2024 - Bruce Rock District High School Visit and Lunch

 

CLICK ON PHOTOS FOR LARGER IMAGES

The highlight of the reunion was of course the school visit – which we started at 10:30am.

The first thing we all noticed was the marvellous facilities that students have these days.  There seems to be so much equipment and resources to make our experience somewhat pale.

But the big picture is that there were 350 students in 1960 when we started – and there are only 100 now.  This is hardly surprising with the average size of farms increasing from about 2,500 acres in our time to at least 20,000 now.  In fact, if that ratio were applied to the school enrolments the school should only have about 70 students, but other industries like Bruck Rock Engineering are clearly either keeping families in the town or attracting new residents.

We didn't have courts like these in 1960

L-R - Greg Rutherford, Michael Kilkenny, Lorraine Perry (studying her notes), Kylie Whitehead, John Tobin, Fred McGlassan, Linda Giles, Moya Hobley

More of the same

L-R - Greg Rutherford, Tony Martin, Moya Hobley, Linda Giles, Janet McGellin, Lynette McGellin, Michael Kilkenny, John Urbaniak, Kylie Whitehead, Lorraine Phillips, Ray Wilson

Parts of the old and new schools - and a flash quadrangle

L-R - Lorraine Phillips, Ray Wilson, Kylie Whitehead, Lorraine Perry

L-R - Janet McGellin, Michael Kilkenny

What are these new-fangled small blackboards sitting on a box with half a typewriter underneath and ear warming muffs? 

So - why didn't boys do domestic science back in the day?

And why didn't girls do woodwork-metalwork?

L-R - Glenis Rutherford, Linda Giles, Greg Rutherford, Moya Hobley

It is a shame that the investment in the automotive centre at the school is not being used because they cannot find a teacher - there would be a hundred retired farmers around the place who could teach the youngsters all they need to know about vehicles and farm machinery

Although quite a few people had departed during the morning, those of us desperate for more food headed back to the Shire Hall for lunch.  As Fred McGlashan mused, looks like we’ll be here for a few more days as Greg said we cannot leave until all the food is eaten!