Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2015

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RANGAKARRA NAMED

ON A BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN MORNING IN MAY, A CELEBRATION TOOK PLACE AT OUR FIG TREE POCKET CAMPUS TO COMMEMORATE ITS OFFICIAL NAMING AS THE RANGAKARRA RECREATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTRE. Like Marrapatta, Rangakarra is taken from our war cry and the official naming of this campus strengthens the Girls Grammar identity of these facilities, adding to the girls’ sense of ownership and belonging. As part of the proceedings, the main playing field was named after one of our most accomplished sporting old girls Daphne Pirie (Welch, 1949). An elite athlete, hockey player and golfer, as well as celebrated sports administrator, Daphne was thrilled with the honour which recognises the enormous contribution she has made to advancing girls and women in sport at a national and international level. In our primary school days our family would picnic at these very fields. Never in our wildest dreams could I have believed we would be standing here today — nearly sixty years later — in such humbling circumstances. The naming of this field has given my sporting life a fairytale ending.

On behalf of the School’s 22000 old girls, the Old Girls Association very generously gifted new gates which now proudly announce the School’s ownership of the grounds. These formalities honour the importance of our newest campus to the life of the School, its grounds offering Grammar girls not only their first home ground but also real-life opportunities for environmental and educational extension activities. Other activities on the day included two separate tree plantings to symbolise the learning journey and to recreate the ANZAC Grove formerly located at the Spring Hill campus as well as sports displays and music performances by the girls. The event finished with the second Grammar Goes Green event for 2015 in which members from all areas of the school community continued work on the rejuvenation of the land surrounding Rangakarra. Joining Spring Hill and Marrapatta as our newest campus, Rangakarra offers opportunities for girls to not only pursue their sporting interests but also indulge their educational and environmental endeavours. It allows for imagining new and different educational uses in the future and the School will continue to assess these possibilities to ensure maximum benefit is achieved for our girls.

Mrs Daphne Pirie (Welch, 1949), centre back, on the field named after her at Rangakarra. Daphne was accompanied by her sister, Mrs Nola Slade (Welch, 1953), to her right, who also was an outstanding Grammar athlete and represented Australia in hockey.

Member for Indooroopilly Scott Emerson MP (front, left), local councillor Julian Simmonds (back, right) and Federal Member for Ryan Jane Prentice MP (front, right) joined members of the Board of Trustees and Principal Jacinda Euler to commemorate the official naming of Rangakarra.

GRAMMAR GAZETTE