Volume 13 No 3 November 2010

“THEY DONE US PROUD!”

Thursday, 23rd September dawned as a splendid spring day when Charles Sturt University and WaggaWagga Teachers Alumni Association met at the Wagga Wagga Campus for the dedication ceremony ofHouse 381 becoming “WATAL” (Wagga Alumni Teachers Association Lodge), named in honour of thesignificant and distinguished contribution of the Wagga Wagga Teachers College to Charles SturtUniversity in Wagga Wagga.

Head of Campus, Mr Adrian Lindner, opened proceedings and offered special acknowledgement to themembers from WWTAA who were in attendance on the day. These members were Mr Graeme Wilson(Vice President), Mr Lindsay Budd, Mr Lew Morrell, Mrs Pat Morrell, Mrs Dorothy Tanner, Mr NigelTanner, Mr Malcolm Hanratty, Mrs Maureen Hanratty, Mr Roger Clements and Mrs June Clements.

Charles Sturt University Chancellor, Laurie Willett, O.A. and Graeme Wilson, Vice-President of WaggaTeachers Alumni Association unveiled the plaque.

Laurie Willett, congratulated and recognised the significance of the role the WWTAA has played in theestablishment of Wagga Wagga Teachers’ College and more recently CSU.

Our Vice-President Graeme likened Wagga Wagga Teachers College to an acorn from which CharlesSturt University grew to a mighty oak tree. Of course Wagga Wagga Agricultual College is the otheracorn from which Charles Sturt University grew.

A tree was planted with the original sign marking the opening of the Wagga Wagga Teachers College in1947. A plaque was placed beside it to symbolise the history and importance of the Wagga WaggaTeachers College as a predecessor institution of Charles Sturt University.

It was a proud day for our Alumni Association.

THE ‘WATAL’ NAMING

On Thursday September 23rd 2010,Charles Sturt University bestowedupon the Wagga Wagga TeachersAlumni Association (WWTAA) thehonour of naming a student residentialbuilding on the Wagga Wagga Campus.After much deliberation as to a namefor this building, “The WATAL” waschosen which stands for Wagga WaggaTeachers Alumni Lodge.

This honorary naming celebrates thehistoric significance of the WaggaWagga Teachers’ College andrecognises the continuing contributionand support of the WWTAA to thefoundation of Charles Sturt University.

Numerous Charles Sturt Universityrepresentatives were in attendance on the day, the Chancellor of CSU, Mr Lawrie Willett OA, Adrian Lindner, Headof WW Campus, Karen Jamieson, Professional Assistant to Adrian, several members of the University Council, aswell as Linda Breen, Manager Corporate Governance, Debbie Schache, Community Officer, Jayson Hanrahan,Manager University Advancement and Gina Jessett, FacultyAdvancement Officer for the Faculty of Education.

This auspicious occasion was marked by the unveiling of aplaque at Building 381. Head of Campus, Mr Adrian Lindner,opened proceedings and offered special acknowledgement tothe members from WWTAA who were in attendance on theday. These members were Mr Graeme Wilson (Vice President),Mr Lindsay Budd, Mr Lew Morrell, Mrs Pat Morrell, MrsDorothy Tanner, Mr Nigel Tanner, Mr Malcolm Hanratty, MrsMaureen Hanratty, Mr Roger Clements and Mrs JuneClements.

Chancellor,Mr LawrieWillett,congratulated the WWTAA on their continuing contribution andsupport and recognised the significance of Wagga Wagga Teachers’College in the establishment of Charles Sturt University.Alumni Vice-President Mr Graeme Wilson accepted the naminghonour on behalf of the WWTAA and expressed a vote of thanksof behalf of Mr Bob Collard who could not attend the ceremony.Following the plaque unveiling was the planting of acommemorative tree (a Chinese Elm) by the attending members ofthe WWTAA. The tree planting was marked by twocommemorative plaques, one for the day in question but another,perhaps even more significant, was the original plaque from theopening of Wagga Wagga Teachers’ College in 1947. The plaquewas salvaged by Karen Jamieson, and members of WWTAAexpressed sincere thanks to Karen.Following the honorary naming and tree planting attendees wereinvited to an afternoon tea hosted by the Chancellor. It was arelaxed and social occasion which allowed WWTAA to reunite andCharles Sturt University Staff to meet old and new friends. Theoccasion was enjoyed by all who attended.

ALUMNI ATTENDEES

Graeme Wilson, Dot Tanner, Nigel Tanner, Lindsay Budd, Lew Morrell, Pat Morrell,Malcolm Hanratty, Maureen Hanratty, June Clements, Roger Clements.

Malcolm Hanratty, Lindsay Budd, Lawrie Willett, Adrian Lindner, Graeme Wilson

Original 1947 plaque Wording of tree plaque

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TEACHING MEMORIES

The 150 year Celebration was heldover two days on 10th and 11thSeptember with the formalproceedings on the Friday. A SchoolHonour board was presented. Itshowed the names of all the schoolprincipals and also the schoolcaptains from 1981 – apparentlyearlier records of school captainswere not kept. A beautiful quilted,embroidered wall-hanging, includingphotographs of each school child atpresent enrolled, was also presented.

The children entertained on this dayand that really took me back to mydays of “producing” children’s actsfor some particular occasion.

Two past school principals took partin the proceedings, but no other pastteachers were introduced. I managedto speak to one lady who was ateacher there in the 1980’s but thatwas all. This was a bit disappointing!

The two days, of course, mainlycentred on the present pupils, their

JUNE RETURNS TO ROCKY RIVER PUBLIC SCHOOL

parents/family and local paststudents.

To find any of my “young” students Iapproached a group of three menwho I thought were about 65-68.Two of these turned out to be two ofmy Kinder and First or Second classstudents. So the word spread thatMiss Robson was present.

I eventually found nine of my littleones, each with different storiesabout me and their memories.

The first one I met was Geoff, a realgentleman and a very successfulbusinessman in the local area. He toldme that he thought I was special.

