Thanks to Susanne Wyndham (Tate) – Class of 1958, who made contact with me after the 50th Anniversary Celebration last year and offered a copy of her recollections of the early days of Moorefield, some of which I have reproduced below. I was also able to scan some of her photographs that can be viewed by clicking the Flickr widget on the right side of this blog.
“I grew up in Hurstville and attended Hurstville Primary School. In the early post World War II years, the schools were building up in numbers and new secondary schools had to be built. Until the early 1950s, some girls would go to St George Girls High, a selective school, where they studied two languages. Next was Sutherland Intermediate High (eventually moved to Port Hacking High School) which went to Third Year and students did a language and home science. At Hurstville Home Science School (eventually moved to Penshurst Girls High School) the girls could do commercial subjects (typing and bookkeeping) and home science”.
Until 1910, secondary education was officially sub-divided into a variety of types of courses and schools, with the high schools offering an academic course to a selected intake of pupils, but from the 1920s the distinction between the various schools grew increasingly blurred.
Junior high schools (1930-1976) were separate secondary schools that emerged in 1930 offering junior secondary education only in areas such as home science or junior technical courses. The long-term trend was towards comprehensive high schools and by the 1950s many of the other types of secondary schools were either being transformed into or closing in favour of comprehensive high schools which offered languages and commercial subjects.
ØGovernment schools of New South Wales, 1848-2003, [Sydney]: NSW DET, 2003.
“When I went to high school in 1954 the new Moorefield was not ready so I went to the new school at Jannali … 
in 1955 we were split and … those of us on the St George side of the Georges river were “housed” at Hurstville and were to be known as Hurstville Girls Junior High School … by second term in 1957 we joined First Year classes at the newly completed Moorefield Girls High School … In 1958, 19 girls were the first Leaving Certificate year … I was one.
Our parents had to set us up with three lots of uniforms. When at Jannali we wore their grey pinafore and white blouse. At Hurstville we had a navy box pleated uniform with white blouse. While at Hurstville our class helped set up the school colours, badge and motto which became those for Moorefield … The new school at Moorefield had a royal blue uniform. We always wore panama hats in summer and velour hats in winter, with gloves all year round.”
Any more information on setting up Moorefield’s colours, badge and motto? What building did Hurstville Girls Junior High School occupy? To assist in building this blog, please leave any comments you like at the end of this post.
Rene, I’ve posted some shots of a few teachers. Not great shots, mostly poor focus, but they exist. I can’t remember the names of 2 of them.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/silverspot/
Being one of the 1958 Leaving Class – I am wondering how everyone is, fifty years later – of course in 1958 we were never going to “get old” but here we are. A couple of mates were Margaret Hammer from Connell’s Point and Suzanne Withers from Blakehurst.
Would be intersted to know if there is an “old girls” network.
I left, with regret, after the Intermediate Certificate in 1958. Some of the girls I remember are Helen Issacs, Patricia Laycock, and Lorraine O’Neil . Mrs Henry taught French, Miss O’Reilly, History and Miss Taylor was the Principal.
I went to Moorefield Girls High from Hurstville Girls High in 1957 and left that year when I obtained my Intermediate Certificate. My firends were Gwenda McGeogh,Mary Smith and Valerie Lutton.Would just love to hear from any of them.
anyone out there that went to moorefield girls high 1972 – 1978
My last post seems to have disappeared? I left in 1958 and remember the name Wendy Murgatroyd. I remember Miss O’Reilly and Miss Taylor the Principal and always wore my tie, hat and gloves in fear of being sent to the Principals office. Do you remember Sandra Smillie, Noelene Rutter, Kay Cooper and Isabel Leech?
I’ve read, with interest, Suzanne Wyndham’s account of the origins of the school, which is how I, too, remember same. I was in 1st year, the year under Sue, and I came from Bexley Primary School. The main buildings used by Hurstville Girls Junion High were those at the front to Forest Road. We used to come from the train to Allawah Railway Station and walked up a lane to the school, crossing Forest Road and walking directly into the schoolyard. My class was the Latin class but we still did a class of cooking, every fortnight, the alternate Friday we had art.
We went to Moorefield at the end of our 2nd year at High School and I left after doing the Intermediate. The friends I remember mainly were Kerrie O’Connell, Kerry Rhodes, Barbara Gillanders and Janice Hitchcock, although there were others also who I remember fondly.
There was an early reunion held in Sydney at a large hotel (perhaps 20 years?) and I do have photos of some of those there. Our classmates and those from these Hurstville years, held a couple of other get-togethers also. Would love to make contact with any others who remember these years.
Regards,
Min
I was at Moorefield from 1957-1959, I left after doing the Intermediate Certificate. I too, remember Miss Taylor, Miss O’Rielly and Miss McLean, Mr Jeremy [one of the only two males on staff]. I was in the Commercial classes as they were then known, it would be Business now.
I, with tohers, came from ‘the other side of the river’ [aka Taren Point’ , much to Miss Taylor’s disgust.
Glad to see this site here
Oh, I have forgotten so much, but I passed the Intermediate 1959, I remember Mr.Jeremy what a teacher that man was, How’s about the art teacher Mr Chivinsky
(may not be spelling his name correctly after all this time) I remember him locking me in the broom closet because I got the whole class making dots in a finger painting class of sorts, and he was afraid of the head mistress…can’t remember her name, but Mr.Chivinsky was always getting into trouble as I remember. I am presently living in Toronto Canada, and spent most of my life in commercial art, and music.
