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Ross Hammer at Shepparton High School where a memorial to his son has been carefyully dismantled for relocation

Ross Hammer with the pavilion sign in preparation for rebuilding the structure

Several dozen school buildings, classrooms, storage sheds and shade structures have been knocked down and removed from the old Shepparton High School site this year to create a “clean slate” for the construction of the new Greater Shepparton Secondary College.

But as the demolition of old buildings has given way to the digging of new school foundations, two important structures have been saved from the bulldozers – the main one being the original 1909 two-storey schoolhouse.

Built for the very first 31 students of Shepparton High School, its immense historic value will see it incorporated into the design of the new secondary school.

The second is a much smaller and seemingly insignificant structure – at least in the scale of the $133 million redevelopment now taking place on-site - but it too has immense value for many in the community.

In recent weeks, the Old Students Cricket Club Pavilion – a 15-year-old metal seating and shade structure – has been removed by overhead crane, carefully dismantled by tradesmen,  loaded onto a truck and transported at no cost to the club’s new home at Kialla, where it will be rebuilt for decades of future use.

For Ross Hammer and family, the preservation of this particular piece of history has immense personal importance. For hundreds more in the Greater Shepparton community, its enduring legacy will be remembered and welcomed.

Ross has lived his entire life in Shepparton and like many locals, he has enjoyed friendships from school, work and sport – particularly footy and cricket, where he has served as a player and coach. Now a manager with Powercor, Ross and his family have a life-long affiliation with Shepparton High School and the Old Students Cricket Club.

Like his father, Andrew Hammer loved his sport, his high school and his community. In 2005, he died at the age of 14 in a dreadful accident involving a firearm at a friend’s house. The accident hit everyone extremely hard – the family, Andrew’s high school and his sporting clubs.

Several thousand people attended Andrew’s funeral, held on the Shepparton High School oval.

A year later, the pavilion was erected at the school’s Lightfoot Oval as a memorial of Andrew, for all Old Student cricketers to enjoy. The launch of the pavilion was attended by family, friends and club members.

“I was worried that the pavilion would have been lost in the system or seen as insignificant in the new school construction,” Ross said.

“Our club president Tim MacLaughlin worked hard to make this relocation happen, along with the Department of Education and Training.”

Ross said the relocation of the pavilion was not just about one person: “Being a part of the Old Students Cricket Club, like many clubs, is like being part of a family.

“My family has been part of this wider family for many years and we are grateful the pavilion will continue to serve our club members.”

Mr Hammer is looking forward to the rebuild of the pavilion. In the meantime, he has obtained the original signage, which states: “Pavilion built September 2006 in Memory of Andrew Hammer”.

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