ECHO
EDITORIAL
Semester 1 of 2025 has flown by fast with many events and occurrences. Come along with us in the first issue of the ECHO this year to explore all that we’ve seen so far: ranging from the musical to the athletic, there’s surely been something for everyone!
This year’s House Music brought in country twang to Camberwell, being the overall theme Each of the eight houses presented their choice of a country song and another choice, ranging all the way from the ever-present Steven Latin chorale to classic pop songs. However the night’s not complete without the prefect item; this year they presented a trip through the decades with choreographed dances to boot. This competition culminated in a stunning performance of HOT TO GO by the prefect team, even joined by Mr Jeacocke
Speaking of the prefect team, our next article features them in the first ever “Meet the Prefects”. Ever wondered their opinions on pineapple on pizza? Their music taste? Their choice between 100 duck-sized horses or one horse-sized duck? Us neither, but we’ve got that and more packaged up in the article!
Next up we’re moving onto a feature on Term 1’s Green Week! Sporting the rivalry between the Frog and Green Man, the Term’s capstone involved plenty of laughter and fun, captured in the article, thanks to the efforts of Towards 2050 and Sustainability Captain Ivan Zhang.
Speaking of sales, Summon’s Gelati Day provided a fun treat for many in Term 1. Their cold, sweet treats not only allowed plenty to indulge, but successfully raised money for the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School, all towards a great cause
Next we’ve pried the Scholars of the school out of their studies to answer our questions. Learn all about the optimal amounts of screentime, extracurriculars and subject choices in this exclusive group interview!
Athletics Day provided some opportunities for exertion and physical showcase, and for others time in the shade, definitely supporting their House The recurrence of the Rubbish Relay, now named after previous Sustainability Prefect Tony Zhang, featured an exciting 4x100 of Prefects with the added challenge of sorting rubbish into their allocated bins Rotary’s classic sausage sizzle ran hot during this day as well, their avarice burning deep holes into the insatiable Camberwell public, all culminating in a thrilling day for both the athlete and the gourmand.
Following that we’ve got coverage of this year’s musical, The Pirates of Penzance. With riveting wordplay and a plot full of intricacies, this collaboration with both Camberwell and Canterbury Girls provided an electrifying watch We’ve got some wise words from all over the cast, so be sure to check it out!
Finally we have our field report back from this year’s Cadet Bivouac. Their time away was full of operations that tested their skills, letting them apply all that they had been learning in an engaging environment. The various activities, ranging from fuel rod retrieval to spy ambushes, truly brought the unit together through collective struggle and enjoyment
A huge thank you goes out from me personally to the whole team that has worked tirelessly to get this issue of the ECHO up and running, especially Lucas Qin, Aiden Tsui and Team Leader Alan Wang Additionally the Photography team headed by both Sean Luo and Nathan Liew have provided most of the shots found in here, so make sure to admire their work!
From the desk of the editor, Christopher
Khong,
Prefect of Publications
House Music 2025
Macneil kicked off with Brahms’ Piano Trio #3, taking to the main stage This emotional piece of music presented thematic depth, and also fascinating landscapes of structure Following the instrumental, they gave an entertaining interpretation of “Call Me Maybe” and “9 to 5” This was well received by the audience, exemplifying their dynamic range of voices and parts, as well as the familiarity of their songs to most listeners As was tradition, Macneil’s singers were all organised in a parabolic structure, something that would be recognisable from past years Led by Captain of Macneil Ethan Lau and pianist Reily Wang, they set an excellent standard that would be the defining feature of 2025
Summons was up next in the rotation of Houses this year Beginning with Mozart’s Oboe Quartet, led by Captain of Summons Owen Wu, their Instrumental showcased the unwavering determination that Summons could use to power through to the top This piece displayed brilliance and a shimmering tone quality, as well as dialogue between the oboe and the other three string instruments Following this impressive performance, Owen once again took to the stage to conduct a touching rendition of “Vienna” This was an uplifting and meaningful piece, which was shortly followed by “The Gambler”, conducted by Jade Bishop. It was evident in the manner and enthusiasm with which Summons conducted themselves throughout the song, culminating in a well-deserved second-place finish by the end of the night.
