Scotch College

Pets at the School

Note the cat in the midst of the photo of four new teachers in the 1948 Collegian. Perhaps a member of the Photography Club was demonstrating his skills (some Collegians did display examples of boys’ work) but its presence in pride of place on this page suggests it was a well-known cat: a school cat? Otherwise it might have seemed rude to have it there?

Please send us your memories of animals at Scotch College

In 1959 a dog named Loppie or Loppy had a photograph all to itself in the Collegian, and in 1958 it appeared in Satura as one of three (obviously well-known) characters to be identified. In 1961 Satura called it ‘the school dog’.

An old boy of 1963–69 writes that Year 7 boys ‘who were all new to the school, used to be required to do a “diary exam” which was a test on the school to force them to learn who were prefects, etc. It was run by the prefects. If a student failed he had to keep sitting the test, losing a lunchtime each time he sat the test. One question was “What form is Lucky in?” The answer was “dog form”. Lucky was a dog that used to hang around the school tuckshop after food.’

Perhaps Loppy and Lucky were the same animal; perhaps not?

Either way, to whom did it (or they) actually belong? GS