Geelong Grammar School

Geelong Grammar School is an independent Anglican co-educational boarding and day school. The school was established in 1855 under the auspices of the Church of England. It  has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1,500 students from Pre-school to Year 12, including 800 boarders from Years 5 to 12.

Within the recent past, the school has been involved in many controversies and allegations involving child sexual abuse. Six former staff members at the school have been convicted or are facing charges of child sex offences. They include the following:

• Graham Leslie Dennis

• John Hamilton Buckley

• John Fitzroy Clive Harvey (known as Jonathan Harvey)

• Philippe Trutmann

• Stefan Van Vuuren; and

• David Brian Mackey.

In June 2019, David Brian Mackey, who was the School’s resident doctor for over 30 years, was facing over 30 charges for the indecent assault of former students between 1968 to 1989.

In 2016, Geelong Grammar was heavily scrutinised by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Case Study No. 32 -  The response of Geelong Grammar School to allegations of child sexual abuse of former students. In short, the Royal Commission found the following systemic issues with the School:

• understanding the scope and impact of child sexual abuse;

• responding to concerns, allegations and incidents of child sexual abuse;

• monitoring and oversight of effectiveness of and compliance with school policies;

• reporting, regulating and overseen staff working with children;

• providing arrangements within school to prevent child sexual abuse;

• problems with record-keeping of any complaint dealing with sexual abuse.

We invite former victims of sexual abuse at Geelong Grammar School to tell us confidentially what information they may have, and we will explain what options are available to help with these cases.

Call us or complete the confidential enquiry form below.