Korowa’s Sports and Wellbeing Centre

Sports and Wellbeing Centre

After many years of planning, preparation and consultation, we are excited to announce that the construction of our new Sports and Wellbeing Centre is well under way. This will be a significant addition to Korowa, providing benefits in areas ranging from sport and leisure to drama and music.

The building, designed by award winning firm Sally Draper Architects, will feature an indoor pool and changerooms, multi-use indoor sports courts, fully equipped gym, studio spaces for dance, pilates and yoga, perceptual motor program (PMP) studio, consulting rooms for our health services, counsellor, psychologist, careers counsellor and learning support staff, multipurpose room for drama performances and events, a rooftop netball court and a commercial kitchen and cafeteria as well as extensive external landscaping. At Korowa, we recognise that sport is an integral part of young women’s lives; it promotes a healthy lifestyle, provides skills in leadership, teamwork and goal setting, and has been shown to increase girls’ confidence levels and self-esteem. Studies also show that physical activity reduces the rate of depression and anxiety, and boosts productivity and focus. Natalie Lath, Director of Sport at Korowa, said: “This Centre will support our mission to engage every girl in physical activity opportunities as an important commitment to fitness, general wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle at Korowa and beyond.” This is the most important and significant project in the history of Korowa. At the recent Ground Breaking Ceremony, Helen Carmody, Principal said “This will be a beautiful building combining aesthetic form and function to create what will be the living heart of Korowa. A place where people will meet, connect, create, perform, compete, train, relax, work and learn together. A space that’s inviting, welcoming, sustainable and connected to the natural environment.” There are indeed exciting times ahead.

Our Reconciliation Garden unfortunately needs to be relocated, as it is within the building zone for the new Sports and Wellbeing Centre. A decommissioning ceremony was conducted by Rev Glenn Loughrey, Vicar at St Oswald’s Anglican Church Glen Iris. Glenn identifies as a First Nations Person and is proud to be a Wiradjuri man; he is also a member of the National Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Anglican Commission. COVID-19 restrictions meant we could only hold a very small gathering, but we were delighted that Glenn and a small number of staff and student leaders could come together to recognise the importance of this garden.

As part of the ceremony, Glenn took soil from the current garden, to be placed in the new garden when it is completed in 2022. As Glenn held the soil he shared these words. “This dirt holds the memories of this place, This dirt holds the wisdom of the past, This dirt holds the possibility for the future, A dreaming as ordinary as our breath, Breathing the past, present and future now.”