CLOCKWISE , FROM TOP LEFT : THE BILL AND DIANNE SIDES MUSEUM ; ALEX SLOAN (’ 71 ) CUTS THE RIBBON TO OPEN THE TOLSON CENTRE ; BILL MORGAN (' 34 ) WITH TOM BATTY ; JIANG YU , DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT , TIM SHEARER (’ 85 ) AND BOZHONG LI
AND WITH IT , OUR FUTURE ’
representatives of major donors to the Tolson Centre , including Geoff Paton (’ 57 ); members of the Sides , di Donato , and Cook families ; and Scotch ’ s oldest known living Old Boy , Bill Morgan (’ 34 ). A large marquee covered the carpark adjacent to the Tolson Centre , and guests were piped in by Hugh Hosking (’ 20 ). Formalities began at 6.45pm , with the MC , Director of Development Tim Shearer , reminding guests that he had ‘ arranged ’ for fine weather to be the order of the day for the official openings of each of the recent major projects – the Sir Zelman Cowen Centre for Science , the Spencer Centre for Design and Technology , the Keon-Cohen Dining Hall , and now the Tolson Centre .
Welcoming guests , Principal Tom Batty said he had recently been delighted to welcome boys and parents back to the school grounds for the first Saturday of winter sport . Memories would be made of all that , he said , and stories of such deeds may be embellished over the years , but it took the dedicated work of a large group of people to create a place where all the memories could be captured .
‘ But to try to capture all that – even to hold it in one ’ s mind is hard enough – but to do so in physical form , and then to do so over 170 years , is an amazing achievement , but [ pointing towards the Tolson Centre ] that is what has been achieved …’.
‘ In Geoff Tolson ,’ Mr Batty said , ‘ there was the spark that made all possible , and the embodiment of our quest . With the completion of the Tolson Centre ,’ he said , ‘ our history is secure , and with it , our future ’.
School Council Chairman , Alex Sloan (’ 71 ) said that as Scotch is the oldest surviving secondary school in Victoria – having been established just 14 weeks after Victoria became a separate colony in 1851 – ‘ it has a place of great significance in the history of Victorian and Australian education , and we should treasure it ’.
‘ Thanks to the hard work , persistence , professionalism and dedication of a few , we are now all the beneficiaries ,’ Mr Sloan said . ‘ Geoff Tolson ’ s work represents the cornerstone of what we see here today , and we are indeed indebted to him . How fitting it is ,’ he said , ‘ that this structure bears his name ’.
Mr Sloan also paid tribute to the fine work of the three Archivists who have succeeded Geoff – Dick Briggs (’ 57 ), Dr Jim Mitchell (’ 64 ), and Paul Mishura , the first non-Old Boy to occupy the position .
www . scotch . vic . edu . au Great Scot 17