I had won a Junior Government Scholarship at the end of 1942 and so was put in the A form in Year 9 with others who had done well at the school over the previous two years. They spoke of such wonders as Algebra, Geometry, Science and French. Coming from a small rural school I had never done those subjects. What was I going to do?
The only bright spot in that traumatic first year was that I had done all of the Arithmetic and most of the English on the syllabus for the first half of the year at my previous school. Also, I was befriended by a girl called Lorraine Deed who was really good at Algebra and who didn’t object when I blatantly copied what she had written down so I could try and work out how she did it. Little did we know that—through Algebra—I would meet her brother who, years later, I would marry..
That first year was difficult, but gradually I came to understand my new subjects and become involved in sport at school. I spent four wonderful years at Bendigo High. I played in the inaugural Sander Cup tennis team and again the next year.
I was immensely proud of my house when we won the House Marching Competition.
I became a Prefect in 1945 and a Senior Prefect the following year.
I was at Bendigo High when the bells rang out, the mine whistles blew and people shouted for joy to signal the end of World War II. I made lifelong friends and cried when I sang “The Best School of All” on my final Speech Night.