Harold remembered me as theteacher who threatened him with aruler each time he went to pick up hispencil with his left hand. However heis now ambidextrous and it doesn’tseem to have affected himpsychologically.

Len confided to me, “I fell in lovewith you when I startedKindergarten, and I remember ayellow jumper which you wore – ithad a sort of cable stitch on it.”

Paul “protected” my car in 1951. Itwas an Austin A40. He said the boysput acorns in the exhaust pipe. I thinkhe was one of the culprits.

Jan remembered that I had a skirtguard on my bike! Funny memories!They all remembered my car.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day. I metone of my friends of that period. Heis the Historian of the Rocky RiverSchool and of Uralla it seems.

June Shaw (Hadley)

nee Robson 1948-50

Miss Robson and her Lower Division in 1950

June and Len, one of her former pupils.

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Buoyed up by the delights of the 2009Whitsunday holiday, an enthusiasticcontingent of 1957/58 ers gathered inAugust 2010 for a “bush” experience atBinna Burra Mountain Lodge in theLamington National Park in Queensland.This park is 800 metres above sea leveland comprises Australia’s largest remnantof sub tropical rainforest. Not all fromlast year’s holiday were able to make it,but others from previous reunions came,including our much loved and respectedmusic lecturer Laurie Orchard and hiswife, Penny.

We can thank Bob Anderson forsuggesting and organising this gettogether. His enthusiasm andinclusiveness is so infectious and wecouldn’t help but get swept up in the joyof sharing and reminiscing about ourexceptional college years.

Arriving on Monday August 23rd at theMountain Lodge, we gathered by thefireside in the main recreation room toreconnect and to hear what was planned

for the next three days. This beautifulhideaway has been luring bush lovers andwalkers since the early 1930s. Many ofthe lodges have been built from hand cutTallow Wood sourced from the nearbyrainforest. There were walks to suit alllevels of bushwalking fitness, and mostwere eager to set out the followingmorning.

One 11 km walk took us to the Coomerawaterfalls which we viewed from a highplatform before descending to the riverwhere we lunched sitting on the largeboulders that forded the river. Anotherwalk enjoyed by many led us to theKweebani Caves. En route we weredelighted to sight a mother koala and heryoung in a eucalypt overhanging the track.We were dwarfed by the enormity of theTallow Woods, Hoop Pines, AntarcticBeech, ficus, eucalypts, and red cedarsto name but a few of the giant trees, andthe birds, including whipbirds andbellbirds kept up a constant serenade.

Daytime activities divided us into variousgroups but the evenings brought ustogether again when we enjoyed “newstime”, great food and a tipple or two. Oneevening Graeme Shea treated us to aslideshow of our days at college. Oldmemories, college “confessions” andmuch laughter ensued — no one noddedoff on this slide night! With song sheetsat hand, we all chortled some of thefamous college choruses led by MaestroLaurence Orchard (who else) and, yes, wewandered off to bed with “Summertime”as our lullaby.

Another account of a very happy reunioncompleted. But before finishing we wantto thank the spouses who shared in thefun so enthusiastically. Full marks tothem, and a big thank you again to BobAnderson for organising and fathering usall so wonderfully well.

“Three Cheers we all agree for W.W.T.C.!”

Cynthia Piper (Sutton)

WAGGA WAGGA TEACHERS COLLEGE REUNION 1957/58 YEARS

Standing - Back Row: Bob Anderson, Graeme Shea.Standing - Middle Row: Aileen Dillon (Phillips), Laurie Orchard, Ken McCubbin, Denis Woodward, Ken Bond, Dale Hell (Lette),

Margaret Priest (Smith), Sam Priest.Seated - Front Row: Jenny Briggs (Mould), Genelle Thomson (Pasman), Cynthia Piper (Sutton), Gwyn Clarke (Hughes), Margaret De

La Gare, Judy Woodlands (Steen), Janet Gardner (Cane), Val Woodward (Crossley), Marlene Mebberson (Whilloughby).

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Mighty things sometimes evolve fromseemingly insignificant events. Thismagnificent reunion happened becausea young woman kept a diary, a fellowthought he’d take his Canadian wife toAustralia, three fellows had a yarn aftera game of golf and a librarian offeredher assistance.

A tearful Gwenda Zappert (Starling)wrote in her diary on Monday,December 11 1961 that ‘thirteen of thenicest boys in College had beensuspended today’. She then went on toname these lovely lads which was greatbecause none of them, in years tocome, could remember all who were atthat private keg party on FridayDecember 8. They were: Ken Eggleton,Mick Gow, Don Hammond, BillyHauville, Ross Hosking, Kev Leys,Mark McCulla, Geoff Peters, RalphSadler, Allan Slater, Jack Tierney, DickWinnett and Ray Writer. Such is theimportance of record-keeping!

Mark McCulla went to Canada, as somany of our fellows did, but he becamea citizen and married Erna. Theythought 2010 might be a good year tovisit Australia.

Geoff Peters, Allan Slater and RossHosking had a game of golf togetherand agreed, over a beer later, that it wasa shame, nay, an injustice that they andthe rest had missed out on graduationall those years ago and wouldn’t it besatisfying to do something about it.

After a couple of get-togethers, BethMcLaren approached Ross and pointedout that, not only was Mark McCullacoming back to Australia this year but2010 was fifty years after we began ourWWTC experience. So not only couldwe honour The Last WWTC Student toGraduate, we could have a Fifty Yearcelebration. Win-win. Would Ross likesome help in the organisation? Beth isan information consultant and a provenfinder of people, chaser-upper andorganiser so Ross jumped at thechance.

The first reunion was held in 2006 atBroulee and surrounds on the NSWSouth Coast, as were the subsequentones. 101 people turned up to watchBilly Hauville, Ross Hosking, Kev

Leys, Geoff Peters, Allan Slater, JackTierney, Dick Winnett and Ray Writer‘graduate’, receiving a certificate and abottle of Charles Sturt red fromlecturer and old friend, Ray Petts.Ronnie Hancock (Kelly), SRCsecretary in 1961, produced amagnificent cake and a folder for eachof the graduates.

