At Northern Bay College all Year 6-12 students are encouraged to participate in Inter-school sports within the region. The sports program is designed to give every student the opportunity to participate in the field that they enjoy, and also experience sports they may not have been exposed to in the past.
In term 1, students have the opportunity to represent the college in swimming. Swimming trials are held in the middle of February and those students who perform well go on to compete in the Barwon & Bellarine Divisions swimming carnival held at Kardinia Pool.
The Year 7-12 athletics carnival is held at the Goldsworthy Athletics track in March with all students competing in the house competition. Students who perform well on this day then represent the college in the Barwon Division Athletics Carnival in May. Students who excel in athletics have the opportunity to go all the way through to the State finals.
In Year 6, students participate under the College banner at Lightning premiership.
Students at the Goldsworthy campus (Years 9-12) can sign-up and/or participate in lunchtime training sessions in order to participate in competing teams.
Year 7 and 8 students participate in the SEED program covering a range of sports and athletics throughout the year, under the tutelage of school staff and external coaches. They also get the opportunity to sign-up for the college team in the sport of their choice.
In 2020 the houses at Northern Bay College evolved from colours only to representatives of famous Australians. This process was led by student voice, as they identified names that they thought would be suitable for each house. Students were encouraged to think about famous Australians that have had a positive impact on the country in which we live. With a large variety of names sent through from the students, the Northern Bay College leadership team, Student Representative Council and the College Council narrowed the options for final community voting. As two of the suggested names were members of the indigenous community Northern Bay College collaborated with the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-Op to seek approval to use the names. When the names were approved, it was also thought that their totem animal would be a great representation for the house if successful.
Through a voting process, students identified that the Northern Bay College house names would be Freeman, Mabo, Irwin and Bradman. In establishing the house names, it was important that we could find a connection to each of the house colours. Every student and staff member are assigned to a sporting house. See the table below for the significance of each name.
House Colour |
House Name |
Mascot |
Significance |
BLUE |
IRWIN |
Crocodile |
Steve Irwin was a wildlife ambassador. His drive, enthusiasm and passion for conservation was addictive, which led to him taking over Australia Zoo and establishing his own TV show linked to developing each individual's understanding of animals in the wild and at the zoo. He was the father of 2 children, of whom he instilled the need to treat every living being with kindness. His motto was "conservation through exciting education". Blue is the link to the water where he spent much of his time. Reflected his passion for the animals that live in and around that water. |
RED |
BRADMAN |
Kangaroo |
Don Bradman was unquestionably the greatest batsman ever in the game of cricket. In a sport loving nation, ‘The Don’ was arguably the greatest cricketer ever to of ever played the game. He was also known for his positive and determined attitude, as well as one of the finest sportsmen of all time. He demonstrated dedication and commitment to enhancing his sport by hitting a golf ball against a water tank with a stick of wood. This training technique became synonymous with the story of ‘The Don’. The cricket that he played was Test Cricket, which was always played with a red ball. The Kangaroo is on the Coat of Arms which is on the uniform of Australian cricketers. |
YELLOW |
FREEMAN |
Black Swan |
Cathy Freeman was the first Aboriginal person to win an Olympic Gold Medal. She ran a race that stopped the nation at the Sydney Olympic Games in the Year 2000. Prior to her Olympic success, she worked hard for the indigenous communities, which was then enhanced with her ongoing athletic success. This combination led to her winning the prestigious Australian of the Year honour in 1998. Since retiring as a professional athlete, Freeman has continued to work for the indigenous community through the establishment of a foundation that aimed at supporting indigenous children. Yellow represents the gold medals Cathy won, and the light she shines on indigenous communities. The Black Swan is the Totem of area in which she was born. |
GREEN |
MABO |
Green Turtle |
Edward Koiki Mabo, a Meriam man from the island of Mer (Murray Island) in the Torres Straits, was a key plaintiff in a land rights case in the High Court of Australia, which is today referred to as the ‘Mabo Case’. Unfortunately, Eddie Koiki Mabo did not live to see the fruits of his life-time commitment and passion. He passed away from cancer aged fifty-six on 21 January 1992. The High Court decision in the ‘Mabo case’ altered the foundation of land law in Australia. In the following year, the Native Title Act 1993 was passed through the Australian Parliament and opened the way for further claims of traditional rights to land and compensation. Green Turtle is the mascot of the team and a totem of the broader area in which Mabo was born (Murray group of Islands). |
