Opening and Dedication of St George’s
One of the highlights of Term 3 was the opening and dedication of St George’s
Anglican Grammar School (SGAGS) and the commissioning of the Principal,
Chaplain and staff by the Archbishop of Perth, The Most Reverend Roger Herft AM,
and the Minister for Education, The Honourable Peter Collier MLC, at St George’s
Cathedral on Tuesday 8 September.
The Service began with a moving rendition of Lord, the Light of Your Love and an
acknowledgement of the Noongar people as the original custodians of the land and
concluded with a rousing version of Shout to the Lord. Interspersed we heard from
the Archbishop, the Minister for Education and SGAGS’s Principal, Mrs Rensché
Diggeden, as well as words of congratulations from the Chair and CEO of the ASC.
The Archbishop welcomed dignitaries, guests, staff, students and parents to the
Cathedral, which also serves as the School’s chapel. He complimented the students
and staff on the ‘wonderful holy journey you are on’ and said how energising it was
for Perth’s CBD community to have such ‘a vibrant group of young people’ in its
midst.
The Archbishop directed his key message to the students. He told them about
Georgios, the former tiller of the land, who rose to a position of power in the Roman
Army. As a devout Christian Georgios tried to live his life as purely as he could even
though his work for the army sometimes conflicted with his beliefs. However, when
Emperor Diocletian decreed that every Roman soldier had to swear allegiance to the
Roman gods, Georgios decided that this was ‘one step too far’. He decided he ‘could
not stand in a place he did not believe in’. Diocletian told him ‘to just do it’ but
Georgios refused and was persecuted by the wheel of 100 swords and then
beheaded.
The Archbishop said Georgios, who is venerated as the Christian military saint, St
George, after whom the Cathedral and school are named, stood up to the forces of
compromise to maintain human dignity. He likened Georgios to the sower in Matthew
Chapter 13: 8. He sowed wisdom, power and grace and some of his seed fell on
good ground.
The Archbishop urged the students to act like Georgios, to stand up for what really
matters. ‘Let wisdom and grace be sown in you.’ He told them that their moral
compass will be challenged by compromise – it is the worst place for a human to be.
‘It brings you the least amount of honour.’
Peter Collier paid tribute to the ASC for having been asked to open a school in the
northern suburbs and an inner-city school, ‘which is something new for WA’ in the
one year. He told the students that they had ‘the best chapel on earth’ and that they
should ‘make the most of it’. The Minister also told them that they had more
opportunities than ever before and that they ‘should go with their strengths’.
Peter Collier also spoke about the responsibilities of wearing ‘the red blazer’ and
being a foundation student at SGAGS. He said he was sure the School and its
students would add much to the tapestry of a vibrant and dynamic city.
In wishing the teachers good luck, the former teacher told them that they had ‘the
best job on earth’.
At the conclusion of his address Peter Collier presented a book on the history of
Fremantle and Perth to SGAGS before revealing a plaque to officially open the
School. The Archbishop then presented the School’s official banner to the Principal.
The Reverend Peter Laurence, CEO of the ASC and Chair of SGAGS Council, was
then called upon to congratulate the School. He thanked the Archbishop and the
Minister for their words and the Mayor of Perth, Lisa Scaffidi, for her full support in
getting ‘this wild and crazy idea’ of establishing an inner-city school in a high rise
building off the ground. Thanks were also extended to Mr Brad Viney from the
Department of Education Services for his wonderful support and to the Dean of Perth
and Chapter for having the Cathedral - the best school chapel in Western Australia ready for the commissioning service. Disappointingly, the Dean was not in
attendance. His message to the SGAGS community was how ‘delighted the
Cathedral is to be the spiritual home of the School’.
Besides congratulating the Principal and staff on their outstanding job of relocating
the School from Murdoch University to William Street during the July school holidays,
Peter Laurence noted that SGAGS can trace its history back to 1989 through its links
to Mr Barry Gregory, who was one of the founders of Alexander and Beaufort
Colleges which subsequently became part of Murdoch College when it was
established in 2000. SGAGS is still in partnership with Mr Gregory through St
George’s International School, which manages SGAGS’s international enrolments.
He announced that SGAGS was awarding Mr Gregory Honorary Membership of the
School in recognition of his life-long commitment to education. It was with immense
pleasure that Revd Laurence presented Barry with a certificate in recognition of this
award.
As Chair of the ASC Mrs Barbara Godwin OAM, welcomed students and staff to the
ASC’s ‘family of schools’.
It was then the Principal’s turn to speak. Mrs Rensché Diggeden said it was with a
great sense of pride that she stood in St George’s Cathedral, the School’s spiritual
home, and looked out at the students and staff. She said the School had been on a
very exciting, if at times tumultuous, journey over the last 12 months. It has changed
its name, ethos and location to become the first new inner city school in over a
century. She said they had had many companions on the way – most notably Revd
Peter Laurence and the ASC, whose vision in taking ownership of the School had
secured its future. She thanked the architects (DWA Architects), quantity surveyors
(Owen Consulting), interior designer (Adam Paikos-Coe from Cusp Design Studio),
builders (Buckingham Re-Development Company), and the ASC’s Policy and Project
Manager, Mrs Keva Crouch, for their expertise in overseeing the refurbishment of 50
William Street into SGAGS. She also thanked the owners of the building, Gerard and
Rob O’Brien, for their support.
A special thank you was extended to the Lord Mayor for welcoming the School to the
city on the first day of Term 3.
At the conclusion of the Service the congregation processed to 50 William Street for
the dedication and blessing of the school site. They did so to the beat of the City of
Perth Marching Band. Like the parting of the Red Sea, traffic came to a halt so
everyone could cross St Georges Terrace. It was then time for lunch, provided by
SGAGS’s Café, and student-led tours of the School. Visitors were impressed with the
modern facilities, especially the distinctive colour scheme of each floor.
As Rensché Diggeden said: ‘The day was a wonderful celebration for the entire
school community and a fortuitous beginning to this significant new chapter in the life
of St George’s Anglican Grammar School.’