Tag Archives: Ex Student

Kathleen’s History Snippets

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Kathleen Crabtree Collection HGJH 1956What a thrill to receive an email recently from Kathleen Gampenov (nee Crabtree) with some new information on early school history quoted below:

I am sending a couple of photos to add to your collection for the Hurstville origin of Moorefields school.

I went to Jannali first [1954] and then came back to Hurstville for the next two years [1955-1956].

We were in the main building with the belltower on Forest Road and two girls designed the badge, Margaret Hollier and Sandra Durrington, both were very artistic.

Hope this little bit of information helps.  Kathleen Gampenov [nee Crabtree]

Kathleen Crabtree Collection MemorabiliaWell, it certainly helped as there was no information in our school archives about which building at the Forest Road (Hurstville Public School) site was occupied by Hurstville Girls Junior High nor about the designers of our school badge.

Did you notice the HGJH initials on the image with the blazer pocket?  Does anyone recognise themselves or others in the image of the HGJH Class of 1956?

Please leave comments below to help us gather history and network with ex students.

Early Days – Recollections

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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 … Leaving Cert 1958in 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. 

Memorabilia

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In March this year I found a very special box of Moorefield memorabilia in the Library mail tray, kindly donated by Carol Scott-Todd (Class of 1960).  Carol felt the significance of her collection lay in the fact that it was part of Moorefield’s origin.  She added that we were free to use or dispose (!!!) of the articles as we saw fit. 

Carol Scott-Todd '60 Collection

After reading Carol’s letter and unwrapping the flag, I was surprised to see the combination of the original name  of the school (Hurstville Girls’ Junior High School) with our still current Moorefield crest and motto.  As far as I know we don’t have another object in our archives tying the original name and our current crest and motto together.  For this reason, the flag is extremely significant and thanks again to Carol, who even in her youth had the foresight to save this special object for posterity, by retrieving it from the rubbish in the late 1950s!

 

Below I have posted images and Carol’s descriptions of her very generous donation.  Thanks to Lisa Cox’s Year 9 Photography students who displayed the articles and captured the following images. 

 Flag – Hurstville Girls’ Junior High School

Carol Scott-Todd '60 Flag and BandsThis was sewn by the “Needlework” staff for girls to use at sports carnivals for their school marching competition and general display at the sports grounds.  It had two poles (one on each end) and was carried by two flag bearers for the last time in 1956 or 1957 at the “District” Athletics Carnival.

When Hurstville Girls’ Junior High School ceased to exist the flag was thrown out because it had no further use … at Moorefield.  I picked it up from the rubbish and took it home “for posterity”, then after leaving school in 1960 attached all my pieces off my school uniform.  For a time thereafter I used it as a display piece on my wall.  You will notice the motto on the H.G.J.H.S. flag was retained for Moorefield.  Moorefield Hat Band – draped over flag lower left – worn on compulsory Panama hat.  Note the Hurstville Girls’ Junior High School black hat band lower right was the basis of the blue band (same style).

Trophy Cup – Snr. Athletics Champ. 1960

C Scott-Todd '60 Athletics TrophyThis small trophy cup was the first cup presented as a senior athletics champion award.  It was donated by the P & C Association of the day and I vividly remember Miss Culey “summonsing” me to her office (a rare and terrifying thing those days), to be given explicit instructions as to how I must write a letter of appreciation and thanks for the “special” trophy!

 

C Scott-Todd '60 - Needlework2Intermediate Certificate – Needlework, Compulsory Practical Work – Petticoat

The petticoat had to be made from our self-drafted patterns and completed in class and at home to strict specifications.  Miss Mutton was the “Needlework” teacher of the subject (which was practically compulsory at the time).  Her signature appears on the small certificate of completion attached to the petticoat, in 1958.  I didn’t dare wash it before sending it, in case the whole thing disintegrated!

C Scott-Todd '60 Athletics RibbonsSchool Tie and Stripes worn by Senior Transport Prefects (not photographed).  In 1959 the stripes were given to prefects to identify their position.  They were worn on each forearm sleeve of Moorefield’s blue blazer.

“Scott” Badge – one of the four sports houses at Moorefield.

Sports Ribbons – first issued at school carnivals 1960.
C Scott-Todd '60 Blazer PocketSchool Blazer Pocket with School Badge and Transport Prefect Badge
 
This blog offers you all an opportunity to connect with peers from any era and remember shared experiences by adding comments below or on any other post.  Any feedback or information will assist in the development and continuance of the blog.