07/07/2026
Today marks 100 years of the Old Geelong Grammarians' New South Wales Branch.
The story began in 1921, when news reached Australia that OGGs in London were establishing their own branch of the Association following a dinner held there in 1920. The initiative sparked interest among alumni in NSW and, five years later, on 7 July 1926, 37 GGS Old Boys gathered at Sydney's Hotel Carlton in Castlereagh Street.
The purpose of the dinner was both a reunion and the formation of a NSW Branch of the OGG Association. A provisional committee was elected, and the evening proved such a success that attendees proposed it become an annual event.
The connection between GGS and NSW stretches back much further than 1926. The first known student from NSW, Charles Webb, enrolled at the School in February 1872. As enrolments expanded across the state, students from the Riverina and beyond helped shape the School community, strengthening friendships, traditions and sporting teams. By 1890, three of the four members of the First IV rowing crew were New South Welshmen.
Just a year after the NSW Branch was established, alumni in the Yea district formed what is now the Riverina and North East Victoria Branch. Today, the OGG network includes six active Australian branches and six international branches, ensuring OGGs remain connected globally. The NSW Branch continues to thrive under the leadership of President Will Wilson (P'78), whose committee carries forward a tradition of connection and community established a century ago.
NSW continues to be home to the largest light blue community outside Victoria, with close to 2,500 OGGs currently living in the state.
As we celebrate this centenary, we thank generations of NSW-based OGGs who have helped build and sustain a strong alumni community over the past 100 years.
📸: Principal, Rebecca Cody, and NSW OGG Branch President, Will Wilson (P'78), earlier this year in Sydney at the celebration to mark the 100th anniversary of the NSW OGG Branch.
