Scotch College

9 months to go

9 months to go ...

A regular Great Scot feature in the lead-up to the big year

Torch relay and heritage walk - 18 February 2001

In addition to the Torch Relay the school will, on Sunday 18 February 2001, hold a Heritage Walk along the same route as the relay.

These two events are of such significance that the Principal, Dr Donaldson, has declared that Sunday be designated a school day. This will be one of only two such days in the 2001 calendar.

The Heritage Walk will commence from the College of Surgeon's gardens in Spring Street in the City at approximately 8.30am and finish on the Scotch main oval at 10.50am.

At eight key points along the walk historic markers will detail their significance. These include the first three sites of the school, the site of the first inter-school athletics, rowing and Australian Rules football competitions.

Shortly after the Heritage Walkers arrive at the school the torch will be carried from the "Hill" to the Memorial Hall where it will be greeted by the Principal and other dignitaries prior to it being passed from hand to hand to the Chapel. A short church service will be held followed by a picnic lunch and a series of school tours.

This will be an extremely significant day and one of the highlights of the Sesquicentenary celebrations.

Historic community gift - great progress

In the December 1999 Great Scot you read how Scotch and Melbourne Grammar were combining to present a significant historic gift of a sculpture to the people of Victoria.

Significant progress has been achieved, with four of Australia's leading sculptors approached to present proposals. Visits have been carried out to the agreed site at the MCG and first presentations, all of which have been suitable, have been made by the sculptors.

This has generated great excitement amongst those involved in the project and the selection committee of Chris Taylor and Colin Youren, Scotch and Peter Beaumont and David Temple, MGS (and Scotch Old Boy, 1963) look forward to final presentations.

There is now no question that the work which is finally chosen will become one of Melbourne's best recognised historic landmarks.

With a target of $50,000 from Scotch footballers we have now reached over $44,000 and are confident of achieving the total in the next few weeks.

While the focus of the appeal for funds has been on footballers, whose response has been magnificent, it is felt important to provide the opportunity for other members of the Scotch Family to be part of this venture and have their name recorded in the Donor's Honour Book at the MCG.

If you would like to be included please contact Colin Youren or Ian Kerr at the school on 9810 4321.

History is coming!

This apparent paradox can be explained: the history is coming - the new history of Scotch to be published for its sesquicentennary. The history will have two key characteristics. One is that it will be a significant analysis of Scotch's development and contribution to education and the community over its changing 150 years. The other is that it will be very readable throughout, and spiced with humour.

We are achieving this combination for three main reasons. Firstly, Scotch's history is full of great moments and whimsical oddities, just waiting to be written about. Secondly, the author - Jim Mitchell - has an uncommon combination of gifts. He's both knowledgeable and tells a good story.

And finally, to help him, we have a committee which includes some of the most eminent historians in Melbourne. It's a privilege to chair the meetings at which they contribute insights from their broad experience of Australia's history and the history of education in this state. It's also most encouraging to hear their very favourable comments on the drafts.

Jim is making good progress with the writing. The committee will be taking recommendations about a publisher to the School Council very soon. Later on there will be a chance to order your copy before publication. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime, to whet your appetite, here's a snippet from the early drafts.

'Scotch has always worried about boys' hair. In the 1862 list of required articles for boarders, five of the thirty items related to hair: brush and comb bag, small-tooth comb, pocket comb, large comb, hair brush. Healey was viscerally opposed to long-hair. Behind him in the Memorial Hall's stained glass windows the long-haired saints and knights watched in vain. Sir Archibald Glenn, chairman of Council, wore his hair over his ears because youth's fashions influence adults. The bursar, travelling overseas in 1970, found that in most English public schools 'long hair, often shoulder-length, is commonplace.' But Healey insisted that hair must not cover ears nor extend below top of collar. 'Side-whiskers must not come below the point where the lower part of the ear joins the face, and the whiskers must not be bushy or splayed nor slope forward. Excessively long and excessively short hair are not in keeping with the standards of Scotch'.

Boys thus faced two challenges: how to keep their hair long, and how to hide it. One boarder in 1972 took any opportunity to get out of a haircut. 'With a bit of luck I might escape haircuts tomorrow ... I haven't had a proper haircut for ages. In fact not since just after Easter. I thinned the sides out a bit after May and a kid tidied up the back a bit today but that's all. It makes things much happier for me.' In September, just back from holiday with his parents, 'The first thing that happened at school was that I was kicked out just before assembly and told to go up the street and have a haircut! I couldn't believe it. This was really putting hair before school work especially as I could have had it done that night when the barber came to school.' When his hair grew long again, he concealed it by walking with his head thrust forward (which lifted the hair off the collar), or pulled the long hair round either side of his head and tucked it under his ears, with a little Brylcreem to hold it, 'to keep it off my collar. My hair stays behind my ears very reliably now.'

Dr Robin Stewardson, Chairman, School History Committee