President's Message
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Volume 22 No 2 September 2019 Wagga Wagga Teachers’ College Choir 1956 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE A month’s delay in this issue of Talkabout while Lesley and I took an extended tour through Europe, including a wonderful Uniworld river cruise from Amsterdam to Bucharest. Prior to the cruise we loved meeting up with Maggie Har- ris (née Ward 1966-67) in London and Lizzie Tuttlebee Maggie, Bruce and Lesley - London (née Mertens 1960-61) in Amsterdam. Both of them filled us in briefly about their interesting and different life stories since College days. Our final few weeks in Northern Italy were super as our son, Peter, was our very capable guide. In this way we celebrated our golden wedding anniversary. It’s good to be home but sad to see the terrible drought ef- fects. Bruce, Lesley Lizzie and husband Bruce Forbes Amsterdam President Page 1 EDITOR’S NOTE - Brian Powyer Welcome to the actions that occurred between It is pleasing as editor to have a second edition of those who remained friends and continuing supply of articles and I Talkabout for colleagues long after their College again remind all members that we 2019. Thanks to days. all have a memory, a story or just all the contribu- an opportunity to reach out to oth- tors for taking the In this edition I have attempted to ers that you can send to us for in- time and effort to submit their catch up on the backlog of articles clusion in Talkabout. Photo- articles for this edition. The sto- received over the past year or so. graphs, both current and of yes- ries and memories you have pro- To those who may be a little dis- teryear, help add to your article vided about your time at Wagga appointed in that their article is and the appeal of Talkabout for Wagga Teachers’ College further not included I will endeavour to the reader. enrich the background and inter- include it in the next edition. ACROSS THE SECRETARY’S DESK - Lesley Forbes It continues to have passed on messages to the your session or small friendship be a joy to re- editor for inclusion in Talkabout. groups getting together. ceive emails and calls from mem- It is great to be back in Oz, so Enjoy the current edition and bers and whilst please keep in touch and let us continue to send in articles, for we have taken a know what you are doing, espe- without them there is nothing to short break I cially if there are any plans for Talkabout. THERE WAS NO PIANO - Jennifer Brack (Snodgrass) (1950-51) When I say my years at WWTC do the Infants training course, but piano – there was no piano. were 50/51, I only spent one se- was refused because I couldn’t mester in ’50’. Ours was one of play the piano. As I am given to writing doggerel two truncated courses. In June, every now and then, I’m sending instead of setting out on my long My first appointment? Men- one I wrote about an incident in journey from my hometown of dooran Public school – three 1954 - True Friendship. I hope it teachers only and I had K, 1st and makes you smile – and no, I Mendooran to Wagga Wagga, I nd was in hospital having my appen- 2 classes, 51 students and seat- couldn’t make him throw away dix removed. When I finally ar- ing for 50, Oh dear!! And it did- his friend’s property so we rived at the College, I wanted to n’t matter that I couldn’t play the wrapped it in some paper. TRUE FRIENDSHIP John was the son of a local G.P. Now one fine morning about ten-thirty Bob was the son of another Young Bob was caught chewing gum! Very good friends they happened to be ‘You know I think that habit is dirty. More like little twin brothers. You know I think it is dumb John would play with Bob’s Hornby train, Now just you throw it in the bin Bob would ride on John’s horse. And stay in at recess. They played in one house on days of rain Make sure that none of it sticks to you And shared everything of course. I’m cross with you I confess.’ Now in school these two buddies were kept apart A tear runs down our hero’s cheek, For they talked too much you see. After all, he’s only seven, John was put into 2A for a start, ‘Please, Miss. I can’t! It’s John’s you see, And Bob was put in 2B. And he wants it back at eleven!’ Page 2 ON BEING A JUNIOR SECONDARY TEACHER Sue Edmondson (Rankin) Jnr Secondary English/Social Sciences (1965-66) I have sometimes wondered if and that we would be required to presentations. No wonder an the experience of Junior Second- assess, if not teach, to 4 levels, inspector's report said 'she will ary students was somewhat dif- in every subject. become more innovative with ferent to that of primary stu- experience' - a quiet classroom dents, so I have indulged in a In most high schools Commerce was the message! reflection. or Business Principles was a sta- ple for those who left at Year 9 The formality of Miss and Mr I found myself at WWTC in or 10 and in the Geography- did not help us relate to each English-Social Sciences Junior Economics Department, but other or the staff, and for the Secondary in 1965 on a sort of there was no mention of it. In women it was a loss of the more 'get out of jail free' card after fact, there was no mention of comfortable (but proper) rela- failing first year at ANU. I had curricula at all, or of program- tionship we had with male teach- signed up to 9 years on a teach- ming, or of day books, or even ers in school. Girls were social- ers’£ scholarship to university, an example of 'teaching notes' – ised to be quiet and the men including a 5 year bond, for sometimes asked for in exams. were mostly quiet by nature and which my father and another had In fact, exams, to me, had be- any move to break the male- to sign a £1000 surety as guaran- come an exercise in 'guess what female seating order or mores tors, which was hugely embar- I am thinking'. would have been very conspicu- rassing, and with no information ous in such a small group. The as to how it would be discharged The lecturers seemed to feel that men were mostly from Sydney if I defaulted at any point. the lecture method, (but without and the women mostly from re- the balance of tutorials), would gional Australia, so that when a A letter arrived before Xmas of- maintain academic status for a couple of the men took the lec- fering me a place at WWTC but lowly teachers college, despite turers on, as they regularly did, we would be required to pay the its lack of any educational justi- (and sometimes to the death), I first year's board and I would fication. We were a group of felt they were more sophisticated receive no allowance until I students any teacher would die than I was. I wonder now if it passed first year. With about as for – good size, compliant, and was not more a matter of who much joy as I might have felt with enough spark, drive and was the number one male in the going to a home for unmarried goodwill to make a more active room as much as new ideas chal- mothers I arrived at College, fa- workshop approach work bril- lenging the old and it may also ther with cheque book ready for liantly, but we spent 2 years have been that certain lecturers the unspecified fee. (From what I passively in a tutorial sized simply got right under their skin! saw it was modest). He was im- group (even when the education mediately recognised by Mr subjects were shared with Maths There were no women lecturers Fone, when we went to the din- -Science), and rarely, if ever, for us but there were in Maths- ing hall for a cup of tea, from were engaged in discussion, or Science, where a friend became their time in the M and D Socie- ty in Forbes years before. I felt no better. There were 16 of us and a few less in Maths-Science. We would go out into high schools where we might be a year older than the Year 12's in the play- ground, though we were only meant to teach to Year 10. There was no mention of the fact that all curriculum would have Science Open Day Wagga Wagga Teachers’ College 1964 changed since we were in school Page 3 quite engaged with the begin- morning to a kitchen midden in a she got there!) said very firmly nings of computers and Biology river bank near one of those typ- 'you must never end up shrieking for the first time and more. She ical verandahed houses along the like that!' married into the Riverina, kept Murray and Murrumbidgee. Mr Maths alive in various country Sale's slides took us to North We saw the end of rissoles with schools and now has a key role America and Mr Durband came a noisy walkout at Saturday in their most innovative farm, from the school Paul McCartney lunch.