House Music 2025 │Macneil, Summons House Music 2025 │Macneil, Summons
Steven continued onwards through the night, starting with an unorthodox quartet - Amalia’s Divertimento. Surprisingly to many students and the audience, this piece involved a harpsichord played by Justin Zhou, an instrument that had not been seen in House Music for quite some time. Peculiarly, it also had a remarkable viola solo played by Isaac Field, as well as clarinetist Ivan Zhang. After this, Stevens proceeded to their Unison and Part songs, including "When I Call Your Name”, followed by a tradition in Steven: a Latin choral piece by Karl Jenkins, “In Caelum Fero” It was a change in direction for the singing that night, and was well-amusing for the audience in particular
Led by Captain James Gaudion
Clifford, seeking to continue their two year streak of victory, began with Bruch’s Piano Quintet. Consisting of music scholars Leo Qi, Tyler Li, Gabriel Liu and Joseph Ni, the quintet performed a stunning performance that cemented their house at least a podium finish. Following this, the 2024 victors sang “Islands in the Stream”, followed by “Stars” from Les Misérables Led by Captain Justin Kwan, the two songs were highly regarded by the adjudicators, for their rich contrasting harmonies and upbeat accompaniments This, combined with their outstanding Instrumental item ultimately led Clifford to reclaim the crown once again in 2025
Bridgland, in the middle of all the performing houses, started with a crowd favourite - Piazzolla’s Libertango. The tango-like Spanish feel and liveliness quickly became popular with the adjudicators, headed by violinist Horus Cheung, and cellist and Captain of Music Nicholas Branson. Hoping to keep up the momentum from their incredible instrumental performance, Bridgland sang their unison song, “Southern Nights” by Glen Campbell, followed by their part song: “Better Be Home Soon” by Crowded House. These angelic and moving pieces, ensconced audience members and evoked a sense of dreaminess in all who were listening.
Robinson's soulful display of Piano quartet No 4 in C minor Op 87 1st movement by A Dvořák was well received by the adjudicators, regarded as “lively and playful.” However the slight messy balance at times causing minimised key melodic lines made Robinson less favoured upon. Looking for a turnaround on their Choral items consisting of “Last Night” by Morgan Wallen and “Mr Forgettable” by David Kushner pleased the judges as they commented “Nice to hear a change of pace with a bit of modern country”. Learning from their mistakes in the previous year, Robinson had a well-controlled pitch and vowel sounds were especially clear and rounded.
House Music 2025 │Bridgland, Robinson House Music Bridgland, Robinson
Derham were the penultimate House to perform in the competition. Playing Beethoven’s 4th Quartet, including cellist Derrick Kwon, Mattias Ho on viola, violinists Nathan Nai and Nathan Wayne completed a wonderful rendition of the first movement of Beethoven’s String Quartet No.4, showing rhythmic cohesion throughout the piece between the instruments. Following this, Derham continued on to their unison and part Songs, “Piano Man” by Billy Joel and “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. A special appearance was made by Thomas Klebanowski on the harmonica during “Piano Man”, a unique and eye-catching performance that helped add more variety and flavour to Derham’s repertoire
The part song, conducted by Jonah Guorgi, and accompanied by Daniel Lukins on the guitar, helped round out a strong night for the house in red
Schofield helped finish the night with a wellrounded production of both their instrumental and choral sections. Led by Jayden Weng, Schofield’s quartet performed a strong execution of the second movement of Vaughan’s String Quartet No.1. However, it was a quite different piece to the others beforehand and was unfortunately not well received by the adjudicators. Finishing up, Schofield House were brilliantly led by House Captain Jack Brant, and accompanied by guitarist Rick Liu and pianist James Ding for the Part and Unison songs. Particularly, Rick had an impressive improvised electric guitar solo in their part song “Don’t Look Back in Anger”, by Oasis - a well distinguished touch compared to other houses To finish the evening off, Schofield sang one last song, the iconic “Country Roads” by John Denver Overall, Schofield’s performance helped end the 2025 House Music Competition on a high note House Music 2025 │Derham, Schofield House Music 2025 │Derham, Schofield
If you were a superhero/villain
What goes first, cereal or milk? And why?
