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Volume 19 No 1 April 2016 The 1950/51 Infants' Section decided to play football with the Small Schools' Division. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Can you find a fellow student of WWTC? Can you help? Have you done your homework? Have you any WWTC memorabilia? As President of the WWTCAA these questions have been the challenges issued over the past year to our membership. I am pleased to report that the responses to these challenges have been fantastic. We have found more members and traced some of those lost to the mailing list. There are more alumni actively involved in organisation and operations of the association. Homework submissions for publication in Talkabout have come from a broad range of our membership and many of our retirees are digging into their garages and cupboards to find memorabilia for archives. How good is Talkabout? The contributions from members always make this publication an interesting read. Expressions of appreciation are always forthcoming. It certainly serves the function of keeping people informed and in touch with their colleagues and provides a forum for disseminating information about our association’s activities. It was pleasing to have reports from three of our most recent scholar- ship holders as they complete their course and commence their careers in education. Our Association has been able to increase the amount offered from $6000 to $8000 to the successful final year student(s) in education thanks to the support of our members. Cont’d p2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Cont’d There has been an increasing nous Scholarship Foundation of It would be remiss of me not to interest in developing and en- a school is made. acknowledge the foundation hancing the Wagga Wagga Re- work of our pioneering alumni gional Archives on South Cam- Our Association elected to make group who initiated this Associa- pus with WWTC memorabilia. an edited print re-run of Nancy tion in 1997. The current Man- Funds have been allocated for Blacklow’s “South Campus A agement Committee, still com- the digitalising of various hard History”. This book traces the prising some of our pioneers, has copy items and most of the Talk- formation of the Wagga Wagga continued to make valuable con- abouts produced over the time of Teachers College from the origi- tributions through their ideas, the College’s existence. These nal agricultural base to the WW2 work roles, advice and support originals were held by Winifred RAAF Hospital and then over the past twelve months. Wilcox, an editor in her time at through to the end of WWTC The WWTCAA is well and truly College. (1947-1971) and the beginning functioning. of RCAE and CSU. The campus It has been pleasing to receive now has been rezoned as mostly I wish to extend special thanks various reports from group reun- residential and is the site of CSU to Lindsay Brockway for his at- ions with photos. It is a function Regional Archives. Gone are the tention to detail with the ac- of Talkabout and the WWTCAA playing fields and most of the counts and finances; Brian to provide the forum to assist wooden buildings as housing Powyer for his work in prepar- groups in coordinating and or- development takes place. Cop- ing Talkabout, Bob Haskew for ganising their “trips down ies of the book are available his productive liaison with CSU memory lane.” I encourage oth- from WWTCAA Secretary for Regional Archives and Lesley ers to get involved to continue $20 including postage. Forbes for her diligence in main- the connections and make fur- taining a data base and handling ther reconnections. College days We continue our relationship all of those pieces of corre- are certainly times to remember and liaison with Stacey Fish, the spondence and keeping the con- and as articles come through the Faculty Advancement Officer of duit open. various journeys in life make for CSU Division of Marketing and interesting reading. Communication. Matters relat- Finally, may we as a committee ing to our Scholarship Founda- acknowledge and give consider- This year we have been most tion Trust, scholarship selection ation to those fellow WWTC fortunate in being able to utilise and use of the CSU Alumni compatriots who are no longer a printing source significantly website for the electronic post- with us. We have lost some near reducing the costs of the hard ing of Talkabout on the site all and dear friends over the past copies. However mailing costs occur through Stacey. There will twelve months. Our Association have escalated by over 100% always be a need to manage extends our sympathy and sup- and in 2016 each mail out copy these linkages to ensure that the port to the families and friends of Talkabout will be $2.00. The objectives of our association are of those who have departed and Secretary’s report identifies the not compromised by the seem- perhaps we can recall memories current nature of our member- ingly endless modifications be- of our friendships and associa- ship in relation to electronic mail ing made to University opera- tions as a fellow student of and postal distribution. tions and funding. It is important WWTC. to ensure that the funds from our Bruce Forbes The WWTCAA opted for two association are being best uti- President WWTCAA projects in 2015. These were the lised to support the best candi- WWTCAA Education Scholar- dates wishing to enter into the ship with CSU and CSU Region- profession of education. It is also al Archives. It was also decided, hoped that CSU will be prepared that given the benefit of a signif- and able to contribute support icantly lower cost for printing, a for the planned 70 Year Reunion regular donation to The Indige- of WWTC in October 2017. 2 ACROSS THE SECRETARY’S DESK - Lesley Forbes Thank you to the blast from the past. Thanks for doubt read of the problems we many alumni that the Talkabout. are facing in Chennai. Going have contacted me for a month with 24hr rainfall up since our last edi- "It was a golden afternoon, and to 25cms (No not mms). tion. I am sure that the smell of the dust they kicked other members up was rich and satisfy- The situation in the city is dead- will appreciate ing." Kenneth Grahame ly, with waist deep water and your thoughts and memories. more in places with 200 dead Mary Dunn (Crabtree) (1950- from drowning & electrocution. Ken Little (1969-72) Thank you 51) I'm told I'm very good at We are lucky here with water to for the latest edition of Talka- organising "events" - or was!!! doorstep. bout. It's always good reading, Older age and all its problems informative, humorous, and are really catching us!! College The city releasing water from sometimes sad. Good to see the life at Wagga (50/51) was a truly dams to prevent them from col- stories about scholarship holders wonderful experience for me. lapsing and that just adds to the and their positive words about After 38 years at the coal fury in the city of 10 million. teaching and the future. The se- face my husband (Gene) and Prayer needed for street children lection committee has done its I retired in 1991 after teaching in and elderly. job well. Sad about Lew's pass- Queanbeyan during the coming ing. Although the connections of the displaced people from Eu- All education places closed by with the past are being stretched rope, certainly a difficult time state, with police inspecting to by the passage of time, they are for all concerned. ensure closed. being kept alive by yours and others’ good stewardship at Then into Canberra to open sev- Our problems include storage Talkabout and so we will re- eral new schools during the de- for 30 boxes of Teachers Manu- member them. velopment of the Woden Valley als and books; have sent 8 boxes and Weston Creek area. Our by ship to Aus.; to ship 6 boxes, Hope you both had a really en- farewell dinner with 500 plus printer and desk etc. to Anuja in joyable trip. Heaven knows how people in attendance including Ghaziabad; have given two large many WWTC alumni you might many of our ex pupils especially piles to the Corporation schools have passed on the way. some from the early days in and CSI school system; sold Queanbeyan gave up a fitting most of furniture but washing Have a happy and blessed farewell. We still keep in touch machine, desk, etc. Have to sell Christmas for 2015, (gosh, an- with some of these European to raise funds for moving stuff. other one has slipped past). families and their families in Difficult to obtain money. With Looking forward to the next edi- Europe. power outs, everything has to be tion and more reading about cash. Constant challenges, so the teaching experiences, news and I married Gene in 1956 on 7th answer is not to get up-tight but reunion reports. Ours at the Mer- January and we have, just this to solve the next problem. cantile last September for the '69 week past, celebrated our dia- -'72 session was a joyous occa- mond anniversary (60 years for Then there is the problem for sion where goodwill, (and a bit you younger people). My beauti- Gurunathan and me of getting of amber) flowed. Great credit ful AND large diamond is gor- enough food, drinking water, goes to Neville and Hoggy for geous!!! with supply short, shops rushed; organising it. power frequently cut; - and the I really do enjoy reading all the sewerage system - you can't im- Sue Hazel (Perry) (1966-67) news from Wagga - please con- agine the streets.