Adelaide Educational Institution

History

In 1852 Young opened a school with two, then three pupils (Hubert Giles, Caleb Peacock and John Partridge) in the "Peacock Chapel" lent by Mr Peacock in the rear of the (Congregational) Ebenezer Chapel in Ebenezer Place, off the east end of Rundle Street. In September 1852 they were joined by John Waterman, Richard Mahoney, T. L. Cottrell, and G. T. Cottrell. The number grew to seventeen at years end. and he was advertising for evening classes in Geometry and Arithmetic, apply between 6 and 7pm at Stephens Place, off the west end of Rundle Street where the Young family had a home, and to which street the school moved, perhaps as early as 1854, when the current tenant, J. M. Solomon, left for England on the steamer Australian. Fees for day students were 10 guineas (£10/10/-) per annum, (payable quarterly in advance). Facilities were available for boarding. His residence was in the same building on Stephens Place. By December 1855 the school had 107 students, perhaps close to 200 in 1857, 130 in 1862, 133 in 1868. Young's lease expired around 1856–1857.

Next venue was the Congregational chapel in Freeman Street (now that section of Gawler Place between Pirie and Flinders Streets).

In 1872 he had new premises built at Parkside on what became Young Street, named after the headmaster.

E. S. Hughes recalled, in a letter to The Advertiser, a tableau of life during his time at the institution. About that time I was at the late J. L. Young's – at Young's Lane, as it was then called – Parkside, as a boarder, and with three other strong Churchmen used to attend St Paul's Church, Flinders Street. Dear old Dean Russell, of blessed memory, wished us to be confirmed; and, as our parents agreed, we escaped from lessons two nights a week to attend classes. Consequently we had a good time going home afterwards, on some occasions climbing the posts and 'dousing the glim' as the sailors say, performing other boyish tricks, and arriving very late because of such 'awfully long classes'

Education in early South Australia

(Taken from Geoffrey H. Manning's A Colonial Experience)

From a welter of amateur establishments emerged two institutions, one of which did noble service to two generations, the other the germ of one of the colony's greatest denominational schools today. The first was John Lorenzo Young's Adelaide Educational Institute, which in its peregrinations from a room at the rear of Ebenezer Chapel (now built over by the East End Market), by way of Stephens Place and Gawler Place, to a final home at Young Street, Parkside, educated 1,500 young South Australians many of later distinction – Caleb Peacock, Adelaide's first native-born Mayor, Charles Cameron Kingston, the dominating figure on the colony's political horizon and Joseph Verco, doyen of our medical fraternity. The other institution was the crib in which St Peter's College was created.

John L Young

John Lorenzo Young (1826–1881) was a Londoner, the son of John Tonkin Young, a builder from Veryan, Cornwall.

He received a non-sectarian education in Europe and England, with emphasis on mathematics and the newly developed sciences of geology, physics and chemistry. He worked in Cornwall on railway and mining construction then left for Adelaide in 1850. on the ship "Panama", arriving on 31 October 1850. He joined the rush to the Victorian goldfields but soon returned.

In 1851 he was appointed second master at the newly opened South Australian High School, under Headmaster Charles Gregory Feinaigle (1817? – 10 March 1880), but the venture failed by the end of the year. The following year Young was persuaded by a group of Congregationalists to open his own school at the rear of the old chapel in Ebenezer Street off Rundle Street East, and soon moved to larger premises in Stephens Place. His brother, Oliver Young, held classes for some time, and acted as headmaster in 1860 while J. L. Young was away on recuperation leave.

In 1861 he built the large two-storey "Young House" in Parkside, which was used both as his private residence and as a student boarding house. He then commissioned architects Wright and Hamilton to design and oversee building of a schoolhouse next door. (Edmund Wright had designed many prominent Adelaide buildings including the Town Hall). In 1871 he was able to relinquish the Freeman Street premises.

John retired in 1880 and closed the school, with the intention of joining his wife and large family who were visiting brother Oliver and his father in Veryan, in Cornwall. On his retirement, a testimonial was held 17 December 1880 by his old scholars, and he was presented with a purse of sovereigns. His 16-room residence, with schoolhouse and various other houses on Young Street, after several auction attempts in February 1881, was eventually purchased by Alfred Allen Simpson (who coincidentally had also purchased the Gawler Place school property). The two Parkside buildings, at 61-71 Young Street, were sold by Alfred A., Fred N. and Violet Laura Simpson to Mr. C. O. A. Lapidge in 1922. "Young House" has since been demolished but the heritage-listed schoolhouse still stands.

