298:
have been slowly replacing the older buildings since 2009. As of 2021, Old Units include A, B, C, E, F, H, L, M, N and O, while New Units include D, G, I, J, K and P. Students sleep, clean, study, maintain, and live in their units for the year. Once a week, units perform a "Sunday inspection", which actually occur on a
Tuesday despite the name. During the inspection, every part of the unit is cleaned to a high standard and inspected by the Unit's Head of Unit. Additionally, students perform two inspections per normal day to maintain cleanliness and hygiene in the Unit.
290:
232:. Hike Rogaine takes place towards the middle of the term. Students walk to Mt Stirling, then compete in a Rogaine on Mt Stirling. The Hiking year culminates in the Four and Six Day hikes, where students choose and design routes, and are given a large amount of autonomy in choosing where they go, distances walked, and food taken. Students then partake in their third and final "Solo".
46:
38:
250:(given the rural and hilly location of the school) makes up a large part of the Timbertop Programme. Students run between two or three times a week depending on the term. The aim of the running programme is to build the resilience and fitness of the students, to prepare them for The Timbertop Marathon, and ultimately later life.
198:, to familiarise themselves with the area, and to build up to a three-day hike, where they choose the route and its difficulty themselves. The first "Solo" session also occurs, with students spending a day by themselves in a tent on the Timbertop Campus, where they reflect, and think about goals for the year, and future life.
256:"Long Runs" are longer than the other runs. The length of the runs increases every week, starting (at the start of term 1) at approximately 4 km, and ending (at the end of term 4) at around 23 km, the penultimate run before the Marathon. This run involves running up West Ridge to the summit of
309:
As of 2020, the I unit nameplate has been reallocated to a new girl's unit which was built by the end of 2019. Previously there were 9 Boys Units and 7 Girls Units; A through I and J through P respectively. New units also have a 16-person capacity. This reallocation was done to increase capacity for
301:
The units are divided into two "Schools": A school and B school. The units that comprise the two schools vary by year, and as of 2021, A school is made up of A, D, E, F, I, J, K and O units, with B school being B, C, G, H, L, M, N and P units. The two schools are always completely separate classes,
297:
All students at
Timbertop are placed in Units of 14-16 people. Boys Units are named A through to H, and Girls Units are named I through to P, making a total of 16 Units. There are both 'new' and 'old' units; 'old' units were constructed by students in the 50's through to the 70's while 'new' units
227:
Term 4 is the culmination of the outdoors programme. Returning students participate in Option Hikes 1 and 2, which vary in difficulty depending on the choices of the hike groups. The last unit based outdoor trip is a Walk Canoe Raft, where units do some walking, canoeing, and rafting (or sledding)
266:
The
Timbertop Running Programme builds up to Marathon at the end of term 4, which varies in length depending on the decision of staff, and available tracks to run, but is generally 33 km long. Whilst the Timbertop Marathon is much shorter than a standard marathon (42.195 kilometres) it takes
305:
When old unit buildings are replaced with new buildings, they are simply converted for other functions instead of being demolished and rebuilt, with replacements built elsewhere (the notable exception is G unit, which was rebuilt). In fact, many classrooms on the
Timbertop campus are former unit
56:, Timbertop is attended by year-nine students attending Geelong Grammar School, although there are limited spaces and not all students are able to attend. As of 2017 approximately 240 boys and girls attend Timbertop, where they participate in a wide variety of physical activities including
253:"Crossies" provide a base line for fitness, and are increased incrementally every Term. The term 1 crossie is about 3 kilometres long, eventually reaching about 5 kilometres by term 4. Crossies are run every week before or after school starts (depending on term).
368:
worked at
Timbertop as head of English. While there, he made the decision to write for teenagers, following his dissatisfaction with his students' apathy towards reading, or the observation that teenagers simply weren't reading any more. Marsden then wrote
139:
Timbertop has an academic programme much like other schools. For five days of every week, classes take place on the
Timbertop campus. Students take part in compulsory "core" classes, such as English, mathematics, science, Australian curriculum history, and
88:
announced that it had an option on a piece of land near Mount
Timbertop where they would conduct normal schooling combined with outdoor activities that would foster independence and initiative. The concept was the initiative of headmaster
322:
programme. Assistants, known as "gappies" help with tasks such as co-ordinating activities, organising skiing, helping around the farm, supervising hiking groups and assisting staff in classes, among many other things.
275:
The
Hobbies Programme takes place in Term 3, before ski days. Students select two hobbies from a list that includes activities including but not limited to Snowboarding, Fly Fishing, Horse Riding and Mountain Biking.
