On Saturday 26 May the College community came together to celebrate our annual Back to Newington Day. Current students, parents, Old Boys and teachers of all three campuses congregated at the Stanmore grounds for an afternoon of sport, music, food and entertainment.

Stepping into Centenary Hall, visitors could have been forgiven for thinking they had been transported to the Glebe Markets. Everything from second hand books and vintage clothes to coffee tables made from old Newington rowboats was on display. Punctuating the ambiance for browsing shoppers could be heard a gas explosion when excited youngsters competed for ‘reaction times’ on Newington’s ‘F1 in Schools’ racetrack.

Outside, the food stalls were inundated with hungry punters all day long, providing many a tired sportsmen or famished parent with much needed sustenance. From cakes and steaks to fairy floss and falafel rolls, all tastes and types were catered for. Special thanks must go to our fantastic support groups for their tireless efforts to feed the hungry all day long. It is months in the planning and exhausting on the day, but these dedicated parents are here every year because they know the boys will benefit directly from this support.

Music provided over two hours of continual jazz and contemporary music to entertain the crowds. It is extraordinary to realise that on a day when the boys are in such high demand on the field, Newington can also produce ensembles of every size more than ready to perform extensive and popular repertoire.

The Nesbitt Wing forecourt was all smiles and laughter, with the younger members of our community enjoying the rides and entertainment on offer. The face painting proved a real winner, with some even opting for a black wyvern to show their Newington spirit.

With the action on the AW Edwards building site really starting to get underway, for this year the event was rescheduled to May in order to minimise disruption to both the construction and to spectators. Someone obviously forgot to give the memo to Mother Nature, however, with the chilly weather far more reminiscent of the usual Back to Newington Day temperatures in August.

Despite the cold, the Stanmore grounds were bathed in glorious sunshine all day long, a very welcome surprise given the week long forecasting of heavy wind and rain.

On the field, supporters of Newington, The Scots College and Sydney Boys High School were treated to a fantastic day of competitive sport on all three ovals. Opens Football had a cracker against Sydney Boys, with the 1sts (2-1) and the 2nds (4-0) both coming away victorious. On the Johnson Oval, the 2nd XV outclassed their rivals with a resounding 25-12 win. After a back and forth tussle all game, the 1st XV were pipped at the post by a resilient Scots, who ultimately won the game 19-17. For a full report of the weekend’s sport click here.

Congratulations to all the mothers, fathers, staff members, volunteers and of course our boys who worked tirelessly to make the day such a success. Next year, Back to Newington Day will be even bigger as we celebrate our Sesquicentenary, and last Saturday was the strongest indication yet that 2013 will be a year not forgotten for a long time to come!

To watch the video in a higher resolution, please open it in the YouTube website.