Col McCallum Brisbane State High School

Date: About 1928 to 1934
Location: South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Surname/tag: McCallum, Brisbane_State_High_School

Details of Colin McCallum's time at Brisbane State High School covering academic, cultural, leadership and sporting activities.

1929 - 1st Year.

Academic. Student No. 2930, Admitted 28 Jan 1929 Completed High School Entrance: Arithmetic (109/150); Geography (83/100); English (97/150); Overall 72.2% ^[1]

Arts. School choir image ^[2]

Rugby. Third XV image

"D" Grade.-As usual we fielded an "Under fifteen" team, but it was not very successful. Only one or two matches were won, and some were lost by very big margins indeed, namely against B.G.S. and C.E.G.S. McDonald was captain in this grade, but no one showed anything but a decided lack of knowledge of the finer points of the union game. In the former part of the season comment was passed on the varied "colour scheme" of the team, but we are glad to be able to say this fault was remedied before the end ·of the season. ^[3]

1930 – Sub-Junior.

Arts. Choir image Annual Concert. Boys Choir. Performed “Sigh No More, Ladies”, “They Kissed, I Saw Them Do It”, and “After The Rain”.

Athletics . Boys athletics

Cricket. Cricket C Team image. Did not field a B team

Rugby. Football B Team image ^[4]

1931 – Junior 4.

Academic. Successful Senior and Junior Candidates 1931 image ^[5] Achieved Minimum Pass in Junior Public Examination. English (B), Latin (C), French (B), Arithmetic (C), Algebra (A), Geometry (A), Physics (B), Chemistry (B), Geography (A), History (C) ^[6]

Athletics' . Athletics Representatives image, Colin in jacket

Starter in All Schools Events: high jump; broad jump. McCallum got up to 5’ in the high jump. “Blue” to McCallum ^[7] 26 Aug 1931 Annual Sports, Exhibition Grounds: Open Broad Jump McCallum 1st 18’5’’; Open High Jump McCallum 2nd ^[8]

Cricket. Second XI image.

Five from six games were losses, one no show by IGS ^[9]

Rugby. First XV image^[10]

Form Notes. On the sporting side we gained the highest number of points in athletics, winning the coveted shield. Points winners were...McCallum, our invaluable jumper...in cricket...well represented by McCallum...As for football our form contributes to the school team more footballers than any other form and our class succeeded in winning the Inter Junior. McCallum...played for the “A” Team...On the scholastic side our form is above mediocrity....and McCallum are the hardest workers. ^[11]

1932 – Sub-Senior 1. "Medical", undergoes appendidectomy, fractures left metacarpal^[12]

Athletics. “The shield for inter-form competition was one by the Sub-Seniors.” McCallum attended the weekly runs at the Brisbane Cricket Ground. Starter in All Schools Event: broad jump. Jumped (high jump) well to clear 5’4” to just miss third place. “Blue” to McCallum Pp25-26

Cricket. Second XI image

“McCallum, the Captain, will be a fair bowler when he learns to break the ball more. One of the Brothers at the last match could not help remarking how the boys obeyed their Captain on the field.” The Captain did not play in their one win, “You can think what you like about this!”

Rugby. First XV image, Pocket to McCallum.

Form Notes. We have our share of prominent footballers: McCallum, A. Grade; cricketers: McCallum, B. Grade Captain. “but perhaps the greatest event of the year is the Inter-School Athletic Sports. Representing this form in the High School team was McCallum, …entered for the Broad Jump (Open) and High Jump. In the latter, he got through the preliminary jump and obtained a place in the first five. In our own Inter-Form Athletic Sports, we, combined with S.S.2, carried off first place with 62 points.” P38 ^[13]

1933 – Senior 1.

Academic. Prefects image ^[14]

Senior and Junior Scholarships to Teachers’ Training College 1934 Image^[15]

Some of the successful Senior and Junior Examinees, 1933 image.

