WHEN DID THE MAIN OVAL TURN 100 ? – AND THE PAVILION SCOTCH BOYS ‘ BOUGHT ’
CONSTANT PROGRESS OBSCURES THE MAIN OVAL ’ S DEBUT
Scotch was still at East Melbourne while the Hawthorn campus was gradually constructed from 1917 to 1925 . A School Council sub-committee met at Hawthorn on 13 September 1919 to decide the boundaries of ‘ the main cricket ground ’ but its position was altered at the Council meeting of 30 January 1920 . That meeting accepted the tender of Messrs . S . Willis Bros for £ 35 to remove soil from the ground to another part of Scotch , ordering that work not commence until after the 5 March 1920 laying of the Memorial Hall foundation stone .
The first oval was the Junior School Oval , in use by the start of 1920 . The first aerial view , taken in either 1919 or early 1920 , shows what looks like the outline of the Melville (‘ Lower ’) Oval . A photograph of the Quadrangle being constructed in 1921 includes the unmade Main Oval .
The May 1921 issue of The Scotch Collegian referenced cricket matches being played without specifying the ground , and the August 1921 issue referred to ‘ a good deal of football this year on the lower ground ’ – i . e ., the Melville Oval . On 19 October 1921 the postponed House Athletics were held on the Main Oval , rather than as usual at the MCG , indicating it was completed by then . From 12 to 14 October 1922 a Scotch College Carnival was held at the Hawthorn campus with House Athletics held on the 13th . As the Scotch Family tired after raising funds to purchase the property and build the school from scratch , Scotch boys felt
TOP LEFT : THE FANCY PAVILION DESIGNED IN 1920 TOP RIGHT : THE 1923 PAVILION
SHORTLY BEFORE ITS DEMOLITION BOTTOM RIGHT :
1922 AERIAL
PHOTO SHOWING THE MAIN OVAL ( TOP ) AND THE
JUNIOR SCHOOL OVAL ( LEFT )
obligated to do their bit , and to raise money through the carnival for a Main Oval pavilion . A cheque for £ 2203 / 9 / 9 was presented to the Council , which dictated that the pavilion ’ s cost should not exceed that amount .
A fancy pavilion designed in February 1920 by architect Henry Hardie Kemp ( born 10.3.1859 , died 22.4.1946 ), who designed all of Scotch ’ s original Hawthorn buildings , was shelved due to its expense , but the boys were assured that the modest pavilion built with their funds would not be the main pavilion : it was – for 40 years .
Scots College ( Sydney ) played against Scotch on the Main Oval on 15 , 16 and 18 December 1922 , in what was described as ‘ the first match of importance on this ground ’: the first Public School contest on the Main Oval . Scotch won the toss and batted first , scoring 322 . Scots responded with 132 , Scotch ’ s second innings totalled 218 , and Scots ’ second innings of 164 left Scotch with an outright win by 244 runs .
Kemp designed the more spartan pavilion to a budget in November 1922 and on 23 December 1922 the contract was signed for its construction . It was completed at the start of 1923 .
The Main Oval ’ s first APS contest was cricket , against Xavier , on 9 and 10 March 1923 . To mark the occasion , a reunion of Old Boys and parents was held in the new pavilion . Xavier spoiled the party , winning the toss , batting first for a total of 217 , bowling out Scotch for 155 , and scoring 314 in its second innings . Scotch replied with a wobbly 4 / 15 before time expired , giving Xavier a win by 62 runs on the first innings . Future state and Australian cricketer , Xavier boy Karl Schneider scored 78 and 134 : he still holds Xavier ’ s batting and bowling records .
Scotch ’ s ‘ temporary ’ pavilion was superseded by the Main Oval pavilion , opened on 4 August 1962 and the changing pavilion ( the south side of the Glenn Centre ) completed in 1963 . At least one letter-writing Scotchie considered the 1923 pavilion Scotch ’ s most picturesque building , but more regarded it as a cold , damp , smelly and white ant-infested travesty . It was demolished over one week between July and August 1963 .
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