The last house of this series; the youngest too. Upham House was opened in early 2003, ranking itself as the newest out of the eight. It’s situated on the most northern side of the school, right next to Snell House – which was only opened two years before.
Upham’s bright sky blue is commonly seen throughout cross country, athletics, and any event that forces houses to make an appearance. Sky blue is linked to themes such as imagination, open-mindness, youth and creativity. The dazzling blue reflects like the sky, similar to its name. It’s a colour that represents freedoms and rights, much like the colour of the United Nations.
“I think sky blue could be a representation of the limitless realm of possibilities for students – we can dream as big as we so please, because our opportunities are as endless and ongoing as the sky itself. That’s what comforts me at least. The idea that the world is my oyster!”
-Lexie Buchanan, Upham House Captain
“Sky blue means imagination and freedom to me.”
-Year 9 Upham student
Upahm House was named after Charles Hazlitt Upham, a decorated soldier from World War II. It was opened by his daughter, Amanda Upham, who dedicated the house to honouring the events that happened during the 1940s. Charles Upham was born in 1908, and immediately enlisted when the war broke out. Charles Upham was stationed in Egypt, Germany, and other European countries. He was awarded a Victorian Cross for ‘valour in the face of the enemy’, meaning Charles Upham was incredibly selfless in battle and showed great bravery as well as courage.
Upham House supports a charity like all the other houses. Instead of supporting a nation-wide charity, Upham House supports a much more local cause. The Howick RSA. Established in 1916, they have been serving the Howick community for over a century now. It was started around the time World War I ended to support veterans and their families, and was no different when World War II ended as well. Howick RSA is also an observer of ANZAC day, selling poppy pins for a gold coin.
Even though many may degrade Upham House due to the nature of it simply being placed on the north side of the school, the house’s history and origins are far greater than its reputation at Macleans.
August 19th, 2023
Written by Emma Li, edited by Aaron Huang
Photography by Phoebe James, drone shot by Joseph Zhang
1 comment
travelling 201030912490 miles to get to Upham from Batten just to come back for sitdown lunch