Founded in 2003 as the Arts Support Group, the Hirschfeld-Mack Club was renamed in 2019 in honour of Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack, art master at Geelong Grammar School from 1942–57. A student of the famous Bauhaus school of art and design, Hirschfeld-Mack was deported to Australia as an enemy alien in 1940 and released from detention in 1942 thanks to the intervention of Sir James Darling, headmaster of Geelong Grammar School.
For the next 15 years, Hirschfeld-Mack lived in the Art School Flat and dedicated himself to teaching and promoting the Arts, from introducing modern art to students attuned to the classical tradition, to forming a band of homemade musical instruments, to designing sets for school productions, to being an early advocate of creative education. Although modest and quietly spoken, his influence on his dedicated pupils was significant and far-reaching. The Hirschfeld-Mack Club honours the legacy of a remarkable man and distinguished contributor to the Arts at Geelong Grammar School.
