Scotch College in the 1920s

Our Archive has recently received a remarkable album of photographs capturing student life during the mid-1920s. 

Comprising of 74 photographs, the photographs were taken by boarder James ‘Jim’ Alfred George Hodgson (OSC 1928). Born on 5 March 1911 in Yealering, Jim started school in February 1923. In 1926 he won the prestigious Gooch Scholarship and was a prized student who sat on many school committees, including the Library Committee, and won numerous awards, including Swanbourne Sunday School scripture prizes, form prizes and Completion of Junior Certificate Exams.

The collection offers a rare glimpse into Jim’s time as a boarding student, depicting school life and the College grounds. Jim captured first-hand adventures of fellow peers arriving at Collegians House in new uniforms for the first day of term, drinking at the water fountain, Boarding House dormitories, classrooms, chemistry laboratories, table tennis competitions, the camaraderie of the first 11 Cricket Team, games on the Playing Fields oval, rowing at the Boatshed, Headmaster Peter Corsar Anderson, visiting military service personnel, seaplanes on the Swan River, Middle School students, and the Maintenance Department located at the very end of the Playing Fields.

 

The album depicts his Boarding friends, including Ronald Gardiner (OSC 1927), Ron S. Bond (OSC 1927), Clarence Daw OAM (OSC 1926), Albert Bailey (OSC 1927), Eric Ferrier (OSC 1928), Alfred ‘John’ Burton (OSC 1927), James S. Davenport (OSC 1930), Oswald Bennett (OSC 1925) and Henry Dale (OSC 1929). Jim’s good friends at school were Oswald Bennett (OSC 1925) and Colin Burnell (OSC 1928).

Jim hails from a family of Old Scotch Collegians including his four brothers Henry ‘Harry’ Hodgson (OSC 1920), William ‘Bill’ Hodgson (OSC 1923), Oliver ‘Noll’ Hodgson (OSC 1931) and Richard ‘Dick’ Hodgson (OSC 1940); his sons Colin Hodgson (OSC 1955) and Brian Hodgson (OSC 1960); his grandson Reid Hodgson (OSC 1986); and many more cousins and nephews.

The album has been kindly donated by Jim’s daughter-in-law Margaret Hodgson.

 

Ms Yasmin McDonald
Archivist