Ralph Sadler and Mick Gow wereavailable in 2008 and a smaller, but stilllively, group of 51 witnessed theproceedings. This left Mark McCulla asthe last to ‘graduate’. Ken Eggleton andDon Hammond, sadly, are deceased.

A few things were learned at thesereunions. First, many people our age orabout are ready for a gathering. Second,there must be events over a few days towarrant the journey and give peopletime to re-connect. Thirdly, these areteachers we are talking about, multi-talented and used to organising. Usethem! Fourthly, vary the activities sothat people can enjoy themselves(outrageously even) but still have themore formal occasion for matters ofrespect and honour. So Beth and Rossset to. It has to be stressed that we had211 people for this reunion and of thatnumber, 121 were actual students of the

1960-61 cohort. So if you look at theprevious numbers you can see we owe atremendous debt of gratitude to Beth.About twenty had been to the previousreunions who couldn’t attend this oneand there were many apologies becauseof illness, grandchildren being born andplanned trips unable to be postponed, soit was a magnificent effort from 1960-61. Beth rounded them up from Canadato North Queensland and we hadcontact with people in Holland, Darwin,WA and elsewhere. All this from acohort of seven sections. As well, sevenex-lecturers honoured us with theirpresence and we welcomed Bill Birrell,Bob Huntsman, Laurie Orchard, BettyRobertson (Keech), Helen Smith, MikeSmith and June Whittaker.

This reunion (and it has to be the finalone of such a scale) took placeprimarily in the Batemans Bay-Broulee-Moruya area on TuesdayMarch 9, Wednesday March 10 andThursday March 11. Day 1 wasregistration and a barbecue at TomakinClub. Day 2 was given over to aThanksgiving Service at the MoruyaUniting Church, tours of Old MogoTown Gold Theme Park and amemorabilia display at Captain Oldrey

The Mother Of All Reunions

Section 607 1961:Tony Milne, Russell Cassidy, Joan (Oxley) Gunn, Ronette (Kelly) Hancock, Ray Writer,

Beth McLaren, John Buckle, Alan Pymont, Ross Hosking, Bill Murray

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Park Broulee. That night there was adinner at the Batemans Bay ServicesClub followed by singing, dancing andskits. Day 3 featured a variety ofactivities such as golf, tennis, bowls, amoderate coastal walk, a testing walk toMt Dromedary and a Clyde RiverCruise to Nelligen. That night there wasa ‘formal’ dinner at the Moruya GolfClub. Gaudeamus was sung heartily,Grace was said and Beth McLarenmoved a toast to ‘absent friends’—those of our number who have passedon. Our SRC representatives from1961, John Buckle and RonnieHancock (Kelly) spoke entertaininglyand sometimes nostalgically. Twomuch-admired lecturers from our time,Mike Smith and June Whittaker, regaledus with anecdotes and observations wewould never had heard fifty years ago.

The highlight of the evening was the‘graduation’ of Mark McCulla. He wasescorted to the stage by the woman whowas supposed to be his grad partner in1961, Joan Hosking (Crakanthorp) andhe then became the “Last WWTCStudent to Graduate’. The ‘Principal’who completed this important act wasJohn Sutton. John also gave a “SorrySpeech” which would have made KevinRudd proud! Mark then turned aroundand, with additional speeches fromAdele Persi (Bolton) and ColKohlhagen, presented Ross and Beth(plus long-suffering spouses Joan andPhil) with some handsome presents fortheir efforts—Charles Sturt wines,Italian wine glasses, book vouchers,other vouchers and beautiful nativeflower corsages. It was very touchingand unexpected.

There were also two massive cardsorganised by Jack Tierney and signed byalmost everybody. Bottles of CharlesSturt red were meted out to thedeserving and a donated painting fromLionel Gailer, a lecturer of our time,was bought by the Whittakers aftersome strong bidding. Any monies raisedin this fashion (and we raised $1,482)was sent to the building fund at CharlesSturt, in the hope there will be aWWTC dormitory. We would like tosee ‘Myrtle’ in front of that dormitorywith a proper ‘lamp of learning’ globerather than the inappropriate sphericalone she currently bears!

It is a delightful thing to organise areunion for teachers, particularly ex-Wagga ones! They are responsiblecitizens, wonderful people and manyused those organisational skills andspecial talents to make this reunion thehuge success it undoubtedly was. Sothank you to the following people fortheir contributions; they were verymuch appreciated.

1. Jim Shearing for initiating the ideathat people could write briefautobiographies and these could becollected. Beth McLaren did the ‘heavylifting’ here and compiled over 100 ofthese. It is fascinating to see the livesand careers and how varied they were.Copies have been sent to the archives.2. Allan Slater—great t-shirts.3. Col Kohlhagen—the dromedary walkand, with Jill, the presents for Ross andBeth.4. Dave Martin—memorable MC.5. Beth McLaren—Nelligen Cruise.6. Ross Hosking—golf.7. Vince Fisher—bowls.8. Ross Hosking—Old Mogo TownTours.9. Laurel Simmonds (Quarmby)—coastal walk.10. Joan Hosking (Crakanthorp) —playing the organ and Kay Killick(Harris) and Brian Killick for setting upthe church.11. Rev John Buckle for conducting theservice.12. Frank Leonard—providing thesound system and a fine singing voice.13. Ralph Sadler, John Sutton, Norma

Fowler, Brian Keast, Ross Hosking andBill Murray (and what’s left of “TheCollegians”) for delighting us all withmusic, parody, skits and verse.14. Bob Haskew—really professionalrecording of this reunion and others andterrific DVD’s.15. Brian Keast—tennis.16. Ray Petts—bringing the CharlesSturt wines and providing professional‘graduation’ certificates.17. All those volunteers who helped atCaptain Oldrey oval and in all thoselittle ways I may have neglected tomention.

It is pleasing that the reunions havesparked up old friendships and contactshave been maintained. We thank‘Talkabout’ for their significantcontribution.

And my apologies for speaking aboutmyself in the third person!

