Speeches
Tuesday, 15 October 2024
Heart of Walford Stages 2 and 3 Opening
I am pleased to join you this morning for the launch of the Heart of Walford Stage 2 and 3 redevelopment.
Today marks the culmination of several years of work to realise this project.
While as an old scholar I have fond memories of the Old Hall, there can be no doubt that the time was right for it to make way for a new space to be enjoyed by a new generation of students.
I have to say I am pleased to see the school bell still has pride of place – and can imagine the Year 12 students must be counting the days until they will be ringing the bell on their final day of school!
The phrase ‘Heart of Walford’ has led me to reflect on how I experienced Walford’s heart as a student, including the school’s strong sense of community and its commitment to values of excellence, inclusion, and care for others.
While I was here at school, I often wondered what was in the minds of old scholars when they returned for Old Scholars’ weeks. They seemed friendly, enthusiastic women and quite fun and they spoke fondly of their school days.
My mother and aunts were occasionally among their number. But still the question remained. Why would you go back when the whole point of going to school, my friends and I thought, was to finish it; to be able to ring that bell and go out into the big wide world.
One of the great things about getting older, is that you can look back and with the benefit of the passage of time, answer the questions you had when you were younger.
So, although I said earlier that I had fond memories of the Old Hall, when I think about it a little more, it wasn’t really about the buildings at all. It’s really about what I experienced indoors and outdoors right here in what you now quite accurately call the Heart of Walford.
It’s where I learned how to learn. How to listen. How to put forward a point of view and have it debated. It’s where I came to know what it feels like to be included and how to include and care for others. And how wonderful a sense of community feels.
It’s where I remember first feeling inspired, both by teachers and by other girls. It’s where I realised what you need to do when you really want to achieve something. It’s where I came to realise the value of excellence.
All of these things, you won’t be at all surprised to hear, add up to some rather useful life skills, skills which have stood me in good stead and which I still work on pretty much every day.
It didn’t end with the ringing of that bell and now I understand that’s why old scholars return, as I hope you will too.
But back to today.
Creating outdoor spaces, and a connection to nature, are challenges for all the inner suburban schools I have visited, where physical space is at a premium.
In our busy and complex lives, this connection is increasingly important.
Multiple studies show that being outdoors, in sight of plants and trees, can lower stress levels and increase feelings of wellbeing.
We know too that how we construct our built environment has a strong influence on us, including how we relate to each other.
It’s wonderful to see so many spaces here for students to sit and be together, boosting a sense of community among the student body.
We have some quite nice gardens at Government House, too, and I encourage you to visit for Lunch on the Lawns, a public event on the first Friday of each month.
Friends, I thank everyone involved in the completion of this project, in particular the Council of Governors and executive team, Matthews Architects and Pascale Construction.
I also thank the donors and supporters here today for their generous assistance.
Congratulations to your school community on bringing to new life the Heart of Walford, which has always been so evident to all who have had the privilege of being students here.
It is my great pleasure to declare the project officially open.