Class of 1987—25 Year Reunion

A windy, winter’s day on Saturday 11 August did not stop the gathering of the enthusiastic Class of 1987 Old Boys. On the banks of the Johnson Oval, cheering on the 1st XV didn’t go to waste with Newington winning 29–13 against Joeys. The win set the night off with a bang!

The game was followed by a tour of the College by Chaplain Michael Bennett (ON ’87), before the Class of 1987 hopped on the big Black & White school bus, and headed down memory lane.

The evening at 4143 at the James Barnes kicked off with alfresco pre-dinner drinks followed by a hearty meal. The smooth and relaxed atmosphere provided the perfect setting for the boys to catch up and reminisce. Keeping them on their best behaviour were their school masters, Jock Canning and Bernard Harris.

A special thank you goes to Con Dedes (ON ’87), Ben Loiterton (ON ’87), Chris Mavris (ON ’87) and Rhett Webster (ON ’87) for coordinating the event and making it a night to remember.

From the Archives

The A J Rae and L R D Pyke Centres, whose foundation stones were laid on Tuesday 4 September, represent a new vision for the ‘Quadrangle’ area at the heart of the Stanmore campus. In 1938, an earlier vision was revealed for the area, at that time occupied by a scattering of small buildings, many of them dilapidated.

The plan envisaged ‘completing’ the Founders Building with a wing south of the Tower to match the existing northern one; and modern colonnaded buildings further south and along Newington Road. These would join a new Assembly Hall and Clock Tower on the eastern side of the quadrangle. The new buildings would contain ‘…twelve classrooms, three science rooms, a demonstration theatre, rooms for woodwork, art, commercial work, wool-classing, locker-rooms and lavatories.’

This was to be the second stage of a grand plan for rebuilding the school: the first stage was the Wyvern House Preparatory School, now the Le Couteur Wing, which was then under construction. Unfortunately the scheme depended on the realisation of ‘a very handsome offer’ from an expected benefactor which did not eventuate. In time, however, aspects of the vision were realised, notably with the War Memorial classrooms and Science blocks in the 1950s and the Nesbitt Wing in 1961.

David Roberts
College Archivist