150-year reunion for “little school on the hill”
Principal John Garner giving his welcoming address at Collingwood Area School’s 150-year reunion celebrations last Saturday. Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.
It was the biggest celebration Collingwood has seen since the Trafalgar festivities—the 150-year reunion for the “little school on the hill.”
The scene resembled a festival with a big marquee and the field packed with cars and campervans as ex-students, teachers and their partners converged for the weekend, which turned on brilliant weather.
Doreen Grant of Rockville was the oldest ex-pupil to attend, and the oldest teacher. She started at the school in 1927, and teamed up to cut the cake at the opening with Finlay Oates, who travelled all the way out from the Netherlands, where he’s been teaching for the last 30 years. Finlay recalled how he did his University Entrance at Collingwood by correspondence with Kevin Climo. They both sat their exams in the school’s little dental clinic.
The three-day programme of activities started on Friday evening with registrations, followed by that familiar bell ringing for “assembly” and the book launch of Cheryl Win and Sandy Isbister’s Collingwood Kids - 150 Years of Learning. Nearly 200 copies sold that evening alone. The next two days were taken up by a carefully planned schedule of welcome ceremonies, group photos, scrutinising of historical exhibitions, student tours of the school, socialising, a church service, sports events, and final farewells.
Amongst it all, the Collingwood Fire Brigade managed to stage a vehicle crash demonstration on the school field. It was plainly clear that good memories of friendships and old times infused the whole weekend, with some keen to relive a few of those moments. On Saturday afternoon, three students from the 1950s spent two hours just chatting in the sun on the steps outside their old classroom – exactly where they used to sit holding hands with boyfriends and girlfriends at lunchtime when the duty teacher wasn’t looking.
For Barbara Hadfield (née Masters, student 1952-63 and daughter of ex-principal George Masters) the weekend reinforced to her that she came from a great community.
David Ferguson commented that he’d had some wonderful hugs from some wonderful women.
Principal John Garner said he was amazed how everywhere he looked “the feelings of warmth, friendship and pleasure shone through for the whole weekend.”
The sumptuous dinner and lunches were catered by and brought up from the Collingwood Tavern.
A fireworks display to finish it all off on the Sunday sparked a call out for the Collingwood Fire Brigade when an errant incendiary ignited near the boat launching ramp at the camp. The final lit-up display read “See you in 2034” – the school’s 175th anniversary.
Gerard Hindmarsh