Milkfirstthencereal.Can’tput aboatintheoceanifthere’s nowatertobeginwith -AnsonL Cereal, I’m not a psychopath - Christopher K
I don’t eat cereal, I drink saratoga water because I’m trying to get at least 20,000 bro - Ethan T
yCerealbecausethen moucandecidehow uchmilktoputin -JustinK
Cerealbecauseit makessense -JackB
If you were a superhero/villain, what power would you have?
Teleportation -AdamL -Timecontrol ChaunceyYu
Flight, nothing cooler than being able to fly around the world at your own leisure - Ross A
Probablyli infinite mo - KenseiS
Speakeverylanguage -JonahG
What is the worst thing you ’ ve done as a kid?
Wasin a cave with a tour guide,they turned off thelights to tell a storyandI flashbanged the guide with mytorch - ChristopherK
I’m too nonchalant so nothing - Nicholas B
I stole Pokemon cards from the primary school Principal's office, but felt bad and snuck into her office the next day to return them - Jason K
Broke my Dad’s laptop and put it in his bag to make it look like his bag was the problem - Owen W
What are your opinions on pineapple on Pizza?
Goatedchoice,addsthe rightjuicetoit -RossA
Absolutelybanging -ChaunceyY
Sure, not Italian, I don’t care - Ivan Z
Hellnah - KenseiS
It does not belong in this country... - Nicholas B
If you could change ONE thing about school, what would it be?
Canteenpricesanddrink tapsinthemusicschool... -OwenW
Nap time :D BachT
Get a crowd down to firsts footy on a Friday afternoo - Adam L
Being half-Italian, I prefer your classic Margherita with a tomato base, mozzarella and basil on top - James G Nopineappleonpizza -KenseiS Amountoftime forCadets -KrisVR
-JonahG
-ChristopherK
Santa He broke into my house - Jonah G
What’s a weird thing you believed as a kid?
Chocolatemilkcame frombrowncows -KrisVR
Ifyou turned on the light in the car, you’dget arrested - Anson L 습니다 by 아니 https://www youtube com/watch v=dQw4w9WgXcQ - Ethan L
I believed I could grow up and become Iron Man - Jason K
What is your favourite song genre, artist or song?
Myfavouriteartistofall timehasgottobeMasayoshi Takanaka -theabsolutegoat.EitherhimorNujabes. -CharlieW
Good Days | SZA :D - Bach T
Post Punk - Kris VR
Judas by Lady Gaga ��+
- Ethan T
- Jack B
Would you fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
Onehorse-sized duck,Ilovveeeee Pekingduck EthanT
Anyonewhopicksa horse-sizedduckhasNOTsquared upwithDonaldDuckbefore - EthanL
Horsesareverystrongandeven smallduck-sizedhorseswouldprobably dodamagesoahorse-sizedduck -JamesG
100duck-sizedhorses,it’s likefightingaplayground fulloftoddlers -IvanZ
One horse-sized duck so that I could lure it into a trap with a ginormous trail of breadcrumbs - Charlie W
b100duck-sizedhorses ecauseI’mtoosmallto fightonebigduck -JustinK
What’s your favourite part of having your prefect position?
Sportsreport everyweek -ChaunceyY
Having the opportunity to make the schoolabetterplace - Jason K
Teachersarereally nicetome:)(Theyare alwaysniceofc) KenseiS
Extra responsibilitiesandseeing different aspects ofthe school -Adam L
Stand by me - Oasis
The annual CGS Green Week kicked off during the last week of Term 1. It has been a running tradition of the school group Towards 2050 to host a week of sustainability-related activities, culminating in the well-renowned Green Week Concert. This article will go over the activities for the week (in chronological order), including the Chalk Art competition, Green Careers, the launch of a sustainability podcast, the clean up of the anniversary trail and of course - the Green Week concert.
3 1 M a r c h –4 A p r i l 2 0 2 5 S e a n T s e n g
G R E E WN E E K
The week started with the Chalk Art competition. This was the walkway near the Cafeteria, spanning five metres in length. Towards 2050 students were judges, and each competitor was allocated two tiles for their chalk artsustainability themed of course. The winners received cafeteria vouchers, and it was an enjoyable experience for everyone. On the other hand, Tuesday’s event was Green Careers, a forum in which students mingled with past students and specialists specialising in sustainability-oriented jobs.
