Wyvern and more as dangerous beasts smaller, weaker, and less intelligent than dragons. While a fantasy dragon often has a breath weapon, such as fire, wyverns rarely have such abilities and are more feared for their ferocity and sharp teeth and claws. Wyverns are sometimes associated with poison, either in the form of venomous fangs or poisonous breath, but this trait is not universally represented and may be a more recent addition to the lore based on the gila monster. A wyvern will typically be unable to speak, while a dragon often does have that ability. The wyvern features frequently in
Wyvern House infants department. From 1939 Wyvern House boys wore a straw boater with a black hat-band until this was replaced by a black cloth cap in 1976. Both items of head-wear bore an heraldic Wyvern – the emblem of Newington College. Wyvern held a separate Speech Night for the first time in 1946. From 1957 Wyvern had a brother school when Newington opened an additional preparatory school on the North Shore – first at Killara, but now at Lindfield. In the same year, Wyvern House was the first Australian prep school to undertake an international Rugby tour, when it visited New