ARCHIVES
MR PAUL MISHURA SCHOOL ARCHIVIST
HOW SCOTCH HAS WELCOMED ONE AND ALL
SCOTCH HAS ALWAYS WELCOMED STUDENTS OF ALL RELIGIONS
ABOVE FROM LEFT : ZELMAN COWEN , JOHN MONASH , ALEXANDER MORRISON . TOP RIGHT : JOHN CADE ( LEFT , IN SCOTCH BLAZER ) BROTHER FRANCIS ( MIDDLE , IN MGS BLAZER AND CAP ), AND ( RIGHT ) THE BOYS ' FATHER , DR DAVID DUNCAN CADE , WHO ALSO ATTENDED MGS . FAR RIGHT : EXCERPT FROM THE XAVERIAN , 1903
Stemming from its egalitarian Enlightenment origins , Scotch has accepted students of every ( or no ) religion . Although the enrolment records before 3 August 1857 ( when Alexander Morrison arrived as second Principal ) are lost , those since then have usually recorded a boy ’ s religion , giving us an insight into the religious make-up of Scotch over time .
The records from 1857 show that there were Jewish boys at Scotch . By the 1860s Hebrew was being taught at Scotch , with 27 Jewish boys learning it in 1872 . Several of Scotch ’ s greatest sons were Jewish , with ( the later Sir ) John Monash ( born 27.6.1865 , SC 1877-81 , died 8.10.1931 ) choosing Scotch over Wesley College ( which many Jewish people also attended ) and Melbourne Grammar School . He recalled never experiencing any discrimination at Scotch , which he remained close to , until his death .
The future Governor-General , Sir Zelman Cowen ( born 7.10.1919 , SC 1932-35 , died 8.12.2011 ) was famously forbidden by his parents to take up a scholarship to Geelong Grammar School because it insisted that he must attend chapel . One of Scotch ’ s competitors had a Jewish quota that resulted in even the sons of multigenerational families being refused entry when the quota was exceeded – so they came to Scotch .
Roman Catholic boys have attended Scotch since before 1857 , with Nicholas Punch ( born 6.10.1843 , SC 1857-59 , died 22.2.1866 ) playing in the 1858 1st XI , and 61 Catholic boys playing in the 1st XVIII since 1864 . At least 25 Catholic boys have been shared with
Xavier College and 20 with St Kevin ’ s College . After Principal Alexander Morrison died on
31 May 1903 , Xavier boys joined his funeral cortege to the Boroondara Cemetery , showing the esteem in which Morrison was held by Xavier ’ s Rector [ Principal ], Father Patrick Keating SJ , his dear friend , and the boys . In the 1903 edition of Xavier ’ s magazine , The Xaverian , the boys wrote : ‘ We were all very sorry to hear of the death of Dr Morrison , of Scotch College , one whom all schoolboys respected so much , and whom we of Xavier College had always looked upon as a friend .’
Some families have changed schools in different generations . The Cade family dates back to 1851 at Scotch ; the second generation attended MGS , and the third generation attended MGS and Scotch , with Dr John Frederick Joseph Cade AO ( born 18.1.1912 , SC 1925-28 , died 16.11.1980 ) perhaps Scotch ’ s most notable Catholic student . He discovered the use of lithium to treat bipolar disorder . John ’ s sons attended Xavier ; his grandsons attended Scotch . There are more Catholics at Scotch now than at any other time .
The 4486 boys entered in Scotch ’ s Register from 1857 to 1903 were Anglican , Apostolic Church members , Baptist , Bible Christian , Catholic , Christian Brethren , Church of Christ , Congregationalist , Independent , Jewish , Lutheran , Methodist , Plymouth Brethren , Presbyterian , Protestant and Unitarian .
Since then , there has been even greater religious diversity , including atheists , agnostics , Buddhists , Confucianists , Hindus , Jehovah ’ s Witnesses , Muslims , various Orthodox Christians and Salvation Army members . Concurrently , far more are declining to name a religion , or else state that they have no religion . All have combined to continue the egalitarian tradition for which Scotch is renowned .
98 Great Scot Issue 168 – May 2023