Sundial Peak – Grampians.

Sundial Peak in the Grampians National Park sits at the southern end of the Wonderland Range and overlooks Lake Bellfield.

It was named by early settlers who noticed that the 2360-foot-high peak received the first and last rays of sun each day.

In 1968, form-five students at nearby Stawell Technical School, under the guidance of their maths and science teacher, the legendary Ralph Sinclair*, were making their own sundials as a class project.

One student asked, “Why is there no sundial on Sundial Peak,” and so began the quest to design and install one.

Then State forest, permission was granted for the installation from the local District Forester at Stawell, George Jennings.

It was decided to make the sundial for the princely sum of $50 which was covered by the School Principal and Hawthorn footballer, John Kennedy, who said he would just “find the money”.

In early November 1968, the 150 kg black granite sundial, mounted on a special frame made by the school’s sheet metal department, was delicately carried over 2 km from the car park to the mountain peak by the students along the difficult and winding track. They also carried sand, screenings, timber, cement, water and watering cans.

When correctly oriented and mounted on its cairn the sundial was carefully grouted into place.

The names of all the school students involved in the project were embossed onto an aluminium strip and placed under the new installation.

A large number of Forests Commission staff, civic dignitaries, school teachers and journalists joined the students for the unveiling.

• Ralph Sinclair was also my maths and science teacher in the early 1970s. Very deservingly, Ralph was awarded an Order of Australia in 2012 for “service to science education”. I can also personally attest that he made a huge and lasting impression on so many young lives.