Ross Hosking 1960-61.

Lecturers: Mike Smith, June Whittaker, Betty (Keech) Robertson,Bill Birrell (seated)

The Organisers:Beth McLaren and Ross Hosking

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COLLEGE MEMORIESCathy at Teachers College

Early in 1947 my High School friend,Maureen O’Neil (now Hathaway) and Iwere appointed to Wagga WaggaTeachers College. Enrolment wasdeferred to March, then April andfinally to May. We set off by train fromSydney, hopefully to become teachersafter 2 years. We arrived at Waggastation at about 5.10 am where afriendly taxi driver was waiting to drivethe two and a half miles to the College.The single storied building was justvisible out of the gloom. There, MissWylie, Women’s Warden and HistoryLecturer, escorted us to our roomwhich we were to share with MargaretMoore.

At first sight I thought “this is a nice bigroom”, and so it was, being unclutteredby any furniture other than the threesingle beds. We tumbled into these andwere asleep in seconds. Awake wedecided to unpack, but where? Ourcases went under the beds where theystayed for many weeks. It quicklybecame common practice to hang ourfrocks from the picture rails and I don’tthink anybody complained; after all wehad grown up during the war years andwere used to shortages.

On that first Sunday, one of thestudents, Ed Rascal asked anyoneinterested in a game of tennis to go tothe tennis courts. Quite a few wentacross and although Ed called me a“little girl” (which miffed mesomewhat) I stayed and played and, likeeveryone else, thoroughly enjoyed theafternoon and we began to learn eachother’s names.

The staff had their meals in the diningroom with the students – poor things,but if they did complain, we wereunaware of it. We were expected tolook neat and tidy – jeans and joggershadn’t been invented. Blinky Bill (thePrincipal) insisted on sports jackets forthe boys but in the summer of the

second year they refused to comply oneSaturday at midday and a small steptowards freedom was taken. Meals inthe dining room, with tables of six,were provided by a succession of cooks(the term chef, unheard of in thosedays) and at best were edible and rarelyon time – I think the record wait was 90minutes – but a plentiful supply ofbread, butter and milk was always on thetable. Bread, butter and pepperalleviated the pangs of hunger while wewaited. Imagine the consequences!With no mirrors or scales we didn’tnotice our changing shapes.

Ray Pople, our Music Lecturer lovedmusic and tried to ensure all studentsenjoyed the lectures. He decided toproduce “The Gondoliers” and called ameeting of interested students. The castwas assembled and rehearsalscommenced. Because we all lived onthe Campus no travelling was involvedand he had a captive audience.

It was a great production enjoyed by thecast and the audience, ready on timebut, sadly, the Gym wasn’t. Eventuallythe Gym was completed and theproduction went ahead to the delight ofall. Costumes for performance werehired. Later on we performed “Trial byJury” and “Pinafore” both of whichwere a great success. Ray won fame tooby owning the very first car to beparked in the College grounds. TheGym provided a wonderful area for P.E.classes, badminton and table tenniswhich led to the introduction of “Roundthe Table” after dinner on summernights. And how we enjoyed theSaturday night dances.

Some months after our arrival while wewere at lectures, a dressing table withmirror was delivered for Miss Web, thelibrarian. It was left in the covered wayand gasps of horror filled the air as thegirls looked at themselves – “I’m notthat fat”; “Yes you are” the waitingthrong replied. Help was at hand in theform of Matron who had just arrived.This forthright body told us that things

were going to change; and change theydid. Barley water replaced the jug ofmilk and the bread and butterdisappeared from the tables, though thepepper stayed. One evening Maureenand I strolled past the kitchen and thecook appeared saying “That was aterrible meal, wasn’t it girls?” It was butwe forbore to say so and meeklyobeyed when he ordered “Stay here”.He soon emerged with a large paper bag(no plastic in those days) which wegraciously accepted and scuttled backto the dormitory to share the contentswith our friends. Finally a tuck shopwas opened which sold essentials suchas soap and soap powder and, of coursefood. I never tasted the meat pies,though they smelled so appetizing inthe Winter but the sight of the greeninterior made it easy to abstain. Theproprietor cheerfully replaced themwith a fresher (hopefully) variety.

Practice teaching was an exciting timeand most of the students loved to go todistant places; Lockhart and The Rockwere particularly popular. Buses filledwith song took us to our destinationsand home again. We played in the Townsporting competitions; the girls in netball and Cricko (an awful game) and theboys in football in two weight divisions.Thus I saw my first football game, andwashed my first football jumper (whiteof all colours – I hope they have sincechanged).

Towards the end of the College year,Eric Hawcroft, our PE Lecturer,decided to organize a trip to the snow.Maureen, Fish, Shirley Brown and Ipromptly put our names down. The dayfinally came and the bus proprietorprovided us with a new bus - it was socomfortable.

None of us, including Eric, had everseen snow and when we eventually sawthe first light sprinkling of snow wecalled out “stop the bus!”. Doug, thedriver, wisely ignored the calls andtravelled on until we came upon snowthat was thick and far reaching. There

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COLLEGE MEMORIESwe stopped and had a snow fight – whatfun! By now the snow was becoming aproblem and much later than planned wefinally reached Hotel Kosciuszko,unable to proceed to “The Chalet”because of the thick snow. Our intrepidleader Eric entered the hotel to seewhat he could do. How he did it I neverknew but we were to be accommodatedfor the princely sum of ten shillingseach – sighs of relief. I remember thehot water and more importantly thedinner. We four found a table and werewaited on by a sweet young waitress.I’ve forgotten the first course butremember the dessert – apple pie andfresh cream – I am sure we were givenseconds; can you imagine that afterCollege meals? Everyone had to hireskis and boots. There weren’t quiteenough boots to go around so Shirley,who had politely waited until last wasprovided with the last two boots – ofdifferent sizes. I can’t recall how wegot to the Chalet the next day but wemade it and had the most marvelloustime.

