The Southport School


The Southport School is an independent Anglican early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school for boys, located in Southport, a suburb on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia.
Established in 1901 by Horace Henry Dixon, TSS is the oldest Anglican boys' boarding school in Queensland and the only all-boys boarding school on the Gold Coast. The school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1305 students from early learning to Year 12, including 276 boarders from Years 7 to 12.
The school is affiliated with the Australian Boarding Schools Association, the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia, the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia, Independent Schools Queensland, and has been a member of the Great Public Schools Association of Queensland since 1920.

History

The Southport School was established in 1901 by The Rt Revd Horace Dixon. The land was originally owned by Benjamin and Ann Spendelove. The Spendelove family continued to make a contribution to the school, providing boxing coaching for many years.
The first boarding houses were established in 1907 and 1908.
The Southport School has the oldest school boat club in Queensland, having founded its boatshed in 1907.

Headmasters

PeriodDetailsNotes
1901–1929Rt. Horace Henry Dixon
1930–1935Bertram George Lawrance
1936–1940Verney Lovett Johnstone
1941–1950John Norman Radcliffe
1950–1971Cecil Garton Pearce
1972–1987John Henry Day
1988–2003Bruce Alexander Cook
2004–2020Greg Wain

House system

As with most Australian schools, The Southport School utilises a house system. The Senior School is divided vertically into the twelve houses: eight day boy houses and four boarding houses. The Preparatory School is divided into four houses. The Senior Houses are:
NameDay/boardingColours
AtkinsonDay
BiddleBoarding
DelprattBoarding
KaiserDay
MaughanDay
McKinleyBoarding
MelbourneDay
RadcliffeDay
SurmanDay
ThoroldBoarding
TurnockDay
WalkerDay
RogersBoarding year 7 only
MusgravePrep-day
ShepherdPrep-day
DixonPrep-day
MitrePrep-day

The three original houses – Dellpratt, MicKinley and Thorold – were founded in 1909, 1909 and 1908, respectively. The inaugural house shield competition was held in 1910, won by MicKinley. The additional day houses were added in the 1970s and 1980s, and the fourth boarding house, Biddle, added in 1988. The most successful house in the House Shield competition has been Thorold House, achieving its 40th House Shield victory in 2014; MicKinley had won 31 house shields and Dellpratt 21 as of 2014.

Sport

TSS has a strong sporting tradition and over the years has produced many Australian and international athletes of note. The school currently offers the following activities to its students: basketball, chess, cricket, cross country, debating, soccer, gymnastics, rowing, rugby, swimming, sailing, tennis and track and field. TSS has been a member of the Great Public Schools' Association Inc since 1920. The school has achieved many sporting premierships during its membership.
GPS Premierships :
Associated Schools Championships:
The Old Southportonians Association is the alumni organisation for Old Boys of the school. The OSA celebrated its 100 years as a recognised body in 2007.

Student exchange program

The Southport School is a member of Round Square and as such has an extensive network of partner schools with which it performs many student exchanges. TSS is involved in a student exchange program with the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States; and with Collingwood School in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Pacific Cable Station

The Pacific Cable Station was relocated to the school in 1982. Largely untouched from its original form, the station is now a heritage listed building and serves as the school's music department.