Scotch College

From the Principal

Chairman of Council, Michael Robinson at the opening ceremony

The Geoffrey McComas Theatre

Judy Roach and Geoffrey McComas

The Ian Roach Hall

The Scotch College circle of giving

This edition of Great Scot provides remarkable examples of the huge scope of Scotch College and its community. Past, present and future are each given particular emphasis, creating grounds for gratitude, for congratulations and for confidence and optimism.

One feature is the unusually large number of obituaries, which include reference to the sudden and very sad illness and death of Campbell McComas that has taken from the scene a remarkable and passionate advocate for the Arts. This passion was ignited by Campbell’s involvement in a Scotch drama production. Its growth led to a unique career as an actor and comic speechmaker. Throughout his life he worked tirelessly to encourage the Arts throughout Australia. He made Scotch the focus and beneficiary of much of that endeavour, as an energetic champion of the creation of a Performing Arts complex and as President of the Foundation, where he headed the fundraising that was central to achieving this dream.

How sad, yet fitting, it was that his final public performance was his memorable speech at the informal preview of the James Forbes Academy, to invited major donors.

Ken Gifford, QC, has died recently also, following a remarkable career as an expert in the law involving local government and planning. Ken guided the school’s defence against the 1960 proposal that a new freeway might take a route across the Meares, Hockey, Rugby and Lower Melville ovals, to the extent that they could not be used at all as playing fields. He acted on behalf of the College and succeeded in obtaining an important rerouting, without which Scotch would not today enjoy its peerless campus at Hawthorn. The Gifford Tower fittingly remembers this great Scotch Collegian.

Donald Macmillan’s obituary also appears. He was a member of staff who had a huge influence – as a coach of athletics and rowing, as a teacher with special impact on boys who found learning difficult, and as a dedicated Boarding House master. Don was a true champion for boys to emulate, a great encourager, especially in athletic competition, and an inspirational teacher in the broadest sense of that word.

The obituary list contains details of the passing of numerous former students of Scotch. Each has, in his own special and unique way, contributed to the Scotch College we see today. Accordingly, we have a great deal for which to be thankful.

The present health and vigour of Scotch is clearly indicated by the excellence of the results of the Class of 2004 in the Victorian Certificate of Education. Special congratulations obviously go to Zi Li Low and Wilson Zhang, who scored the maximum possible ENTER of 99.95, but we should also congratulate each boy who, through his effort and the support of his teachers, achieved an outcome that reflected his best endeavours. It has been heartening to receive expressions of gratitude from parents whose sons have found academic work particularly challenging but have persevered and gained entry to the course or career of their choice.

The recent opening of phase two of the James Forbes Academy has provided Scotch with a truly magnificent facility for the performing arts. The inaugural concert allowed our choir and orchestra to demonstrate their impressive performance expertise. Our first international performers, the Eton College Chapel Choir from the UK, thrilled us with their superb singing and also heaped rich praise upon the Ian Roach Hall as a performance venue.The first use of the Geoffrey McComas Theatre went to the Junior School’s production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Their remarkable performance took full advantage of the magnificent opportunities provided by the superbly equipped and designed theatre. It is truly exciting that our first experiences of the new performance venues have been so positive, expanding even further the opportunities for future generations of Scotch boys to benefit from participation in the Performing Arts.

Of course, it is the levels of participation and involvement of the boys of Scotch College 2005 which testify to Scotch’s present state of health, based on the legacy of so many former generations.

Dr F.G. Donaldson AM
Principal