From The Principal
Last Friday we held our Foundation Day Service as part of the celebration of our 139-year history during our Heritage Week. It was wonderful to join together as a community and hear from guest speaker, Emeritus Professor Merilyn Sleigh (Redlander, Class of 1964), reflect on how her Redlands education provided the foundation for her future pursuits.
Below is an excerpt from the speech I gave at this Service which encapsulates why I believe celebrating our history at Redlands is so important to our present.
As I learn more about the history of Redlands, I am further inspired by both our earliest school leaders such as Elizabeth Liggins, Clara Arnold and Gertrude Amy Roseby, who tirelessly led the School through the countless challenges of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and our earliest students, who, like you, our current students, honed their passions and forged their identities while attending Redlands. As graduates, many of these students went on to become pioneers in their various fields, and last year we honoured some of them through the naming of our Redlands Learning Hub floors.
However, history, if it solely remains in the past as historical records, grainy images or plaques on a wall – is merely that. History. What is special about Redlands is that our past informs our present as the culture we so strongly value today has been derived and created from this history.
Over the past few years, I have attended numerous alumni events such as the Platinum Lunch, the Redlander Alumni Awards and the Young Alumni reunions. At these events I have had the opportunity to speak to Redlanders who graduated from one year ago to 70 years ago.
When I ask them what they loved most about their time at Redlands, there is an amazing similarity in their answers. The strong collegial relationships with other students and staff. The many opportunities to find and develop their own passions and interests. The welcoming, inclusive and supportive community which allowed them to truly discover and be themselves.
I hope and believe that if I asked you, our current students of Redlands, this same question, you would give many of these same answers. The names, faces and buildings might change. But the culture – the heart and soul of our School – remains the same.
I know that you, our current students of Redlands, will continue to strengthen this culture today for the future generations of students who will follow in your footsteps tomorrow.
Sports Facilities
As the winter season of sport continues to roll forward, some of you might have noticed recent developments occurring out at the Macquarie University sports grounds. As announced last year, Redlands has entered into a long term investment and lease partnership with Macquarie University so that we will be able to continue to call these grounds home for the next 20 years.
For the first stage of this development, we have partnered with Sydney FC and Macquarie University to upgrade the Northern Oval into two all-weather football fields or one AFL oval. These works are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.
We have also partnered with Macquarie University, AFL NSW and the NSW Government to upgrade the University Oval fields, as well as the changerooms and surrounding facilities. These works will commence in earnest next year, once the Northern Oval upgrade has been completed.
At the end of last year, there was also some exciting news for our Tennis program. Both our Winter and Summer Tennis programs will be moving to the Mosman Lawn Tennis Club from the start of 2024, as the School signed a 25-year lease for these facilities and will be supporting their upgrade to a professional standard.
We look forward to seeing these upgraded facilities coming online over the next few years for the benefit of our current and future students.
Mr Sean Corcoran
Photo Caption: A big thank you to the Redlands community for celebrating the School’s 139th birthday last week in style.