104:
The
Timbertop campus opened at the start of the 1953 school year with 40 students who would be building sheds, paths, roads and a plantation. The campus consists of 2000 acres with a frontage onto the
335:
attended
Timbertop for six months. The event was widely publicised. In 1973, the then Prince Charles said that his time at Timbertop was the most enjoyable part of his whole education.
144:. Students must also choose electives from a list including German, French, Chinese, Japanese, music, physical education, elective history, geography, agriculture, and art.
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in only three weeks, and the book was published in 1987. The book sold record numbers and won numerous awards including "Book of the Year" as awarded by the
201:
In term 2, students take part in a Unit Hike, but most of the term is taken up with Community Service and School Service; a second "Solo" also occurs.
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632:
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663:
The impact of an extended stay outdoor education school program upon adolescent participants - Doctor of Philosophy thesis, Faculty of Education
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72:, or digital cameras. Almost all communication from students to family and friends off campus is carried through hand-written
68:, as well as a normal academic routine. Additionally, students at Timbertop do not have access to devices such as computers,
310:
girls while maintaining capacity for boys in the long-term, and to create a 50/50 split between genders in the school.
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263:"Wildfire Crossies" are short runs done in terms 2 and 3, designed to build fitness through interval training.
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Students begin with two training sessions at the start of the year, in which they are taught to use and clean
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408:
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796:. Vol. 47, no. 13, 346. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 31 January 1973. p. 11
235:
In 2018, the final Unit trip "Walk Canoe Raft" was replaced (indefinitely) with a third Option Hike.
213:
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118:
In 2009, the Timbertop Campus was forced to evacuate to the main Geelong Grammar School Campus at
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The school introduced positive education to Timbertop in 2009. It is a compulsory core subject.
1120:"Seeing the wood for the trees: Timbertop 40 years on. -The history of Geelong Grammar School-"
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competition. She wrote the lyrics of this song into the inside of the roof of her Unit.
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and elective subjects in one school take place whilst the other has core subjects.
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224:. At the end of the term, students take part in a unit based "Mystery Hike".
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168:
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16:
Campus of Geelong Grammar School located near Mansfield, Victoria, Australia
606:"Rundle: Timbertop, Moll Flanders and life as rehearsal for budding elites"
1119:
1083:
1082:
Montgomery, Edward Hugh; Darling, J. R. (James Ralph), 1899-1995 (1967),
1011:
422:"What We Gained (and Lost) When Our Daughter Unplugged for a School Year"
319:
773:
477:
183:
176:
57:
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In total, students camp for between 50 and 55 nights during the year.
37:
610:
156:
61:
450:. No. 32, 853. Victoria, Australia. 19 December 1951. p. 7
481:. No. 30, 508. Victoria, Australia. 9 February 1953. p. 2
746:. Vol. 33, no. 37. Australia. 9 February 1966. p. 7
288:
212:, where they do lessons, and free skiing. The students also learn
44:
36:
155:
Timbertop has an extensive outdoors programme which encompasses
73:
959:
546:"Research update: Outdoor education fatalities in Australia"
111:
On the 2nd February 1960, a male student drowned during a
353:
attended Timbertop in M Unit, where she wrote the song "
346:, took a gap year as a teaching assistant at Timbertop.
306:
buildings which had been relocated into new buildings.
1085:
Timbertop : an innovation in Australian education
1064:Clark, Mary Ryllis; Geelong Grammar School (2003),
190:. They then complete other hikes to places such as
817:"When Boris was just another Timbertop Rent-A-Pom"
710:"When Boris was just another Timbertop Rent-A-Pom"
22:is a full-time boarding, co-educational campus of
577:"Geelong Grammar School Curriculum Guide: Year 9"
890:
888:
267:place on rough tracks and with hilly terrain.
473:"An Experiment in Education at Mt. Timbertop"
186:stoves, pitch tents, and correctly use their
8:
1105:: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
41:A map of the Timbertop Campus, Merrijig, VIC
696:"Geelong Grammar School Campuses:Timbertop"
1109:) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
804:– via National Library of Australia.
754:– via National Library of Australia.
489:– via National Library of Australia.
458:– via National Library of Australia.
952:"Winners and Commended Books 1980 – 1989"
956:The Children's Book Council of Australia
591:"The Good Schools Guide-Geelong Grammar"
503:. Geelong Grammar School. Archived from
52:Established in 1953, by then Headmaster
1118:Ricketson, Matthew (17–18 April 1993).
