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IDENTITY AND TRADITIONS

STRATEGIC PLANS - IDENTITY AND TRADITIONS

TRADITION

– THE HEART OF EVERYTHING WE DO

Hale School values our Anglican faith and traditions, annually to the Captain of School in honour of fallen
with a deep respect for our School Motto of ‘Duty’, doing soldier Aubrey Hardwicke – to physical landmarks and
what is right and striving always to attain the highest in monuments displayed on campus.
human endeavour. Our motto, along with the School As we respect and nurture these traditions inherited from
Crest and Coat of Arms, were officially adopted in 1919 our forefathers as reminders that define our past, we also
and continue today to underpin the very spirit and recognise the need to continue pursuing new frontiers
identity of Hale School.
with confidence. New traditions, including the annual
We celebrate our traditions with pride as they are the Commencement Ceremony introduced in 2019 and
fabric that unite our students past and present, staff and Founder’s Day introduced in 2020, will continue to create
families into one community. Traditions, many of which memories, passed along from generation to generation.
are unconscious, inherited activities, reinforce our core Aptly, the gift presented to the School at the 2022
values and provide opportunities for students to celebrate Valedictory Assembly by the Year 12 leavers was the
their personal best. Our graduates have played a
prominent and integral role in the governance and dedication and display of the statuette of Bishop Hale as
development of Western Australia, and we proudly a symbolic part of the Hale School journey. The intent is
acknowledge there are few schools that can attest to to forge a new tradition where all boys are invited to
having students with a five-generational family acknowledge Bishop Hale at the Commencement
connection. Ceremony at the start of each year, signifying the
beginning of their own journey through Hale, and again
Some of our well-known traditions at on their departure at Year 12 Valedictory night.
Hale School date back many years The statuette depicts Bishop Hale with a
and are celebrated in a key in his left hand, about to open the
multitude of ways. From the doors to The Cloisters, the original site
Haleian school magazine, of the School. His right hand is
the Cygnet yearbook (first extended in a welcoming gesture.
published in March 1879),
to events such as Old Originally donated to the School in
Boys’ Day and rituals 2008, it is modelled on the original
undertaken during events statue of Bishop Hale located in
– such as the recognition front of The Cloisters building on St
of the oldest Old Boy in Georges Terrace, commissioned by
attendance at Old Boys’ Day, the Old Haleians’ Association and
or the Aubrey Hardwicke created by sculptor Greg James.
Memorial Prize awarded

A JEWEL IN THE ARCHIVES

COLLECTION

The Bishop Hale prayer kneeler is a true treasure of the School’s archival collection. It was used
by Bishop Hale for private devotional use when he lived at Bishop’s House on St Georges Terrace
and was left behind with his household furniture when he departed for Brisbane in 1875. The
prayer kneeler, or prie-dieu, dates from the mid-1800s and was entirely hand carved. Often prayer
kneelers have a thin sloping shelf for books or hands, however this has a padded arm rest to
provide support during the often-long prayer sessions.

Bishop Hale’s kneeler has recently undergone further preservation and restoration work carried out
by furniture restorer Marco Pansini. In line with the restoration, Old Haleian Brian Seale (1963-65)
has generously purchased a protective display casing to showcase the kneeler at Hale School.

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