Few rivalries at Sydney High stir as much spirit as the inter-house competitions — McKay versus Rubie in the pool, Fairland versus Torrington on the track, Eedy versus Saxby on the courts.

The House system remains one of the great threads linking every generation of Sydney High. But few boys (or even Old Boys) know that the house names they shout for were not always those six.

Once, High’s houses were called Gordon, Parkes, Reid, and Wentworth — after famous statesmen of colonial and Federation-era New South Wales. Then, in 1955, a headmaster with a strong respect for tradition decided it was time for change.

A Conservative Revolution: Andrews and the 1955 Renaming

In The History of Sydney High School (1983), Headmaster K. J. Andrews (1955–63) recalled how the new house system was born:

“I think my attitude to tradition may fairly be described as a conservative one. Traditions are valuable because they provide an inspiration and a goal for this generation, and, at the same time, by providing a link with the past, give the School a sense of historical continuity…

One of these was related to the House System. I soon realised that, owing largely to the efforts of Mr Alan Jessep as Sportsmaster, the School Houses had become the basis on which all internal sporting activities were organised.

…I felt that in this new situation the old House names were without significance. Accordingly, after consulting a number of ‘elder statesmen’, I suggested to the School Union Committee that the old House names, Gordon, Parkes, Reid and Wentworth, be replaced by Eedy, Fairland, McKay and Saxby.

The idea caught on and the new House names were announced on Speech Day, 1955.”

— K. J. Andrews, Headmaster 1955–63

And from The Record - 1956:

CHANGE OF NAMES FOR HOUSES
On Speech Day last the Headmaster announced that names of the four houses; Gordon, Parkes, Reid and Wentworth, had been changed to Eedy, Fairland, McKay, and Saxby respectively, thus perpetuating the memory of four men with a fine record of service to High. 

And so began the modern era of High’s house system — still competitive, still colourful, but now rooted in High’s own history, not in colonial politics.

1955 - The 'New' Four : Eedy, Fairland, McKay and Saxby

Each of the four new houses honoured a significant figure in High’s history:

The Expansion to Six: Rubie and Torrington

The Expansion to Six: Rubie and Torrington As the school’s enrolment expanded in the decades after the war, two more houses were added to balance numbers and increase competition. By the 1960s and 1970s, Rubie and Torrington had joined the list, completing the six-house structure we know today.

As the school’s enrolment expanded in the decades after the war, two more houses were added to balance numbers and increase competition.

By the 1960s and 1970s, Rubie and Torrington had joined the list, completing the six-house structure we know today.

The addition of Rubie and Torrington completed the six-house system that continues to this day — each bearing its own colour, crest, and legacy.

A Living Link with the Past

When Andrews renamed the houses in 1955, he wrote that traditions “provide a link with the past, [and] give the School a sense of historical continuity.” Seventy years later, that link is stronger than ever.

Each carnival, relay, and chant connects generations of High boys — from Eedy’s 1880s pioneers to Torrington’s 1970s reformers. The houses are more than administrative groupings; they are living memorials to the people who built the school, taught its boys, and kept its spirit alive.

Timeline of High’s Houses

Epilogue: Six Colours, One School

Each house’s banner tells a piece of High’s story — the first students who opened the gates, the headmasters who shaped the culture, the Old Boys who kept the union strong.

Together, they represent the living continuity of Sydney High, where every generation competes fiercely, sings loudly, and remembers those who came before.

💬 Call for Memories

Were you at High when the new houses were announced?

Do you remember cheering for Gordon or Parkes before 1955?

Recollections of a legendary house rivalry, upset, or carnival moment?

Please leave your comments below or Send your memories to admin@shsobu.org.au.