THERE’S little doubt that Newhaven College is one of the jewels in Phillip Island’s crown.

And it’s a gift to the local community that’s going to keep on giving for many. many years to come.

It’s hard to credit how sensationally quickly the school has developed on its Phillip Island Road site since 82 acres was purchased there just 18 years ago.

But a person who has seen all of that development and played a key role in the past decade as Board Chairman, is Greg Price.

Mr Price handed in his commission last week, at the college’s annual general meeting, along with two other long-serving board members Rod Patch and Elena Campbell-Walker, making way after 24 years for new members Greg Harrison, Kylie Holmes and Graham MacGregor, and a new chairman David Jobe.

Greg will continue on as a member of the Project Control Group for a while, but essentially his work at the school and on the board since 1998; including seeing his four children through the college; Brodie, Ella, Sianan and Imogen; is done.

“It’s amazing to think where we’ve come from,” said Greg last week as he took a look over the latest development at the college, Stage 1 of the Performing Arts Centre, which is nearing completion.
“This is a fantastic facility here,” he says of the arts centre, “possibly the best of its kind nationally.”

“The 120-seat Black Box Theatre offers all the technical support and flexibility you need to rehearse and stage any production and the rehearsal hall can take a full symphony orchestra, plus there’s a professional-standard recording studio.

“Here’s something I like, a designated percussion room, on its own slab, completely soundproof. There’s features like that all the way through.

“I can also see art exhibitions in the foyer as part of the community use up until the new, 450-seat auditorium is built.”

Mr Price says as well as providing opportunities for the college’s students and local education sector, he said the facility would be available for the community to use, an opportunity he expected groups like the local Offshore Theatre Group would take up.