b'A H I S T O R Y O F C O O G E E P R E Plowing again the advice of his mentor, F.V. Pratt, he headed northto the Hunter Valley to spend a year teaching at the old SingletonGrammar School. The following year, he joined the staff of theSydney Preparatory School as an assistant master.ThisBoysPreparatorySchoolwas,inNimmoswords,anindependentschool,preparingboysfortheSydneyGrammarSchool.Itwasfoundedin1897byMissGertrudeRobsoninDouble Bay, first at the property Vectis and later at Brooksby inLowerOceanStreet.AnadvertisementinTheSydneyMailofJanuary6,1904(bywhichtimeitwasknownastheSydneyPreparatory School) assures parents that: The work of the Schoolis examined and reported on annually by the Head Master of theSydney Grammar School and the Master of the Lower School.In 1905, the School was moved to Rose Hall at 184 UpperForbes Street in Darlinghurst (or Darlinghurst Heights, accordingtothepublicnotice).TheRedCrossRecord ofOctober,1915describes the property thus:(a) fine old homestead.beautifully situated on a hill overlooking theHarbour.(having) wide verandahs, large rooms and most conve-nient surrounding. There is a large recreation room, suitable for con-certs etc., a large dining-room, hall (other rooms including) thekitchen and services. On the floor above are five dormitories and twosick bays. There are large grounds, lawn tennis and other games canbe indulged in by the lovers of outdoor amusements. (It has) threeacres of land and big shady trees to sit under. ThishousehadbeenbuiltbyAmbroseHallen,sometimeColonialArchitectandTownSurveyorandbrotherofEdwardHallen, who built the Sydney Grammar School in College Street.Years later, in 1915, the property was acquired by the Red Cross asa convalescent hospital for soldiers returning from the Great War.Then, in 1936, the site was bought by the Australian BroadcastingCommission for its new studios.MissRobsonsassistantteacherwasWilliamFrederickAugustusCalveleyColletonMcEwan,wholivedatRoseHall withhiswife,Mabel.WhenMissRobsonretiredattheendof1907,Mr.McEwan,thenthirtyyearsold,becameHeadmaster.1 5'