Brighton's big win
May 2009
by Andie Gatti
A whale of an effort netted Brisbane's Brighton State School a $10,000 grant and first place in a national competition.
Whale done ... Brighton State School students check out their creation, Marley.
To coincide with the premiere of National Geographic Channel's Kingdom of the Blue Whale, schools were invited to create a blue whale as a model, mural or in another art form.
And Brighton's creation, 25-metre Marley the blue whale, blew the other 50-odd entrants out of the water.
For two weeks as many times as possible, teams of six to 10 Year 7 students gathered to cut, tape, clean, tape again and solve problems to make their life-size, blow-up replica of the world's largest mammal.
They used 50 metres of builders' black plastic, 50 metres of white plastic, 200 metres of tape, 30 metres of bird netting and 200 metres of twine.
The crucial test of their construction ability was inflating the body before climbing inside to double tape the seams.
Principal Patrick McAuliffe said before the National Geographic crew could film Marley for a show to be aired soon all 50 Year 7s had to work as one to lift the whale.
Then the students tied off the bird netting and Marley was suspended from the gymnasium roof.
'When the wind blows through the windows the whole whale heaves and sways so much so that one of the Preps said, "Look! It's breathing",' Mr McAuliffe said.
He said the Year 7s entered the competition because it was a sea theme which tied in with the program they would learn before they went on school camp near Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast.
'This has been a great activity,' he said. 'It's a project that everyone should have a go at to achieve something great through team effort and to learn about the biggest thing that has ever lived on our planet.'
Mr McAuliffe said the school had big things planned for the prize money including a year's subscription to National Geographic Channel, an air conditioner for the music room and more hand grips for the climbing wall.
Mr McAuliffe said Marley was now deflated and sitting in the storeroom.
'If anyone wants to use a blue whale they're welcome to - before the sticky gives way,' he said.
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