An Education no less
School was great in Woomera - it started off as an Area School, then grew to a separate Primary and High School, then added an infant school. Eventually some of us were sent over to what was to be known as the Branch School which from memory was the old Women’s Hostel.
Remember the Science teacher Mr Heidi with his terrible green three-piece suit in 45-degree heat. Or the stunning Miss Dedrie Waller from grade 5 on whom I had this enormous crush. I remember Ray Saxon spying on Miss Obst once while she was getting changed in a cupboard at the back of a classroom for PT. We came back to class and Raymond was physically tied to a chair receiving a scolding from a red faced teacher. Then there was Fred Hill with his formidable yard stick which he would deliver with outstanding accuracy and vigour on any unfortunate who crossed him.
There was the time when Gwyn Rich, Geoff Taylor and I had just managed to release 10 or so packets of Wild Woodbine from the Jazza smoke machine and were settling into a long day away from school when the late Mrs Rich sprung us. She immediately ordered us to school, not only that, she rang Mr Driver (Bruce) our formidable headmaster. We promptly cached the bounty and headed for school, five cuts over the knuckles (both hands) - later we rejoined class - Gee thanks Mrs R.
Geoff and I had another expedition that turned horribly wrong, on a school day we decided to take the day off and spend it exploring the Black Caves. So there we were with our stash of fags when Geoff notices a noise. We quietly sneak to the top of the caves and look over the summit towards the village, coming towards us at a fair clip was a group of about 40 kids and 3 or 4 teachers. Fine time to decide to take the whole year on an excursion walk to the Black Caves. Luckily we kept our nerve and joined the group as they turned to return and no-one was any the wiser.
I spent some time in the stand alone classroom which was christened no-mans land because it stood between the high school and primary school seemingly detached from either. Years later I seem to remember it became the music room. As with Paul Brooking, I too remember the indomitable Jim Birch belting out Blue Suede shoes. In the later high school years, we often were pitted against our school teachers in the sporting arena where both parties attempted to exact revenge on one another.
More so than today, I think our teachers had a more profound effect on how we all eventually turned out (although I’m not absolutely sure how everyone turned out, those of us still in contact may not have set the world alight, but we certainly consider ourselves good solid citizens, regardless of our vocations and personnel wealth [or lack of it]). I certainly believe that people such as Jim Birch, Brian Hughes, Bruce Driver, Messrs Chivell, Dumbleton, Walker, Heidi, and Morgan had a dramatic effect on the way I act and think. For the most part, unlike kids today, we remember our teachers with fondness, appreciation and respect (maybe teachers have changed?)
I am constantly amazed by people who ask me - what on earth did you do with your spare time? "What was spare time?", I retort - if you weren’t playing sport, you were at the pool , trapping rabbits, riding motorcycles and push bikes. I don’t ever recall being bored. I enjoyed the company of my friends and between us we would invent activities or make something happen. Who could forget pitting our plastic soldiers amongst the invasion of the bull ants where we would napalm them with petrol, shoot them with slug guns until the nest was eradicated or we had made a strategic withdrawal after suffering a few painful bites. Those stumpy tail lizards we would torment until they latched onto one's finger. Chasing (but not harming) all manner of wild animals such as roos, goannas and the frequent snake.
Walking, I remember walking for miles around Woomera, out to Phillip Ponds and the Newman oval, Koolymilka and never complaining. Inevitably you would meet a person walking the other way. Groups of kids would pass groups of kids and the typical byplay of stone throwing and name calling would maintain interest for a few minutes, then both parties would go their separate ways.
I remember Geoff Taylor and I visiting his sister in Adelaide and walking from the Railway station to her house in the suburbs and the incredulous look we received when we arrived. It must have been around eleven miles but in those days it didn’t seem to matter.
The shopping centre was perhaps the centre of our universe, with the Coffee Lounge being the oasis - it was central to everyone and other than the pool probably the most popular place to arrange a rendezvous prior to heading off to some other mischief.
The picture theatre was also a popular meeting place and I recall a matinee movie where 20 cents would get you through the door with some light refreshments. The initial theatre apparently burnt down in the early sixties prior to our arrival but I do remember the Theatre Annex burning down some time in the mid-seventies - perhaps someone can remember that.
I remember with great fondness many of my friends both school and family and only too infrequently catch up with any of them.
Phil Spehr
Ex 4 Karnang St / Ex Flat 346 Dewrang Avenue
ymee@dodo.com.au
E-mail: ymee@dodo.com.au
(22 August 2003)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Memories of Woomera |
|