Sports Precinct Unveiled

The opening of the St Margaret’s Sports Precinct, on Wednesday 26 August 2020, was an historic occasion in a historic year, in more ways than one. While serendipitous, it was fitting that the redevelopment of one third of the campus, resulting in a magnificent sports and wellbeing facility, was completed and open for use in St Margaret’s 125th anniversary year. We were honoured to have the precinct opened by The Governor of Queensland, His Excellency the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, and dedicated by The Right Reverend Archbishop Phillip Aspinall. Other special guests included Sisters Gillian, Eunice and Sandra, then Chair of School Council Alison Quinn, Tim Nicholls MP, community members who generously donated to the project, and St Margaret’s Patron Philip Harris, after whom both the former sports centre and new gym are named. Official proceedings concluded with students and guests christening the pool by throwing in over 1000 rubber ducks sporting the St Margaret’s logo, which they later took home as a memento of the occasion. This world class facility incorporates a water polo sized heated swimming pool with two 50m lanes, tennis courts with lights, gymnasium with an oak sprung floor, a strength and conditioning gym, an indoor climbing wall featuring seven belay stations and 76m2 of climbing, a dedicated ergometer room to support rowing and modern health and physical education classrooms. Award-winning architects Blight Rayner designed the precinct to promote a sense of connection with moveable walls, and an indoor/outdoor flow afforded by an enormous 22m panel lift wall (the largest of its kind in the state) which connects the indoor gymnasium to the outdoor tennis courts. The entire precinct represents the largest flat space the school has ever had. By the start of Term 4, all areas of the precinct were ‘open for business’ and were being thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by staff and students alike.