He embarked on the steamer John Elder in 1881 to visit England (where his father was still living), his family having preceded him, but died on 26 July 1881 while crossing the Red Sea. He was buried at sea. Martha returned to Adelaide, at first living in Kent Town then settled in Glenelg. She died 6 April 1887 aged 57."Death of Mrs J. L. Young". South Australian Register. Vol. LII, no. 12, 606. South Australia. 9 April 1887. p. 5. Retrieved 25 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.

Classes and curriculum

In its first stage of the school's history, Junior (or Third) Class consisted of boys from 7 to 10 years, Science being a chief subject with (although a non-sectarian school) a little religious insight. A small but significant number of students were Jews. No homework was set.

In the Second Class, homework was encouraged and after five hours of schoolwork the more industrious students would voluntarily turn in up to four long essays a week.

In Senior or First Class, subjects covered included political economy, history.

Masters

Other academics at the Institution included:

Thomas Boutflower Bennett (1808 – 14 September 1894), nicknamed "Tiger", helped run the school, taught English and bookkeeping, later at St Peter's College. His headstone in Moonta cemetery mentions SPC but not AEI. His son J. W. O. Bennett was killed on the Goyder expedition of 1869.

Thomas Caterer (around 1854) went on to found the notable Norwood Grammar School

John Howard Clark taught occasionally

Rev. F. W. Cox taught drawing 1864, 1866

Edward Dewhirst was classics master for a time.

C. J. Fox taught Latin from 1868 to 1871 at least. He would later, as the editor and proprietor of The Irish Harp and Farmers' Herald newspaper, become famous after the sacking and excommunication Sister Mary MacKillop by Bishop Sheil. He was ousted from the Catholic Association, of which he was president. for the candid way in which he reported the affair. Frank Fox was a son.

Henry Greffrath taught French and German from beginning 1852 to mid-1863. He also conducted classes at St Peter's College, and left for Jena, Germany in 1864.

Wilton Hack succeeded Charles Hill as drawing teacher 1868 W. Hack also taught drawing at Norwood Grammar and St Peter's College.

A teacher named Harrison, called "Cocky" by students (as was Oliver Young); described as young and pimply, was sacked for drunkenness at a June prizegiving, possibly 1856. A later commentator found him memorable.

Charles Hill taught drawing

Philip T. Hill taught writing and arithmetic NOT drawing (perhaps Philip Trelore Hill, married Hannah Fisk in 1869, died 1919), he later taught at Langhorne Creek and Goolwa, and highly regarded.

Timeline

1852 School opens in Ebenezer Place with two students Caleb Peacock and John Partridge, soon joined by G. T. and T. L. Cottrell, John Waterman and Richard Mahoney.

1853 or 1854 Moved to "Stephens Place", previously home to J. M. Solomon and family on the southwest corner of Town Acre 19.

1856 or 1857 Moved to schoolroom at rear of Freeman Street Congregational chapel

1860 J. L. Young in poor health, on leave in England. Oliver Young acting head for the year.

1861 J. L. Young returns, buys 2 acres in Parkside. T. B. Bennett joins staff.

1865 Old Scholars' Association dinner

1866 Oliver Young returns to England

Old Scholars' Association dinner

1867 Congregational Church moves to Stow Hall, AEI takes over Freeman Street chapel.

First Old Scholars' dinner

Old Scholars' AGM

1868 Pupil numbers down to 133

1869 The Star first (and last?) issue

Old Scholars' dinner

1870 Old Scholars dinner

Old Scholars' annual meeting scheduled for 24 June postponed to following week due to poor attendance

1871 All teaching now at Young Street, Parkside. T. B. Bennett resigns.

Reunions

A group of old scholars felt it appropriate to establish a memorial for J. L. Young, and from 1912 held a series of annual reunion dinners to raise funds for the memorial.

1912 Reunion It was at this reunion that Peter Wood moved that a J. L. Young scholarship be established.

1913 Second reunion

1914 Third reunion

1915 Fourth reunion

1916 Fifth reunion

1917 Sixth reunion

1918 Seventh reunion

Function for Eden Herschel Babbage 21 May 1918

1919 Eighth reunion

1920 Ninth reunion

1921 Tenth reunion

1925 reunion

Some students

Many of Young's alumni became leading figures in Adelaide's businesses and public service.

