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Many generations of former students, teachers, P&C members, canteen volunteers, friends and families gathered to reminisce about their time with Trebonne State School.
By Victoria Velton
A simple afternoon tea at Trebonne State School has brought generations of former students, teachers, P&C members, canteen volunteers and other familiar faces back through the school gates.
“Some of the ladies were talking at coffee one day and apparently they said they’d love to come along and all get together and reminisce about all the old things they used to do here,” Principal Anne Bower said.
The school opened its doors 120 years ago, and its history was on display throughout the afternoon, with old trophies and photo albums dating back to the 1940s, giving former students plenty to look through and talk about.
Merle Skinner was among those revisiting the school, having attended Trebonne State School as a young girl around 1940. Her son Wallis attended the school decades later, in the 1960s, giving the pair a chance to share memories from two different generations of the school’s history.
Merle remembered playing basketball and being part of a small class, with just five students in her grade.
Wallis recalled school parades, marching back into the classrooms to the sound of drums and the strong involvement of the P&C.
He said the P&C could attract 15 or 20 people to meetings, with parents heavily involved in fundraising, sporting activities, the tuck shop and maintaining the school.
The fundraising efforts included peach blossoms made by the ladies, which helped pay for the shelter where the canteen now stands.
“We raised money to buy the first computer,” Wallis laughed.
Former student Kate Russo attended Trebonne State School from 1979 and took such joy from the photos albums letting her travel back to school moments. Such as winning Maraka Parade with Little Toot the train and being in charge of the radishes of the school gardens.
“I think it was probably how community-minded it was because we used to have the gardens over there, and then we’d do the tomato relish,” Ms Russo said.
She also remembered the school’s traditional end-of-year water fights.
“Every last day of the school year, we’d always have a water fight. We’d fill up the water balloons, and it would be all the kids against the teachers,” she said.
“One of the farmers would bring a pile of watermelon around, and we’d just break up the school year by having watermelons. It was just very cool.”
Ms Bower said the gathering was also an opportunity to create something for future generations, with Bunnings donating tiles for a new memory wall featuring past students.
“I hope the tradition of the school continues for another 120 years,” Ms Bower said.
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