From early vision to character-building adventures: Kirrikee celebrates 40 inspiring years

Outdoor Education had been part of the education of the students up to this time and many of the programmes that were run occurred in the Southern Highlands. As a result, it was the obvious location to source a suitable property. The Outdoor Education Programme at the School grew substantially as a result of the purchase and continued to develop into today’s ground-breaking, inspiring programme.

Mr Colin May was the visionary behind the purchase and development of Kirrikee. He says the aim of Kirrikee from the outset was for students to strive for excellence and endurance whilst reflecting on God’s creation and environment.

“The Kirrikee programme was based on trust and responsibility and the overarching Christian theme of the Biblical image of the Eagle in Isaiah, 40:30-31.”

‘Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.’”

The word ‘Kirrikee’ is a derivation of an Aboriginal word which means ‘whistling kite’, a bird indigenous to the area. Kirrikee itself is located on the lands of the Gundungurra People.

Situated on 48 hectares, Kirrikee is located 90 minutes’ drive south-west of Sydney. Surrounded by bushland, the site has accommodation for groups of up to 120 people and a diverse and interesting array of challenging outdoor activities. The evolution of outdoor education at the School has seen a growing number of expeditions added to the progressive Year 3 to Year 10 programme.

The beginnings of Kirrikee were rudimentary to say the least. After the purchase of the land, Mr May, with his wife Kay and their children, packed up and moved to the undeveloped site – living in yurt with no power. While Mr May had by that time had a long association with the School, having been a chorister, sports captain, teacher and Sports Master, this was a very different experience.

His role was to initiate the building programme at Kirrikee, beginning with a covered common area, kitchen and bathrooms. The first student facilities were basic with a shipping container used to house all the cooking and camping equipment for up to 110 students at a time. Year 7 camps went for seven days, Year 8 for eight days, Year 9 for nine days and Year 10 for 10 days.

Mr May says the learning programme was innovative because it allowed for experiential content in a rural environment while supporting the classroom curricula in areas such as mathematics, science, geography and commerce.

Mr Ric Van Wachem, Director of Sport and Co‑curricular Education, says Kirrikee is now central to Outdoor Education at St Andrew’s Cathedral School.

“Over the years, we’ve taken what we do there and extended it,” he says. “Whether it’s at Kirrikee itself or a trip to Tasmania, that Kirrikee ethos of being challenged is there.

“The limits kids think they have are not usually their actual limits. They can do more than they think and we show them how to surpass their limits. To do this, they need to dig deeper, persist more – and through that they develop aspects of their character such as courage and self-control. Once they pass their perceived limits, a whole new world opens up because they have such a boost to their confidence and can see so many more possibilities for their lives.”

The St Andrew’s Cathedral School Outdoor Education Programme is certainly extensive, and tailored to each age group. Students start off in Kindergarten with an introduction to the outdoors through a day of oval games, creative bush play and a nature walk in Centennial Park, and each year the challenges – and the skills to meet them – are levelled up. In Year 3 students spend their first overnight at Kirrikee and in Year 6 they are abseiling, canoeing, initiative games and some bushwalking. It keeps ramping up to the culmination of the Programme in Year 10 with students being offered a variety of adventure activities including the iconic a 20-day “Kosi to Coast” expedition where students trek and carry all their own gear across the headwaters of The Snowy River and then raft the river to its end at Bass Strait.

The internationally recognised Duke of Edinburgh Award is offered as an optional programme for students from age 14, or at the beginning of Year 8. To achieve an Award, each young person must learn a skill, improve their physical wellbeing, volunteer in their community and experience a team adventure in a new environment.

 Mr Van Wachem says the significance of the site is that it gives young people from our city school a sense of the country, challenge and community and outdoor experiences.

“In that environment, we also pose the question to students about how can we live simply” he says. “We don’t need a lot.”

From the Kirrikee archives