Penis-shaped garden at expensive private all-girls school revealed

A spotlight has been shone on a ritzy private all-girls school where a garden was “unmistakably shaped like a penis and testicles”.

The front garden of an affluent private all-girls school was subject to a revamp after it was realised to have been designed in the shape of a penis.

Aerial footage taken recently by a drone exposed the phallic layout of the new garden at $39,000-a-year school Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Croydon, in Sydney’s inner west.

A former student, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, was the first person to alert principal Paul Burgis to the unfortunate design, which was the work of architecture firm NBRS.

The former student, who opted against being identified given her ongoing affiliation with the school, told the publication the garden’s genital shape was obvious.

“It was unmistakably shaped like a penis and testicles. The immediate response was laughter: ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’. Photos have been circulating among the school as memes, saying ‘oh good morning’ and various kinds of jokes,” she said.

The phallic shape of the school’s garden was unmistakeable.

Principal Burgis revealed he had also been spoken to by a staff member who pointed out the obvious mishap with the garden, which he said was part of a series of updates to the school.

“As part of recording the updates we sent a drone up to take pictures. At a certain angle from up high, the garden with its room for chairs took on a phallic shape which was unintended and unexpected,” he told the publication.

“As a result, the architects made some alterations which were completed within 72 hours of the drone pictures.”

The company behind the design has been contacted by news.com.au for comment.

The drama comes after the Presbyterian Church of Australia, by which the school is run, argued in April that gay students should not be eligible for leadership positions, including school captain.

In a submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission’s review of anti-discrimination laws, the church expressed concern that LGBTIQA+ students could not offer “appropriate Christian leadership” as required by Christian schools.

The Presbyterian Church of Australia courted controversy in April this year after applying for the right to discriminate in schools. Picture: iStock.

The church, which runs schools across the country educating thousands of students, also wanted the right to discriminate against staff who were unmarried, gay, or gender diverse if they did not “live out the whole Christian faith consistently.”

The submission came as part of a review of proposed changes to federal laws, which would limit religious schools’ ability to discriminate based on their faith.

The Presbyterian Church was not the only faith to have made submissions supporting religious schools’ right to discriminate against students and staff based on their sexuality, gender, or marital status.

In Victoria alone, more than 300,000 students are in private schools run by religious bodies.

Some submissions to the review from church bodies however warned that changes to federal laws could compromise schools’ ability to offer gender-specific uniforms, bathrooms, change rooms, and accommodations.

Leaders from the Uniting, Anglican, and Lutheran churches seemed slightly more open to the proposed changes the Australian Law Reform Commission put forward.

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