442:"GEELONG GRAMMAR TO BUILD AT MANSFIELD"
387:
1098:
843:"Boris Johnson and the right to write"
766:"Timbertop - Prince Charles Australia"
1066:Timbertop : celebrating 50 years
1012:"So Much To Tell You by John Marsden"
841:Bunbury, Stephanie (17 August 2013).
7:
1156:Boarding schools in Victoria (state)
982:"John Marsden – So Much To Tell You"
788:"Prince had happy time at Timbertop"
518:Gunn, Alastair (27 September 2013).
467:
465:
377:Children's Book Council of Australia
124:severe bushfires close to the campus
929:Australian Broadcasting Corporation
204:In term 3, students participate in
93:, who was inspired by the likes of
724:"Geelong Grammar-Work at a School"
14:
293:The dormitory of a Timbertop Unit
1151:1953 establishments in Australia
815:Johnston, Chris (15 July 2016).
115:on the second day of the term.
521:Timbertop 1981 and term 1, 1982
357:". In 2001, the song would win
1037:"Authors and Illustrators – M"
420:Cave, Damien (22 March 2024).
1:
743:The Australian Women's Weekly
633:"Geelong Grammar School OES"
604:Rundle, Guy (27 June 2011).
216:on two unit based trips, on
868:"If you like Missy Higgins"
246:Running, and in particular
220:, near GGS hut, and on the
1172:
1068:, Geelong Grammar School,
903:John Marsden Official Site
896:"John Marsden – Biography"
738:"THE NEW BOY AT TIMBERTOP"
364:In the late 1980s, writer
847:The Sydney Morning Herald
682:"Timbertop Handbook 2018"
668:University of Wollongong
409:Grammar School Timbertop
260:and back to the campus.
660:Gray, Tonia L. (1997).
563:"Light Blue April 2009"
359:Triple J's "Unearthed"
294:
86:Geelong Grammar School
49:
42:
24:Geelong Grammar School
447:The Argus (Melbourne)
292:
99:Outward Bound schools
48:
40:
1124:Australian. Magazine
507:on 16 December 2007.
214:Cross Country Skiing
165:cross-country skiing
962:on 16 December 2014
772:. 1966 – via
372:So Much to Tell You
338:In 1983, former UK
318:Timbertop offers a
1126:: 26–27, 30–31, 33
986:Audio Books Direct
793:The Canberra Times
427:The New York Times
396:"Bonzle-Timbertop"
295:
230:William Hovell Dam
222:Bogong High Plains
151:Outdoors programme
142:positive education
135:Academic programme
84:In December 1951,
50:
43:
1075:978-0-947232-18-4
932:. 4 November 2004
355:All For Believing
271:Hobbies Programme
242:Running Programme
194:, The Bluff, and
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1058:Further reading
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206:Downhill Skiing
161:downhill skiing
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218:Mount Stirling
171:(a team-based
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106:Delatite River
97:and England's
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34:, Australia.
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26:located near
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1128:. Retrieved
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1090:, retrieved
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994:. Retrieved
990:the original
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960:the original
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524:. Lulu.com.
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505:the original
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483:. Retrieved
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452:. Retrieved
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366:John Marsden
363:
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192:Mt. Stirling
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175:sport), and
173:orienteering
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83:
51:
19:
18:
188:hiking gear
1145:Categories
1130:13 January
1092:13 January
1088:, Cheshire
1046:20 October
1021:20 October
996:20 October
966:20 October
936:21 October
908:19 October
852:12 January
826:12 January
800:13 January
750:13 January
617:13 January
485:13 January
454:13 January
383:References
314:Assistants
196:Mt. Buller
130:Curriculum
877:2 October
501:"History"
349:In 1998,
331:In 1966,
280:Structure
258:Mt Buller
210:Mt Buller
169:rogaining
95:Kurt Hahn
28:Mansfield
20:Timbertop
1101:citation
872:Double J
647:"AUS 07"
379:(CBCA).
320:gap year
32:Victoria
774:YouTube
478:The Age
184:trangia
177:camping
122:due to
80:History
74:letters
58:running
1072:
611:Crikey
528:
157:hiking
66:skiing
64:, and
62:hiking
899:(PDF)
549:(PDF)
285:Units
228:near
120:Corio
1132:2018
1111:link
1107:link
1094:2018
1070:ISBN
1048:2010
1041:CMIS
1023:2010
998:2010
968:2010
938:2010
910:2010
879:2018
854:2018
828:2018
802:2018
752:2018
619:2018
526:ISBN
487:2018
456:2018
208:on
1147::
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1103:}}
1099:{{
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