On Wednesday, the first sustainability podcast was launched in the Quinn Lecture Theatre. A small group of 2050 students successfully launched their feature podcast on the school sustainability topic, Change the Future. These Camberwell students contributed their podcast to a range of others, including schools across Melbourne and Australia. On the penultimate day of Green Week, around 20 students in conjunction with Mr Hone and Ms Menzies hiked (kidding) down to the Anniversary Trail to meet
up with CGGS to clean up said trail. This was a hectic but substantive afternoon, with people picking up objects like ordinary glass bottles, metal poles and even a basketball hoop. Mr Hone remarked to all the students that “in the unlikely event you see a hypodermic needle, run the other direction “calmly”. Due to legal reasons, I cannot disclose whether or not we saw a hypodermic needle - but it is safe to say that we were disappointed. Picking up 10 bags of rubbish and heading back to Junior School, the Anniversary Trail was made ever-so-slightly cleaner than it was before. Nevertheless, all students were pleased with their efforts and contributions to sustainability.
“Join Towards 2050, Cheers” – Ivan Zhang
And of course, the highly anticipated Green Week Concert. Splashes of colour were seen across Senior School, with five-dollar donations going towards Yarra River Keepers. Notable features of the concert included ensemble singing, electric guitar solos, and an intense rivalry between the frog and Green Man. I have been forced to sign an NDA by the one and only Ivan Zhang to not disclose the identity of Green Man, but I can assure you that it was incredibly eventful (more to come). Like last year, Towards 2050 wished to find a food that was tasty, affordable and sustainable (why else would we be fundraising?), settling on falafel wraps and Sprite (with the green theme). This was widely popular and successful, with numerous students lining up to buy, even giving the fabled fish and chips a run for its money. The concert concluded with a new character arising - the frog, which would start an intense competition that was totally not fuelled by Ivan. This was a once-in-a-lifetime arm wrestle between the two, with the reward being… a can of Sprite. While Green Man had a great start, the frog came back for the win in the end, setting the score one-nil for next year.
All in all, 2025’s Green Week was just as entertaining and successful for everyone involved. From chalk art to the concert, there was something to cater to everyone’s desires. Ivan Zhang leaves big shoes to fill for the next sustainability prefect, to be continued.
SUMMONS GELATI DAY FUNDRAISER DRAWS BIG CROWDS
On a sweltering Friday afternoon, Summons House hosted its annual Summons Gelati Day fundraiser, drawing enthusiastic students from across the school. Under a vibrant blue sky and a palpable sense of excitement for the upcoming weekend, the Senior School amphitheatre quickly filled with students eager to indulge in strawberry, chocolate, and lemon gelati.
Even before the lunch bell rang, queues had already begun to form. As lunch officially began, the line stretched around the amphitheatre, through the library and towards the music school due to the popularity of the event. Although this might be a slight exaggeration, the strong turnout reflected how well loved the annual gelati day has become.
The most in-demand flavour was lemon, which immediately sold out, disappointing many who had waited patiently for it. However the Summons team; comprising of Prefects and student representatives acted quickly to restock, ensuring no one was left empty coned. Their efficiency kept spirits high and the event running smoothly.
The buzz was unmistakable. Students were seen around the schoolyard enjoying colourful cones of red, brown, and yellow. Even teachers joined in, sharing the moment with students (some benefiting from the privilege of skipping the line.) The canteen's usual Friday fish and chips line was noticeably shorter as the gelati without question stole its storm.
A Junior School version of the event also took place on Thursday, 27 February. Unlike the Senior School students, Junior School students required parental permission and payment in advance but this didn’t stop them from eagerly joining in the fun!
Beyond the sweet treats and schoolyard joy, the event had a meaningful purpose. All proceeds from the gelati sales went towards the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS). This organisation supports Indigenous students from remote communities, providing access to high quality education, as well as opportunities for personal growth and development.
MITS offers a rich program that includes literacy, numeracy, and extracurricular activities such as sports, camps, and excursions. The program helps build independence, leadership, and confidence; creating real opportunities for students who may not otherwise have access to such resources.
