Recently added

Marion Kossatz (O'Hara) YHS 1947 Wrote thanking the committee for their work and attached the following: VISE (Volunteers for isolated Student Education) - During 1999, I spent five months as a volunteer teacher in the Northern Territory, and recommend the activity as an alternative to a dull retirement at home. Oenpellie in Arnhem Land is an aboriginal settlement of about one thousand persons, about two hundred of whom are white, or "ballanders", (Ballanders, bollanders, hollanders. the first white people exploring along the northern coast there, were Dutch sailors, Hollanders, so ...

Arthur Webb YHS 1944 sent in a poem written by Mrs Aileen Lazarus and presented by her at a party in 1997 to celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary of her marriage to Bert Lazarus. Arthur says the poem reminds us of times now gone when life was not as easy as it is so often today. Bert & Aileen were long time residents of Yallourn, lived in Stzelecki Road and shifted from Yallourn to the Mirboo area when Bert retired from the SEC in 1975.

Dr John Lewis, who is now senior lecturer at the Hong Kong institute of Education. John started at YHS in 1954 and his younger brother, Bruce, commenced YHS in 1955. John wrote the following: "My memory goes back to the war years when I was just two or three years old and recall towns people lining up for ration stamps at the Primary School. I remember lining up with my mum (Alice Lewis) in 1947 in order to enrol in the 'bubs'. My first teacher was Miss McKenzie. Miss Williams was our teacher in Grades 5 & 6. She was fairly strict and had us doing lots of parsing of sentences.

Stefan Tomasz YHS 1957 wrote: For all those who can remember….and what I remember: I was interested to read Richard (Dickie) Bush’s eulogy for Miss Jones in the Yoga Newsletter - June 2013. As YOGA is about nostalgia, I thought not only of her, but of others who had an impact on our lives those many years ago in the late 1950s and early 1960s. While time tends to mellow and/or distort the memory, the following I remember with general affection. By the way, if what I write does not match what is in the memory of others, then I apologise, in advance, to the living and dead.

Peter Blythe YHS 1954 wrote: I remember – Newborough East and Yallourn. Reg Penkethman’s article in the January 2013 newsletter, with many experiences similar to my own, suggested it was about time I added to the vast array of correspondence contributed to YOGA.

In the Clermont Community & Business Group April 2013 Newsletter, the member profile was written about Olga Dunn (Tabaczynski) YHS 1958 and here is an excerpt: Olga was born in Germany of Ukrainian parents and came by boat to Australia in 1949 as displaced people after the war. Her father built their home in Yallourn North Victoria, which was like ‘little Europe’ with all the immigrants. Olga has two sisters and a brother and she is a member of the Yallourn Old Girls’ Association (YOGA). Olga started YHS in 1958.

Memories of a Junior Postie in Yallourn in mid-1960s…Neil Crawley (great grandson of Yallourn’s Dad/Pop Brewer) I finished Grade 4 at Yallourn Primary (although the first year was held at the High School in a room near Strzelecki Road) and then shifted to Morwell, but came back a few years later and worked at Yallourn Post Office in my first ever job, soon after decimal currency came in.

Judith Jerome (Andrew ) YHS 1938 - was born in 1926, the oldest daughter of Dr James Moore Andrew and nurse Catherine Dorothy Mawson. She was raised in the town of Yallourn with her sister Margaret Noel and brother David Bradbury. Judith attended Yallourn Primary School and then Yallourn High School until she went to school in Melbourne as a boarder for forms four and five. After her schooling, Judith entered her nurse training at The Royal Melbourne Hospital. She completed her general nursing in 1948 and continued her studies to become a midwife and infant welfare sister.

Helen Fischer (Hender) YHS 1967 (equiv): Jenny Foster and I first met at Kindergarten in 1960. We both have vivid memories of being put on the "Kinder Bus" by ourselves and waving nervously back to our mothers through the bus window!!! Jenny still remembers clinging to her mother’s leg, not wanting to get on the bus. I witnessed nearly everyone going through this as I got on at Railway Avenue and the bus travelled all around Yallourn picking up the kids. I loved the bus trip after a while. We were friends at Yallourn State School up until the end of grade 5 (1965).

