Commonly abbreviated to "Tommy".
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"Tommy Atkins": n. 1. any private of the British Army.
2. the rank and file collectively [a familiar name for the typical
British soldier, arising out of the use of the name Thomas Atkins
in specimen forms given in official regulations from 1815.] Commonly abbreviated to "Tommy". |
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" After twenty-one years in charge of this School, the ruthless hand of Time--and Public Service regulations--necessitated the retirement of Mr.Atkins from his post as Headmaster in December, 1933. This was followed by a few months as Acting Inspector and a final retirement from the Public Service in May, 1934.
It is given to very few to have the privilege of starting a School such as this, and to see it grow through all stages up to the big institution familiar to the present generation of students. The real "Atkins Memorial" is, however, the abiding respect and affection of the thousands who have passed through the School in those years and are now filling their place in the world all the better for his influence-whether through close personal contact or through the atmosphere created by his kindly and considerate rule.
Other Headmasters have sought success by considering the pupils as part of a big machine, the success of which is all-important: Mr.Atkins always strove--usually with success--to consider the interests of the individual pupil.
Few who passed through the School will not sometimes remember the often-quoted theme: "The result of the game is not important: It is playing in the right spirit that counts."
Perhaps the staff will remember better how frequently Mr.Atkins used to say: "Ah, well! our judgement is very partial, since we do not know all the facts."
W.L.Atkins entered the Department of Public Instruction as a pupil teacher in 1885, and served first at Blackfriars, then at Bathurst, which was already familiar by reason of schooldays spent at All Saints' College. Thence he obtained a scholarship to the Teachers' College in 1890. Next came University days, in which first-class honours were obtained in French, Latin and Philosophy. Mr Atkins gained the Bowman-Cameron Scholarship for General Proficiency and was prox. acc.(1) to the Medallist in Philosophy.
Then followed service in Paddington, Balmain, Pitt Row and Granville Schools, and in 1901 a period of eleven years on the staff of Sydney Boys' High School. In November 1911, Mr.Atkins was placed in charge of Parramatta District School, from which developed Parramatta High School, first in the Macquarie Hall then (1915) in the building erected in a corner of the Park, and which, with various additions, has been the home of succeeding generations of High School students. "
" OUR LATE HEADMASTER
To those of us who knew him, the news of the death of our retired headmaster came as an unpleasant shock, coming as it did scarcely a year after his farewell to the school.
As the years pass, old traditions of the school die out and new ones take their place, but we hope that the spirit instilled into students, past and present, by Mr.Atkins will be passed down to make Parramatta High School a living memorial to its founder...
...One would seek far and long for a Headmaster so well-liked, yet so respected as was "Tommy Atkins"-he will always be affectionately remembered by this name among the many hundreds of girls and boys who were moulded into man- and womanhood under his influence. "
(1) Proximae Accessit (or Accessereunt):
[L.] He (or they) came very near; applied to students in a prize-list below the very
highest.
Strangely enough, no explanation of this expression was considered necessary
in the 1935 edition of the School Magazine.