Students were generous in their support, with many choosing to donate extra money in addition to their gelati purchases. Thanks to this generosity,
Summons House was able to raise over $1,000 for MITS; a significant and commendable achievement made possible only by the full community spirit of the school.
Summons Gelati Day not only delivered a refreshing treat on a hot afternoon but also reminded the school community of the importance of compassion, giving back, and supporting meaningful causes. The success of this event highlights how small, joyful moments can have a big impact.
Scholars of the School Survey
Earlier this year, we surveyed our cast of Scholars of the School for 2024 Sem 2, asking about subject choices, study habits, and much more. Here’s what they said!
Our scholars were asked which Unit 3/4 subjects they have already completed in Year 11.
The most popular subject was (unsurprisingly) Maths Methods
Not far behind were Accounting and Biology, tied at 6 students each
Lastly, with only one person studying each, we had CISCO, Chinese and Software Development
Finally, one person reported that they completed Equine Studies 3/4
What a weird joke, surely that won’t get a callback anytime soon...
Our scholars were asked which subjects they were currently studying in Year 12.
The most popular subject was chemistry with 17 out of 21 students who participated in the survey choosing it
Other popular subjects included
Mainstream English, Latin, Maths Methods and Specialist Maths, each taken by more than half of our scholars
Some of the less common subjects include Indonesian, Legal Studies and Software Dev.
We asked the scholars how much time they spent daily preparing for exams. The most common time spent studying was 2-4 hours daily.
James Gaudion and Will Georges reportedly spent over 6 hours of their day studying.
Meanwhile, 4 other people were confident enough to study for less than two hours a day.
Social media usage within the scholars provided an interesting honesty test. Many thanks to Joash Law, Daniel Cohen and Anson Lim for being the only honest ones with 4+ hours each day
To the rest of you, we know you’re on reels right now
Our scholars did a lot more than just studying at school.
The most popular extracurriculars were music, rotary and debating
7 scholars were talented enough to make it into a firsts sports team
Only 4 took part in publications - a disappointing turnout
Of course, our scholars have least favourite subjects too. Some commonly disliked subjects included English, Maths and RE.
Even some seemingly forgettable subjects made the list, including Indonesian. But the most hated subject over the past 3 years, with a whopping 7 votes, was Geography!
The scholars’ birthdays were spread across the year. An above-average amount of scholars were born in: December May July August October
However, despite being the shortest month, February was the most common birth month, with a total of four scholars being born then
So, if you were born in February, statistically you have a better shot at doing well!
Finally, our scholars of the school were asked for a 3/4 subject they wanted to be added for future Y12s. There were 4 votes for Psychology - the most common request. There was also 1 vote for ‘Psycology’ But the most requested subject from our best and brightest Year 12s was... Equine Studies..? ...what?
ATHLETIC
On 17 March 2025, at the Doncaster Athletics Track, the annual Camberwell Grammar House Athletics proved once again to be one of the most exhilarating and enthusiastic events of the school year. This year’s Athletics exhibited an electrifying showcase of speed, talent and determination to win honour for their houses. With each of the eight houses giving it their all, the competition was incredibly tight, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. The atmosphere was buzzing with school spirit, as spectators and competitors alike cheered passionately throughout the day, turning the event into more than just a competition, being a celebration of camaraderie, resilience, and house pride.
“ an electrifying showcase of speed, talent and determination”
The second ever Prefects Rubbish Relay was held in honour of our previous Environmental and Sustainability Captain Tony Zhang, adding a thrilling and humorous twist to the overall event. Seemingly a classic 4x100m relay race, the baton was replaced with bins. At interchange 1 and 3, the runner from each house was tasked with grabbing rubbish of a specific type and then putting the correct rubbish in the correct bin, with time penalties of 5 seconds given for any piece of rubbish that was placed incorrectly. The race was very tight and intense, with the rankings being extremely close; however, ultimately Macneil came first, with Derham in second, and Steven third.
The day culminated in an exhilarating series of relays, including the 4x100m, 4x200m, and 4x400m, highlighting each house's strong fighting spirit, with each win celebrating the collective efforts of all the runners. These final races were a fitting end to a day filled with energy and perseverance, as athletes dug deep to secure last-minute points for their houses.
