Well what an amazing reunion weekend!

The photos are now up on the web. Please have a look at http://telopeapark.info.

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Ailsa Grant was unfortunately unable to attend at the last moment. At the reunion dinner Judy passed on some of her memories. Below is the full interesting story:

I appreciate that my small contribution will be probably too late but I have spoken today with Judy Summerhayes and I was so pleased that she used student names, some of which would have changed over the years and which I wouldn't have recognised.

She was kind enough to provide me with an up-date of the dinner program. It all sounds so good and I would really love to be with you all. Perhaps another time. What a wonderful job the committee has done in bringing you all together.

I was sharing some of my memories of Telopea:

·         of Moore House - sorry I don't remember the other house names - I was mistress for a time. Competition was intense as each house conducted money-raising events to raise more money the school culminating in the annual school fair.

·         Moore House conducted a MIss Telopea High School contest and students paid to vote. You are correct if you assume I am not proud of that, however it was a great money-raised and there was even a floral tribute to the winner. Sorry, I don't remember her name but I can see her face quite clearly.

·         Moore House held a Woolshed Dance that year, complete with hay bales donated by students who lived outside the "city". Mr Barbour was MC and played a recording by Acker Bilke of Le Petit Fleur.

·         Sharing a staff room on the end of "the verandah" where I would be "safe" with Yvette Flynn.

·         Umpiring hockey matches on Saturday mornings in winter when every other sport but Rugby Union and Women's Hockey had cancelled their competition due to inclement weather. For inclement read sleet , snow, freezing wind, electric storms. The hockey fields were on the flats behind the old Canberra Hospital, long since under the lake.

·         Selling raffle tickets for only three-pence for half a side of lamb donated by Roger Wotherspoon's family.

·         I really enjoyed singing the school song.  Will you sing it this weekend?  Hope so.

·         Travelling back and forth to school (sometimes without the fare!) on the bus past the Acton and the old hospital and over Lennox Crossing, past the Albert Hall, where the school dances were held, and on past the dignified Hotel Canberra.

There is, and will always be a very special and warm place in my heart for Telopea Park High School, for the students I taught, the staff, the parents, the oval with its trees. Approaching the front door each morning, signing on, walking the parquetry corridors and the view of the oval from the Science Staff Room windows (when I had graduated to the first floor Science Staff room) remain the happiest memories of my teaching life.

I have been brave enough (I am excessively sentimetal) and fortunate enough to revisit Telopea, to walk around the perimeter and to enjoy memories of my time there and I left with a feeling of warmth and a deep appreciation and gratitude for my years there.

A Final note

The hostel in which Rosemary Colman ( Music Teacher) and I lived is long since demolished. A plaque in the park where Floriade is held marks its location.

At Newcastle High in the 70's I taught a student whose father had constructed a garage from remnants of our hostel at their home in Yarralumla. I really liked that connection.

Ailsa Grant