PATRIOTISM, SQUARE PEGS AND ROUND HOLES - Yallourn High School in the 1950s and 1960s by Stefan Tomasz YHS 1957 (Photo attached)

Sonja Bates (Ostlund), YHS 1943, an original member, life member and committee member of Yallourn Old Girls’ Association. Sonja grew up in Yallourn, attending Yallourn Primary and then High School, and later became a librarian working at Yallourn Library. She was a very active sports woman, playing netball, was an umpire, tennis, table tennis, golf, then moved to Morwell where their family grew up. Sonja & George enjoyed social activities, also travelling which took them to many parts of the world.

YALLOURN HIGH SCHOOL SEX SCANDAL by Reg Penkethman YHS 1951 Now that I’ve got your attention – have you ever had that sinking feeling? Yes; me too. My latest stomach lurch was brought about by an oh-so-friendly reminder from our hard-working Secretary that my oft-promised contribution about early Newborough days had never quite seen the light of day. In desperation (and no little guilt), I dusted off a “draft” and tarted it up a tad. Better late than never, they say : things can only improve.

Lance White YTS 1956 wrote with this small, but significant question which appeared in Albury/Wodonga local paper “The Border Mail” in August 2012: Q: Who said, “Knowledge is Power”? Of course this was our motto under the YTS / YTC’s blazer badge which many of us proudly wore. A: Sir Francis Bacon ( 1561-1626). “We all knew the motto very well, but I wonder how many students knew who this was attributed to or from where it originated. An interesting enough item which many OB’s might appreciate.

Take a Walk on the Wild Side - Julie George (Francis) YHS 1966 “In November 2011, Frank Wild completed his final journey from Johannesburg, South Africa to the Whalers’ Cemetery in Grytviken, South Georgia, when his ashes were placed by me in a grave next to that of his long-time friend and ‘Boss’, Sir Ernest Shackleton.

On a cold and blustery day in Morwell recently, we gratefully accepted a State Government grant to help further fund our historical project - Virtual Yallourn...I’m sure you have noticed the data being inputted from the Electoral Rolls of the 1960s in an endeavor to get every house in Yallourn connected to at least one family and soon you will see some major visual improvements...so please continue to support the website, dig out the old photos and add generously - help solve some of the queries and read what our newly appointed “Mayor Brogan” (Kevin Brogan) has to say - if he doesn’t know the

My brother Ray died of lung cancer aged 62. Far too young to die but he managed to live a full life for the years he had. After leaving school he spent the obligatory few years trying out various jobs and generally having a good time until he grew up (a bit) and ended up in the public service. He spent the early years in Melbourne then a few years in Darwin where he met Julie (also a public servant) and had a son Michael, then they moved to Canberra where he spent the last twenty years or so. Ray and Julie split up about ten years ago.

John Gloz YHS 1965 - re Alex McAlister's article about his time in the Scouts in the Jan 2011 edition, I thought the article was great. I have a couple of minor corrections to the names for the photo he submitted (P7) of the Rovers. Back row, far left is my dad Jack Gloz (not Gloss); and front row far left is George Toye (not Eddie Toy). Unfortunately dad never seemed to have any photos of his time in the Rovers, so I am unable to add any enlightenment as to who the other unknowns were. Thanks Alex for reviving some more memories!

Helen Fischer (Hender) YHS 1967 wrote:

DO YOU REMEMBER……….??

An apprentice at Yallourn 1939-1944 by Alex McAllister (YHS 1935)

An apprenticeship was a period of training undertaken by young people between the age of 16 & 21 years to qualify as a tradesman or tradeswoman in their preferred occupation. I attended the Yallourn Higher Elementary School and as I had visions of eventually going to sea as a ship’s engineer and the minimum qualification required was that you had served an apprenticeship in a heavy industry as a fitter, I applied for an apprenticeship with the SEC.

Irene Hunnam (Park) YHS 1952 wrote an article on Yallourn Hospital in the late 50s

(Photo attached)

In 1957 I started my Division 1 nursing training at the Yallourn Hospital. There were only two of us and we were shown to our rooms in the nursing home and issued with a grey uniform, stiffly starched cuffs and collars and a white cap. A purple cape with the hospital’s insignia and a full white apron completed the uniform.