Colin McCallum listed in: Examination Results, Senior Certificates ^[16] Completed Senior Public Examination, Matriculated for Arts, Science. English (B), Latin (B), French (C), Maths A (B), Maths B (C), Physics (C) ^[17]

Arts. “Lady Gregory’s comedy of Irish Village life, “Spreading the News”, was well staged…, and the young performers well deserved the applause they received.” Cast of “Spreading the News” image ^[18]

Athletics. All Schools’ Athletic Team image

Combined Schools’ Carnival: “In the Open Broad Jump McCallum cleared 21 ft. 4 ins., and in the High Jump the same boy cleared 5 ft. 4 ins.” …”Our team for the All Schools was probably the strongest, as a team, that we have ever fielded, nine different boys contributing points to our score.” …”McCallum must come first in our comments. To jump 20 ft. 4 ins. in the Broad Jump, and then battle on up to 5 ft. 6 ¾ ins. in the High Jump – only to be beaten…, was wonderful; but those of us who knew Mac best, expected something of the kind. His best jump prior to the Sports was 5 ft. 4 ins., but Mac is the sort that rises to the occasion.”

Pocket to McCallum. “In the competition for the Inter-Form Cup at our own school sports, seniors appropriately won… The individual Open Champion went to C. Smith with J. Christensen and C. McCallum together very close behind.”

C. MacCallum image^[19] Annual Athletic Carnival, Good performances. Open Broad Jump McCaullum 1st, 21’2’’; Shot Putt McCallum 2nd; Open High Jump McCallum 1st 5’4’’ ^[20] Fair Standard. Both the girls’ and boys’ events had to be rushed off at the Exhibition Grounds before the hockey players took the field. Open 120 yards Hurdles McCallum 1st 21 ⅘ secs. (in addition to three other events) ^[21] McCallum In Form. “McCallum registered a fine performance at the annual sports of the Brisbane State High School yesterday, when he won the open broad jump at 21ft. 2 ins.,and the high jump with a leap of 5ft. 4ins.” ^[22] “That Queensland is rich in youthful athletic talent was amply demonstrated at the secondary schools’ sports last Saturday ... Graham’s tie for second with McCallum in the open high jump was splendid. They both have distinct possibilities in this direction. The latter did well to score second place with 20 feet 4 inches, in the broad jump.” ^[23] Mayne Harriers Lead in the Queensland Amateur Athletics Association’s inter-club contests for the Ambulance Cup. Pole Vault, Mayne Harriers v Great Public Schools, Col. McCallum tied for 2nd. ^[24]

Rugby. Football 1st XV image. Colour to McCallum.

“C. McCallum was most unfortunately out of the team for most of the season. His clean handling, straight running, and deadly tackling helped us to victory against Terrace and Ipswich.”

Form Notes. “we have footballers … McCallum. …McCallum … represented our school in Athletics^[25]

Sources

1. ↑ Student Record Card, courtesy BSHS Museum
2. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1929, P17
3. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1929, P28
4. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1930, Pp 15, 17, 19, 18
5. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1931, P4
6. ↑ Student Record Card, courtesy BSHS Museum
7. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1931, P20
8. ↑ The Telegraph, 27 Aug 1931, P2, https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/181284550
9. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1931, Pp18, 19
10. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1931, P16
11. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1931, P35
12. ↑ NAA: A13859, 425956 accessed 9 August 2022
13. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1932, Pp 25-26, 22-23, 38
14. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1933, P44 with additional image and student tagging supplied by former student Nell Midgely
15. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1934, P6
16. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1933, Pp 3-4, 9
17. ↑ Student Record Card, courtesy BSHS Museum
18. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1933, Pp12, 13
19. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1933, Pp 31-33
20. ↑ The Telegraph 24 Aug 1933, P2 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180580562
21. ↑ The Telegraph 24 Aug 1933 P11 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/180580531
22. ↑ The Brisbane Courier 25 Aug 1933 P14 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22209330
23. ↑ The Telegraph 22 Sep 1933 P25 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179556914
24. ↑ Sunday Mail 27 Aug 1933, P11 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97708252
25. ↑ Annual Magazine Brisbane State High School, December 1933, Pp 21,22,42