George Agars, pioneer of Mildura and Renmark

W. P. Auld (Stuart Expedition 1861–1862)

Eden Herschel Babbage (c. 1844–1924) banker and Roseville, New South Wales civic leader, son of Benjamin Herschel Babbage

Charles Whitmore Babbage (1842–1923) lapsed banker and Wanganui civic leader, his brother

Thomas William Babbage (4 October 1859 – 1945) manager of the Glenelg Railway Company, later nurseryman, relationship to B. Herschel Babbage not yet established.

John Barker (businessman) (son of A. E. Barker) chairman of SAJC

George L. Barrow, journalist son of John Henry Barrow

G. T. Bean attempted sugar cane plantation in Darwin

Tom Bee (4 July 1850 – 21 November 1919), cadet surveyor under Goyder in Northern Territory 1864–1870 and with the Overland Telegraph Line. Bees Creek, Northern Territory named for him.

J. W. O. Bennett surveyor, member of Finniss's 1864 expedition and Goyder's 1869 expedition to Northern Territory

Edwin S. Berry Second in Charge, Gosse's 1873 expedition to Central Australia; probably the first white man to climb Ayers Rock/Uluru.

Harry Bickford (1843–1927) and William Bickford (1841–1916) of Bickford & Sons, cordials and pharmaceuticals

Old Scholars Association

(First AGM) held 15 Dec 1863 at Mr. J. L. Young's school room, Stephens-place; Mr. E. Cheetham occupied the chair. Satisfactory reports were received with reference to the success of the association. Annual prize awarded to Edward Neale Wigg. Elected: C. Peacock, President; M. L. Clark, Treasurer; Joseph Coulls, Secretary; and E. Cheetham, Walter Samson, Wm. Bickford, A. K. Whitby, and G. Cottrell.

Prizegivings and examinations

J. L. Young held twice-yearly public demonstrations, mostly held in White's Rooms, which showcased the boys' accomplishments to parents and the public. A report was published as news in the newspapers immediately after, and always in glowing terms, the copy being provided by the school. Any flaws in the operation of the school and the training of eager young minds were only hinted at in retrospect – by pronouncements on the great strides made in the current year.

There were so many other schools that copied his example that the newspapers soon recognised these reports for what they were – advertisements – and charged by the column-inch. No longer were the speeches by the headmaster and the visiting dignitary quoted verbatim and, sadly for the historian, the only students named were the recipients of prizes.

Sports

The school fielded a soccer team, two cricket teams and was a proponent of the Old Adelaide Football Club rules in 1865.

A game of football was played on the school grounds, Parkside, against North Adelaide Grammar on 17 May 1873. The score of nil-all suggests the game was soccer.

The first school Sports Day was held in November 1874. Prizes included silver pencil cases and gold shirt studs.

Other Adelaide private schools of the period

This list is not exhaustive. Many schools changed location, identity and management. And there were many women of culture and attainment, particularly widows (such as Caroline Carleton), who subsisted on their earnings as tutors.

Pastor Jacob Abbott, wife, daughter and son Joseph kept a school on Gilbert Street, opposite Draper Memorial Church.

Adelaide Collegiate School in North Adelaide, run by Rev. Thomas Field. Incorporated into Queen's School 1892.

Adelaide Model School (Alexander Clark) not strictly private school, run by Council of Education

Albert House Academy – see Haire's Academy

Alix House Academy, 100 South Terrace run by Eliza Hill (died October 1918), wife of Charles Hill, artist (died September 1915)

Mrs. Bell's school

Billiatt's Grammar School at St Leonards, Glenelg

Bowden Day Schools (Methodist?) (Mr & Mrs Lawton)

Brougham School, Gilles Street c. 1869 (Thomas Stevens Burgan, died 3 July 1858, succeeded by son Thomas Burgan, also at Fellenberg Commercial School)

School run by W. A. Cawthorne on what was later Page Street, Adelaide, became Victoria Square Academy.

Christ Church School run by James Bath, later Secretary to the Central Board of Education

Church of England Collegiate School see St Peter's Collegiate School