Multiple sources told theHerald the expenses were signed off by the school’s chair Rosemary Abrahams,the former deputy head of Abbotsleigh School. One estimate put the cost of flights and accommodation at $45,000,although the school did not confirm the figure.
However,some members of council were concerned that the expenses had not been put before the whole council for approval,the sources said. TheHerald has confirmed that one council member,a representative of the old boys on council,resigned over the issue.
Other members of the school community were angry about the expenditure. “The staff were justifiably dismayed at this huge waste of money,” said one person close to the King’s community,speaking on the condition of anonymity.
“The optics are terrible,” said another source close to the school. “The thing most people are upset about is it feels like on a whim the school can just snap their fingers and tickets are paid for.”
The sources said the furore led the headmaster,Tony George,and his wife to downgrade their tickets to business class,and the deputy to pay for the trip out of his own pocket. The school did not respond to questions on that issue.
In a statement,the school said King’s was one of seven Australian members of the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference (HMC),a group of more than 350 independent schools,mostly from Great Britain (members include Eton,Winchester College and Harrow School).