By Ryan Low
As we look back on the outgoing Class of 2025, we welcome the Class of 2026 and the latest ideas of leadership they will bring. While still holding onto traditions of excellence; the new house captains look to envision supportive, inviting, and safe house areas, to allow students to strive for shared success. We asked them who they are and what they want to achieve as a leader.
For the article on the house captains of 2025, please see here.
Bavin – Peter Farah
I am Peter Farah and am honoured to represent Bavin as House Captain for 2025/2026. I joined Newington in Year 3 at Wyvern House, and over my time, have grown to appreciate many facets of our schooling life – particularly debating, parliamentary competitions, and humanities subjects. Most of all, I have valued the sense of belonging and purpose that house groups provide and wish to see this manifested across our diverse Bavin community.
Alongside our vice-captains, Alex Phemister, and Andrei Leed, I hope to cultivate an inclusive and supportive environment within Bavin, where all members feel they can actively contribute and be appreciated. Further, we wish to provide guidance as leaders, but also interweave leadership qualities within all individuals, so that they too can uphold the Newington virtues of great hearts and strong wings that should be prioritised.
I greatly look forward to the year ahead, in which a vast array of opportunities can allow myself and all Bavin students alike to experience a meaningful leadership platform, providing the capabilities to make positive change within our house.
Clunies Ross – Rhys Howard-Jones
I’m Rhys Howard-Jones and together with the Clunies Ross House Vice-Captains Hugo Kilborn and Noah Gonsalves we hope to celebrate the strong and supportive community we have within Clunies Ross.
Our Year 12 cohort aims to continue being leaders, not just of the House, but also of the school, in the footsteps of past Clurossian Senior Prefects, Drama Captains, Music Leaders, and sportsmen. As House Leaders, we hope to ensure that each and every boy continues to feel supported and seen by their Year 12 leaders.
Our House culture is defined by the connections throughout the House and we hope to keep these as strong as ever over the coming year and make Clunies Ross true leaders of the school.
Cooper – Utsav Panta
Hi, my name is Utsav, the new House Captain for Cooper House in 2025. I joined the school in Year 7, and I’m currently an IB student who particularly enjoys Sports Science and Spanish, and I love playing football, basketball and swimming.
Alongside my wonderful leadership team with Tom Wilson-Brown and Max Vicars, we aim to foster a culture of kindness, gratitude, service and connection within Cooper House. Together, we aim to build on from our previous leadership group in forging a stronger sense of camaraderie within the House, where boys celebrate each other’s successes and are there for each other in tougher times. Our initiatives for our house are so extensive that we could be here all day, from simple ideas such as a portable ping pong set to reshaping who we are as a house. And of course, after a terrific top 5 placing at the 2025 Winter House Comp, we aim to take Cooper to great places at our annual House Competitions. With the addition of Ms Nicholas as the newly appointed Head of Cooper, our leadership team is eager to take Cooper to greater heights than before; to ensure all our boys have a more enjoyable college experience. I also personally hope to leave a lasting impact on each of our boys, an impact that will last even once we have graduated.
Fletcher – Henry Ryan
Hello, I’m Henry and I am the Captain of Fletcher for 2026. I’m really excited to be leading the house, and I want to prioritise being approachable, inclusive, and motivating; someone who not only leads by example but also lifts others up and encourages everyone to get involved with all aspects of Fletcher-life, regardless of their strengths or interests.
Gilligan – Isaac Trpezanovski
Hello, I’m Isaac Trpezanovski, the new House Captain of Gilligan for 2026. From the beginning of my journey in Grade 5, I’ve been introduced to the value of connection and community in the house area. These values as lived by the previous year 12s, inspired me to run for House Captain allowing me to continue building on the platform and being there for the boys of Gilligan house.
For the next 12 months, (alongside my enthusiastic and dedicated Vice Captains Liam & Hugo), we intend to expand on the values of community and connection within the house area. By the introduction of the new revamped vertical groups and a focus on teamwork, we hope to see great success throughout the year. However, it doesn’t just come from the leaders. Gilligan house has seen great results from the interactions the current year 12s have with the younger years, further building on the power of connection. I’m looking forward to a wonderful year ahead, working closely with the boys that shape the house to what it is.
