master with The Australian Ballet
old collegian





old collegian
Steven Heathcote (77-79-81)
Ballet dancer, choreographer and Ballet Master with The Australian Ballet
My journey to Wesley was something of a mystery to me. My parents told me that I had been awarded a scholarship made available by the Methodist church. My recollection was that I simply got lucky, as the boy who had originally received it had to move away and I was next in line in the list of applicants.
I spent three years at Wesley, it felt like a short and long time all at once. What I enjoyed the most was the comradery with my friends. I really benefited from the diverse breadth of activities on offer at the school.
Hockey was my favourite sport and Wesley teams were generally pretty strong across all year levels, frequently giving our rivals a hard time!
Glen Hitchcock, was my fantastic drama teacher and he had a big influence on me. He put on very high-level productions, which we all learned and grew from. When I look back, all of those opportunities – the stage time, the discovering and delving into character, the performance –really accentuated my career as a dancer.
My first ‘real’ job after leaving school was with The Australian Ballet in 1983 after completing two years full-time training at The Australian Ballet School. Little did I know I would still be dancing 25 years later, then add on another nine years as a member of the artistic coaching staff.
In 2021, I was honoured to speak to the incoming scholarship students and share my Wesley experience. I reflected to the students that if I had asked more questions whilst at school, I probably would have had an easier time academically and would have got more out of my Wesley experience.
You don’t have to know all the answers but asking the right questions can help get you there.
I encourage Wesley students to be curious, ask many, many questions and take hold of the wide variety of opportunities available. You never know which of them will serve to inform what you do in the future.
Happy 100 Wesley!
Peter Trend
Past Teacher (1974 - 2019)
past teacher



Collection of badges.

Leavers 2019.

Mr Peter Trend, Mathematics Teacher and Ethan Stirrat.

Peter Trend at the Kefford Wing Opening in 2013.

past teacher
Peter Trend
Past Teacher (1974 - 2019)
Many of the philosophies and practices of mathematics education at Wesley, developed by gifted educators such as Wally Green and Olive Mason in the 1960s and 1970s, remain current and valuable today. Although the context and the tools of the trade have evolved, the fundamental skills of good teaching and learning and the importance of constructive and respectful relationships have not altered.
These relationships are the core of working with students in and out of the classroom, of working with other staff, both teaching and administrative, and the myriad of opportunities a teacher has to learn, to grow and to influence others – often in ways and circumstances unknown.
I was part of the transition from blackboard, via whiteboard and overhead projector, to digitally projected computer images, from slide rules and tables of logarithms and trigonometric values to scientific, graphic and ultimately algebraic calculators. Technology in mathematics, when it serves to make the content more accessible to students, is invariably beneficial because it leads to higher levels of mathematical thinking.
My long Wesley career included diverse fields of engagement and contribution: sports’ coaching (mainly cricket and hockey), in chess, in student and pastoral welfare, in curriculum development, timetabling, general school administration and management, employment and industrial relations and in superannuation trusteeship. Along the way, I witnessed some outstanding Wesley Speech Night musical performances in the Perth Concert Hall, delivered the shortest ever Headmaster’s address, shared the most applauded Grace at a rugby dinner and enjoyed teaching numerous father-son combinations, with mothers’ influence often ensuring a more studious son.
More recently, my Wesley time has been built around tutoring boarders, meeting past and current staff, contacts with ex-students near and far, year group reunions and golfing events. Now, with a daughter on staff and a grandson in Year 2, I can enjoy yet another perspective of this great community.
Luke de Laeter (11-20)
Beekeeper and Founder of Buzz Ed Australia
old collegian





old collegian
Luke de Laeter (11-20)
Beekeeper and Founder of Buzz Ed Australia
Wesley made me think out of the box – by daring and by doing is exactly what I did, I thought of something new and changed my future around it.
My time began at Wesley in Year 3. I was the one who loved nature – the kid who was always sleeping outside in one of many self-built cubbies, building new designs on my work bench and caring for my many pets.
My bee interest began when I was given a small hive for my 14th birthday, I was different – nobody I knew was a beekeeper, no friends or family. With the WA Apiary Society and a new mentor and friend Roy – my bee knowledge thrived. This is what kickstarted my bee obsession, I turned this weird birthday present into my future and my career!
With an oversupply of honey and requests to speak to children about my passion I set up my business, Luke’s Bees. This allowed me to sell honey and present “Bee Incursions” to schools, festivals and community groups. Wesley allowed me to run my business in Year 8, I was allowed to leave one day a week to teach in schools around Perth. Without this flexibility my business and where I am today would have never happened.
Year 11 and 12 were busy, still teaching about bees during term and completing VET pathway to obtain a Certificate III in Beekeeping, Certificate III in Business, Certificate II in Visual Arts and a Certificate II in Information, Digital Media and Technology. In the holidays I worked with a commercial beekeeper to gain more industry experience and enrolling in as many out of school machinery tickets and bee courses I could find. I was extremely lucky to leave Wesley in 2020 receiving the Beazley Medal VET and the overall winner of the Australian Meeting of Young Beekeepers.
After finishing Year 12 on a Friday, I started full time work on the Monday with a commercial beekeeper, Red Earth Honey. I negotiated with my employer in the quieter winter months of beekeeping to have time off to continue teaching. I really wanted to continue to share my knowledge and inspire others about bees and promote the Primary Industries as a future pathway to senior school students. I relaunched my business as Buzz Ed Australia.
By daring and by doing I have a clear vision for the future. In the peak of summer and when the bees are at their busiest I’m usually somewhere peaceful, deep in a forest or a National Park – working with 350 hives collecting honey and looking after the bees. As the cooler months set in the bees are moved north, I’m working bees surrounded by beautiful wild flowers and camping in a swag overnight. I challenge all VET students at Wesley to find what they love, explore the idea and make it their future career.
Mr Ross Barron
Head of College, 2019 to present
head of college