The Rotary sausage-sizzle fueled the economic market of Camberwell Grammar School as countless innocent young Camberwell students fell into their cruel and greedy palms. The central villain, Mr Jones, could be heard shouting his iconic “rrrrrrrrrrROTARY” through the microphone, driving huge dents into the tiny wallets of Camberwell students. This booming business, while comedic in tone, became an oddly symbolic pillar of the day’s festivities, offering a taste of triumph and sausage to the hungry masses. This event encapsulates the rich, opulent nature of the School, where half of our student body plays golf.
“Rotary managed to wrest a profit of $1050.24”
Overall, the dastardly Rotary managed to wrest a profit of 1050.24 dollars from the destitute students.
The year-level results were all very tight:
Last but not least the overall placing for all the houses are: Macneil last, then Clifford, Bridgland, Derham, Steven, Summons, Schofield, and Robinson first.
8.Macnei
Congratulations to Robinson on their well-earned victory, successfully dethroning Bridgland and setting high bar for next year’s competition. Their consistency across year levels and standout performances on the track truly cemented their dominance this year.
JAMES WANG
The Pirates of Penzance ThePiratesof Penzance
How did you feel when you realised that you were a principal character?
At first, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the id f b i l d it d lik
I couldn't believe it! I would’ve never expected that I would be handed a principal role- since this is my second CGS, and especially since there avy competition: there were so great singers going for my role
-Aiden Tsui (Samuel)
Anything special you want to mention?
Everything I wore across my multiple costumes was orange. I never want to look at the colour orange again.
-Evie Vamvakaris (Kate)
The cast and crew being so wonderful to work with and to David Bennie for painting the portrait of me and for me getting to keep the painting.
-Lachlan Barnes (The Major-General)
What was your favourite off-stage moment?
It would have to be the nightly miccheck we did. Each night, a new theme was chosen (e.g. White Girl Bangers, Disney Songs) and everyone got really into it.
Oli Cl h (I b l)
Seeing all the boys in their costumes for the first time. They looked extremely funny.
What was your favourite part of the play?Why?
There were so many parts of the play that I enjoyed, but if I had to pick it would probably have to be the very end, because there's so many great moments of singing and acting that involve both individuals and ensemble that really brings the play to a fantastic conclusion.
My favourite part would have to be the scenes where us performers were given so much creative liberty to add in little jokes or visual gags that made the show feel so much more organic and alive. I absolutely loved working with such talented and hilarious people and the chemistry on stage with them always felt so electric.
-Charlie Weickhardt (The Pirate King)
-Lachlan Millard (Fredric) 24
Evie Vamvakaris (Kate)
ABSOLUTELY DO IT!! It doesn’t matter how experienced you are as a singer, actor, or performer - what matters is being willing to jump in and have fun. You’ll meet new people from different year levels and even other schools, and by the end, you’ll not only have made great memories but also feel more confident in yourself. But hey, maybe once it's over, you'll realise that productions aren't really your thingand that's okay! At least you gave it a go in the first place!
-Charlie Weickhardt (The Pirate King)
,
12 and was able to make it work. I promise you can work it out. I'm so glad I chose to do it!
-Olive Clohesy (Isabel)
I would urge anyone who is thinking about doing the play next year to absolutely go for it. It can be hard work, but you get to meet so many new people and they are always so much fun to be a part of.
-Lachlan Millard (Fredric)
DO IT. DON'T THINK ABOUT IT! I have never met someone who regretted auditioning for these things, and you'll have some of the most fun times in your high school life doing the productions
-Evie Vamvakaris (Kate)
WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOSE?
This play was an absolute ride. The entire experience was amazing. If you ’ ve never been in a play before- go for it! It doesn’t matter how much experience you have, as long as you ’ re ready to be creative and act your part, then that’s all it matters. Plus you get to meet so many new people, or strengthen pre-existing friendships
-Aiden Tsui (Samuel)
Year 9
Tech Crew
Year 10
Year 12
Written by CUO Lau, Kwan and Wang
On the Friday of week 8, as most students were preparing to head home for the weekend, Camberwell Grammar School’s Army Cadet Unit was ready to embark on an adventure of a lifetime, leaving their school life, homework, and suburban lifestyles behind. Arriving at Clifford Park, the site of the annual Bivouac camp, the Year 9 recruits and Senior cadets were introduced to their accommodation for the next two nights, with a steep abseiling tower, a challenging obstacle course and a hostage recovery exercise awaiting them.