Johnstone – Harry Whitaker
Hi, my name is Harry Whitaker, and I am proud to be the house Captain of Johnstone for 2026. Myself, Petar Acic and Alex Mckirdy have created our house motto ‘Small acts, Strong bonds’, which encompasses the daily interactions with in the house and respectful manner in which we conduct ourselves to promoted longlasting and meaningful connections.
Personally, I want to build on the theme of connection left by previous Johnstone Captains, through creative use of the Vertical system, as well as the buddies system. My team and I believe this will continue feelings of support, safety, and comfort, just with our own unique spin on things. We are so excited for the Year ahead and are already planning some initiatives for the upcoming weeks!
Kelynack – William Balding
Hi, I’m Will Balding, the Kelynack House Captain for 2026. I joined the school in Year 5 and have loved being part of the community ever since. Outside of school, I’m passionate about sports, especially golf and rugby. I play rugby in the winter and touch rugby in the summer. I’m also a huge Parramatta Eels supporter in the NRL and New York Knicks fan in the NBA.
During my captaincy, I aim to foster a strong sense of culture and brotherhood within Kelynack, where students from all year groups feel comfortable connecting and working together. By building this inclusive and supportive community, I hope we can perform better in House Competition Days and restore Kelynack’s dominance in House Singing.
Le Couteur – Angus Edwards
My name is Angus Edwards and I am the Le Couteur house captain for 2025/26. I joined Newington in year 7 and have gotten myself involved across multiple disciplines that the college has to offer. Whether it’s on the sporting field, playing rugby, water polo, swimming or rowing, or if it’s in other aspects such as plays, musicals, bands, service learning or cadets, Newington has provided me with a variety of exciting opportunities. As a house captain, I am honoured to have the opportunity to lead my house and am ready take on all the responsibilities that come with my role. The goals for this year is to bring all year groups together, create opportunities for boys to try new things, and to maintain a strong and disciplined house culture.
Mackay – Tristan Holmes
I’m Tristan and I’m the 2026 Mackay House Captain, alongside our vice captains Theo Downing and Liam Mitchell-Zancanaro. I’m also the 2026 Drama Captain as well, which is a good segue way into my hobbies. I love music and drama, and I’ve been very involved in those Newington communities. I feel very strongly about getting support and representation for all Newington communities, which is something I hope I can bring into the changes and legacy of our cohort. I also participate in debating, cinearts, rock bands, theatre sports, and service. I hope to achieve a sense of community, not only in Mackay, but also schoolwide – something I believe will occur after community is built in houses – and also a culture of school-wide support to all facets of our college’s culture, getting fair representation and support. I look forward to the changes our cohort can make and the legacy we can leave, working together going into next year.
Manton – Miles Jenkinson
My name’s Miles Jenkinson, and I’m the Manton House Captain for 2026, alongside a great team of vice captains with Oli Tri and Adi Nivsarkar. I’m passionate about music and take part in a few rock bands with my mates as a drummer, and I enjoy having a good jam with them. I’m also passionate about Drama and get involved in a few of the productions and musicals around the school, with Theatre also being my favourite subject, as I want to pursue that after school.
I’ve been thinking a lot about what kind of impact I want to make as a house captain, and even more about what Manton’s should improve its culture, and I believe it’s vital that our house communities and locker rooms are always a space for belonging and camaraderie, where boys don’t just stick to their normal social circles. Throughout my final year, I want to strongly encourage the Manton boys to always support and look out for each other, whether that’s during house comp days and house singing, or even just getting to know who’s around them in the locker room. I think I can encourage this kind of environment in Manton through the long-awaited proper revival of the Manton Instagram account, where we can constantly share achievements around the house and funny jokes that allow the boys to feel like they know who else is around their house, also fostering a good sense of community within Manton. Alongside this, I would generally also like to make experiences like house meetings and vertical group activities fun for everyone, making everyone in Manton feel included.