Alas time flies when you are having funand time for departure soon arrived.The snow was too deep for the bus sothose who wanted to could ski down tothe Hotel, and the rest, mainly theinjured, went in a contraption called anice box. Eric, much to his chagrin wasone of these as he had injured his knee.The skiers were to travel in pairs andEdgar McMicking kindly accompaniedme. Once we were some distance fromthe Chalet the snow became scarce andonly patches were suitable for skiing. Ithink the distance was about 13 milesand as we reached each crest Ed wouldsay “This may be the last one” untilfinally it was. Quite a number of theboys were already at the Hotel andMurray Millar was giving them a rum towarm them up. When Ed and I arrived (Iwas the first girl) Ed may have had arum but all agreed that I couldn’t but Idid get a drink. Doug drove the traintravellers to Yass railway station where

we were greeted by a roaring fire whilewe waited for the train.

It was a wonderful 2 years; ourlecturers were enthusiastic and theCollege was off to a fine start. Itcertainly was close to our Principal’sheart (he was rather irreverently called“Blinky Bill”). He christened us “ThePioneers” and the name lingered on formany years. Maureen was appointed toa 2 teacher school, Fish to NationalFitness and I to an Intermediate Highschool teaching PE. I did love it andtaught for 3 years before resigning tobegin a new life as wife and mother.

Many years later I accompanied ouryoungest daughter to her Graduation.Vic Couch was there and as we walkedtowards him, Margaret said “that’s VicCouch mum, I will introduce you tohim” To her amazement he called out“Hello Cathy!”. Daughter wasdumbfounded and after we parted said“How does he remember you after allthese years”? “The power of thePioneers, Margaret” I smugly replied.

What a wonderful 2 years! Thank youfriends of 47 – 49!

Cathy (Smith) O’Donnell (1947-49)

CONTACTS

President: Bob Collard MBE: 2 Louise Close, Ourimbah 2258 Phone 02 4362 2764

Temporary Secretary: Dorothy Tanner: 282 Doncaster Ave, Kingsford 2032Ph 02 9663 3204 E-mail: netanner@optusnet.com.au

Research and Records Officer :John Orange: Unit 1 1039 Pacific Highway, Pymble 2073Phone 02 9144 2690

Treasurer: Lindsay Budd: 4 Flemington Close, Casula 2170Phone 02 9601 3003 E-mail: lbudd@bigpond.net.au

Talkabout Editors:Lindsay Budd: 4 Flemington Close, Casula 2170Lew Morrell: 25 Grandview Drive, Newport 2106Phone 02 9997 1506 E-mail: lewismorrell@bigpond.com

Faculty Advancement Officer: Gina Jessett:The University Advancement UnitCharles Sturt University, Bathurst 2795.Phone 02 6338 4680. E-mail: gjessett@csu.edu.au

APOLOGYIn the July Talkabout the maiden nameof Ralph Bryant’s wife wasinadvertently given as O’Sullivan. Hermaiden name was O’Halloran and themistake was not picked up in the proofreading. I apologise to anyone who wasoffended by the error.Lindsay Budd.

In MemoriamYears go by, memories stay

As near and dear as yesterday.

John Heffernan1949-50 February 2010

Dorothy Fogarty1948-50 September 2010

Michael Gow1960-61 October 2010

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HALL OF FAMEJune Whittaker (Scott) 1947-49prepared this article for the 1960-61reunion which was held in March2010.She has given permission for it to bereproduced in Talkabout.

VIVAT ACADEMIA

Around Christmas 1958, GeorgeBlakemore invited me to join thestaff of WWTC. Then he droppeddead! Nevertheless, I joined theCollege staff in time for the new year,and became the first student of

WWTC to take up a lectureship atWWTC.

My acquaintance with the Collegewent back to May 1947 when, agedsixteen, I was one of 150 pioneerstudents of whom half were returnedservicemen. As the only child ofelderly parents, I had enoughcommon sense not to mention ex-servicemen in my letters home. Rulesand regulations were proclaimed onDay One: no absence from base (i.e.old RAAF barracks) without a signedleave of absence, all pubs and clubsout of bounds … The ex-servicemencouldn’t believe their ears; they roseas one in angry rebellion! Toeveryone’s delight, the proclamation

was rescinded and a kind ofimperfect freedom reigned.

I should mention that one of thoseex-servicemen was MervynWhittaker, who had served in NewGuinea and with the BritishCommonwealth Occupation Force(BCOF) in Japan. We were allocatedthe same table for meals prepared byWorld War II refugees newly arrivedfrom Bonegilla Refugee Camp. Theyspoke no English. God knows whatthey thought of us!

Merv and I married in 1952. Myroom-mate, Beth Denton, was mybridesmaid, and I was her matron ofhonour a few months later when shetoo married a fellow student, ArthurSmith. Beth and I remain bestfriends.

Back to 1959 – a very good year forall concerned, and especially so forthe Rugby Seconds who won theReserve Grade Championship on theday my son was born. After acelebratory drink down town, andunderstandably just a little foxed, thefull team came up to visit me. Sittingall over my hospital bed, draped overthe furniture or lying on the floor,they gifted me a big bottle of beerand a full run-down on the match.Not long after, the new Principal,George Muir, announced he had beenpromoted and transferred.

His successor was to be MauriceHale. Some older, more informedmembers of staff immediatelyenquired about the possibility of atransfer for themselves. Ho! Hum! Ithought, there is still rugby union,good mates amongst the staff, andrewarding professional relationshipswith students. Living so close to theCollege, our house was to provide arefuge for the many who fell foul ofthe curfew and other draconiandictates, or believed they might notsurvive a breath test.

Obsessed with a desire to travel,Merv and I both resigned in May1962 and, with our young family,shipped out. Armed with a referencefrom Maurie Hale, which spokemainly of my superb skills inpreparing a nice morning tea for VIPsvisiting his College, I told myself I’dget a teaching job somewhere. Thisproved right: a very happy time layahead at Etonbury Secondary,England and at Montreal High,Quebec.

