The Road Autumn 2020

CONSTRUCTION ON
MOUNT CLEAR SITE
BLAST FROM THE PAST
Construction C1966
No one could have failed to notice the construction currently taking
over part of our beautiful College and we look forward to the day
we can begin to enjoy the exciting new building which will rise up
in its place. Where there is progress, there will often be a preceding
period of inconvenience and as a progressive school we have
seen our share of construction. The 1965-67 period was where it
all began for our Mount Clear site and we are lucky to have these
beautiful photographs in our archives documenting the building
process. The building came close to being destroyed before a student
had even stepped foot in the school when fire swept through the area
in January 1967; if not for the hard work of firefighters and the Sisters
of Mercy (pictured together) history may have been very different.
Once the initial building process was complete, students were able to
move out to St. Martin’s in early 1967. They were so overjoyed at the
prospect they wrote a song about it. The following is a selection of
the lyrics put together by the excited students. We will let you be the
judge as to their songwriting talents…
So Let the Sun Shine In
Taking shape 1966
Further works at Mt Clear site C1967
Now the day has come at last, the Exodus is here
The Sisters are all leaving for the ranch out at Mount Clear
They’re packing up refrigerators – one by one by one
And stacking up the mattresses to make it all ten tonne.
Chorus: And ere by one they’ll go, Sisters in a row
Mattresses come flying up the stairs and on they go
But let the sun shine in, face it with a grin,
Open up your heart and let the sun shine in.
When ablution time is near we’ll surely think of you
Of those who cannot reach the taps and those whose heads poke
through
If you think without a bath you cannot seem to last
Just go and visit Martin and slip in as you go past.
Chorus: But let the sun shine in, face it with a grin
The bath they seem to lose and showers seem to win
So let the sun shine in and face it with a grin
Open up your hearts and let the sun shine in
Now the staff have learnt to drive they surely needn’t fear
‘Bout how they’ll come to Ballarat or get back to Mount Clear
When the drivers have become proficient hands and feet
To meet all their requirements they will need a taxi fleet.
Chorus: So let the nuns drive by, sometimes they will fly
When there are some Maths to teach or maybe fish to fry
They surely won’t need us in the old green bus
But if the wagon has a breakdown then they’ll call on us.
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