This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia, which closed in 2021.

School's On Field 'Cock-Up' Seen On Google Maps

School's On Field 'Cock-Up' Seen from Space
Google Maps

Crop circles are revered by some as a sign from other worlds, but no one is happy about the mysterious symbols that have appeared on a Sydney catholic college's oval.

From the birds eye view of Google Maps, the not-so-cryptic shapes become apparent on Clancy Catholic College's grounds.

It's willies. Big willies.

The vandals etched the shapes into the grass -- with one, er, appendage, stretching 10m.

While you'd think this type of disobedience would make any headmaster furious, principal Iris Natasi took it as a learning experience, penning the following newsletter.

In September last year, our oval was vandalised.

We became the victim of cheap and nasty words, scars in our landscape. It was cheap because it was anonymous and without courage, sneaky and secretive.

Nonetheless, this cruel action cast us into the public spotlight when Google Earth picked it up. Despite removing the graffiti within hours, despite several appeals to Google, over the weekend, I watched a photo of our Oval receive worldwide attention.

It seemed so unfair. We have worked hard to build a successful story for our College and of course, our students are our College. I did not want a single Clancy student to retain the slur. I did not want to give anyone the opportunity to deride anyone in our Clancy community.

But then the thing I was most afraid of became real and something great happened. A great learning took place.

I did not buy into this problem anymore. I realised the outcome of a mean trick does not reflect who we are or what we stand for. This action does not and will not detract from who we are because we will not let it.

Read the full letter here.

Google does not publicly share how frequent their satellite imagery is updated, but the school can check for updates with Google tool Follow Your World.

Police, meanwhile, are investigating with The Liverpool Leader quoting Green Valley Police Chief Inspector Steve Corry as saying: "It’s still a criminal offence to damage a property, regardless of whether it’s a prank or not."

Close
This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost Australia. Certain site features have been disabled. If you have questions or concerns, please check our FAQ or contact support@huffpost.com.