News

Brenton Stacey
Public relations officer

Staff members and students on Avondale College's Lake Macquarie campus lost power for more than three-and-a-half days following the Hunter's worst storm in 30 years.

The storm blacked out the college from about 1 am on Saturday, June 9, to about 3.30 pm on Tuesday, June 12. Fortunately, the loss of power coincided with the first day of the Queen's Birthday long weekend, which in turn coincided with the beginning of stuvac, a week dedicated to study. Only about 80 female students and 70 male students remained on campus, with most "viewing the blackout as an adventure," says director of student services Kevin Judge.

Students showered under cold water as the blackout prevented the college pumping any hot water from the boiler to the residences. Women's residence director Deirdre Hough negotiated on Sunday morning the use of hot showers at the Charles Harrison Memorial Home on the Avondale Estate. Thirty students accepted the offer. Only eight males accepted an offer from director of student services Kevin Judge to use hot showers at the Crusader Camp in Yarrawonga Park.

Women from the residences coordinated the Saturday morning worship service in the Seventh-day Adventist church on campus. They reverted to singing well-known hymns and songs as the church used two generators to power two spotlights and a small sound system rather than the data projector. Seven buckets on the stage of the church collected water from leaks in the ceiling. Water also ran down the wall behind the stage.

Friend of Avondale Brian Townend and wife Daphne doorknocked the Avondale Retirement Village for candles, collecting hundreds for use in the women's residences, as the batteries powering emergency lighting had gone flat.

Food services director Nick Hartigan offered a mostly deep-fried menu from Saturday morning until college president Dr John Cox sourced a generator on Monday. Hartigan cooked all meals on the cafeteria's two gas appliances. Fridges remained below five degrees, so fruit and vegetables were also available. The limited menu included chips, hash browns, haystacks, fried eggs, omelettes and toast. The generator in the cafeteria's barbeque trailer powered a set of stage lights in the kitchen and in the servery and a single incandescent bulb suspended from the ceiling in the eatery. The blackout caused more than $3000 worth of stock loss.

The barbeque trailer powered a data projector and DVD player during a 12-hour DVD marathon organised by assistant men's residence director Shane Roberts in Watson Hall for students on Saturday evening. Roberts returned the trailer to the cafeteria the next morning before fetching it again for more DVDs that evening. He did the same on Monday.

Also on Monday, audio visual officer Paul Laurie set up power boards in Watson and in the cafeteria so students could recharge laptop computers and mobile phones. Two other staff members had sourced generators by this time. The generators provided lighting in stairwells in Andre and Ella.

The storm shut down the Vodafone network, on which most staff members have their mobile phones. It also cut power to the switchboard. Communication on and from campus would have been more difficult if not for director of Information Technology Services Tim Tew and PC support officer Phil Page. The two set up on Sunday evening a direct phone line to each of Andre and Watson Halls--the lines are normally used for one of the college's Internet connections and for an electronic fund transfer at point of sale (EFTPOS) machine--so students could contact their families.

Avondale Library opened on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday on reduced daylight hours--it closed at 4 pm each day. The loss of power meant the library could not offer: access to the Internet, items on e-reserve or online databases; loans; or photocopying or printing services. "You couldn't do anything but study," says head librarian Marilyn Gane, who encouraged staff members to dress warmly and bring blankets and thermos flasks. Water from the storm damaged some of the storage spaces in the lower library.

Hough and Roberts both describe the spirit among students as positive, particularly because students had the time to talk with each other.

All exams have been held as scheduled, although the academic office gave all students advance notice of available options if the students felt disadvantaged by the blackout. However, the majority of students chose to sit their exams. A small proportion has applied to exam boards for special consideration. A smaller proportion has sought to defer their exams.

Cox thanks staff members and students for their patience. "I want to particularly thank the residence directors and cafeteria and IT staff, who put in long hours in difficult circumstances to ease conditions during the blackout."

Caption: Students stand on the swing bridge over the flooded Dora Creek.

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