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An indoor gymnasium was on the wish list for many years before Tenison College was finally successful in getting a government grant in 1987 approved towards the cost of building. Barrie Holmes, Gerry Leech and Bill Hateley need special mention as the men who worked quietly behind the scenes to plan, design and prepare costing, sound out local people with specialist businesses and skills and also keep aware of what government grants were available. All fell into place very quickly and they were able to go to the school board with everything ready for the grant application and just awaiting the board’s approval and signature.

So no backward step could be taken Barrie Holmes, who had an earth moving company, arrived before school the next morning, the night after the board gave approval for the application to be sent, and even before the government grant was approved, with his bobcat and started levelling the site. Luckily for all everything went as planned.

Fundraising began in earnest. The parish, old collegians, and parents and friends worked incredibly hard to raise money by many and various means.

Fortunately, many of the local school community families and local businesses had already agreed to providing services cost price services, some not even charging labour, to keep the costs within the ability of the College to make the repayments. In the end the final costs were about half a conventional hall would have been for that time much to the amazement of the architects who couldn’t believe that such specialised and detailed work could be done, even under professional supervision, by a group of enthusiastic amateurs.

The flooring deserves special mention. As Gerry Leech worked in The Woods and Forests at the time he had some insider knowledge to a special batch of flooring left over from the stage at the Festival Centre and the Velodrome in Adelaide. With staff discount and “distressed stock" price Tenison had the best possible flooring at the best price. There are many such stories that helped keep the cost of the Hall within reach of the school community.

Joe Waters who had recently retired from the building industry worked for free as the Site Manager. It was his carpentry expertise that really shone when it came to the laying of the floor. In an incredible community effort, the board and Parents and Friends organised a two week working bee overseen by Joe and several experienced carpenters. The plates and joists were laid out by the students and teachers under the supervision of Joe.

Then the final push. For two and half hours every evening Parents, friends, teachers and students cut, carried, secret nailed and sanded the floor in preparation for painting and sealing. A copy of the original roster shows the breakdown of groups into carpenters, handymen and helpers.

The official opening was on November 19, 1988 by School captains Joanne Smith (Turley) and Matthew Hill. Peter Kensley was the MC, Brian Cooper the school principal and Father Brian Angus the Parish priest who blessed the Hall. On June 8 2011, in recognition of Barrie’s contribution to planning and building of the hall it was renamed “The Barrie Holmes Stadium”

We stand on the wonderful shoulders of passionate community members who had a vision and the audacity to make it happen, and the Barrie Holmes Stadium story is one that shows vividly the passion and commitment of those who have gone before us.

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