... alongside SGT Sproules”
Alpha company, with a full year of prior experience, rushed to set up their hutchies ahead of their first lesson before dinner – learning to attack an enemy outpost under the guise of the night. Meanwhile, under the watchful eyes of their section commanders, the new recruits learnt how to put up their first hutchies, a piece of tarp that they’d have to share, cuddled up with a mate through the next two chilling nights.
BIVOUAC
The weekend kicked off on Friday night with a competitive ‘Lantern Stalk’, where Bravo company’s two platoons went head-to-head in a dynamic stealth and manoeuvring exercise to collect glowing assets Cadets were challenged to think strategically, communicate effectively but silently, and operate as cohesive teams to outwit the terrifying guards who scoured the premises with blinding lights. Overall successful, they outsmarted the guards with their disciplined night movement in the face of “Chappell Roan, Trap Queen and Beethoven’s Symphony No.5”.
Meanwhile, Alpha Company began their war game scenario for the weekend, engaging their newfound skills to sneak into and retrieve “critical military assets” from a “Chinese outpost” in the region. The “Chinese operatives”, who were stationed across the area of operations, kept a keen eye on these critical assets through the night, but were no match for the more experienced cadets the Alpha Company had to offer.
“Operation Dagger” was a great success, and the cadets were able to return with critical information pertaining to their activities the next day.
“CUO Lau and Kwan lead Bravo Company...
As the sun rose on Saturday morning, the cadets found themselves awoken much earlier than they ever had been After a quick nutritional breakfast, Alpha Company jumped right into a bullring of activities, including learning to pitch a field headquarters, learning field signals and formations to communicate silently, and building an impromptu stretcher to carry an injured cadet to the first aid tent Meanwhile, the recruits got to participate in fun team building activities led by SGT Tran, as well as heading up the abseiling tower and stacking crates to reach personal records for heights reached
“LCPL Michael Wong constructing an 11 by 11 with 11A”
We were also lucky to receive an address from Major Peter Reardon – the Commanding Officer of the 31 Battalion to which CGSACU belongs – who came to congratulate CPL Joshua Lim and SGT Ethan Yeung on being selected for the 2025 RSM-A drill competition team, a national competition held in Canberra
As the sun set on their second day, Bravo Company were tasked with “Exercise Lawnmower”, crafted by the recruit CUOs (hey that’s us!), a highstakes inter-platoon competition to rescue the prized CGS Lawn Bowls Squad who had been kidnapped and retrieve fuel rods for the Lawn Mower 9000™ to aid Mr Jeacocke in restoring the oval to its former glory Crawling through dense bush, 3 Platoon heroically led by CDTSGT Archie Sproules saved all four screaming and surprisingly uncooperative hostages, returning to their campsites with some bad blood and the bragging rights over CDTSGT Lucas Brown’s 4 Platoon
Meanwhile, on the other side of the map, Alpha Company were busy at work. Their newly-found advised them of an incoming attack by the very own... (drumroll) ...Chinese spies who had been attacked last night *shock horror* In the moonlight, they set up piquets, creating camouflaged outposts from which they would defend their precious assets, namely some flags and the mascot of seniors, the demonic doll Jatz Through the night, they stood on high attention, ready to POP OUT at any incoming OPFOR Catching several enemies off-guard including a defected SCUO Vos-Rutter, the seniors were happy to conclude the night in success
The final day posed the greatest and final challenge of the camp, Clifford Park’s famous “Challenge Valley” obstacle course, involving a series of climbing, balancing and jumping obstacles which pushed cadets to their limits
Through the tunnel...
cross the bars and over the bridge...
To one final team challenge – an unscalable barrier
Following this, the cadets made their way back to school, exhausted but fulfilled, where after a short admin parade and congratulations extended on behalf of the Staff and the Senior Leadership Team, they were dismissed to conclude a successful camp that ran smooth like butter
First, the log walls
Then, the tires
Tarzan swing over the mud
...more walls
