Memories - Doreen / Sheila / Walter / Eunice / Barry / Margaret / Beryle / Edwin / Eric / Ross / Dorothy / Bob

DOREEN AUHL (nee FRANKS) (1924 - 1930) of Gwandalan recalls Mr. Murphy and Mr. Adey as, " ... very dedicated to teaching. Mr. Murphy's handwriting was much admired. Mr. Adey was an original A.N.Z.A.C. and would vividly recall the H.M.A.S. Sydney sinking the S.M.S. Ernden and the landing on Gallipoli".

SHEILA McINTOSH (nee ROSS) and DOUG CHRISTIE write that the fifth decade of the school (1923 -1933) "was a period of major events which shaped our future lives".

In 1925 a secondary rural school was grafted onto the school and Carlingford District Rural School came into being.

"It was appropriate to the area with its orchards, nurseries, dairies, market gardens and poultry farms (Mack's was the biggest poultry farm in N.S.W.).

"To the locals the opportunity for secondary education on their doorstep was a boon, but it came too late for Norm Dengate. He recalls that it was a daylight to dark operation in winter to attend Auburn Technical School.

"The expanded school attracted scholars from a wide area, including Auburn, Strathfield, Parramatta, Dural, Eastwood, Ryde, Pennant Hills and beyond.

"As a co-educational school it worked well and many will recall with great satisfaction, the valuable foundation they received for their future life from very dedicated teachers. Sadly, the sexes were separated for class photographs.

ˇ¨We entered the great depression in this period and hindsight gives one a greater appreciation, than at the time, of the severe effects on fellow pupils who were in straitened circumstances and whose life expectancy was shortened because of this.

ˇ§Sheila Ross (now McIntosh) recalls, 'Like so many thousands of school leavers I found myself home with an out-of-work father and brother - retrenched we say today, but it still means no wage at the end of the week'. Incidentally, Sheila organised a reunion of the secondary ex-pupils, after the school had reverted to a Public School, at the end of 1966.

"Mollie Gorman's (now Jones) first appointment to the school was to the Primary School in 1933 and she taught on the basis of a fortnight on and a fortnight off!

"At this time, political tensions were high, a fact not appreciated by one hapless scholar who was dared by a mate 0) to substitute the initials U.A.P. (United Australia Party) for the word "labour" in a stanza of the poem Australian Anthem, which he recited to the school on Empire Day 1933. So the line was read as, 'U.A.P. and liberty, one cause and Thine.'

"Both the 'darer and the dared' were arraigned before the Headmaster, Mr. Tollis and the primary Headmaster, Mr. Day, the latter seeing the thing in perspective and getting both off the hook. Thirty three years later, Mr. Clark, the former manual arts teacher, recalled, 'Ah, the boy who spoilt the Headmaster's Empire Day'.

ˇ§We were between the wars and little knew what lay ahead. When war broke out in 1939 our age group was well to the fore. We honour those who served and salute those who paid with their lives."

WALTER JONES attended Carlingford in the early 1920's. Apart from Headmasters Thacker and Gray, Waiter recalls Mr. Joe Egan, Mr. J. J. Murphy and Miss Sullivan. "There were no playing fields for cricket, football or vigero ... cricket was played on a dirt wicket in what was known as the boys' playground. When it rained it was a real sticky wicket, I can tell you! The football (soccer) field was out along from St. Paul's Church on the top of Mobbs Hill with a couple of kerosene tins for the goal posts." "The football team played in colours of red and black which were the District colours."

Waiter remembers the time three Carlingford boys won a football game against a full - size Granville team. (See newspaper clipping).

Waiter has another great memory. This was of the school choir, " ... which was Mr. Gray's pride and joy ... 16 girls and 16 boys (including Waiter) would sing at school functions and when any persons of note visited the school, we would show our talents. The greatest effort by the choir was first place in the Rockdale Eisteddfod against five other schools and second place in the Bathurst Eisteddfod"

EUNICE PRENDERGAST (c.1926) relates that her, " ... uniform was navy blue tunic, white blouse, black stockings and black shoes, white panama hat with navy coloured brim and hat band". Eunice remembers Headmaster Tollis, Mr. Murphy, Miss Goddard and Mr. Duffy.