head of college
Mr Ross Barron
Head of College, 2019 to present
Just before I arrived at Wesley, I told a trusted circle of friends that I’d got the role of Head of College. To a person, they mentioned the warmth of the community I’d find here.
In fairness, having spent many afternoons at shared sporting events with Wesleyans within the PSA community, I knew that the College had a special kind of spirit. So, in some ways, it was no surprise to me when I was welcomed with open arms.
It was also no surprise to find that same kindness extended to my wife, Narelle. She was inundated with offers of friendship and help as she found her feet in a new location.
What was a surprise, was that a passing comment I made to the team here ended up reuniting me with one of the influential people in my life. Someone I had been trying to reconnect with for nearly two decades.
I’d been talking, just casually, about a teacher I had as a young boy. I mentioned that, at 10 years old and full of misplaced anger at my father’s death and lack of sense of what my potential was, her guidance stopped me from veering onto the wrong track. I thought she’d be pleased to see how her positive influence so long ago had such a profound impact on me.
Most listeners would have nodded sagely and moved on.
But things aren’t like that at Wesley. The teacher’s name, Mrs Aurora Stefani, was quietly noted down. Wheels began to turn. Contacts were called. And quietly, without me knowing, the community worked together to find my teacher and offer her an invite to my Commissioning.
I can offer a thousand more stories of what makes the Wesley community unlike any other – but the moment when the teacher who changed my life walked onto the Commissioning stage and hugged me, will live in my memory forever.
Mildred Manning
Wesley's longest serving staff member
past teacher


Mrs Manning in her Biology Lab, 1967.

Ms Mildred Le Souef and her car at Wesley College, 1935.

Mildred Manning Biology Lab, 1963.

past teacher
Mildred Manning
Wesley's longest serving staff member
Born into a family that founded zoos in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, Mrs Mildred Manning was no stranger to wildlife – whether it be tigers or teenagers.
Mildred Manning or ‘Our Millie’ is remembered by three generations of Wesley College students as a teacher of biology and physiology. She demanded respect but was beloved by all who enjoyed her lessons.
As Tony Devitt of the class of 1961 remembers: “Millie never missed an opportunity to educate her students. On reflection many of us can credit Millie with having a significant impact on our future studies, careers, and lives. She was a very caring and a wonderful educator.”
That’s not to say she wasn’t without her quirks, as Tony recalls: “Occasionally, Millie was involved in supervising the boys doing cross country running. This meant she would drive out to the Collier Pine Plantation and, once the boys had set off on their run, Millie would scout the surrounding area for specimens that she could collect and take back to the College.
“This included roadkill and Millie always carried a small spade and some bags in the tiny boot of her car. Various misshaped reptiles, birds etc. would be scraped off the road and be displayed for all to see once we were back at the Laboratory.”
Doing the unexpected was something of a trademark move for Mrs Manning. In the early 1900s, when she was still Mildred Le Souef, Millie became one of the first women in Australia to go against societal expectations and achieve a science degree.
She pushed boundaries at Wesley too, giving the College 54 dedicated years of service, earning her an MBE in 1964 for her commitment to education in Western Australia.
Millie died in 1990, so she never got to see her name applied to the front of the Mildred Manning Science Centre. However, she knew, in her lifetime, what an icon she was at our College. Her character will always be a part of our fabric.
Lynn Webber
Inaugural staff leader of the Moorditj Mob
Past teacher


2006.

2006.

