2025 HOUSE CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED

We are pleased to announce and congratulate our House Captains for 2025.

The quality of nominations was so high that we had to go with Joint Captains for some age groups, as we couldn't seperate them.

For at least 90 years (1934 is the earliest year we've found records of then-called "House Officials"), this prestigious role has been part of W.H.S culture. You are all now part of our school's history, and sit on our updated all time Honour Board (attached) which will soon be on our school's website.

Thank you to everyone that nominated.

There was some serious talent elected this year.

Ovens boasts one of the strongest House Captain line-up of Year 12s in recent memory. There are 12 Age Group Championship medals total (Swimming and Athletics combined) between Tom Ford (7), Ned O'Kane (2) and Claire Christison (3). Can they lead Ovens to their 1st Swimming title since 2020 when they were in Year 7?

The other 3 Houses also boast Fire Power in their leaders. For King, SeniorsJye Laxton (2), Stevie Driscoll (4), Milly O'Kane (4)and Lillian Hooper (3), boast 13 Age Group medals between them. Merriwa are stacked at Year 9 - Leo Woodburne (2). Clarence Lampa (1), Inanay Gilson (2) and Ruby O'Kane (2) already have 7 between them in just 2 years. Wareena have 5 Age Group Medals in their Captain ranks - James Chisholm (2), Jada Ryan (1), Angus Fraser (1) and Imogen Robinson (1).

Some very significant Family Legacies have been continued this year.

All 3 O'Kane siblings are on the Board this year - Ned, Milly and Ruby. They continue a strong Family Legacy with mum Kaye and uncle Harry Hildebrand (and aunt Sally Benson last year) both ex-students and current staff members. They are the 1st family to ever have 3 siblings serve as House Captain in the same year.

Other pairs of siblings for 2025 include Tom and Katiy Ford, Clare and Erin Collins, Jedda and Stevie Driscoll,  James and Anthony Chisholm, Asher and Cooper Hardman, Isaac and Imogen Robinson, Michelle and Angela Keenan and Year 7s Ollie and Evie Fisher.

Lucy Williamson becomes Senior Captain of Wareena, just as her famous father Scott was in both 1987 and 1988. One of our all-time greats, Scott holds a total 5 Age Group Champion Medals (1 Athletics, 4 Swimming), plus was a member of our 1987 Herald Cup Title winning Football team, and was later drafted to two AFL teams, West Coast (1988) and Melbourne (1990), and was a 1987 Prefect. Both of Lucy's siblings were House Captains - Ky (King, 2014, 2019) and Bree (Wareena, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020). For good measure, her uncle Brett (King) and aunt Marni (Merriwa) also had the role. There may not be another family that have had such a number. Brett also played in a Herald Sun Title Football team (1985) and Marni, one of our State Netball Title winning teams (1986).

Many of our incoming Year 7s continue their family's legacies.

Several of them join their older siblings on the Honour Board. Olive Meggs joins her sister Ellie, Michelle Keenan her sister Angela. and Joah Van Bergen his brother Edan. 

Other older 1st-time House Captains do the same - Angus Fraser joining his brother Andrew, Inanay Gilson her brother Wirra, Miley Adamo her brother Jayden, and Mia Simpson her brother Will.

Others named also have siblings on the Board. Thomas Fieldew and sister Ella Stephens (both Ovens), the Driscoll sisters and brother Keahn, the Chisholm brothers and brother Vincent, Jaymie Law and sister Rikki, and Emilio Miliankos-King and sister Kalika.

Remarkably, new Year 7s Ollie Fisher (Merriwa) and Evie Fisher (Wareena) complete 3 Generations of House Captains at our school. Their father Joel Fisher (King Junior - 1996), and grandparents Brian Fisher (King Senior in 1970 and 1971) and his future wife Sue Barry (OvensSenior in 1971) all held the role. For good measure, their grandfather on mum's side, Geoff Gourley, was an Athletics champion and record breaker at the Wangaratta Technical School, Brian was also our Head Boy Prefect in 1971, and their uncle Todd also was a House Captain (Merriwa Senior, 1997).

They are the only 3-Generation family to have held the role, as far as I can see on the Honour Board. If anybody can see others, let me know.

Interestingly, the Fisher family hold another unique record. All 3 of Brian & Sue's sons played in a State Championship or Herald Cup school Football team during their schooling. Todd played in the 1994 Intermediate State Title team that beat Swan Hill College by 33 points. Joel was in the 1999 Senior Herald Cup Title team that beat Ballarat High School by 53 points at Waverly Park, even without best player Jon McCormick who would go on to play 26 AFL games for Carlton. That same year, Jordan played in the Intermediate State Title team that beat Kyabram Secondary College by 3 33 points. Joel was also in the Year 8 State Runner-Up team which lost the Sate Final by 8 points.

They are the only trio of our brothers to have ever achieved that feat in Football.

Year 7 Macy Boschetti is another to contiunue a rich Family Legacy. Both of her grandparents, who like the Fishers were High School Sweethearts, were Senior House Captains (and Prefects, with Vicki the Head Girl) in the same year - grandfather Leigh Hartwig (King) and grandmother Vicki Ryan (Ovens) in 1972. Amazingly, that was just just one year after Brian & Sue Fisher. Now 53 years later these 3 grandchildren come to us at the same time.

Leigh & Vicki were both also Junior Captains in 1969, and Leigh's sister Gretchen Hartwig was Senior House Captain for King in 1972. Fittingly, Macy leads Ovens, as did her grandmother. 

Macy's Sport links don't end there. The Hartwigs are one of only 3 families to have 3 siblings (Leigh who won 6 straight, Gretchen and Sharee) win an Athletics Age Group Championship. On top of this, uncle Tyson Hartwig still holds 2 Upper Hume Track & Field records (16 Boys Shot Put from 2003 - 14.23m, and a 17 Boys 4x100m Relay from 2005) and won a State Gold medal in the 4x100m Relay.Aunt Teegan Hartwig was part one of our State Championship Volleyball teams, and on the academic side of things, was our Dux in 2001.

On top of this, Gretchen and Sharee both made an Under 16 State Netball team (as did, incredibly, a 3rd sister Janelle who attended Wangaratta Technical School), Vicki played for an Australia Netball team that toured New Zealdn, and Leigh won 5 Senior O&M Football Premierships (the equal-most ever of any W.H.S student alongside Barry Cook) for the Wangaratta Rovers. Tyson made an Under 16 State Volleyball team (winning the National Championships) in 2003, and in Football, was a Murray Bushranger, Wangaratta Rovers Senior Captain, and a Country Championships All-Australian Full Back.

And although he didn't attend W.H.S, it's worth mentioning Macy's great grandfather, Rex Hartwig. He's the legendary Tennis player that made two Grand Slam Singles Finals (US Open 1954, Australian Open 1954) and twice won the Doubles Title at Wimbeldon (1953, 1954). Some genetics.

Juddy

Sport Coordinator