Metcalfe – Sam Rudd
Hi, I am Sam Rudd and have the incredible privilege of being named the Metcalfe House Captain for 2025/26. I joined the College back in 2016 as a Year 2 student at Wyvern House, and while it’s a bit of a cliché, I still can’t quite believe I’m heading into my final year. I’m currently undertaking the HSC course while also being involved in cadets and water polo, two passions that have allowed me to form close connections with boys across different year groups in Metcalfe.
For the coming 12 months, I want to continue building on Metcalfe’s strong trajectory. While many boys measure a house’s success by its performance on competition days or in House Singing, I believe the house system represents much more than that. For Metcalfe, our real strength lies in our tight-knit community, a place where every boy feels genuinely connected to those around him. As House Captain, my goal isn’t to reinvent what already works, but to preserve and build upon it, because Metcalfe’s sense of community is already something exceptional. It’s this genuine connection and shared spirit that define who we are, and my focus is on ensuring that remains at the core of our identity.
Morrison – Jacob Love
I am Jacob Love, the Morrison House Captain for 2026, along with my Vice-captains, Conor Roche and Ben Gray. I am also the Music Captain for 2026. I love playing AFL and Basketball, and you might have seen me out on the Athletics track too.
I try to involve myself in as many aspects of the Newington Community as I can, and for 2026, I want to be able to influence Morrison house to grow into a supportive, welcoming, kind, and competitive house, supporting successes and valuing hard work and dedication in all respective fields. I hope to be remembered not for what I did or achieved, but for the moments when I made people feel safe, joyful and at home.
Moulton – Benjamin Macdessi
I am Ben Macdessi, the 2025/26 Moulton House Captain. I have been at this campus since year 7, and I try to be a part of as much as possible. I have played Basketball, AFL, Soccer, Tennis and Rowing, and am currently in the 9ths Basketball socials team with my mates. I have done lots of cocurricular, like CineArts, Rock Band and Theatre.
Alongside Kiran Ayer (as minds) and Jed Robertson (as wings) we will be captaining the mighty Moulton house. We have one main objective, and that’s to win. But as well as that we want to have fun as a house and encourage lots of connectivity between the boys, through not just their mentors but across the years, to enable more connections. Up the Makos.
Prescott – Isaiah Sheck
My name is Isaiah Ignu Sheck and I am honoured to be the Prescott House Captain for 2026. Alongside me is Theo Hendrikx (1st XVI) and Brandon Foo (House Vice-Captain), we are all looking forward to a great year for the Prescott Bears. A little about myself, I have been at Newington since Yr7 and loved every moment since, during my time I have played Rugby in the winter and Basketball + Touch during the summer. My biggest goal for the year in school is to win the 2026 GPS Rugby Premiership!!! As the Prescott House Captain for 2026, I strive to build comradery and passion within the house, reinforcing a strong connection between all the boys, and to carry this on for future years. This sense of pride in ‘Bleeding Brown’ is what drives our leadership group. Hoping for everyone to have a great year and GO BEARS!!!
Tupou – Dylan Hubbard
Hi, I’m Dylan, Tupou House Captain for 2026. You might know me from around the drama department, cadet unit, or various other co-curricular pursuits.
Together with my Vice Captains, Callum McCartney and Charlie Auld, we’re hoping to bring Tupou more into the spotlight, and highlight the College’s long connection with our brother school, Tupou College. As always, we will strive for excellence in House Singing and aim on getting the long-awaited Tupou bucket hats. We’ve got some fun things planned, so keep your eyes peeled for the lilac and hermit crab.
Whitaker – Willem Teong
I’m Willem Teong, and I have the privilege of being the House Captain of Whitaker for 2026. I am in the 1sts Water Polo team, and I also play rugby and swim. I’m also on the creative side where I enjoy playing the guitar and making film. In my final year of High School, I want to make a lasting impact on my house, where everyone celebrates each other’s achievements across all aspects of the school, whether academics, sport, or co-curriculars. I also want the younger students to feel comfortable in the house space and be able to interact with everyone within the house to build long lasting connections that go beyond the college.