Woodlawn honours Maddie

Memorial: Maddeson’s mother, Pam Buck, with the plague to be installed in the pavilion behind, with her husband Roger and son Cody, and St John’s principal Glenn Roff.

Jerad Williams

IN DEATH, just as in life, Maddeson Buck is a trailblazer.

Yesterday, two years after her death, the first female sports changing room at the former boys-only St John’s College Woodlawn was named in honour of the former student, who was among its first intake of young girls back in 1999.

“She was able to engender a great spirit around the place,” Woodlawn’s principal, Glenn Roff, said.

“She was a leader in getting other people to participate.

“She was a trailblazer.

“When she started here only 10 per cent of students were females, so they had to stand up for themselves.”

The new spacious $420,000 facility will replace the current girl’s changing room which,until girls were admitted to the school, was used by boys from visiting schools.

Under Lismore’s blazing sun yesterday, current students gathered for the official opening and to remember Maddie, as she was known to her friends, who died at 21 from a mysterious disease in 2008.

Speaking after the ceremony, her father, Roger, said the family decided to make a financial contribution to the new changing room in recognition of the staff and students at the school, which their son Cody also attended.

“It seemed a natural thing to do because it gave us a chance to stay involved and connected with the school,” Mr Bucksaid.

“Just because our kids no longer go here doesn’t mean the things that Woodlawn believes in and has been teaching our kids stop.”

Mrs Buck, wearing a frangipani broach, her daughter’s favourite flower, said Maddeson would have ‘loved’ the new changing rooms.