Grammar Gazette- Issue 2, 2017

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CELEBRATING THIRTY YEARS OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION AT MARRAPATTA

Marrapatta was officially opened by the then Chair of the Board of Trustees, Dr A. S. Gehrmann, on 9 August 1987. The bold decision to build the centre was led by Dr Judith Hancock, School Principal from 1977 until 2001, to ensure Grammar girls could participate in a challenging outdoor education programme in a safe and supportive environment. To this day, through a carefully considered and progressive programme — from Thrive and Discovery in Years 7 and 8, to Interdependence and Journeys in Years 9 and 10 — outdoor education makes a powerful contribution to a Girls Grammar education. From Marrapatta’s humble beginnings on a bare hillside paddock, previously used to graze dairy cattle and grow small crops, the site was transformed into an educational facility. Accommodation was basic and consisted of canvas tents on the flat space behind the three original buildings. Meal preparation and serving occurred beneath the amenities block. It was a setting that provided students with a ‘comfortably uncomfortable’ base from which to experience the varied elements of the outdoor education programme.

AUTHOR Mr James McIntosh Director of Marrapatta Memorial Outdoor Education Centre

Brisbane Girls Grammar School’s life-wide learning goal is to ‘inspire girls to dare to dream, without fear of failure, and to test the unfamiliar; enable them to develop enduring life and leadership skills and to be resilient and adventurous in spirit’ (Strategic Design 2106-2019). Since 1978, outdoor education has been a vital and rich source of life-wide learning for Grammar girls and in 2017 we marked the thirty-year anniversary of the School’s owned and operated outdoor education campus — the Marrapatta Memorial Outdoor Education Centre, located in the picturesque Mary Valley two hours’ drive north of Brisbane.

GRAMMAR GAZETTE