Mentone Grammar (formerly known as simply The Boys' Grammar in the local community) is an independent, Anglican co-educational grammar day school in Mentone, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
History
Mentone Grammar School was founded on the 3rd of March 1923 by a group of Anglicans who had a high profile in the town, supported by the local Mentone Anglican vicar. Mentone Grammar remained a boys only school until 2006 when the school decided to accept female students. Prior to this, the school hierarchy announced, in July 2005, its co-educational intent after a merger proposal put forth by the Board of Management was rejected by nearby Mentone Girls' Grammar School, its sister school.
The School has adopted a parallel learning approach, where boys and girls are together in coeducational classes from Kindergarten to Year 4, from Year 5-9 the two are separate, and in Year 10, 11 and 12 students are in co-educational (mixed gender) classes again. All year levels are coeducational, except the middle years 5–9, when students learn in single gender classes.
As of 2022, annual fees for a Year 12 student studying at Mentone Grammar were slightly over $30,000.
Heads
Headmasters/Principals
There have been a total of eight Principals (formerly Headmasters) of Mentone Grammar School since the school was founded in 1923. The current Principal of Mentone is Malcolm Cater (since 2007).
Cadet Unit
The Mentone Grammar School Army Cadet Unit (MTGSACU) is an Australian Army Cadets school based unit, founded and operating continuously since 1943. It is part of the 31st Battalion (Melbourne Schools). It once was compulsory in Years 9, 10 and 11, however the emphasis once placed on the cadet unit is no longer fostered. The MTGSACU does not complete the full Recruit Induction Package instead an in-house recruit program and promotion courses are run. This is due to time constraints and frequency of sessions allocated in the school curriculum. Participation remains compulsory for Year 9's. Due to the growth of the school, the Cadet unit (as of 2020) once again has a strength of over 400 Cadets. It Currently has 22 Recruit Platoons, 1 Advanced Platoon and a Headquarters Company. This makes it one of the largest cadet units in Australia. It runs training days throughout the year with an annual camp once a year at the Puckapunyal Military Area.
Sport
The Year 2010 has seen Mentone lure past star sportsmen back to the school to coach winter sports teams. An initiative developed by the past sports-master Andrew Hayes, the idea has already led to success in the winter sport teams, an area where Mentone have struggled before. On Saturday 29 January 2022, Mentone Grammar's Head Prefect Evie Stansby (Year 12) made Mentone Grammar sporting history by becoming the first female to earn a place on our First XI cricket team.
AGSV & AGSV/APS premierships
Mentone Grammar has won the following AGSV & AGSV/APS premierships.
Boys:
Athletics (6) – 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1996
Cricket (10) – 1965, 1966, 1975, 1984, 1986, 1987, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2015
Golf – 2005
Soccer – 1993
Squash (2) – 2001, 2002
Swimming (36) – 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1995, 1996, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Table Tennis (4) – 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008 Tennis (19) – 1961, 1966, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2012, 2016 Volleyball (4) – 2010, 2016, 2018, 2019
Girls:
Athletics – 2019
Cross Country (3) – 2017, 2018, 2019
Swimming (6) – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
Touch Football (6) – 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Notable alumni and staff
Administration
Tim Brailsford, Vice-Chancellor and President of Bond University
Karl Duldig (1902–1986), Austrian-Australian sculptor; art master from 1945-67
Sir Robert Gillman Allen Jackson AC, KCVO, CMG, OBE, OWL, former United Nations administrator
Business
James Riady, Deputy Chairman of the Lippo Group
Entertainment
Lee Cormie, Australian Actor
Jared Daperis, actor
Daniel Daperis, actor
Bill Granger, restaurateur and food writer
Russell Hitchcock, lead singer of soft rock duo Air Supply
Mal Walden, co-anchor of Melbourne's Channel 10 News at 5
Military
Air Vice Marshal Richard Bomball AO AFC, Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy Major General Derek Deighton AO, MBE