On the day the school was opened, 12 February 1961, council Chairman Frank Heaslip stated ‘the donors and workers were the founders of Westminster School’.
On that day, their names, recorded in a book, were presented to the school.
Sir Shirley Jeffries
The first meeting to discuss the formation of Westminster was held at the home of Sir Shirley Jeffries in 1957. Jeffries, a lawyer, was a devout Methodist who had attended Prince Alfred College as a student. He was elected as the Liberal member for North Adelaide in the House of Assembly in 1927, and later, under Premier Thomas Playford, was Attorney General, before becoming Minister for Education for a number of years. Jeffries was responsible for the gathering of men with the expertise and enthusiasm to create the School, who he referred to as ‘The Westminster Men’. He named the School, and provided its motto, ‘Deo Duce’. His business acumen and planning helped the concept of a new school forge ahead.
Harry Woollacott
Together with Sir Shirley Jeffries and John Dunning, Woollacott negotiated the purchase of the land at Marion upon which the School was to be built. Woollacott was Head of the Methodist Church’s Social Servies Division. Through his contacts, and before the concept of Westminster was in train, he had already identified the land at Marion upon which the School now stands as being the preferred location. As School secretary, he not only selected, but drove men in their particular areas of expertise to help found the School. Woollacott’s personal approaches to businessmen and acquaintances to secure donations provided an early impetus to the School’s growth.
Frank Heaslip
Heaslip was a substantial donor to the School. An old scholar of Prince Alfred College, he shared the vision of a second Methodist, boys’ boarding school in Adelaide. Heaslip was a successful farmer and grazier at Carrieton in the state’s mid north. Hearing of John Dunning’s concerns at having to turn away potential boarding students at PAC, , he made it known within his local church that he would donate $10,000 for the establishment of a new school. The only stipulation was that it was to be a boys only boarding school. Harry Woollacott heard of this promise and wasted no time in traveling to Carrieton to obtain the funds promised. He was General Chairman of the initial fundraising drive in 1959, and was later the first Chairman of the School Council.
John (Jack) Dunning
Dunning, Headmaster of Prince Alfred College (PAC) from 1949 to 1969, was a strong supporter for a second Methodist Boys’ Boarding school, having been embarrassed in having to turn away prospective boarding students from PAC due to lack of accommodation. It was at his urging that the Methodist Church pursued the possibility of another Methodist, boys’ boarding school.
Art Kelly
Kelly, an early significant benefactor to the School, was a driving force behind fund raising efforts prior to the School’s commencement, as well as being a significant benefactor. Like Frank Heaslip, Kelly was a Yorke Peninsula farmer who had fared well in the 1950s. Credited with making the first donation to Westminster, he did so with a desire that the money be put forward to immediately securing a suitable location for the School.
Douglas A. Dunstan
Dunstan, the founder in Adelaide of Griffin Press, brought to the School immense business experience. He was instrumental in engaging the National Fundraising Council of Australia to facilitate the raising of funds in a planned and organized way, and became Public Relations Chairman of the fund raising appeal. A noted book designer and printing expert, he prepared not only the appeal brochure, but provided the concept for the School Badge.