After a few years abroad we made asuccessful return flight to Wagga.Successful in that we found we hadmade enough money for Merv to buya small aircraft and for me to buy abig grand piano! My previousposition at WWTC had remainedunfilled. I was not offeredreinstatement: Mr Hale advised hehad nothing against meprofessionally, but wanted someone“younger and more amenable”! At34, I felt so old! But oh, how theGods loved me at that time! For,soon after this rejection, I received atelegram directing me to theAustralian School of PacificAdministration (ASOPA) as Lecturerin History and Government.

ASOPA was on Middle Head justaround from Taronga Park Zoo. Myoffice overlooked Sydney Harbour.At our initial meeting, the Principaltold me “there are no hours of work…as long as you’re here when thewhips are cracking … you can giveas many lectures as you like, andwhen you like … make sure youleave some days free to do yourresearch, and publishing, and stufflike that…if you’re not effective, ourmature-age students will soon let youknow! Ha! ha!”

ASOPA was a child of the AustralianGovernment, under the Departmentof Foreign Affairs. All the staff wereeminent in their particular field,jealous of their professional freedom,

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HALL OF FAMEand demanding of the same freedomsand privileges for their students.

I had never struck anything like it. Itwas a centre of unremittingstimulation from other staffmembers, from the flow of eminentpeople passing through, and not leastfrom its students. Staff joked to oneanother: “Is it true that we actuallyget paid for doing this?”

Until PNG gained Independence,ASOPA trained Australians to work inPNG as patrol officers opening uphitherto uncontrolled territory, or asmagistrates, or as secondary schoolteachers. Australians were alsotrained to work in Aboriginalsettlements in the Northern Territoryas primary school teachers or asadvisers for the Aboriginalcommunities.

As time went on, the objectives ofASOPA changed to meet changingneeds of the Third World. In theearly ‘seventies, Papua NewGuineans were brought to ASOPA fortraining in Public Administration sothat they could take over PublicService positions from expatriates. AsSenior Lecturer and DepartmentHead, I had opportunities for regulartravel in PNG, South Pacific Islands,countries of South East Asia, andChina. The most significant of mymany publications were those relatingto New Guinea history (JacarandaPress).

In 1980 my work for AIDAB (nowAUSaid) took a new twist when Ibecame Director for longer-termregional training programmes. Evenmore travel was involved, particularlythroughout Southern Africa. Lastyear I was awarded an OAM (Medalof the Order of Australia) “for serviceto international relations”.

Throughout the ‘eighties, I washistory consultant for Old SydneyTown, as well as visiting lecturer atother tertiary institutions such as the

Army Officers’ Training School andUniversities. I began to writehistorical novels set in colonialAustralia. Two were published byA&R in 1981 and 1983; a third andfourth in 2000, and a documentaryearly last year.

I had accepted my appointment toASOPA cautiously, agreeing to anappointment for one year only. Istayed for 28 years. In 1993 I retired.Merv had taken early retirement fromhis position as Principal of NorthBalgowlah and for over a decade had

been working in civil aviation,training student-pilots in flight theory,as well as managing the hiring ofaircraft. We came south to a smallacreage (100ac.) beside a pretty troutstream, 30ks from Tumbarumba. Itwas once owned by Merv’sgrandparents who called it “the homeblock”. Alas, the old home had fallendown years before, so we had tobuild.

Here, we are not quite “back toWagga”, but close enough. Mervbrought me here on the back of hisHarley Davidson to visit hisgrandparents when we were studentsof WWTC!

June Whittaker

***********************

COMING EVENTS

ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONMEETINGS

The next quarterly meeting ofthe Alumni Association will beheld at 11 am on:Tuesday 9th November, 2010.The meeting will be held at:NSW Teachers FederationConference Centre.37 Reservoir StreetSurry Hills.All welcome.

The Annual General Meeting willbe held on Tuesday 8thFebruary, 2011.The meeting will be held at:NSW Teachers FederationConference Centre.37 Reservoir StreetSurry Hills.All welcome.

WWTC ALUMNILUNCHEONS

The Alumni luncheons are heldon the 3rd Tuesday inFebruary, May, August andNovember .

The next one will be theChristmas luncheon and will beheld at the Icons Restaurant inthe Marriott Hotel, Pitt StreetSydney (near the Quay) on:Tuesday 16th November, 2010.

For bookings contact LindsayBudd on 9601 3003 a weekbefore.

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A LIFE OF ACHIEVEMENTJohn Francis Heffernan

1949-50.Hi Lew,I have been asked by my motherMargaret Heffernan to send you acopy of my father John Heffernan’seulogy and an accompanying picture,for inclusion in the next publication ofTalkabout. It will mean a great deal toMum to have this added and yourassistance is truly appreciated.The eulogy was prepared anddelivered by my eldest brother Pauland was a fitting tribute.Many thanks,Peter Heffernan.

Thank you all for coming to celebrateDad’s life.

It’s very difficult to sum up such a richand rewarding life with a few words.You will all have your own specialmemories of Dad, but I’ll try to tell yousome of the memories that stand outfor me.

Dad was born in Tamworth in 1931where he spent his early years. He camefrom a large family of five boys who allpredeceased him and his much lovedlittle sister Marie. From there hecompleted his secondary education atSt Bonaventure’s in Waverly and at StAnthony’s at Robertson in the SouthernHighlands. Dad spent all his high schoolyears with his brother Jim. Jim was thesporting star and Dad was the academicstudent. He would often reminisceabout doing Jim’s assignments whileJim was off starring in the schoolsports teams.

After school Dad had a brief flirtationwith the priesthood and lasted ninemonths into his noviciate. Luckily forhis five sons and daughter and hisgrandchildren he did not take up thecalling. After twelve months working atSam Brown’s Menswear in Tamworth,he enrolled in primary school teaching

at Wagga Teachers’ College where hemet his beloved wife Margaret (neePollard).

In 1951 he took up his first schoolappointment at Ward’s Mistake in theNew England which he later calledJohn’s Mistake. His only entertainmentwas shooting rabbits and snakes on thewalk to and from school. His boardingconditions were primitive to say theleast.

