Hundreds of distinguished alumni turn up for Newington vote

High-profile people have turned up to a meeting of Sydney private school old boys, as the warring over Newington school’s governance and its move to coeducation continues.

Parents campaigning against Newington College's controversial decision to go co-ed at the prestigious secondary school. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

More than 1000 people have turned up to a meeting of Sydney private school old boys, which was set to vote on a motion of “no confidence” in their own representatives, the headmaster and the school council, in the continuing war over Newington College’s governance and its move to coeducation.

Pollsters had to delay the vote at the Old Newingtonians’ Union (ONU) special general meeting for about an hour on Wednesday night to print out more ballot papers, as old boys’ of the Stanmore school, some of whom had flown in from out-of-state, queued out the door of the Pitt Street conference centre. Ex-Fortescue executive Peter Thomas was believed to be in attendance.

It is understood the pollsters printed about 300 ballot papers, underestimating the passion of the alumni.

A defiant faction of at least 20 old boys, described by the council as a “discrete group within the alumni community”, forced the general meeting two weeks ago to put the old boys’ faith in the current leadership to the test, as well as pushing for the ONU council to reverse the transition to coeducation by any available means.

Queue of old boys waiting to vote in the special general meeting on Wednesday.

In a last-minute bid to seemingly stop the votes, the ONU Secretary told members they had engaged a senior counsel and external firm to review the five motions which included a general declaration of “no confidence” in the ONU Council, in the Council of Newington College, and the current headmaster of Newington College, Mr Michael Parker, and they were “deemed invalid”.

Instead, the email said, alumni will vote on Resolution 1, which was a no-confidence vote against the ONU Council, as a plebiscite, rather than a formal resolution.

“If the plebiscite indicates a majority has no confidence in the current ONU Council, the ONU Executive will initiate steps for a new ONU Council election to be held as soon as feasibly possible,” the email by the ONU executive stated.

It added the ONU Executive “wishes to bring this disruptive issue to a close”.

However, the ONU, just ahead of the vote on Wednesday night, agreed to allow all the original motions to be voted on.

The choice to use last-minute “legal tactics”, however, further enraged some old boys, who said the process needed to be democratic.

Save Newington, a group of Newington parents and old boys trying to reverse the coeducation decision, said in an email to members following the ONU’s legal revelation, “Our VOTES and VOICE will be heard; and We will NOT be silenced”.

“WE NEED YOU AT THE SGM MORE THAN EVER – STAND WITH US!” Save Newington wrote.

The group were putting forward John Venetoulis for ONU President.

One of the “requisitioners” who brought the special general meeting wrote to ONU Secretary Matt Hyne on Wednesday concerned with the legal tactics, and said “I implore you to do everything in your power to ensure the democratic process which has been requisitioned by the Requisitioners be facilitated tonight in a completely transparent manner.”

The special general meeting went into overtime and ended unresolved. The sheer volume of votes cast forced the ONU executive to declare ballots would be counted overnight with scrutineers watching on, leaving the result to be announced on Thursday.