I attended Saint John’s from 1958 through to 1965. In those days it consisted of a small solid red brick chapel in the center of the grounds which served as our parish church. On the right side facing the bus line route was the girls playground On the left side of the church was the Boys playground. The classrooms were built of white weatherboard. Each had a little porch at the top of three steps of stairs and then you entered the classroom. There was one classroom for each grade.

Alongside the classrooms for grades 5 6 and 7 was a closed-in veranda that you could enter via your classroom It had lockers and a long narrow bench going its entire length it was raining we were allowed to eat our lunches there.

Talking about lunches there was a very busy tuckshop. We could only afford to buy a tuckshop lunch once or twice a year I would always order the hot apple pie. Sadly they no longer make them!

Things I remember with great fondness were the free milk supplied each day and the wonderful reading book and school newspaper distributed by the State Education Department of the time. It was a generous ecumenical gesture They were very high-quality publications. To this day I remember the black and white slinky silhouettes of the illustrations for the poem “Han’s Mill” Lawson’s short stories great Australian poets like The Australian Sunrise and A Sunburnt country -all enriched our lives.

Another vivid memory is we had a verse choir in Grade 7 The long poem Red John of Haslingden was split into parts with different voices grouped to read particular stanzas and voices have never encountered it since but I remember enjoying it.

Grade 2 was a highlight because that was the year we were prepared to make our Holy Communion Even the nonbelievers loved it because there was a party after the mass with the full works party pies sausage rolls cream cakes and Fanta! The girls got to dress in beautiful white dresses with veils and the boys had to look smart with white shirts ties and shiny shoes!!

Re the playgrounds, they were all asphalt with the only shade a small shelter shed My memories are of lots of skipping games chalk hopping games hide and seek some attempts to play basketball and chasey

As to the boys it was foreign territory to us girls but I know it was pretty loud and boisterous. If you had to deliver a message to one of the teachers you would have to weave your way through the yard they stopped for no one except perhaps Sister Liam!

As to the teachers they were nearly all religious and some were teaching in poor health but they soldiered on. The convent was across the road from the school and if you were sent over to deliver a message it was such a calm and quiet place There was a lovely little Irish nun sister Maureen and she was so gentle. I remember feeling very sorry for the sisters because they wore those heady brown robes and those stiff white headpieces must have been so hot for them.

We used to assemble in our separate classes and then do a circuit of the playground while marching to John Souza band music played through large speakers. To this day whenever I hear that music I am immediately transported back to those days. Another memory is of the annual visits by a nurse and dental expert. We would all line up and be checked.

I would love to help out with photos but we were very poor at the time I did have my one school photo but when I went to look for it I could not find it. As to the size of the school, All I can remember is that every classroom was packed and I suspect it would have added up to about 420 but I could be completely wrong! It was certainly very crowded Sadly I have not kept in touch with anyone from those primary days but I was very very shy in those days I did met someone at a wedding reception 20 years ago who remembered being in Prep with me! I went on to a central school; and then a college which were both out of the district.