Mr J E Menadue – first Head Master YHS – b1899 – d1985 (circa 1990)
Yallourn State School No 4085 became a High School in 1945 – from 1928 to 1944 it was a Higher Elementary School. Mr Menadue was proud to have been Head Master of Yallourn High School and is well remembered for his contribution to the school and its students. He always did his utmost to inspire students to strive to attain their best and to prepare well for the future. He had an ardent desire to help all pupils; those who suffered hardship, those who wished to excel in further studies and those who were unsure of their future direction. He never condemned his pupils and is well remembered for his “clear, down to earth” lessons, eg geography. Mr Menadue is also remembered well for his forthright, cordial and sincere approach. He was always most appreciative of the care, interest and help that others gave the school at Yallourn.
He was prominent in public life and proud of his country’s heritage. He was:
•Director of ANA for 42 years – Federal President
•Fellow of Royal Historical Society of Victoria
•Mayor of Horsham
•Board Member of “The Federal Inland Development of North Australia” organisation
•Vice President of Australia Day Council
•Author: “History of ANA”, “Three Lost Children”, “Mineral Springs of Australia” and “A Task for a Nation”.
He had three daughters at Yallourn High School – Winsome, Rosalind and Elizabeth. One of Mr Menadue’s greatest pleasures over the years was to hear from or meet former students who thanked him for his guidance and advice that had helped them in their chosen careers. As one student said, “he was keen to help, was quite stern but with a twinkle in his eye”.
Speech Night Reports – Extracts – Mr J E Menadue H.T. 1945 – 1947
1945
•Teaching Scholarships won by Ruth McGowan and Barbara Baker
•Junior Scholarships : Doreen Robinson, Valerie Trainor
1946
•Accounting Scholarship : Alex Leviston
•Telephonist Examination : Barbara Comber and Nancy Wilkinson
•1st Year of Central Gippsland Secondary Sports Association
•Two Appeals : “Food for Britain” and “Clothing Appeal for UNRRA”
•Parents’ Working Bees erected and paid for garden seats
•No finance available from Department for library shelves
•Matric – 1st year. Two students successful – 8 subjects available
•Leaving – 11 subjects available. 9 students.
1947
•Enrolment 424 (97 boys, 260 girls) – bus travellers – 200. Some cycle 5 miles to the bus from Trafalgar, Erica, Moe, Morwell, Traralgon and Yinnar
•Domestic Science and Needlework commenced (only High School in Gippsland). 59 students passed
•Junior Scholarships : Norah Byrne, Stanley Warren Shears and Lucy Robinson
•Teaching Scholarships : Jill Botterill and Robert Selby-Hele
•SEC Scholarships £6 value per annum : Donald Chisholm and Patricia Herriman
•APM : Barbara Smith and Stanley Ostlund
•Lord Gowri Scholarship : Andrew Fowler
•Herald Learn to Swim Certificates – 20. Students who learnt to swim – 50
•Egg Day Appeal for Yallourn Hospital collected 165 dozen. State Savings A/C £3 weekly
•Working Bees to increase the school’s wood supply.
•£187 spent in 1947 for school improvements
•1st Edition of School Magazine – Mr Mee as Editor
•Thanks to Mr Priestley for his untiring efforts to rehabilitate the school garden; Mr Verey of Yallourn Theatre for assistance to school entertainment; Mr Clarke of Yallourn Passenger Service and his drivers for the courteous and efficient attention given to bus travellers
•School commences at 8.46am; ends 3.30pm, as a result of introduction of 40-hour week at SEC.
The following is quoted from the 1947 Speech Night Report by Mr J E Menadue:
“The staffing for the school for 1948 will, therefore, be:-
•Head Master : Mr H H Champion
•Senior Master : Mr G Findlay
•Senior Mistress : Miss A Callinan
•Miss Jensen, Miss Barclay, Miss Stephens, Miss Dawson, Miss Hewitt, Miss Always, Miss Mason, Mrs Guatta, Mr Graham, Mr Price, Mr Young, Mrs Mee, Mr Farrelly and Mr Wynd. Miss Gillard, Mr Priestley and myself will be relinquishing our positions on the staff. Miss Gillard will be transferring to Maffra and Mr Priestly possibly to Kooyong. My new position will be to the Head Mastership of the Kerang High School.
In conclusion, I must say that it is with great regret that I leave this school. I have been very happy in carrying out my school duties at the Yallourn High School. I have been very interested in watching and directing its growth during the past three years. I have been favoured with two excellent parents’ organisations – High School Advisory Council and the Ladies’ Auxiliary which have responded willingly to every appeal I have put to them and who have, at all times, been thoroughly interested in the work and aims of the school. I have, likewise, been favoured with an excellent staff throughout my stay at Yallourn and have been very ably assisted by Miss Callinan as Senior Mistress and Mr Graham as Senior Master.
I have always found the students at the Yallourn High School very responsive and well mannered, full of energy and capable of rising to the occasion. The school possesses some brilliant students and I feel sure that in years to come, many of them will make their mark in life. In concluding my remarks this evening and in bidding you farewell, I wish to convey to you all, parents, friends, teachers and students, my very best wishes for your future success and happiness.
I wish to remind all students and ex-students that this school has a motto on its badge which should strengthen you in time of difficulty and inspire you at all times to try and attain to the highest that life can give – “CONSILIO ET ANIMIS” = LET US BY WISDOM AND BY COURAGE STRIVE TO EXCEL IN ALL THAT IS GOOD AND GREAT.”