THE COOGEE PREP HOUSE SYSTEM
Coogee Prep has three Houses, each representing a colour in the School crest:
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- Nimmo (Gold)
- McKeown (Black)
- Storey (Blue)
The House system was introduced in 1967 with each House named in honour of an individual who contributed to the early life of Coogee Prep.
Each House has a banner in its respective colour and contains a crest with meaningful images relating to the individual that each House is named after. The School crest appears in each House banner as a reminder of the important role that these people have played in the history of the School.
NIMMO
Nimmo House is named after the founder and first Headmaster of Coogee Prep, Mr William Nimmo who grew up in the Blue Mountains of NSW. He was a scholarly man who had a great love for the law, as well as teaching. A man of great vision, he saw the need to establish an independent preparatory school that would feed into the many large Independent secondary schools in the area, such as The Scots College, Sydney Grammar and Cranbrook. Mr Nimmo was a man of his time – conservative and traditional – who strongly believed that Coogee Prep would produce boys who were Gentlemen, Scholars and Sportsmen.
MCKEOWN
McKeown House is named after Reverend Vernon McKeown, who was the Minister of Randwick Presbyterian Church from1949 to 1967. Reverend McKeown was a friend of Mr Nimmo’s and a supporter of Coogee Prep, conducting services in the Randwick Presbyterian Church and attending to the pastoral needs of the School community. He was of Scottish heritage and had a great love of all sporting codes – in particular rugby.
STOREY
Storey House is named after Lady Ruby Storey, who was a close friend of Mr Nimmo’s and a generous benefactor to the School. She valued highly the gentlemanly behaviour displayed by the Coogee Prep boys’ and would love attending the many assemblies and parent functions held at the school. Lady Storey had a great love of the creative and practical arts. She would enjoy hearing the boys read their stories and conduct debates and public speaking exercises.