School House System
The school house system is based on four houses named after ships that serviced the Clarence community in bygone era.
Sovereign students wear Yellow to represent this house.
The Sovereign was a paddle steamer built in 1841 in Sydney. Weighing 119 tons it worked between Sydney and the Clarence River settlements carrying many different cargoes, including wool from the north west tablelands and ranges of NSW, and passengers from 1842 onwards. The Sovereign was eventually wrecked in the south passage of Moreton Bay, near Brisbane, 11 March 1847 and there was great loss of life.
Induna students wear Blue to represent this house.
The Induna was a single deck steamship built in 1891 in Scotland. Weighing 703 tons, it was built especially for carrying cargo between ports along the African Coast in the waters off South Africa. Induna is, in fact, an African word from the Zulu and Bantu language meaning "chief". By 1904 the Induna was sold to an Australian trading company and was used as a trading ship between New Hebrides, Norfolk Island, Lord Howe Island and Australia. Eventually it was sold to another shipping company in 1920 and then in 1925 to the Railway Department to be fitted as a train ferry to cross the Clarence. When the old Grafton Bridge was finished in 1932 Induna was taken to the south end of the bridge and that is where she still is.
Kallatina students wear Red to represent this house.
The Kallatina was a passenger steamship built of steel in 1890 in Scotland. Weighing 646 tons she had a unique feature of a long slender funnel. She arrived on 2 September 1890 to the Clarence and electric lighting was installed throughout. The Kallatina regularly traveled to and from Sydney with cargo and passengers. On 14 November 1908 the ship was partially sunk in the river at the Grafton wharf after it was believe she struck the wreck of another sunken ship. Between 1908 and 1910 the passenger accommodation was removed and she was entirely given over to cargo. She was then wrecked and sunk in 1912 just north of Woolgoolga. Eventually she was salvaged and towed to Sydney and she traded again for several more years, being sold several times. However in 1931 she was towed to Moreton Island where she was laid to rest to form part of an artificial reef off the end of the island at Tangalooma.
Phoenix students wear Green to represent this house.
This wooden paddle wheeler steamer was built in Sydney 1846. She was named Phoenix because she was fitted with the steam engine from the "Sophia Jane" and therefore sprang from the asked of that vessel. The "Sophia Jane" was known as the first steamer to come from Australia. Weighing 108 tons the Phoenix engines could generate 50 horsepower. Not only did it have huge paddle wheels to generate the steam engines but also had a full set of sails. The Phoenix traveled on the Clarence River and also between the Clarence and Sydney with cargo and passengers. On 14 April 1852 the Phoenix struck the Clarence Bar and swept onto the northern beach near Iluka where she became a total wreck.