Past teacher
Lynn Webber
Inaugural staff leader of the Moorditj Mob
In 2006, I was invited to support a small group of six Indigenous boarding students who had just started at Wesley. We used to meet Sunday nights for an hour.
One evening, I asked the group what they wanted to be called. Gavin Mallard, a Nhanda Yamatji man, said: “What about Moorditj Mob, because we are moordtij – strong, black and deadly students!”
Very soon after this, these six students demonstrated just how moorditj they were through their artworks, didgeridoo playing, dancing and being the first group of Moorditj Mob students to graduate.
My favourite memory was their first public dance in front of the whole Junior School. They were nervous and very unsure, but pride in their identity and culture dominated. By daring and doing, they paved a strong foundation for future dances.
What I discovered in my seven years leading the Moorditj Mob from 6 to 45 boys, was that through these founding students saying yes to being moorditj, they changed the future course of this program. By upholding education and culture as pinnacles of the program, they opened the door for many, many others to experience both cultural learning and success in education.
Jimmy Timcke
2023 College Captain
current student



current student
Jimmy Timcke
2023 College Captain
As the College Captain for 2023, I have inherited the unique privilege of leading the student body through the College’s centenary celebrations.
Being a Wesley boy isn’t about grand gestures or achieving the highest, its about an attitude of serving others, of believing in principles and standing by them, and daring to do; being willing to push the boundaries in an ever-changing world and leaving your mark. Wesley is a college that prides itself on celebrating achievements we wish to emulate; achievements in effort and service as well as academic and sporting success.
As the Captain for 2023, I hope to instil a sense of pride and opportunity in each and every boy and girl at Wesley. To Enable them to realise that their Wesley journey is just the start of their lives and that the friends they make, the opportunities they take and the successes and failures they will see through last a lifetime and that our college provides the perfect place to make them. I hope the prefect group and I can foster a culture in which Wesley students find inspiration from the person who is overcoming a fear of doing something and succeeding, not always the person who is excellent at it.
I have always found that my favourite moments at Wesley have come when seeing my mates succeed when I’m standing with them or right beside them cheering. Athletics last year, the World’s Greatest Shaves, and Darlot cricket in summer have all been highlights from the past year and meeting Dr Wally Green (38-43) was a great culmination of all these experiences. As the man who lead Wesley’s first Athletics team to win in 1953 and taught maths to a generation of Wesleyans, it was a great reminder that memories of Wesley last a lifetime, and that our community will always have a place for you. His stories, his gentleness and his genuinely witty sense of humour will stick with me.
In the next 100 years of Wesley, I hope the college still prides itself on pushing the boundaries of its young men and women and strives to foster generations of young people ready to take on the world.
Helen Blanckensee
Daughter of past College Chair, Mr Robert Blanckensee
Community member


Robert Blanckensee, 1940.

Robert Blanckensee and wife.

Construction of the Blanckensee Physical Education centre, 1986.

Community member
Helen Blanckensee
Daughter of past College Chair, Mr Robert Blanckensee
For almost as long as I can remember it seems, Wesley College has been a part of our immediate family.
My father, Robert Blanckensee, spent his high school years at Wesley, as did my Godfather. My brother Ian was educated there too of course, whilst I went to M.L.C.
I recall some of Ian’s country school friends spent a number of ‘Boarders Weekends’ at our home.
I recall going to dancing classes with the Wesley boys at the YMCA Hall in Irwin Street Perth on a Saturday afternoon!
After the war, at the suggestion of my maternal grandfather, Dad became interested in the Old Wesley Collegians’ Association. This later led to him becoming Secretary of the OWCA and then the OWCA representative on the College Council. Dad eventually went on to become Chair of the College Council. Dad took up the dare of my grandfather and look where it led!
What a special occasion it was when the Physical Education Centre was named after dad, the Blanckensee Physical Education Centre. I remember him saying in his speech, ‘My school has done me proud.’
A highlight of my recent years was getting married in the Old Wesley Collegians’ Association Memorial Chapel. It was so nice, at start of Wesley College’s Centenary year, to be present at the Thanksgiving Chapel Service. A very fitting start to a year of celebration.
You can find out more about the construction of the Blanckensee Physical Education Centre in 1986 in our timeline here.
E S Craft
Inaugural music teacher
Past Teacher


Wesley College Staff in 1928

Past Teacher
E S Craft
Inaugural music teacher
Sometimes it’s not the loudest voices that make the biggest impression. Mr Edwin Stanley (Stan) Craft joined the College in 1923 to teach music and book-keeping. It was the start of an association with Wesley that would run through to 1947.
Fastidious by nature, he paid attention to details – most famously arriving at a College Committee meeting in January 1923 with a sample of ribbon suggesting a colour combination for our newly-founded school.
The ribbon, while sadly lost to time, had black and gold stripes on a green backing. It was the first step to adopting the colours that have become a vital part of our shared Wesley identity.
Mr Craft’s contribution didn’t stop there. As well as teaching hundreds of boys how to play the piano and the organ, Mr Craft also composed the music to Wesley’s first College hymn, entitled ‘God Make Us Men’.
The inspiring words, written by the then Headmaster, Mr Rossiter, include the line: “By selfless word and thought and deed, we witness forth a living creed.”
As lyrics go, they seem to sum up Mr Craft’s contribution to our history rather well.