BARRY CATT (1932-1937) of Carlingford remembers that, "Old'Pat'Murphy could change a maths lesson to geography or history just by leading him on".

MARGARET DOREEN ELYARD (nee MOBBS) (c. 1930) of South West Rocks recollects the occasion on which she was sent out of the room for talking. Apparently while looking at the class through the keyhole, 1 got a whack on my rear part by Mr. Tollis and was sent back to class".

BERYL LEWIS (nee MOBBS) (1929-1937) of Yagoona writes, " ... I have happy memories of my years at Carlingford District Rural School. At the celebrations in 1936 I planted a tree in an avenue in Rickard Street." (Most of these trees are now gone, perhaps because many were Oleanders which had to be removed when declared poisonous, R.T.G.) Beryl's father was Eric Mobbs who was Mayor of Dundas at the time and she recalls, "When the 'new' school was built (1934) a portrait of my father was unveiled in the foyer". (Perhaps someone knows its fate? R.T.G.) Beryl continues, ˇ§I also have in my possession a letter I found after my father's death, in which he presented to the school a set of books which had been sent to him about and from Carlingford in Ireland." (Does anybody know the fate of these? R.T.G.)

Further memories of Beryl's about Carlingford School include the classes held in the St. Paul's Church Hall and Carlingford Memorial Hall, "They were so cold!" "How wonderful it was when the 'new' school was finished and school dances were held in the domestic science room, the stoves very silent onlookers. We girls, of course, felt very grown up in our long frocks.

"We all walked to school and if we had a penny to catch the bus 'up the hill' on a wet morning, we were indeed fortunate. I remember looking out from the hill opposite the school and seeing very few houses and a great number of orchards. I was a 'talker' (and still am) and have strong recollections of standing in the corridor as punishment for talking in class."

EDWIN POUND (c.1933) of Chester Hill remembers the district sports carnivals at Cumberland Oval. He writes that 'Lanky' Nankavich was an outstanding Carlingford school athlete who performed well in the broad jump, hop, step and jump, high jump and pole vault events. Edwin also recalls that, "One of the teachers, Rex Wilson, was a First Grade cricketer".

ERIC GOUDIE (1927-1937) of Ainslie, A.C.T. mentions Headmaster Tollis and 'Pat' Murphy. Eric remembers always being in trouble with Tollis of whom he says, "A small man but heavy with the cane". However, VICTOR SMALL (1933-1934) of Collaroy Plateau remembers Tollis as, " ... quite a big man, though very small in stature".

ROSS SONTER of Epping attended the school in 1931 and succinctly asks, "How could I forget this depression year"?

DOROTHY BURGOYNE (nee THORBY) (1931-1934) of Carlingford reminisces about a schoolgirls' train trip to Murwillumbah, chaperoned by Miss Downey. A French teacher, who it was believed, wore a wig, supported by the authorative claim that the, " ... boys saw it move"! Dorothy also mentions the tuckshop, " ... across the road in Rickard Street".

BOB SWANBOROUGH notes that, "Many ex-pupils served in all the conflicts involving Australia over the last 100 years. In singling out one, Victoria Cross winner Ray Simpson, we honour all who served and remember those who laid down their lives.

"Ray Simpson was a resident of Dalmar when he attended the school from 1932-1937, leaving in 6th class to live at Taree.

"Ray enlisted in 1944 and he served in Australia and Holland. Demobilised in 1947, he reenlisted in 1951 to fight in Korea.

"In the Vietnam war as Warrant Officer Class 2, Royal Australian Infantry, he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. Later in the same conflict, he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

"The Queen presented Ray with his Victoria Cross in a ceremony at Government House, Sydney on 1st May 1970.

"Upon his retirement from the army three days later, at the age of 44, Ray went to live in Japan with his wife, Shoko.

"From 1972 he worked as an administrative assistant at the Australian Embassy in Tokyo until his untimely death at 52 on 18th October 1978, after a brief illness".