Dad lasted two years before getting atransfer to Hay where he finallymarried mum and started a family. Aftera few years in Hay and the birth of theirfirst three children he was appointed asPrincipal at a one teacher school atSwan Creek, near Grafton. For the nextfourteen years he worked as Principalin the small schools of Swan Creek,Dalton and Uranquinty. At each of theseschools the Heffernan family lived inthe residence attached to the school.The Uranquinty Public SchoolCentenary History bookletcommemorated Dad and his family’sseven year tenure at Quinty by notingthat the school residence had to bedemolished after we moved out!!Luckily Mum and Dad had bought theirhouse in Ashmont Avenue by then.

Over these years Dad taught each of hissix children. For me personally, he wasthe only teacher I had until I went off tohigh school at St Michael’s. He wasmuch loved as a teacher by all hisformer students. He had a great passionfor History and Poetry and he had anamazing memory for historical facts. Atone stage he started a degree in Historyat New England University, but sixchildren put an end to that. His finalyears of teaching were spent as DeputyPrincipal of Turvey Park Public School.He taught in the classroom right upuntil his retirement in 1991. He lovedthe involvement with the kids.

Dad had many passions in life, but hisgreatest love was reserved for hisfamily, especially his beloved wifeMargaret, his children and his grandchildren. He doted on his grandchildrenand they worshipped him. He made eachone feel special and always had acheeky remark to make them laugh. Henever took himself too seriously withanyone. Even though he spent most ofhis life living inland he loved his tripsto the coast. He really enjoyed takingMum up the coast to Nelson Bay. Dadloved a beer and he loved his seafood.Unfortunately his prawns had to comefrom the local fish co-op. He was also akeen fisherman, but the ‘big one’ alwaysgot away.

In his retirement years he stayed veryinvolved in the local church andcommunity. He spent many hoursdelivering food parcels and working inthe shop for the St Vincent de Paul. Oneof his great strengths was hiscompassion for people less fortunatethan himself. Dad touched many peoplethroughout his lifetime and while thelast year was difficult he was never oneto complain, maintaining his sharpsense of humour to the end.

Dad passed away on 9th February 2010.

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NEWS FROM CSUUniverstiy Advancement Unit

In the beginning of 2010 the unit previously known as “Alumni/University Relations” was renamed the “UniversityAdvancement Unit”, which is concerned with creating and promoting an awareness of and support for the university’sacademic and research achievements and building the reputation of the University within Australia and around theworld.

University Advancement encompasses a range of functions aimed at building effective relationships with keystakeholders such as alumni, donors, business, professions, government and communities, to communicate and growthe University’s reputation as well as build financial sustainability.

The functions of University Advancement encompass three main discipline areas:-

· Alumni Relations – membership program; alumni associations; chapters/societies; social & professionalnetworking and events

· Communications - public relations; media; newsletters; marketing & recruitment activities and events

· Development - fundraising (bequests, scholarships, awards, prizes, annual giving, capital giving, major gifts); donorrelations; corporate/industry relations; community relations; government relations; stewardship

Further to this, the Advancement Unit has also welcomed some new members to the fold.

Mr Jayson Hanrahan has joined CSU as Manager, University Advancement and CEO Charles Sturt Foundation. Hebrings with him a wealth of experience in philanthropic management and marketing, having worked with a range ofnot-for profit organisations, including Guide Dogs Australia, the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, the AdelaideFestival Corporation and the Organising Committee for the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.

The Advancement Unit is also supported by a small team of dedicated professional staff:

- Development Officer, Danielle Ballinger-Responsible for developing and coordinating University wideAdvancement activities.

- Faculty Advancement Officer, Gina Jessett, Education and Business-Responsible to design, coordinate,implement and support stakeholder activities at a faculty level.

- Research and Systems Officer, Michelle Fawkes-Responsible for the development and day to daymanagement of the University Advancement System.

- Foundation Officer, Tracy Andrew-Responsible for administrative duties associated with scholarshipsapplications, donations, bequests and pledges.

Honorary Naming of the Wagga Alumni Teachers’ Association Lodge (WATAL)The Advancement Unit extends heartfelt congratulations to all members of the Wagga Wagga Teachers AlumniAssocation (WWTAA) for the recent honorary naming of “The WATAL” at Charles Sturt University in WaggaWagga. This honorary naming celebrates the historic significance of the Wagga Wagga Teachers’ College andrecognises the continuing contribution and support of the WWTAA to Charles Sturt Foundation and Charles SturtUniversity. The occasion was marked on Thursday 23 September by the unveiling of a plaque at Building 381 andthe planting of a tree by the attending members of the WWTAA. An afternoon tea, hosted by the Chancellor,followed the honorary naming and provided the attendees an opportunity to bring the past and the present together atthis occasion of celebration and commemoration.

Problem with July Talkabout MailoutWe extend our apologies for the confusion experienced in the July 2010 mailout of Talkabout. Unfortunately oursoftware which collates the mass mail outs mixed up the first names of the mailing list and so people received thenewsletter to the correct address and the correct surname, but a different first/Christian name. We appreciate yourpatience and understanding regarding this matter.

As has always been the case, the Advancement Unit is your point of contact for information regarding reunions,change of address details, Alumni events, donations, pledges or any other Alumni related matter you would likefurther clarification on.

Please contact Gina Jessett on 02 6338 4680 or email to gjessett@csu.edu.au

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NEWS FROM CSU• Charles Sturt University Students work as mentors with refugee students

In Semester one 2010 eighteen Faculty of Education students volunteered to work as tutor/mentors for Refugee studentsenrolled at Wagga High School. This involved them tutoring students, in class, for three hours each week, attendingdebriefing sessions at the school and contributing reflections on their learning to the Refugee Assistance Scheme wiki. Allinvolved in the program, the students from CSU and WW High and the school staff, report of the success of the strongnetwork of support and learning that has developed. In Semester two students from the Humanities (Social Work) facultyjoined the program and were trained as tutor/mentors along with more Education students. This opportunity for sharinglearning across faculties and nations is a valuable development.

