Iconic rooftop feels a community’s love
Iconic rooftop feels a community’s love
Over much of its 137-year history, St Andrew’s Cathedral School students have played on the roofs of office buildings. The School moved to its final home in St Andrew’s House in 1976 and since then, the iconic rooftop has been updated on a number of occasions to meet the needs of its students and staff.
By Lyn Jarvis
As the School’s largest, most loved and most used space, the rooftop hosts sport, assemblies, yarning circles, science, play, reflection, reunions, smoking ceremonies, Gala Day, chickens, barbecues, as well as staff, student and parent events. It is a special part of life at St Andrew’s Cathedral School.
The ‘Not just a playground’ renovation project
In 2022, the parents, staff, students and Old Andreans instigated the 2022 Renovation Project. Focus groups were held in Term 1, beginning with 28 motivated staff from Junior School, Gawura, Middle School, Sport, Facilities, Marketing, Community and Music. Student focus groups came next and included the Junior School SRC, Middle School leaders and ambassadors, and our First Nations students. Along with previous requests from parents and conversations with Old Andreans, a wish list of structures and equipment was created.
The School community, though keen to rethink the colour, texture, look and feel of the rooftop, were emphatic about restoring the special murals that were created by Souha Rowdah-Homan between 1998 and 2008. While some murals will be removed, the two most loved – Underwater Splendour and Flora and Fauna – will remain and be lovingly restored. The new bathrooms forced the removal of the Sydney-scape, while the Dreamtime mural will be replaced by a mural created by an Indigenous artist.
Giving Day
The funds for the Rooftop Renovation Project came from the School community – parents, staff, students, Old Andreans and Hessians (former parents), who joined together on the last day of Term 2 for the School’s “Not Just a Playground Giving Day” as volunteers, ambassadors and donors.
One of the most surprising outcomes of the focus groups was the love of the two rooftop chickens.
This prompted the Giving Day chicken-naming competition. Each donation came with an opportunity to vote for a house and chicken name. There were 375 nominations received, with eggsellent names including, Hen Solo and Princess Layer, Cluck Norris and Hensel and Eggtel. Salisbury was the winning house as they made the highest number of donations, so the chickens have been duly named Teriyaki and Nugget.
Year 12 student leaders hosted a SACS Sunrise, broadcast live from the rooftop across social media. They reported on Gala Day activities, the School’s birthday and provided updates from the Giving Day Operations Room, where volunteers called the School community for donations. The community enthusiastically answered – raising more than $310,000.
As their farewell gift to the School, the Class of 2022 and their parents chose to restore the 1976 historic bronze crest, located on the rooftop. Further funds were raised to create a matching bronze cast of the Gawura crest.
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Initial concept designs for the rooftop renovation were provided in October, just in time for the Musical Mayhem Parent Trivia Night, which raised a further $29,000. Some of the key items are new play equipment, rejuvenated gardens, refurbished bathrooms, a chook house (of course), soccer goals (Year 9’s major request) and improved audio-visual equipment. Due to disruptions in the supply of some equipment and materials, the full renovation will be staged across the 2023 holiday breaks, with completion expected in July 2023.
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This was truly a project of passion from everyone involved. A huge thank you must go to everyone who offered their time, encouragement and funding to ensure the rooftop delivers the best experience possible for all who use it in the years to come.
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