Bunbury Senior High School > Records

Wollaston Totem

« Prev Item Next Item »

2024

Subcollections

Factions and Houses

Overview

The Wollaston totem featuring mascot Mamang/Whales.

Historical information

At the beginning of 1923 Bunbury High school was divided into three factions:

Blue
Gold
Red

The factions participated in fund raising, cricket, football, tennis, swimming and athletics. This system was carried on throughout the cricket season and several weeks into the football season.

The three faction arrangement was unsatisfactory for team sports as one team was not able to participate each week due to the odd number of factions. As a result the three factions became four. The fourth faction was called the Kingia after the school emblem. The faction's colour "green" was chosen by the faction itself.

Circa 1962 the factions were given identities that recognised people who had played significant roles in the development of the school, Bunbury or the state. At the same time the term "faction" was replaced by "house".

Wollaston (Blue) - John Ramsden Wollaston
Clifton (Gold) - Marshall Waller Clifton
Forrest (Green) - John Forrest
Mitchell (Red) - James Mitchell

In 1968 large banners were designed by each house. The Kingia banner was designed with help of Nellie Fowler, Principal Mistress. The Mitchell banner was designed by Laraine McGarry. The Mitchell mascot "Hot Stuff" was designed by the fourth and fifth year girls.

In the fourth term 2023 members of each house chose a mascot. The name for each mascot has meaning in the Wardandi Noongar language and holds significance to the South West and broader Australian ecosystems.

In 2024, the animal artwork was designed by talented local indigenous artist Summer Bennell.