• The Faculty of Education supports rural pre-service teachers to undertake international experiencesduring their degree

The Faculty of Education has established a grant scheme to encourage pre-service teachers to undertake a teachingplacement in an international context during their degree. As a result of involvement in an overseas school experience, it isexpected that student- teachers will acquire a greater appreciation and understanding of schooling in a different culturalsetting; an increased understanding of teaching children with language backgrounds other than English; increased capacity toreflect on their teaching practices; and increased intercultural competence. Around 70% of the graduates from the Facultyof Education go on to take up teaching appointments in rural settings. Their overseas experience builds the interculturalcompetence of the rural education workforce. In 2010 programs have been developed that provided the opportunity forstudents to undertake placements/study tours to Vanuatu, Thailand, Korea, India and America.

• Bringing cultural diversity to rural schoolsThe Faculty of Education works with regional school communities to deliver study programs forstaff and students from international universities. In September 2010 8 staff and students fromthe University of Yamagata, Japan participated in an Australian school visit program. The visitorsran a cultural day at the Rock Central School teaching students aspects of Japanese culture. Theyalso visited Wagga Public School and Wagga High school. The program provides the Japanesedelegates with an insight into the way education is delivered in Australia. It brings Australian

students into contact with people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

The School of Education also encourages international students to complete aspects of theirdegree in Australia. In 2010 two students from the Uni of Gothenburg visited Wagga to completetheir final degree project for their teaching degree on the subject of “Outdoor Education”.

• AVID Dallas Summer Institute 2010The Faculty of Education also supports pre-service teachers to attend international conferences and develop links withglobal initiatives to improve the educational participation of those not traditionally represented in higher education.In 2010 staff and students from the Murray School of Education attended the Summer Institute of AVID (Advancement ViaIndividual Determination) training in Dallas, USA. They joined over 2,000 teachers in exploring the elements and successesof the AVID program, now in its 30th year in the US. Each year Bachelor of Education (Middle Years) degree students areinvited to submit an application to participate in this program and successful students are selected to attend based on thecaliber of their written application.AVID is a program that helps equip students for entry into and success at tertiary level studies. It is a voluntarily joinedprogram that combines academic rigor; high teacher expectation; researched techniques; a focus on literacy skills; criticaland reflective thinking; and strong organizational strategies to support students as they work towards their post-secondarycareers. The AVID program is specifically designed to help students ‘in the middle’ (those with unrealized academicpotential); students from families with no history of tertiary education attendance; students from low socio-economicbackgrounds; and students from under-represented minorities.The AVID program is being used by over 400,000 students in the USA. The program has been adopted by the WodongaMiddle Years College. On their return from the AVID program Charles Sturt University students act as tutors in theWodonga Middle Years College AVID program.To find out more about the AVID program, please go to http://www.avid.org/intro.html

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I would prefer to receive my Talkaboutby email

The Wagga Wagga TeachersAlumni Association

KEEPING THE SPIRIT ALIVE IN 2010 TO SECURE THE FUTURE

Here is my annual contribution to the production ofTALKABOUT.

My contribution for 2010 is: $ ________________

Surname: __________________________________

Former Name: ______________________________

Given Names: ______________________________

Address: __________________________________

________________________ Postcode: ________

Years at College: ____________ to _____________

Home Phone: ______________________________

Work Phone: ______________________________

Facsimile: ________________________________

E.mail: ___________________________________

The Scholarship Fund has been closed with a grand total of $60,000. Congratulations to all our contributors!This means that we can award Scholarships to a total of $6,000 annually. We also have a further $11,423 which will becontributed towards our next Fundraising project.

You will note that our Association is now known as the Wagga Wagga Teachers’ Alumni Association as all graduates ofW.W.T.C., Riverina C.A.E., Riverina Murray I.H.E. and the C.S.U. Campus have been invited to join our ranks.

The next stage of the W.W.T.A.A. fundraising is still to be confirmed. The Committee is still considering the options withproviding student accommodation on the Wagga Wagga Campus a high priority.However, while we consider the best way to move forward, we encourage you to continue supporting the WWTAA and wehope that the past generosity will remain strong. With the anticipated swell in numbers, a student accommodation cottagewould be a fitting memorial to all those who have graduated from Wagga Wagga.

All donations should be made payable to the Charles Sturt Foundation at:-Charles Sturt University, Panorama Avenue, Bathurst NSW 2795

As you know, we pay for the printing of TALKABOUT as well as the cost of postage. Each edition of Talkabout costsapprox. $3,500. It has therefore been decided that an annual contribution of $10 per member is required and that this will falldue at the time of the March “Talkabout”.

Talkabout contributions should go directly to the Treasurer of the WWT Alumni Association:-Lindsay Budd, 4 Flemington Close, Casula NSW 2170.

If you require a receipt please enclose a stamped addressed envelope.

To help cut costs you can opt to receive your “Talkabout” by email. Simply tick the box on the bottom of your contributionform. The Advancement Unit will appreciate your help very much.The University over the years has been a great supporter of the Association and will continue to provide volunteers to carryout the mailing of Talkabout.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the University Advancement Unit on 02 6338 4680

Here is my donation to WWTAA Fundraising.Donations over $2.00 are TAX DEDUCTABLE.

My donation for 2010 is: $________________

Please find my cheque for $ __________________

OR please debit my credit card for $ ___________

Card type: Mastercard Visa

Name on Card: ________________________________

Expiry Date: __________________________________

Signature: ____________________________________

Surname: _____________________________________

Former Name: _________________________________

Given Names: _________________________________

Address: _____________________________________

________________________ Postcode: ___________

Years at College: ____________ to ________________

Home Phone: _________________________________

Work Phone: __________________________________

Facsimile: ____________________________________

E-mail: ______________________________________

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If undeliverable please return to:The Advancement UnitCharles Sturt UniversityBathurst NSW 2795 Australia

Place address sticker here.

Change of Address If your address details are incorrect please notify Michelle at:

advancement@csu.edu.auor

The Advancement UnitCharles Sturt University

Bathurst NSW 2795 Australia02 6338 4629

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