Scotch College

Synthetic surface helps beat drought

The Junior School Oval’s new all-weather surface will greatly benefit Junior School boys and our hockey and tennis players, and will save precious water.

Words: Mr Guy Mason – Head of Junior School

On Monday 2 March, the Junior School was delighted that Mr Batty was able to attend a full school assembly to officially open the new synthetic oval, replacing the deteriorating grass surface which has served the school so well for nearly 20 years.

With Australia experiencing such ferocious drought conditions and despite the sterling efforts of grounds staff, the watering demands to keep the surface in the manner for which it was developed have been exceptionally difficult.

Over the last few years, we have watched one of the best ovals in any school around the country gradually decline to a state which saw boys often unable to use their play space for recreation or sport effectively – and more importantly, to the levels of safety required. With these things in mind the Principal (with the support of the School Council) decided to bring this important project forward and place the needs of boys as their highest priority.

After some words of introduction by the Head of Junior School, Mr Batty formally declared the new surface ready for action. Once the traditional ribbon was cut, every boy then had the opportunity to spend a few minutes experiencing the new surface and space afforded by the wonderful renovation. In addition, the water allocation from this oval has now been redirected to other ovals, which will reap the benefits of these additional resources.

The new surface will allow Junior School boys to have year round access to this vital all-weather space throughout the course of their day, and also provide additional training venues for hockey and tennis across the school.

Clearly this initiative has already had a huge impact on the lives of Junior School boys, who are most grateful to Mr Batty and the School Council for their support of this very important facet of life in our Junior School. GS