Imagine a place where all a 12 year old boy wants to do is build a fire, talk to his mates and his teacher. Another 14 year old wakes up at 6:00am to help make breakfast, and another boy who struggles to sit still in a classroom, loves learning outdoors.

This is a place where traditional teacher-student barriers are removed. This place exists at Scots and it is not Glengarry – it is Bannockburn.

When the Glengarry Outdoor Education Program was introduced to Year 9 students at the College in 1989, Scots became the Australian leader in experiential learning. Since then, Glengarry has remained one of the driving forces behind the Scots Advantage.

In 2018, the College, again, led the way and challenged the status quo of western educational models, when Bannockburn became part of College life.

Located north of Jervis Bay National Park, five minute’s drive from Culburra Beach, this 300-hectare property was donated to the College by the late Mr Warren Halloran (’44). Bannockburn is Scots premier location for experiential education for students beginning in Kindergarten through to Year 12.

Like a good, all-round Scots boy, Bannockburn ‘wears many hats’. It is the home base for the Year 9 Adventure Academy program which extends the Glengarry experience to selected students. It is also headquarters for the Cadet Unit who use it for camps and reconnaissance training exercises. Years 10, 11 and 12 Agriculture students also enjoy its many resources.

Driven by department heads at Bellevue Hill and Bannockburn’s Manager, Mr Duncan McMaster, and Coordinator of Experiential Education – Bannockburn, Mrs Kym McMaster, single classes and year groups from the College’s city campuses can be immersed in a new environment, stay overnight and enjoy relevant hands-on lessons in subjects as wideranging as Geography, Mathematics and Visual Arts.

This is the ultimate outdoor classroom for all Scots boys.

Head of Geography, Mr David Petrie, is a strong advocate for using Bannockburn at any opportunity.

“Being five minutes from Culburra Beach and two minutes from a large river system, we’ve got three or four different types of environment near each other. We can study mangroves, wet sclerophyll forests, open grasslands and coastal environments – all in one day.

“Year 8 students visit the Jervis Bay Muscle Factory and learn about the supply chain for Coles supermarkets and Sydney restaurants. That's pretty special.

“The opportunities are endless. One could imagine the College Orchestra visiting Bannockburn to play an open-air concert for the local community, while English students sit as the sun sets enjoying a creative writing and poetry workshop,” Mr Petrie explains.

Against the natural backdrop and shared experiences on the property, Bannockburn connects students to their city staff in a way that deepens and strengthens their educational relationships.

“Driving through the Bannockburn gates and seeing The Rampant Lion of Scots makes it different to a standard field trip. The boys feel a sense of pride and ownership down here. Whether it’s a beekeeping lesson or work on the organic vegetable farm, the boys take care in their work, their equipment and the property,” Mr Petrie says.

Adults know teachers are everyday people, but when a boy learns that a teacher has a personality and interests away from the classroom as well, a closer connection is formed and it’s one that Mr Petrie says is truly beneficial and enduring. After a day of hard work, all the boys want to do is build a camp fire. Then their personalities really show, often in inspiring ways.

“Some of your worst-behaved boys in the classroom are the best-behaved boys at Bannockburn. We sit by the campfire, eating a dinner that the boys have prepared from scratch, and meaningful conversations take place.”

Bannockburn, was comprised of a number of properties consolidated from purchases by Mr Warren Halloran (’44) over the years from 1972 to 2014.

During his ownership Mr Halloran built two houses, a barn, bell tower and other improvements; staying in his ‘Scottish tower house’ every weekend until in 2016 when old age prevented him from returning.

Mr Halloran had a dormitory designed to his specifications which has been approved by Shoalhaven City Council. The design accommodates 100 boys and ten staff for immersion programs, ensuring Bannockburn remains an exceptional site for experiential education, serving Scots boys for generations to come.

The College is immensely grateful for Mr Halloran’s generous donation.