Mr Graeme Renney excelled at Hutchins School, becoming Prefect, House Captain, Captain of Football and Swimming and was the Senior Cadet Under Officer. He was also ‘the Scholar of the School’ and Head Chorister of St David’s Cathedral.

Mr Renney first attended the University of Tasmania to study Law before completing a part-time Certificate of Education and an Arts degree. He was the first person from a school to attend the Australian Administrative Staff College, Mount Eliza graduating in 1965.

He married Ms Elaine Woods from Western Australia in 1957 and had five daughters. After leaving Scots, Mr Renney was Headmaster of The Scots College Bathurst before retiring to a farm in Mittagong.

Initiatives

  • Glengarry will stand as the monument for Mr Graeme Renney’s time at Scots. He was concerned about the lack of impact he and teachers were having on the boys, influenced by “four social declines: physical fitness, initiative, skill and compassion.” In finding a solution to these problems, Mr Renney was drawn to the idea of outdoor education. Today, Glengarry is a six month residential program in which Year 9 students experience a range of outdoor activities while continuing their academic studies.

    It was Mr Renney’s idea to call the new campus Glengarry from ‘Glen’, Scots Gaelic for valley, and ‘garry’ after nearby Mount Barrengarry. The official opening on 14 May 1989 was performed by Governor Sir David Martin. An area was named ‘Renney Court’ after the Principal, where he expressed the hope that “the boys have the opportunity to find themselves, and establish a set of values and attitudes that will allow them to develop an independence and an understanding of their place in the world.”

    Forty-one Year 9 boys spent some time at Glengarry in 1988, but the full operation started in 1989, where the first Intake of 91 boys spent time in Kangaroo Valley.

  • The Principal’s other building project was a four-and-a-half level Resources Centre. Built in 1988, it incorporated a much expanded Stevenson Memorial Library (named after College Councillor Dr Alexander M Stevenson who died in 1963), an audio-visual centre, classrooms, book-room, tuckshop, Prefects’ room, changing room and Founders’ Room for meetings. It was officially opened in 1989.

  • Coote ceased to be a boarding house at the end of 1983 and became staff accommodation. It was later demolished to make way for the ‘new’ and larger Royle House which opened on this site.

  • Mr Renney broadened the curriculum to include language skills, study skills, the reading referral program, and an introduction to politics. Music thrived as both a curricular and extracurricular option. Drama, Debating and Chess, as well as other cultural pursuits, were encouraged as never before while Technics expanded in the late 1980s.

Student Success

  • Pipes and Drums performed at the Cardiff Military Tattoo in 1987 and the Nova Scotia International Tattoo in 1993.
  • The Cadets walked the Kokoda Trail most years during this period.
  • Scots won the AAGPS 1sts Rifle Shooting competition in 1981, and the 2nd XI won the AAGPS Cricket Premiership in 1982.
  • The 1st and 2nd Rifle Shooting teams won the AAGPS Premiership again in 1983, and the 1st XI Cricket team were the AAGPS Premiers in 1984.
  • In 1986, the 1sts Basketball team won the AAGPS competition, 2nds Rifle Shooting won the AAGPS competition and the 2nd IV won the AAGPS Rowing Regatta.
  • The 1st XV went undefeated and claimed the AAGPS Rugby Premiership.
  • In 1988, the 2nd XI Cricket team were AAGPS joint premiers, and the 1st XI won the AAGPS Premiership in 1989.
  • In 1991 the 2nd XI was again AAGPS Premiers, while 3rd XI were undefeated. The Under 16 Water Polo team were the undefeated premiers in the Combined Independent Schools competition – a feat that they repeated in 1992.
  • The 1st XV won the AAGPS Rugby Premiership again in 1993.

Meet Our Principals

The Scots College is a proud member of the following associations.

The Presbyterian Church (New South Wales) Property Trust T/A The Scots College, Sydney Australia
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William Elder

1927-2010

Mr Alan Elder was born in Scotland and migrated to Australia with his parents at a young age. He attended The Scots College for all his schooling, graduating in 1944. He played 1st XI Cricket and was a member of the College Cadet Unit. After leaving school Mr Elder studied accountancy and retained a life-long love of the College, especially the Pipes and Drums. Mr Elder never married, however the significant bequest he left will allow his Scots family to remember him through the Lang Walker Business Centre.