Founding Principal of Glengarry, Mr Graeme Renney, believed that immersing boys in nature would shape them in unique ways, setting Scots boys apart.

Decades later, his vision has proven true. As most Scots Old Boys who have experienced Glengarry – as students or fathers – will attest, it was the transformative moment in their Scots journey when they truly stepped into young manhood.

“I always remember the boy we sent to Glengarry returned home a more mature and independent young man,” said Tony Le Brun (’52), father of Ben Le Brun (’93).

The day-to-day life at Glengarry hasn’t changed dramatically, Head of Glengarry, Mr Tony Banks, says. “We’ll always provide boys with opportunities to seek adventure throughout the program on a regular basis. One of the greatest challenges the boys will always have is learning to live with a group of people who are different to them, whether that be different values and beliefs or simply living habits.”

The boys learn tolerance, compassion and compromise. “I’ve discovered a lot about myself. How I can live with other people, which I didn’t really know before,” George Petrohilos (’16) said after completing The Long Journey Home in 2013.

Current Glengarry English Teacher and Old Boy, Paul Bevis (’00) agrees. “One of the key virtues I learnt about myself was compassion for others as I was living with people from all walks of life. Some boys had divorced parents, some boys didn’t have family in the country, so it made me think about being in other people’s shoes.”

For 13 and 14-year-old boys, time away from family and friends is a big challenge. “I probably spent the first few weeks in shell shock being away from home and having to fend for myself. But the camaraderie and friendship with all the boys helped immensely,” says Ben Le Brun (’93).

Paul Bevis (’00) knows this first-hand, now as an English Teacher and Dorm Master at Glengarry, 27 years after his time in Kangaroo Valley, and he feels strongly about helping boys through this transition:

“I take the role of ‘loco parentis’ very seriously, supporting the boys like their parents would. When I was at Glengarry, the relationship with staff, outside the classroom, is what surprised me most about the experience. I found out that teachers are human too, and that’s what I try to remember, now I’m a Dorm Master.”

Most Old Boys would agree, the impact of Glengarry grows on you with time. Ben Le Brun (’93): “Looking back now, Glengarry was a rite of passage that I remember very fondly. I can’t believe it has been nearly 35 years!”

Thankfully, the boys’ time at Glengarry is not one of those occasions where, as George Bernard Shaw says, “youth is wasted on the young.” The telling moment is the morning of The Long Journey Home, when the boys share their feelings on their time at Glengarry coming to an end.

The common theme, almost unanimously shared every intake, is that they can’t believe it went by so fast. “It’s scary to think how fast it’s gone,” said Tom Jensen (’16) in The Long Journey Home video of 2013. “It feels pretty hard, knowing Glengarry is already over,” Andreas Thoma (’16) said later that same day.

This must be the ultimate sign of someone enjoying themselves. As they say, “time flies when you’re having fun.”

In response to the devastation caused by the 2019 bushfires, the College embarked on a new Master Plan for the Glengarry campus, centred around the construction of three new, modern dormitories.

Each dormitory will accommodate up to 40 students and include two staff quarters and four classrooms, all located further up the Glengarry ridgeline within the new bushfire safety zone. New facilities will secure Glengarry as a leading outdoor education campus

To view the detailed Master Plan or learn about how you can be involved in the ongoing development of Glengarry, click here