AROUND THE SCHOOL
Stronghills
our oasis on the Avon River
Set on the beautiful Swan River, Guildford Grammar School is blessed with grounds
that are the envy of every other school in the state. What is not so well known is that
the School has a campsite, Stronghills, in the Avon Valley.
The land at Stronghills is a mixture of
steep hills, thick forest and open country
alongside the Avon River and bordering the
Avon Valley National Park. It has a large
permanent freshwater dam and a seasonal
creek that provide an outstanding learning
environment for our students.
For a number of years now, the School has
had access to Stronghills on a year-to-year
basis. Eighteen months ago, a long-term
lease was secured which allows the School
to develop the location further. Stronghills
has, for a number of years, been the base
for the Year 7, 8, and 9 camps, and for
our cadet bivouacs. The Year 7 camp is
completely contained on the property, the
Year 8 students undertake most of their
activities on site then venture further afield
on mountain bikes to some of the adjacent
land, and the Year 9 students commence
their camp close to Toodyay, making their
way back to the School by hiking, mountain
biking and canoeing. Along the way, they
stay at Stronghills for some fun activities
such as playing laser tag in the bush. The
6
Cadets have made regular use of the area
for navigation, bush craft, survival skills and
abseiling. In addition to these camps, a
number of Parents and Kids, and Father and
Son weekend camps are held throughout the
year, allowing the parents and students to
have had a number of visits where they
have concentrated on their ability to work
in teams. The Year 5 students have had
some fun sessions of archery and games,
and the Outdoor Recreation group have
been refining their canoeing skills. Sporting
With the long-term lease now in place, more
can be done at Stronghills. In the past twelve
months a great deal has changed.
spend some fun, quality time together. Last
year, in October, we held the P & F Family
Picnic Day, the first of what we hope to be an
annual event. This allowed families to have a
fun time together in a great setting.
The Preparatory School are regular visitors
to Stronghills. The Kindy, Pre-Primary and
Year 1 students have had fun exploring
the creek and finding out more about the
natural environment. The Year 6 students
squads such rugby and rowing have
complemented their pre-season training
with activities based at Stronghills. Senior
School subjects, such as Year 11 Biology,
have made use of Stronghills as an outdoor
classroom. Last year the Senior School staff
based one of their Professional Development
days at the campsite.
Stronghills is a fantastic location, but what
do we do there? Well, simply put, a lot. This