Shape their sporting
‘The path of life is one of ups and downs, one in which the odds are great, and defeat has to be encountered. Sport trains us for life, since it teaches us to take our defeats with a smile, and to say, “We live to fight another day.” To set the cause above renown, to love the game beyond the prize. Surely this is the essence of the sporting spirit which does so much to help us along the road of life.’
- Vautin H Andrews, Pegasus, June 1934
Why a Sports + Wellbeing Centre?
In the Wadawurrung language Bellerin means shine and this outstanding facility will be a place for Geelong College students to shine, in sport, and in life.
Our vision is to define a sporting precinct at the Western edge of the campus.
Bellerin will be a state-of-theart learning and sports space that comprises a double court gymnasium, elite training facility and event space overlooking Mackie Oval.
It will host sports training, APS and other competition, school events and additional learning spaces. Bellerin will be used by the broader College community, and
become another extraordinary place for school gatherings.
Car parking and storage facilities will be underground, and the gradient of the slope allows a significant footprint that sits in concert with the campus among landscaped gardens.
The project also encompasses the formalisation of the streetscape on Claremont Avenue, moving two heritage houses to open the entrance
to Mackie House. Both houses will be relocated on College grounds and will be used for a new medical centre and as an expansion of Mossgiel House.
By positioning the new facility at the edge of the campus, we allow for long-term growth at its centre, reserving space for a new library and learning centre. It also enables the existing gym to continue operation during the construction phase.
The time is now
With rapid growth in the Geelong region, the College is experiencing unprecedented demand on enrolments, and therefore on our sports and learning facilities.
As Melbourne expands to the West, we are truly a regional school in a metropolitan context, and it is time that our
sporting facilities reflected this position.
We now enjoy one of the most outstanding and awarded Junior Schools in the country. It is time to turn our focus to the heart of the College, the Senior School, and to ensure the quality of the learning experience spans our three schools.
From the Principal
The College is an incredibly special place that has developed so many wonderful contributors to our community over its 160 years, and our sports program is at the heart of that development. Bellerin will be an amazing and iconic space for our students and our community to gather, and to prioritise fitness and health.
Dr Peter Miller
From the Chair of Council
The Bellerin Campaign is a generational opportunity to build a legacy for the students and families of The Geelong College. This will enable not only state-of-theart sporting facilities that are integral to the health and wellbeing of our school community, but allow us to develop the next phase of a rich learning environment for our school.
rof. Richard Page
4 x Classrooms
Community Room
Multi-Purpose Space
Strength training spaces
Spacious change rooms
TheblueprintCentre’s
2 x full-size indoor courts
Explore the building in virtual reality (VR)
Scan each of the QR Codes to visit a 360° interactive virtual reality render of part of the project. Move your phone around slowly to pan around the room.
Room to train
With student numbers increasing, our College has changing needs.
While we have wonderful outdoor spaces, our indoor court spaces are non-compliant for competition and there isn’t enough room to train. Our changerooms, too, need an update.
With the increase in student numbers, we will also need new classrooms.
The Bellerin project will deliver exactly these things - providing what our students need now, as well as planning ahead for the future.
TheCommitteeCampaign
Chaired by Dr Hugh Seward, the committee has been tasked with raising $8m to realise our vision for the new Centre. Dr Seward leads a Committee of Old Collegians, past and current parents to engage with College community members interested in leaving a legacy for future generations of students.
The Campaign Committee are supported by our Campaign Ambassadors who each lend their influence to the Campaign as prominent members of the community.
AFL Footballer, Geelong Cats
(OGC 1951) Former Federal Politician
(OGC 1995)
Sports Journalist and Television Presenter
Exercise in any form is the key to great health and wellbeing. I have spent my professional life encouraging everyone to be physically active.
This extraordinary facility gives the school the opportunity to enable our students to find great enjoyment in their exercise and make this a habit for life.
Dr Hugh Seward AM (OGC 1966)
Richard Colman AM (OGC 2003)
Paralympic & World Championship Gold Medallist (OGC 2020)
AFL Footballer, Richmond Tigers
The cost of the project
For the first time since the appeal for the Keith Humble Centre for Music and the Performing Arts in 2007, the College needs help from the community to realise our vision.
Remember the pride you felt when you pulled on your Pegasus jumper, or the joy of watching your child take to the field in the blue and green.
Competing with teammates or training until it hurt?
Do you want to support the ambitions and development of the next generation?
Our new Sports and Wellbeing Centre will be built at a cost of $32 million and we are seeking support from our community to ensure it can be built to the highest standards and will be a legacy for the future.
To achieve our ambitious fundraising target, we need support from the whole
Geelong College community. Much like sport, if we all pull together as a team and give what we can, we will achieve our goal.
Philanthropic support is not about keeping the lights on; it is about transforming the College into its next era of educational excellence.
Please consider a gift, large or small, and invest in current and future students, and the long-term success of The Geelong College.
This is your opportunity to show your support in a very practical way. How can I help?