How wonderful this all is. It’s me again, SUZANNE COOK
I left in 1958 or ’59, my memory is failing a bit, I have been away from home for so long here in Toronto Canada. Does anyone remember that terrible fight between two of the girls when we were going back to class from recession…..they were literally tearing each other to pieces. I had a friend Lionie, and another Pat, however at the moment, I can’t seem to remember their last names. Does Dianne Kidd ring a bell with any of you out there?? My favourite teachers besides Mr Jeremy were the history and the art teacher’s…The history teacher as I remember always had a hard time controlling the class….oh well! at least my class…..must have been the worst!!!
hi there, memories memories i started moorefield mid 1957 i was the 2nd tallest girl at school the tallest being pauline campbell who unbelievably bought a property adjoining mine on the central coast about 10 years ago teachers i cant remember their names but can their nicknames cooking and sewing teacher prince valiant , because of hairdo, maths teacher bubbles use your imagination for that one..assemblies uniform inspection everything was checked..if nail polish was worn you were given a bobby pin to scape it off with..uniforms had to be worn to and from school and if hat or gloves had been taken off some rotten prefect would dob you in..for sports we had to wear the very glamorous royal blue bombay bloomers they were a good look..they were very strict with hairstles..absolutely no pony tails, they were common.. i have recently had contact with margaret spies who is still friends with dianne cook..other names that come to mind are carole mathis, denise johansen, sue green loma keats phyllis eden what an absolute classic of a girl phyllis was. i have a copy of the school magazine that i can get copied if needed ..would love to hear from someone and catch up..m arilyn.
I remember many of the faces in the photograph as I was in the first (1958) leaving class when the school was under Edna Taylor. My name was Penelope McAuslin. Turning 70 years old this December. I would love to know about any reunions. I’d love to know about Margaret Hollis ( who left after the intermediate) and Jennifer Gibbs.
I have just come across this site. I was in the HJGH intake in 1955, transferring to Moorefield in 3rd year. My family were actually one of the first to live on the old racecourse, and I just had to walk across the vacant blocks of land to school. As my Dad grew up in Beach Street, we have a lot of memorabila relating to the racecourse, old identities – particulafrly Miss Moore whose family owned the land originally, photos of the building of the school, and of course I have many photos of the girls from school at various sports days, etc. What a different school Moorefield is today!!! I still see Babs Brown-Cooper regularly and we phone each other weekly although she no longer lives in Sydney, and had an email from Carol Hinwood just yesterday. They were good old days.
We three went to a reunion at St. George Leagues Club around 1957, but those at our table felt rather left-out, being placed on a table labelled something like “others” when the other tables had the dates displayed. Miss (Tubby) Woolahan was there and I do so remember her taking us to hockey at Rockdale Park in Bryant Street. After that reunion, there were several gatherings of our year at various homes, but a lot of us just lost touch unfortunately.
During a visit to Canada in 2001, I was on a bus along with three other ex-Moorefield students, one being Ingrid Hammer whom I recently had a Christmas card from. Just fancy, a bus of about 50 people, and 4 from Moorefield!!
It was a great school,
Helen Crossling (Edwards)
I started at JAnnnali in 1954 and 1955-6 at Hurstville The JAnnali teachers were Mrs Watt, Mrs Webb, Miss Hodges, Mrs Fletcher, Miss Jolly, Miss Cope, Mrs McKenzie, Miss McCrow deputy, Ms McMillan, Pritchard, Caley, HArper,Henry. I have photos of some of them, Some of them moved with us to Hurstville. I can be contacted on 02 95273018. Penny McAuslin can you call me.
Does anone remember teacher Joan Whittaker (music) or know how to get in touch with others from leaving class 58. We are all turning 70 around thias time!
I am on facebook Penny King
nee Penny McAuslin
I was a teacher at Moorefield Girls in 1958/and 9.It was my first school to teach in. I was a Needlework Teacher and the Principal was Miss Taylor. I taught in a number of other schools over the years so met many students. Now it’s now 56 years since I was there. Oh yes!! such a long time ago.I distinctly remember one moment that took place and thought “this is a day I will always remember” and have.!! The pupil was Phyllis who came from a very large family in Kurnell.Oh she was a complete tearaway so wild and lively.One day I had to leave the room briefly and when I returned I found her sewing her panama school hat brim around and around very wildly all over the place many times.It surely was a mess but she pointed out quite seriously she was “fixing it” as the outer brim had come away from the navy underbrim with the binding having fallen off it ..oh what card she was.!!. she had her hair wrapped around her ears either side in a rams horn style and kept playing with the curl of the sides to keep them like that .. does anybody remember her?..I wonder what happened to her ??
Haven’t visited here for some time but it is delightful to read through the old posts. So many names I recall. I quite enjoyed school [when I was being told I was impertinent because I answered rhetorical questions}. My regret is I dearly wanted to do the arts and languages classes instead of business. I am an artist/singer/lay minister now so eventually I did. Wondering if anyone knows of Carolyne Ryan though?
i left a comment a couple of years ago about phyllis eden, she was a real character..she lived with her large family on the beach at sandringham..i remember she used to have burn marks on her neck because she used to iron her school blouse whilst she was wearing it..she used to have me in hysterics, you never used to know what she was going to do next
my message was for zillah campbell
love to hear from anyone