What Goes Around May Yet Come Around! 

Many OVs might recognise the billiard table pictured above.  The photo and the associated story was forwarded by Chris Wright who was the subject of an earlier article in this OVAtion edition.

The table dates back to the 1800s and at some point in the early 1900s found a home in the Brothers’ residence section of St Virgil’s at Barrack St.  In the early 1960s it was re-located to the ‘old library’ and the senior boarders were given access to it.  In time, with the cessation of boarding, it was moved back onto the second floor and became available to staff – both Brothers and lay.

With the prospect the of losing the Barrack St site as part of the re-structuring of Catholic secondary education in southern Tasmania, Br Jack Higgins was delegated to sell the table on behalf of the Christian Brothers.  The sale was effected in 1991 and the purchaser was Shane Clark – one of Tasmania’s leading snooker players in that period. Sadly Shane passed away as a result of a melanoma in 1993.

Chris Wright and Shane’s widow, Sharon, became a couple a few years later, purchased a block on the old family property of Restdown at Otago Bay and proceeded to build a new home with a rumpus room large enough to accommodate the table.

Chris went on to say, that he and Sharon have offered it back to the College should a space be made available in the future and it is being well cared for in the meantime. Perhaps a suitable home might be a new OVA pavilion overlooking the Main Oval.