VICTORIA COLLEGE GYMNASIUM.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 565, 21 July 1909, Page 9

VICTORIA COLLEGE GYMNASIUM.

'.Upon .tho bank .overlooking Ihe . tennis courts at Victoria :Collcge there=now stands in -up4o-dat<> gymnasium, which includes a sdciai.'hall. For -years a :bnilding ef tho kind has • been badly needed,: In the past tho football i arid bockcy te:uns ; baro had ■to go elsewhere to "-train. .-Even, ifr-th© -Glee Club' wished to haa to/wait .until aftorV >9 -o'clock m -tho., evenings, -when the ;lectures .w-ero over. .-Then, '■• again, it has been impossible to hold a dance at the college. Tho new building- will ; bo more than a place where tho students' 'will', hare /an oiitlet'for their .iphysieil -.activities,. Every. effort will bo : :madertb: further ItheVdevolopmont of.' the socialand_ tho sides of their lives. 1 ;"' It , is: hoped, : _ : in : somd;', quarters', that ere/Jong . students, will house in-the building dthlWtß:- , wliicli iwill? be ' of "interest.' to, i^;friond£"'^£mong/^•~have"'pro-mis4d,'-to 'assist in tni3; direoti6n i 8 Licutenant Shaclcleton, whoj ' it' is] understood j- .has promised to'forward some..'interesting'-;speci-. /ra>.»Antarctica; In' brief, what is aimed ■at -is that ;tho Institution /should becomo, as it wore, • a centre of student lifo. The Acting J Priiae Minister (Hon. J. Carroll) has been invited- to open the building next Saturday.--:-,/ : ; v'-■■■ •/ -V-=:-v'"

-■ 6n : tLe,groud 'floor is'a: social hall, which ■willscat 'about 250., It measures 38ft. : . by Sift:,'and .is..fitted with a 1 platform. Her# 'debates, . concerts, : etc., will 'bo held; -1 Other ' apart wen ts downstairs .include a smokeroom .and refreshment-room, also the ladies' bath . arid; dressing- rooms. :'.-'On : thej top floor tho gymnasium, -.. which . measures 63ft.',x. 4-lft., .runs frem end to end of that portion of tho building under tho main roof, ill addition there are, upstairs, the mon's bathrooms and apartments,, where m&berial may be stored, building has! been strengthened. to enable it to be used ter • the collego ilonoes,' : if required; the -least interesting feature of ti« structure is the commodious balcony vhiob oreile«lcs the tennis oodrts, and from which • a splendid view ; may ■ be:, obtained. . Bo far the - gymnasium has not been. equipped. It is unlikely that stops, will be 'taken with ft. view to tho carrying out of; that .work, at. once. What is most likely to happen n tiat it : Trillv.be:'done ; froa-tiiiie'i.tb -time as.,funds : allowV Altogether,. tlie 'building (wikH was Messrs. Penty and Make, and constructed by Mr. M. Broughmam) cost about "'£1460. ' of which • amount an anonymous donor gave £250, subscriptions totaJlod about £350, the Government gave a subsidv of '£600, . arid: :£2()0. wa3.. derived as' a result, of tho. lecturc .given- by - Lieutenant Shackletori in aid of' the, fund. ■