This article has been prompted by a visit to the Archives this week by a group of Year 10 students who were interested in the legend of The Tunnel.
The legend goes back at least three generations. The story is that there is a tunnel under the main Quad leading from the cupboard under the stairs in “Karralee” to the cleaners’ storage area in the Stable Block. The legend does not run to who built the tunnel or why.
Mr Maher began to investigate the story many years ago when former Maintenance and Grounds Supervisor Geoff Bromfield had to go under the floor of “Karralee” in order to repair something. This is where the facts start to get in the way of a good story! He was asked to report on any tunnel-like structures, but could find no evidence of any. In 2021, the floor under the stairs and nearby rooms was lifted, and a large quantity of soil was removed to deal with rising damp. Again, no evidence of a tunnel emerged. In 2023, the other end of the claimed tunnel was examined when the floor in one of the downstairs classrooms was replaced, and large quantities of soil were removed from below it. Again, no sign was found of a tunnel.
So, what might be the origin of this story? As it happens, it could have a factual basis, but the tale has been romanticised, as often happens with school stories. The “Karralee Boys” who were here during World War II report that an early task that they were assigned to was to dig a slit trench. This was a narrow trench dug into the ground into which people could throw themselves for protection in the event of a bombing raid. They were not completely safe, but provided some protection against lateral shockwaves from an explosion and flying debris. They were a common air raid precaution in schools during wartime. According to Tim Hector, the trench spent most of the war as an unofficial water storage. Luckily, enemy bombers never came within range of Bathurst. At the end of hostilities in 1945, the trench was backfilled. The site is beneath what is now the staff room on the Senior Campus.
Year 10 students study the effect of World War II on a local community. The questions about The Tunnel followed on from discussions with the Archivist about that topic.
Mr Andrew Maher
Archives
