Archive #46/65: The Long Room

The Long Room holds portraits of all the College’s New Zealand Sport and Cultural representatives, along one wall, with team photographs of all the undefeated or successful sports’ teams along the other. The first of these teams is the 1959 1st XV rugby team. The contrast between the two walls makes an interesting statement about Lindisfarne. On one side we have Lindisfarne sportsmen, musicians, debaters and public speakers who have achieved at the highest level nationally and often internationally and been at the top of their field of endeavour.

There are representatives in a vast range of disciplines from rugby and archery to singing and debating. On the other wall are perhaps less illustrious sportsmen who have nonetheless achieved an undefeated season, many of them by tenaciously hanging on until the final whistle. These range from nationally successful cricket and soccer teams to the 2012 Intermediate School Second Hockey XI, ably coached by Mr Simes.

For all the boys and men represented in the long room, success has not been about the level at which they competed or performed but more about the effort that has been expended and the satisfying results achieved. Included within the “Long Room” are to be found three completed Century bats. This idea was introduced in 1980, to acknowledge the scoring of a century in any Lindisfarne team at cricket. The Century bat, - a miniature cricket bat, was engraved, and presented to each century maker, at Assembly.

With approximately 30 names on each of the three bats, R Kinnear appears five times, and four others J. Pawley, K. Makirere, J. Castles and R. Crooks, appear four times. This concept was enhanced later, with trophies for a hat-trick (in 1981, Rob Hay was the inaugural recipient), as well as five and six wicket bags.

Rugby jerseys, presented by Old Boys who had represented New Zealand, as well as all the Crests and Shields presented to College Sports’ Teams while on tour, were to be found on the end wall, now in the Archives Room.

For more photos, click here.