150 Celebrations

As part of the 150 celebrations, we have been interviewing past staff & students.  The interviews have been conducted by pairings of grade 6 students.  Interviewing people, especially those that come from a different generation can be tricky, but the kids have done a fabulous job.  

The purpose of these interviews is to capture more of the history of our school, which can then be preserved.  The interviews will be transcribed with hard copies kept and added to our collection of school history.  The interviews are also being filmed, and it’s our intention to provide access to each of the interviews at some stage down the track.

Our interviewees have been generous with their time and have shared captivating memories of their time at Buninyong Primary School.  To give you a taste, some examples include:

·         When asked about her teachers, 96 year old Jean ??? (Eason) told us about the crook one she got in grade 2.  This teacher was hard on Jean for some reason and regularly hit her across the legs with a steel-edged ruler.  Jean attended the school through the 1930s and early 40s and spoke at length about how things were tough for families through the depression and war years. 

·         Ninety five year old Ian Wilson attended the school between 1932 and 1938.  He remembered how cold the classrooms were, despite several fireplaces being lit each day.  He remembered the older students having the responsibility of lighting the fires.  He also spoke of his favourite piece of play equipment, which he described as a circular spinner on top of a big pole with ropes hanging down.  The students would hold on to a rope and run fast before lifting their feet off the ground and flying around the pole….sounds like good fun. 

·         Dianne Sullivan taught infants at the school in the mid 1970s and gave a great insight into the workings of the classroom.  She also spoke about group days where other local schools came and spent the day at Buninyong PS.  She and husband David recalled living in the school house, which was located where the P-2 playground stands today. They remembered how cold it was, not made easier by having the laundry, bathroom and toilet within out buildings. 

The interviews are certainly uncovering lots of interesting facts and stories for everyone to enjoy for many years to come.  We are grateful to those that have given their time to be part of this and look forward to acknowledging them at the celebrations on September 1.  We’ll be finished with our interviews by the middle of next week.